A little Background on Nonthaburi.
Nonthaburi is located about 20 km north west of inner Bangkok. The area is home to over 1.1 million people. It is administered under a separate city council to the main Bangkok area. This means that issues like mass transport and urban planning are managed differently in Nonthaburi than in Bangkok.
Nonthaburi is made up of two sections of unequal size. The larger (70%) section is the lower density area on the western side of the Chao Phraya River and the smaller (30%) highly built up eastern section that directly merges into Bangkok’s middle suburban area. However the density on the western side is rapidly increasing.
The transport system of Nonthaburi in the past was almost totally water borne transport. In fact many of the large main roads in Nonthaburi were once klongs as was also the case in most of Bangkok. These klongs were filled in to allow roads to be built after World War 2.
Before World War 2 there was a minor 750mm gauge interurban commuter railway operating from the Bang Phlat District of Bangkok to Bang Bua Thong and Pathum Thani. Nothing remains of this rail corridor today. It is understood that some of the minor roads of western Nonthaburi were built directly on top of the old railway in the 1950s. I do wonder if any of the rails are still laying in place under the roads of Nonthaburi today.
Today the mass transport system in Nonthaburi is made up of a number of lower frequency local “Nonthaburi metro routes” plus a large number of high frequency BMTA and private bus routes coming in from Bangkok and Pathum Thani.
In addition to the bus system in Nonthaburi there is a direct connection to Inner Bangkok via the Chao Phraya express boat service. Also at Pak Kret a Klong boat service operates to Bang Bua Thong in western Nonthaburi. No rail based mass transport is available in the Nonthaburi area.
In the future a new elevated heavy rail metro line will be built from Bang Bua Thong to Bang Sue on the edge of inner Bangkok. This line will greatly help to ease the traffic problems of Nonthaburi as is passes though some of Nonthaburi’s most chronically congested areas.
The main bus terminal in Nonthaburi is located on a dead end road at Nonthaburi pier. This area is the transfer point for passengers from boat to bus. Tens of thousands of passengers transfer boat to bus and bus to bus at Nonthaburi pier. This area is considered the old city centre of Nonthaburi as a lot of more recent development has occurred north and west of the old city centre.
Like a lot of bus terminals in Bangkok this one has zero information for passengers but unlike other bus terminals the Nonthaburi bus terminal is simple as there is one major stop in front of the pier for both directions. Plus a few sub stops along the road from Talat Nonthaburi. So at Nonthaburi it’s just a matter of waiting for your bus to approach as they pass the one stop.
1. This is a shot of a Route 64: Sanam Luang – Nonthaburi bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 64 – 12. Bus type unknown.
2. This is a shot of a Route 203: Sanam Luang – Nonthaburi bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number unknown. Bus type Merc mini. This is a very high frequency 24 hour route.
3. This is a shot of a Route 30: Nonthaburi – Southern Bus Terminal bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 30 – 14. Bus type unknown.
4. This is an image of a Route (Nonthaburi) 3: Nonthaburi pier – Wat Sangkhathan truck – bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Truck – bus number 17005 – 6. Truck type Isuzu. The temple at the end of this route is very famous for meditation.
5. This is an image of a Route 114: Nonthaburi – Lam Lukka Junction bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 55047. Bus type Isuzu aircon.
6. This is a shot of a Route 97: Victory Monument – Nonthaburi pier bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number unknown. Bus type Merc mini. These mini buses do not operate via Bang sue MRT station.
7. This is a shot of a Route 97: Victory Monument – Ministry of Public Health bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 55054. Bus type Isuzu aircon. Note this is a 24 hour service.
8. This is an image of a Route 1053: Nonthaburi – Muang Tong Thani bus. Taken as it was about to turn into Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Bus number 1053 – 9. Bus type UD non aircon. This route is part of the Nonthaburi metro bus system.
9. This is an image of a Route 1: Nonthaburi – Sanambin Nam bus. Taken as it was turning into Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Bus number 1 – 18. Bus type Merc Non aircon.
10. This is a shot of a Route 30 bus. Taken as it was overtaking a Samlor on Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 30 – 7. Bus type unknown mini.
11. This is a shot of a Route 175: Nonthaburi – Talat Phlu bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 175 – 26. Bus type unknown.
12. This is an image of a Route (Nonthaburi) 1: Talat Nonthaburi – Rama 5 Bridge truck – bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Truck – bus number unknown. Truck type unknown.
13. This is an image of a Route 63: Victory Monument – Nonthaburi bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50462. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note: this is a 24 hour service.
14. This is an image of a Route 203 bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50352. Bus type Isuzu non aircon.
15. This is a shot of a Route 1024 Nonthaburi – Bang Bua Thong bus. Taken as it was about to turn into Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Bus number 1024 – 28. Bus type unknown. This bus is the only route that crosses the Rama 5 Bridge.
16. This is a shot of a Route 97 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50493. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note: this is a free bus. This bus will terminate at Taopoon.
17. This is a shot of a Route 114 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 7 – 55089. Bus type Isuzu aircon. This was the last series of aircon buses introduced by BMTA.
18. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number Unknown. Bus type UD mini. This style of mini bus is taller than the merc mini buses.
