Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

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Jun

Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Jun »

bkkguy wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:12 pm the road toll has been a problem for so long that everyone is just blase about it - everyone knows how bad it is, everyone knows the risk factors (alcohol, speed, fatigue, poor driver training, unsafe practices - no seat belts, people in pickup trays, no helmets), any time anyone tries to do something about it it doesn't make any difference because the effort is half-hearted and this is the way we have always done it and/or it is expensive to change, and everyone thinks it is not a problem for them today - they will not have an accident today if they do something unsafe
That's nicely summarized & I agree entirely.
It's entirely irrational for the government to screw the economy to stop Covid, yet they do almost nothing to stop the appalling road toll death rate, when fixing this problem instead would have less impact on the economy & result in fewer deaths (and a lot fewer lost years of life).

The reason for this irrationality is, as you say, largely down to the fact that Covid's a new problem.
By this time next year, I reckon people will be more used to the idea.
There will be a lot less restrictions, either due to people getting used to the idea of living with Covid, or a vaccine.

bkkguy wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:12 pm OK yes the economic effect may cause problems in the longer term, and yes on-going compliance relaxes over time as well, but why are you so surprised at this "inconsistency"?
I'm not actually surprised, but am intending to draw attention to this point. Sometimes I like to state the obvious.

Steering the debate back to the topic, infrastructure projects are ideal for kick starting the economy after Covid. The infection risk for outdoor construction is going to be pretty low and then, by the time it's completed, Thailand will probably be trying to welcome tourists back into the country.
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