Last chance for the BTS?

After my previous post regarding Bangkok's stalled long term transport plans I have been keeping an ever-more interested eye on the BTS extension debate- BTS is the city’s skytrain transport system. Recent developments in this story have been full of intriguing insights into Thai politics: on the side for the extension you have the democrats including BMA Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, on the other you have the ruling party Thai Rak Thai and the Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra who are desperate for the Democrats not to make any political gain from the BTS.

(The end of the line at Chao Pyra bridge- Source: 2Bangkok.com)
Apirak once again restarted the extension proposal after it was cancelled by TRT when he announced that the city council could offer the 2bil baht required instead of the government. TRT then responded by saying that first the city council would have to vote in favor of the extension and then the request be submitted to an as yet unformed(!) authority the Mass Transit Board. Last week the first council meeting to decide the funding was postponed as 18 TRT officials failed to turn up to vote after a break for lunch! But now finally this 'political football' (as it has been named by 2bangkok.com the source for most of this material) looks like it has been kicked towards the goal of the BTS extension and the home supporters of Thonburi- as yesterday the city council managed to convene (presumably before midday!) and voted without exception to provide 1.9bil baht to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to complete the line.

Now the ball now lies back at the foot of PM Taksin and awaits approval by the MTB which he will lead, so unfortunately the final act of this particular phase of the BTS extension saga looks like it will be Taksin again kicking the ball out of touch. Alternatively, if Taksin and the MTB give into to public pressure and approve the extension the good news for Thonburi and the Democrats will undoubtedly cause a good deal of unrest in the TRT party ranks and may come back to haunt the PM during election time. I am going to continue to watch this, perhaps one day I will report that I have taken one of the first trains over the river and that finally old and new Bangkok have a mass transport link?