Your September 1st article regarding the Chiang Mai
Governor’s optimism about the local economy is interesting. His unworried
view, however, is difficult to harmonize with some common developmental
indicators. The trade and investment that the Governor foresees is simply
not going to materialize unless the infrastructure develops. The traders and
investors will go elsewhere. Just a few years ago, it appeared that Chiang
Mai was, indeed, going to become a trading hub, but many of the promising
details simply stalled out.
Look at the transportation system. It is far behind what
one would expect in a city of this size. The Super Highway and ring roads
move traffic fairly well on the East side, but it just dumps those from the
Northwest into Nimmanhaemin/CMU, one of the most congested areas of town.
Just getting to and from the airport from Central and Northwest Chiang Mai
continues to be an ordeal. Meanwhile, the public transportation venture
crashed and burned. Some in the hospitality industry (not many, I suspect)
may think that song taew travel is quaintly attractive, but most investors
are going to see it as an indication of an inability to modernize. On a more
macro transportation note, examination of regional maps seems to indicate
that Northern Thailand would be the logical route for a modern rail link to
China. Recent reports, however, indicate that the Central Government and the
Chinese are gong to engineer a very daunting route through massive mountain
ranges, maybe crossing the Mekong three times, in order to bring the rail
line through Vientiane, Laos and Nong Khai. Even a modern rail link from
Chiang Mai to Bangkok will not be addressed until after Phuket and China are
connected.
I hope that the Governor’s rosy outlook proves well
founded, but I expect that he will have to show some substantial
developmental leadership to make his expectations occur. Trade fairs may
well bring potential businesses here to take a look, but those businesses
won’t bring their offices, factories, and warehouses unless they see a city
that is on the move.
Larry Fraser
