STORY: Driverless electric bus brings glimpse of future transport to Thai historic city
SHOOTING TIME: March 5, 2024
DATELINE: April 5, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:55
LOCATION: AYUTTHAYA, Thailand
CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of driverless electric bus
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Thai): PONGWUT KOOVIMOL, AI engineer at Turnkey Communication Services Public Company Limite
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Thai): JIDAPHA CHUBOON, Passenger
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Thai): RONNAKORN SUKKASEM, Passenger

STORYLINE:

Thailand's first driverless electric bus is currently undergoing a road test.

The 20-seater bus is operated along a 2.8-kilometer loop that connects tourist hotspots in the UNESCO-listed historic city of Ayutthaya in central Thailand, which is known for its archeological ruins and Buddhist temples.

Equipped with 5G technology, passengers can book a seat by scanning the QR code and using the mobile application to track the bus's real-time location.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Thai): PONGWUT KOOVIMOL, AI engineer at Turnkey Communication Services Public Company Limite
"You can scan the QR code here, or download the application.
We are at the third bus stop currently. It will calculate the distance between us and the bus stop.
We use this driverless bus to demonstrate, and let people know that now we have such a new technology and make them adapt to this autonomous system.
I expect that there will be more technology like this in the future. This is a good starting point, we have created the first electric autonomous bus that runs in open areas."

The prototype bus was developed by King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi in collaboration with local tech companies, and it is planned to be in trial service until July this year, said Pongwut Koovimol.

Jidapha Chuboon, a 60-year-old street vendor, recounted her excitement while taking the bus.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Thai): JIDAPHA CHUBOON, Passenger
"I'm really excited at first. I wonder if it's real. The first time when I saw this driverless bus, I saw a driver. But when I boarded the bus, I found that the 'driver' was just sitting there and monitoring. Boarding the bus from one of its four stops near his college, 18-year-old student Ronnakorn Sukkasem hoped that the bus would attract more tourists to his hometown."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Thai): RONNAKORN SUKKASEM, Passenger
"This is something new and good. The driverless bus will attract more tourists to Ayutthaya."

According to Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Supamas Isarabhakdi, the project aims to enhance public transportation safety and promote sustainable tourism at historical sites, with plans to expand to other areas in the future.
   
Thailand has long encouraged the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in public transport. The number of newly registered battery-powered electric buses in the kingdom jumped to 1,218 units in 2023, a 24.8 percent increase over the previous year, data from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) showed.

The Thai government plans for battery EVs to account for 30 percent of the nation's total auto production by 2030, with an estimated annual production capacity of 725,000 units.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ayutthaya, Thailand.
(XHTV)