Bangkok Is In Desperate Need Of Open Spaces And Fresh Air

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

In desperate need of open spaces and fresh air

The Nation

Lumpini Park

Bangkok has one of the lowest percentages of green areas of any major capital in Asia; it's time residents got new parks to breathe in

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BANGKOK: -- It is not surprising that a group of environmentalists has expressed dissatisfaction with the pledges of Bangkok's gubernatorial candidates. In fact, none of the candidates is offering a realistic platform that could make the city a more pleasant place to live.

The billboards have sprouted up all across the city, the candidates boasting how they will relieve the debt of the poor, eliminate crime and create a massive public-transportation network. This despite the fact that all of these pie-in-the-sky promises are beyond their jurisdiction or fiscal capacity. None of the candidates talks about how they would improve air quality or take care of specifics that are the direct responsibility of the Bangkok governor, such as how to improve waste-treatment systems.

Bangkok has over the past few decades become one of the fastest-growing cities in Asia. But its rapid growth has basically gone unmanaged.

In Asia, on average, urban people enjoy 39 square metres of green space each. Bangkok has 5.7 million permanent residents (probably twice as many unofficially) on 1,569 square kilometres, meaning they have to make do with a mere three square metres each, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's Asian Green City Index 2011, commissioned by Siemens. Singapore, with 5 million people squeezed into 715 square kilometres, offers 66 square metres of green space per person.

Besides land use, the 2011 rankings indicated that Bangkok is poorer in energy use and CO2 output, sanitation, waste, water and transport - all the indicators of "going green".

Bangkok desperately needs additional green areas to improve the quality of life. And the need for more greenery is ever increasing. People who live in condominiums, for instance, would love to enjoy common green areas where their children can play.

However, outdated regulations and lax enforcement of city zoning has made Bangkok's growth unmanageable in some areas. Some districts have seen a huge rise in population density. The levels of air pollution in some of the busier districts are now hazardous. The water quality in some public waterways is also way below par.

Overall, Bangkok has proved to be resilient. In the past few years the city has emerged from human conflicts and natural disasters due to residents' sense of unity when under pressure. After the floods of late 2011, for instance, there was concern that debris and garbage that floated along waterways downstream to Bangkok might cause severe outbreaks of disease if not treated property. But the cleanup operation put into effect by Bangkokians averted that scenario, and the same effort made after the political conflict of the previous year reinstated the city as a popular tourist destination once again.

Unfortunately the gubernatorial candidates have made no similar effort to leverage this spirit. They should be telling voters how they plan to enhance public engagement and participation to make Bangkok a clean, safe and pleasant place to live.

Bangkok serves as the capital, a province in its own right and the business hub of the nation. It generates massive revenue and income for the country. The Bangkok governor has a duty to support every effort to make the city a modern, liveable metropolis.

It is imperative that more green areas are created, with proper drainage and waste management systems in place.

Unfortunately, these vital issues are not being taken seriously by the candidates. They have forgotten that what people really need is a pleasant environment with fresh air to breathe.

-- The Nation 2013-02-15

[ChrisY1]

Parks and green space development doesn't pay "dividends" to those in power!

Unless Thailand can eventually produce candidates for leadership roles, honest and honorable people with vision, it'll just be more of the same.......tell 'em anything that can effect a win at elections....!

[Thai at Heart]

40 years too late.

Its all been built on..

[ricku]

This is why I shake my head in disbelief, every time I see construction sites for new shopping malls.

Another shopping mall? Really?? .. Idiots.

Imagine how nice it would be if Bangkok had something like Singapore's "Gardens At The Bay". That would be totally awesome, and both thais and tourists would love it!

Edited February 15, 2013 by ricku

[DocN]

Oh come on!

Just buildt another Central World...we only have...hundreds....

[chooka]

Come to Chiang Mai it is beautiful this time of the year.

[arthurboy]

Waste or oxygen article.

If it's so imperative, 'that more green areas are created, with proper drainage and waste management systems in place.' and that, 'these vital issues are not being taken seriously by the candidates' because they, 'have forgotten that what people really need is a pleasant environment with fresh air to breathe.' then the Nation, bloody well remind them and lobby to get something done.

In the meantime, different election, different year, same handwringing tripe from the Nation.

Edited February 15, 2013 by arthurboy

[coma]

A healthy population means a wealthy nation. One cannot underestimate the value of open spaces and fresh air for both physical and mental well being. But yes. The horse has most definately bolted on this one. Maybe they can take a leaf out of Burma's book and up and move the entire capital to a new site.

[eeeya]

They could just paint all the buildings and Roads green.

There.. I fixed it

[AleG]

There should be a regulation, 10% (at least) of any property plot should be a green area from now on.

It would be nice too if they'd get serious, or even fancied the idea, of restoring the klongs into an asset to the city instead of the open sewers they are now. Now all constructions along the klongs turn their back to them, they are a fetid eyesore, wouldn't it be great if they'd become like the waterways of Amsterdam?

