Work on pier connecting MRT Purple Line and electric boat service to finish in March

“The construction is now 90 per cent complete,” department director-general Witthaya Thamuang said on Sunday.

“When finished, the pier would help attract more commuters to use electric boats as an alternative to land transport, which will ultimately help reduce air pollution caused by PM2.5 dust particles, as well as promote tourism along Chao Phraya River,” he said.

The construction of Phra Nangklao Bridge Pier is under co-management of the Marine Department and Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), under the Ministry of Transport’s master plan to connect road, rail and boat networks in metropolitan areas.

Witthaya added that the department is also planning to improve the Nonthaburi Pier by installing security infrastructure and improving the landscape.

“Nonthaburi Pier would become the country’s second ‘Smart Pier’ and would also serve as a leisure park,” he said, adding, “During the Covid-19 situation, the department installed thermal scanning checkpoints at all piers and made the wearing of face masks compulsory in the transport system to prevent the spread of the virus.”