Public passenger vans evicted from Bangkok Victory Monument
Bangkok’s public passenger van hub at Victory Monument was moved yesterday. Travellers now have to board their vans at the official city bus stations which serve their particular destinations.
Victory Monument was the main hub for van services for destinations up to 300kms from Bangkok. Hua Hin, Pattaya and Lopburi were among the destinations accessible by van from stops at the roundabout surrounding the iconic Bangkok landmark.
Vans now depart from Bangkok’s Ekkamai, Morchit and Sai Tai Kao Southern Terminal. Which terminal is dependent on where the passenger’s final destination is. 12GO ASIA advises travellers making reservations via its website to check their confirmation slips carefully to ensure they go to the correct departure station.
Thailand’s Transport Ministry is offering free shuttle bus services from Victory Monument to the three bus stations. Omsin Chiwaphruek, the Thai deputy transport minister, was in attendance yesterday to oversee the transition and he said the shuttle services were free and would be a permanent service.
Last week saw the inauguration of a new flight route connecting central Vietnam and the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. Vietnamese budget carrier Jetstar Pacific launched a twice weekly service last Friday which links the nation’s Quang Binh Province to the Rose of Thailand’s North.
Delegates from Thailand and Myanmar have marked the auspicious 20th birthday of a river bridge linking the two ASEAN nations. The ceremonies on Tuesday marked the official anniversary of the Moei River Friendship Bridge’s opening on 15 August 1997.
A heritage bridge spanning the Perfume River in Hue is to get a makeover to make it more conducive to 21st century tourism. The original Truong Tien Bridge dates from the French colonial era in the 1890s and is a 400-metre-long structure.