[Thai at Heart]

This debate about green spaces has passed ages ago. The pursuit of money has meant that land is there to be built on, nothing else. God knows who has been sitting in the planning departments for the last 40 years ago, but realistically look at the downtown? They may as well pedestrianise the roads because they certainly aren't capable of being driven on. They are just glorified car parks. Not one of the roads in the downtown is big enough to handle the amount of traffic is meant to carry. Imagine the exit to Sukhumvit from the expressway next to a train line, with permenant traffic jams that block the expressway for sometimes hours. What is the point? Why any company would like to have an office there I can't understand.

Now this isn't exclusive to Bangkok, but is ANYONE going to come up with any plans? Taxing parking spaces? Placing a maximum density of apartments per land area? Putting in an entry fee to the downtown as in London? Not likely. The whole downtown is starting to resemble some sort of Mad Max nightmare, where the little people scramble around in the dark under the BTS, and the wealthier live some sort of live in the sky, never touching the ground. Bangkok really is a nightmare, and it all happened infront of everyone's eyes and NO ONE did anything.

So saying ANYTHING about it now, is pointless, they aren't going to bulldoze anything, that's it.

[impulse]

But wouldn't requiring something like green areas put Thailand into the category of "nanny state"?

Amazing how many folks like the freedoms that benefit them, but not the freedoms that allow others to trample over their perceived rights to have things their way.

Green areas are no longer an option, but it would be nice to have water and air that isn't toxic and nauseating....

[beautifulthailand99]

After coming to Thailand for the past 16 years and living in Bangkok for a year 10 years ago can concur with Thai at Heart - on the last two nights in Lad Prao took 30 minutes each time to get a taxi and in the end just offered double the meter fare - nightmare getting around bloody nightmare. I've just seemed to be in one traffic jam after the other these past two weeks and another 1.25 million cars on the way - give me a break !

[arthurboy]

This debate about green spaces has passed ages ago. The pursuit of money has meant that land is there to be built on, nothing else. God knows who has been sitting in the planning departments for the last 40 years ago, but realistically look at the downtown? They may as well pedestrianise the roads because they certainly aren't capable of being driven on. They are just glorified car parks. Not one of the roads in the downtown is big enough to handle the amount of traffic is meant to carry. Imagine the exit to Sukhumvit from the expressway next to a train line, with permenant traffic jams that block the expressway for sometimes hours. What is the point? Why any company would like to have an office there I can't understand.

Now this isn't exclusive to Bangkok, but is ANYONE going to come up with any plans? Taxing parking spaces? Placing a maximum density of apartments per land area? Putting in an entry fee to the downtown as in London? Not likely. The whole downtown is starting to resemble some sort of Mad Max nightmare, where the little people scramble around in the dark under the BTS, and the wealthier live some sort of live in the sky, never touching the ground. Bangkok really is a nightmare, and it all happened infront of everyone's eyes and NO ONE did anything.

So saying ANYTHING about it now, is pointless, they aren't going to bulldoze anything, that's it.

As if to reinforce your point, the whole area - and it's huge - around what was once Washington Square in Sukhumvit is being demolished. The land area is enormous, so it would easily accommodate (geddit?) a couple of condo's and a shopping mall.

Heaven help us.

[hellodolly]

This is why I shake my head in disbelief, every time I see construction sites for new shopping malls.

Another shopping mall? Really?? .. Idiots.

Imagine how nice it would be if Bangkok had something like Singapore's "Gardens At The Bay". That would be totally awesome, and both thais and tourists would love it!

Well would they love the Singapore prices?

[Thai at Heart]

This debate about green spaces has passed ages ago. The pursuit of money has meant that land is there to be built on, nothing else. God knows who has been sitting in the planning departments for the last 40 years ago, but realistically look at the downtown? They may as well pedestrianise the roads because they certainly aren't capable of being driven on. They are just glorified car parks. Not one of the roads in the downtown is big enough to handle the amount of traffic is meant to carry. Imagine the exit to Sukhumvit from the expressway next to a train line, with permenant traffic jams that block the expressway for sometimes hours. What is the point? Why any company would like to have an office there I can't understand.

Now this isn't exclusive to Bangkok, but is ANYONE going to come up with any plans? Taxing parking spaces? Placing a maximum density of apartments per land area? Putting in an entry fee to the downtown as in London? Not likely. The whole downtown is starting to resemble some sort of Mad Max nightmare, where the little people scramble around in the dark under the BTS, and the wealthier live some sort of live in the sky, never touching the ground. Bangkok really is a nightmare, and it all happened infront of everyone's eyes and NO ONE did anything.

So saying ANYTHING about it now, is pointless, they aren't going to bulldoze anything, that's it.

As if to reinforce your point, the whole area - and it's huge - around what was once Washington Square in Sukhumvit is being demolished. The land area is enormous, so it would easily accommodate (geddit?) a couple of condo's and a shopping mall.

