26 Feb, 2024
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered the Transport Ministry to expedite the construction along Rama II Road, after a popular online survey found congestion along the road is putting tourists off the resort town of Hua Hin.
The survey, launched by the popular Facebook page “Paksabuy” last week, asked netizens to pick a reason behind the continued decline in the number of tourists visiting Hua Hin.
While many netizens picked expensive accommodation and the nation’s poor economic recovery, congestion along Rama II Road topped the list of reasons for the town’s decline.
Traffic congestion has long been a problem along Rama II Road, which is one of the main roads which connects Bangkok to the South. The construction of an elevated highway along Rama II Road is plagued by numerous delays, worsening traffic jams along the road that the project is supposed to alleviate.
“The government will expedite the construction [along Rama II Road] as the delay has caused problems to motorists and business operators. Pollution from the construction site has also impacted the people’s health,” Mr Srettha posted on X on Monday.
He promised to follow up on the matter, saying contractors which fail to meet their duties will be punished.
The Transport Ministry, meanwhile, has pledged to speed up the construction to ensure minimal disruption ahead of the Songkran holidays.
Komkrich Charoenpattanasombat, deputy governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan, said overall, Hua Hin is popular with both Thai and foreign visitors, especially on the weekends.
He said during the Makha Bucha holiday, many resorts were fully booked, with the majority of guests being foreign tourists. Around 120 million baht was generated for the economy over the three-day weekend, he noted.
Udom SrimahaChota, owner of Talay Dao Resort Group and vice president of Thai Hotels Association Western Chapter, said his resort rooms were fully booked and about 90% of the guests were from Europe.
He said that Hua Hin isn’t as quiet as what is said on social media.
