Upping the offer | Bangkok Post: learning

Easy English news

The MRTA hopes that more money is the answer to the problem of business owners refusing to make way for a new subway extension.

Click button to listen to Expropriation and rightclick to download

Upping the offer

One of the problems a big city like Bangkok faces in implementing a new mass transit system is acquiring the land. Large tracts of land must be expropriated and paid for and not all the landowners are willing to just walk away.

For the new Purple Line subway, for example, The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) still needs secure another 1,052 pieces of land and 640 households –  even though the project is already 18 percent complete.

The problem is that many business operators along the route, running from Bang Yai to Bang Sue, are refusing to make way.

The MRTA hopes that more money is the answer. It will now offer at least 75,000 baht to each business affected by the expropriation. This compensation is distinct from the amount the MRTA is paying to acquire land for the railway.

Permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom, who chairs the MRTA, said the agency was trying to speed up the land expropriation and had recalculated the compensation it was prepared to offer by including the likely damage to businesses being forced to move.

The MRTA wants to clear land at four locations, earmarked for entrance and exit ramps.

MRTA deputy governor Ronnarit Yaemsa-ard, in his capacity as acting MRTA governor, said the agency had paid out 8.1 billion baht in land expropriation costs, out of a total put aside of 9.2 billion baht.

Business operators who seek compensation are required to furnish their financial and tax details. Each affected business will be paid at least 75,000 baht in damages, although owners of large businesses will be given compensation based on actual losses, he said.
 
Adapted from a story in today's Bangkok post by Amornrat Mahitthirook.

up – to increase เพิ่ม
implement – to make something such as an idea, plan, system or law start to work and be used นำแผนหรือนโยบายมาปฏิบัติ
mass transit – involving the movement of large numbers of people, using buses, trains, etc. การขนส่งมวลชน
tract – an area of land, especially a large on  พื้นที่, Sบริเวณ
expropriate – to officially take away private property from its owner for public use บังคับให้โอนกรรมสิทธิ์คืนให้แก่รัฐ ซึ่งที่ดินหรืออสังหาริมทรัพย์อย่างอื่นของเอกชนตามเงื่อนไขที่กฎหมายบัญญัติ
secure – to get or achieve something ได้รับ, ทำให้ได้ผล
household – a group of people, often a family, who live together  ครัวเรือน
operator – a person or company that runs a business ผู้ดำเนินกิจการทางธุรกิจ, ผู้ประกอบธุรกิจ
refuse – to say you will not do something that someone has asked you to do ปฏิเสธ
route – the roads used to go from one place to another เส้นทาง
make way – to allow somebody/something to pass; to allow somebody/something to take the place of somebody/something หลบเข้าด้านข้าง
compensation – money that someone receives because something bad has happened to them  เงินชดเชย
distinct – clearly different แตกต่างอย่างสิ้นเชิง
recalculate – to calculate a second time, i.e., to discover a number or amount using  mathematics คำนวนใหม่
likely – probable or expected น่าจะเป็นไปได้
earmark – to keep or intend something for a particular purpose
entrance – a door, gate, passage, etc. used for entering a room, building or place ทางเข้า
exit – an opening where you leave a place ทางออก
ramp – a slope connecting two levels of a building, road etc ทางลาด,ด้านลาด
capacity – a particular position or job ฐานะ
acting – doing the work of the usual person in a particular job while they are not there, or until a new person starts ที่รักษาการแทน
furnish – to provide; to give someone something that they want or need จัดหาให้,  จัดเตรียมไว้ให้
actual – real; existing in fact จริง

Tell us what you think about this article

Like dislike 0 people liked / 0 people disliked it

Share this article

0

0

• More +

• Republishing permission
• Print this

Bangkok Post online classifieds

Try buying & selling goods and properties 24/7 in our classifieds which has high purchasing power local & expatriate audience from within Thailand and around the world.