The Transport Ministry is moving ahead with plans to introduce a taxi boat service along Klong Phasi Charoen in Bangkok, with electric and solar-hybrid vessels being considered as part of the project.
The proposed service is intended to provide another public transport option for residents living and working along the canal while helping connect communities with Bangkok’s wider transport network.
Authorities are looking at environmentally friendly boats as part of efforts to reduce emissions and promote cleaner forms of urban transportation. Electric vessels and boats using solar-hybrid technology are among the options being considered.
Klong Phasi Charoen runs through western Bangkok and is already served by canal boats. The planned service would build on the canal’s existing role as a transport route and could provide an alternative to road travel in areas affected by traffic congestion.
The project is also expected to improve connections between communities along the waterway and other forms of public transport. Better links between canal services and the city’s rail and road networks could make the system more convenient for commuters.
The use of cleaner vessels reflects the government’s wider efforts to encourage low-emission public transport. Electric boats can also help reduce noise and air pollution compared with conventional engines.
Officials will need to consider factors including routes, piers, passenger demand, operating costs and safety before the service can be fully implemented.
The initiative comes as Bangkok continues to explore waterways as part of its public transport system. Canal services can provide useful alternatives on routes where road congestion makes journeys slower.
If implemented as planned, the new taxi boat service could give communities along Klong Phasi Charoen another transportation option while supporting Bangkok’s transition towards cleaner urban mobility.
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