Transportation

Bangkok Considers Asking Drivers to Pay as Traffic Roars Back

Residents of the Thai capital lost eight days to rush hour traffic in 2019.

Vehicles sitting in traffic illuminate Sukhumvit Road at night in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.

Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg

Thai authorities are considering imposing a congestion charge in the capital Bangkok to ease traffic snarls and air pollution, making it potentially the second major Asian city to implement such a policy.

A five-year joint study by Thai transport authorities and German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit looked at the feasibility of congestion pricing in Bangkok, and is looking at possibly charging fees ranging from 50 baht ($1.30) to 120 baht across different city zones.