A few days ago I went on a trip to Mahacahi city to film and photograph the various forms of mass transport used in this area. I started my trip at Kheha Thonburi (Rama 2) and traveled to Mahachai by the means of bus route 68.

Mahachai city is a major port city about 50 km from the inner city areas of Bangkok. Mahachai is a very industrial place. With hundreds of factories that manufacture all kinds of things. The city of Mahachai has existed for over 200 years and was founded on the banks of the Thachin River and Klong Mahachai. This area provides the perfect spot for a deep water fishing port. Therefore Mahachai’s main industry is fishing and seafood products. It is famous around Thailand for its fresh seafood. A lot seafood is exported to the USA, EU, Australia and around Asia. When you buy prawns in Australia that say “imported” it’s likely it came from the Mahachai area.

The Mahachai area is very low lying only about 50 cm above sea level with huge areas of mangrove swamps. The city is only 2 km from the gulf of Thailand. There are no beaches of any type for 50 km in either direction of Mahachai city.

The people are mostly made up of Thai fishermen and Burmese laborers who mostly work under the radar. More recently there has been an increase in Thai Chinese and Japanese who operate businesses and the hundreds of factories in the area. As a result of this high concentration of factories and the port the area attracts a lot of poor upcountry Thai (Issan) and Burmese workers who are often not treated well by their bosses. The average Thai factory workers pay is 200 baht a day the average for Burmese is around 120 baht a day.

This area has a wide range of mass transport types. These are SRT train, Bus, truck, pedal cab, motorbike and boat. A lot of the transport vehicles are very old but are very well used even in this modern age.

1. This is a picture of the route 68 bus that I took to Mahachai city. Bus number 68-14. This is a merc bus like most Thai buses. Route 68 operates from Sanam Luang to Mahachai via Rama 2 road. Taken at Kheha Thonburi (soi 60). This route runs every 10 mins from 4am to 11pm 7days a week.



3. This is a short movie showing what its like to ride on a route 68 bus. This is an air-conditioned bus and almost all the seats where taken. Note: the short stops and general nature of this bus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCEz4MWJEIA

4. This is a picture of one of the main junctions in the center of Mahachai city. This is taken near the police station on Ekkachai road. The large building in the background is a new 7 story apartment complex that rents out from 3800 baht per month.



5. This is a short movie showing the area around the main bus terminal next to Mahachai Peir. Note: the amount of buses and trucks that are passing. Also there is quite a range of different types of vehicles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeeMgXZLuRE

6. This is a shot of a long distance commuter truck-bus service taken near Mahachai police station. This is truck number 6035-9 this truck operates on route 6035: Mahachai city to Cal Com (industrial complex). Most of these trucks make up the Mahachai mass transport system. They operate either on a 15 min or 30 min frequency from 4am to 8pm 7days a week.



If you want to see more images of Mahachai’s mass transport then please visit

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008...-mahachai.html

8. This is an inside shot of a typical Mahachai commuter truck-bus. They are similar in comfort to a non aircond metro bus. These larger trucks operate on routes of between 60 to 90 minutes long. Taken at Mahachai Pier bus terminal.



12. This is a shot of the short distance country bus stop at Mahachai pier. These orange buses operate on routes of up to 3 hours long. They only operate non aircond buses on these routes.




25. This is a movie showing what it’s like to ride on a cross-river ferry from Mahachai to Ban Laem. These ferries take people and motorbikes. The roofline of the ferry is quite low so it makes the movie a bit dark at times. Also you get a nice view of the fishing port while you ride across the river.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPS121rchnM


Note: There are no pictures of the railways of the Mahachai area, as I will post them in a separate topic, as there is a lot to see and discuss about the railway systems in Mahachai.

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

If you want to see more images of Mahachai’s mass transport then please visit

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008...-mahachai.html

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/