Rapid Assessment for Resilient Recovery and ... - GFDRR

Sector Context
Transport contributes about 7 percent to Thailand’s GDP. More broadly, logistics-related
services make up almost 20 percent of GDP. The country’s transport sector consists of:
(i) roads, about 51,000 km of national and provincial highways, 44,000 km of rural roads,
and 84,000 km of local roads; (ii) rail, about 4,100 km of generally single track line; (iii) air,
6 international and 29 domestic airports; and (iv) waterways, about 2,700 km of coastal
shipping routes and 1,850 km of inland waterways. Road accounts for about 94 percent of
domestic freight transport, with rail and inland water transport providing for 2 percent and 4
percent respectively. For passenger transport, road is also by far the dominant mode.
The road network is relatively new, and largely in good condition, subject to the comments
in the following paragraph. The rail network is much older, and provides relatively limited
low-cost passenger and bulk freight services along four major corridors, to the north, the
northeast, the east, and the south. Inland waterways carry mostly bulk agricultural and
construction materials, with the services privately operated.
For the road sector, in particular the national system under the responsibility of the
Ministry of Transport’s (MOT’s) Department of Highways (DOH), the network is in relatively
good condition, with an asset value of around USD 40–50 billion. However, neither routine
nor periodic maintenance allocations are now adequate. As a result, there is a significant
and increasing backlog of critically needed
periodic maintenance, a situation that is
exacerbated by the shortfall in periodic
maintenance funding. If the backlog is not
addressed, the asset value, and capacity,
of the national road network will decrease
rapidly and, as was apparent from the field
visits undertaken as part of the needs assessment,
the network will be more susceptible
to damage from events such as this
flood. The combination of increasing traffic
loadings and weakened road structures
caused by long-term, inadequate periodic maintenance and a flood will rapidly reduce the
overall service life of the network, and increase its susceptibility to damage in the event of
a similar flood in future. Less information is available for the rural roads component of the
network, for which MOT’s Department of Rural Roads (DRR) is responsible, but it is likely
that the situation is similar in respect of limited funding for essential periodic maintenance,
and hence for the long-term sustainability of the network.
From the institutional perspective, DOH and DRR are capable of managing the works
required to restore their respective networks to their pre-flood conditions. DOH has in
the past received assistance from the World Bank to improve its capacity to manage its
network. 89
There is less certainty that the local road networks can be similarly restored quickly and
effectively. These networks, which as noted above are extensive, are the responsibility of
the provinces, local municipalities, and other agencies.
89 Thailand: Highways Management Project, approved in December 2003
104 THAI FLOOD 2011 RAPID ASSESSMENT FOR RESILIENT RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING