Traffic and Transportation Department

About the Department

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is considered the center of prosperities in various aspects such as economy, trade, investment, education, politics, public administration and culture. This qualification has provided Bangkok the best opportunity to develop rapidly. Recently, it has become a home to massive number of migrant domestic and international workers who seek for business and investment opportunities which has yet reflected in the dramatic increase of population.

Because of human settlement that spreading evenly over wide regions and urbanization without an effective enforcement of city planning law, this has yet to cause traffic congestion to be exacerbated. The number of cars increases continuously while the number of road networks in Bangkok is relatively limited, inadequate mass transit system, and undisciplined drivers have delivered negative impact on the city's economy, society, environment, general well-being, and the country's capacity for competitiveness.

It was in 1971 when the Traffic and transport management systematically began. The German Government and the Royal Thai Government engaged in a bilateral cooperative project. In consequent, experts from F.H. Kocks Consulting Engineering Rhein Ruhring, GMBH were dispatched to work in collaboration with Thai officials to initially conduct a survey and planning of traffic flow in Bangkok.

In 1973, the Cabinet passed a resolution to establish a special agency known as the "Office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Traffic Engineering" on 12 June 1973 under the supervision of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Its mandates are to implement road design, planning for traffic congestion solution and develop mass transportation system in the future.

After the promulgation of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act, B.E. 2518 (1975), the Office was then referred as the "Traffic Engineering Division" under the umbrella of the Office of the Permanent Secretary for the BMA on 14 February 1975. The division was then became the "Traffic and Transportation Department" or TTD in accordance with the BMA announcement on 29 December 1993. Its responsibilities ranged from research, exploration, data collection, analysis, planning, design, to the development of road networks, traffic systems, and public transportations, including promotion of traffic and transport safety in Bangkok metropolis.