No, it´s not free here. Not even if the government or city municipality would put up facilities like you post. First, free is not in the cultural behavior in Thailand. Second, they need someone to work and keep the facilities clean, free from people using drugs and living on the streets and so on.....
It costs money, and most Thais understand that and are willing to pay a small fee, for the small amount of times they are using such facilities. As foreigners, we should also understand that and don´t have problem with their system.