A community living behind the old Mor Chit bus station plans to go to court to protest a land expropriation order, which they say is illegal as it serves commercial interests.
The residents, who live between Phahonyothin Road and Vihavadi Road, have submitted a petition to Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang in response to a land expropriation order issued by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The BMA issued the order in August, seeking to buy back 35 land plots along a 530-metre stretch from Soi Phahonyothin 18/1 to Soi Vibhavadi 5. It said the Ministry of Transport needed the land to develop transport infrastructure.
It has been reported the ministry wants to relocate the current Mor Chit bus station on Kamphaeng Phet Road behind Chatuchak Market back to its old location, which now serves as a depot for the BTS skytrain.
The ministry is said to have plans to develop the bus station by building an elevated road that will link it to the Don Muang Highway. It also has plans to develop a "smart city", including a mixed-use commercial complex on the expropriated land.
Wininorn Preechapinitkul, one of the residents taking action, said the land expropriation violates the Land Expropriation Act, which stipulates that the seized land must be used for either a public benefit or for national security purposes.
"But the bus terminal will occupy only 15%, while 85% of the land expropriated by taxpayers' money will be used for commercial development purposes," said Ms Wininorn. "Those that reap the benefit will be [those behind] a commercial complex, shopping mall, hotel and apartments."
She said the complex would not only affect the lives of many people but would be paid for by taxpayers' money for mostly private benefit.
Apart from that, Ms Wininorn said residents could find no good reason for the ministry to move the bus terminal as the old location still suffered severe traffic congestion and pollution every day.
The current location, by contrast, was more suitable and already connected with railways and mass transit trains.