Bangkok and its environment in the context of commuting

Abstract

Commuting has occurred in the context of the special physical and social environment of Bangkok. This paper aims to explore why commuting has become a major contributor to traffic congestion in Bangkok. Using data from various sources such as primary research, news reports, and government and non- government reports, it is found that the expanding economy, increasing urban population, expansion of built-up areas, improved transportation and communication network, and government policies encourage commuting distances in Bangkok. Rapid economic growth has been increase in population and expansion of the built-up areas. The improvement of infrastructure and transportation has raised level of movement and commuting distances. On the other hand, economic growth is also correlated with changes in occupational structure from agriculture to non-agriculture income and lifestyle. When people’s income increases their demand from more space for housing and comfortable means of commuting modes increase. This results in housing being located far from the congested city center and an increasing use of cars. The high rate of private-vehicle use leads to congestion, which results in increased commuting times. Government policies relating to land use, housing and workplace, and the provision of transportation systems have attempted to deal with the problems arising from commuting, but without significant success.