19. This is an image of a Route 545: Nonthaburi – Samrong bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number 93 – 217. Bus type unknown. This route appears to be made up of parts of other routes aimed at creating a cross town route. The end result is a very indirect and slow cross town route.
20. This is an image of a Route 117: Nonthaburi – BMA office centre 2 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 8 – 80317. Bus type Mitsubishi non aircon.
21. This is a shot of a Route 30 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number 30 – 20. Bus type unknown. Prior to conversion to NGV these buses were known as coal fired buses due to the thick and constant clouds of Black smoke that used to pour out of them.
22. This is a shot of a Route 114 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 7 -50369. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. This bus will terminate at Wat Pra See.
23. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was approaching the terminus at Nonthaburi pier. Bus number BMTA 7 – 3070. Bus type Isuzu aircon. This bus was photographed earlier at Sanam Luang thus taking over 2 hours to cover 25km.
24. This is a shot of a Nonthaburi – Kasetsart University van. Taken as it was approaching its final stop at Nonthaburi pier. Van type Toyota. These van services operate via normal roads to provide an additional and quicker service over the buses.
25. This is a shot of a Route 545 bus. Taken as it was approaching the terminus at Nonthaburi pier. Bus number unknown. Bus type Higer KLQ6120G. This is recently imported CNG powered bus.
26. This is a short movie showing the amount of buses that pass through Nonthaburi pier bus terminus in less than a minute. There is a bus every 5 seconds on average passing. This was filmed just before the start of peak hour. Note the open doors on some of the buses as the pass by.
27. This is a shot of a Route Nonthaburi 1 truck – bus. Taken as it was doing a u turn in the middle of Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Truck – bus number 17005 – 2. Note the comfort levels on this truck.
28. This is an image of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry getting underway with a reasonable load. Taken looking west from Nonthaburi pier. This cross river ferry is one of the busiest due to a long distance between bridges in this area.
29. This is an inside shot of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry showing a large standing load of mostly school students crossing over to the western side of the Chao Phraya River. The whole time I was at Nonthaburi the boats depart full like this.
30. This is a movie of a ride on the Nonthaburi cross river ferry. Filmed from inside the busy boat as it traveled from Nonthaburi to the western side of the river. Note the large number of people and the river side view. Also a number of different types of passengers and cargo boats can be seen crossing the ferries path.
31. This is a shot of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry on the western side of the river. Taken looking north along the river from the boat pier. The boats depart every few minutes all day long.
32. This is a shot looking east across the river to Nonthaburi pier where two cross river ferries can be seen departing with a large load on board. Each boat can take 120 passengers. Due to little or no counting of passenger numbers overloading does occur at peak times.
On the western side of the river to Nonthaburi is a smaller bus terminal that has a number of truck – bus routes and semi rural bus routes. The buses operate less frequently in this area some only every 15 – 20 mins. This side of the river at Nonthaburi has a rural feel about it.
33. This is an image of a Thanam Non pier – Moo Ban Yaowapan truck – bus. Taken as it was waiting to depart from the cross river ferry pier on the western side of the river. Truck type Nissan.
34. This is a shot of a Route 1003: Bang Bua Thong – Thanam Nonthaburi pier bus. Taken as it was waiting to depart from the terminus in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Bus number 1003 – 38. Bus type Hino non aircon.
35. This is a shot of two Route 1003 buses waiting to depart from the terminus in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Route 1003 appears to operate every 7 to 10 minutes.
36. This is a shot of the rear Route 1003 bus pulling out to depart on a trip. Bus type unknown. Bus number unknown. Note the condition of this bus. These buses would date back to the late 1960s or early 1970s.
37. This is an image of a Route 1002: Bang Yai – Thanam Nonthaburi pier bus. Waiting to depart from the terminus in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Bus number 1002 – 28. Bus type Isuzu. Note the smashed front window on this bus.
38. This is an image of a Thanam Nonthaburi pier – Wat Suan Kaew truck – bus. Taken as it was passing the bus terminal in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Truck – bus number unknown. Truck type Mitsubishi.
39. This is a general view shot of the Tuk Tuk stand in Thanam Nonthaburi road just outside the boat pier. The fare to use these Tuk Tuk’s must be agreed on 1st before departing as there is no meter.
40. This is a general view shot of the motorbike taxi stand in Thanam Nonthaburi road just outside the boat pier. The fare to use these motorbikes must be agreed on 1st before use but they all tend to operate to the same fare regardless of which one you take.
41. This is a shot of a Route 1002 bus. Taken as it was about to do a U turn outside the boat pier in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Bus number 1002 – 34. Bus type Merc non aircon. Unlike most non aircon buses in Thailand this bus has sliding windows rather than lift up windows.
42. This is another angle on the Route 1002 bus. Taken just after it had turned around at the boat pier in Thanam Nonthaburi road. This bus does not have any doors that can be closed. This means do not sit near the door when it’s raining or you will be soaked.
43. This is a shot of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry as it was makings its way west across the Chao Phraya river. Taken looking east from the western side of the river. The famous Nonthaburi clock tower can be seen in the background.
I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.
2 comments:
Hope you are getting better, maybe it's a good idea to buy a travel insurance before any long trip.
Great stuff, but needs updating to reflect that the buses no longer stop at the pier, just keep going round the clock tower and back up the road. The pavement at the stop is very overcrowded.
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