Heaven help us.

From Ploenchit down to Ekkamai is a planning joke. Lets put 10 shopping centres all connected together with walkways together, then lets put 50 hotels all next to each other, then lets put 350 apartment blocks together,and then lets add in 200 decent sized office blocks, then lets give them all parking spaces so that on a per rai basis there is are 10,000 cars per rai density all trying to move around at once.

The ONLY option to solve the problem is to make people pay to enter the downtown, thus forcing thousands onto the BTS, which is already groaning under the weight of commuters. Even if they only allowed residents down there to have free entry, the roads still couldn't handle it. I once waited 2 hours to move 30 metres to get to the u turn to get into Sukhumvit 33. That is when I vowed to only use the BTS. Car is a completely useless way to move around Bangkok.

[Kananga]

This is why I shake my head in disbelief, every time I see construction sites for new shopping malls.

Another shopping mall? Really?? .. Idiots.

Imagine how nice it would be if Bangkok had something like Singapore's "Gardens At The Bay". That would be totally awesome, and both thais and tourists would love it!

Well would they love the Singapore prices?

No doubt that beautiful attribute 'dual pricing' would of course come into play.

[Amras]

It's the Thai mindset. Cut down anything that stands in the way of making a profit.

Even locally at the condo, a restaurant and beer area opened up. There were palm trees and a few number of bushes around that made them have an open air atmosphere that was quite nice and relaxing.

But no. They cut down 4 trees and removed all the bushes, so they could build a big ugly square building to house their beer taps and replaced the trees with concrete for more tables (Instead of placing things around them like well thinking people would).

So now it looks ugly as s***, doesn't feel nice at all and they removed more trees just to make money (instead of working around the trees). The bushes were removed behind their restaurant, obviously because they just didn't like them there.

[smutcakes]

Actually whenever i take the airport link I am surprised how much green space there is in Bangkok, unfortunetly most of it is just lying derelict and boarded up/inaccessible.

It would be nice if the Government or Mayor could speak to the large landowners who do not know how or what to do with their land (I am looking at you SRT) and suggest that they be opened up as public parks, leisure areas etc etc- i am sure some agreement on cost could be reached and agreements on vacating the space etc given enough notice should SRT ever come up with an idea of their own, which seems unlikely.

[Thai at Heart]

Actually whenever i take the airport link I am surprised how much green space there is in Bangkok, unfortunetly most of it is just lying derelict and boarded up/inaccessible.

It would be nice if the Government or Mayor could speak to the large landowners who do not know how or what to do with their land (I am looking at you SRT) and suggest that they be opened up as public parks, leisure areas etc etc- i am sure some agreement on cost could be reached and agreements on vacating the space etc given enough notice should SRT ever come up with an idea of their own, which seems unlikely.

Well they could start by moving the TTM factory which is rather unconviently positioned down town, and deem it parkland.

Of course, that would annoy the crap out of all the developers who have been licking their lips at the prospect at getting hold of that piece of government land forever, and would no doubt turn it into more apartments filled with people who can't move anywhere anyway.

[Nickymaster]

40 years too late.

Its all been built on..

And they keep on building. Open spaces don't generate any income for the officials in charge of issuing licenses.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Nickymaster

[bigbamboo]

Come to Chiang Mai it is beautiful this time of the year.

Just don't bring your SUVs.

[Chua]

Just wait 15 years; all of Bangkok will be a water park.

[ThomasBird67]

Bangkok is the most horrible city I have ever visited or lived. If you're not a creepy old sex tourist, I can't think of one thing that godawful hellhole has to offer. Hardly any parks or anything beautiful for that matter, its architecture is hideous, the food is mostly awful, its filthy everywhere, no fine arts or theater districts, almost no museums or anything of any real cultural or historical interest.. Its hard to imagine another city of this size with this much money with so little to offer.

[smutcakes]

Bangkok is the most horrible city I have ever visited or lived. If you're not a creepy old sex tourist, I can't think of one thing that godawful hellhole has to offer. Hardly any parks or anything beautiful for that matter, its architecture is hideous, the food is mostly awful, its filthy everywhere, no fine arts or theater districts, almost no museums or anything of any real cultural or historical interest.. Its hard to imagine another city of this size with this much money with so little to offer.

Well you must not have traveled much.

[ThomasBird67]

Bangkok is the most horrible city I have ever visited or lived. If you're not a creepy old sex tourist, I can't think of one thing that godawful hellhole has to offer. Hardly any parks or anything beautiful for that matter, its architecture is hideous, the food is mostly awful, its filthy everywhere, no fine arts or theater districts, almost no museums or anything of any real cultural or historical interest.. Its hard to imagine another city of this size with this much money with so little to offer.

Well you must not have traveled much.

Been to every major city and tourist attraction in Thailand and pretty much everywhere in Bangkok as well. Id wager I've seen more of it than you. Bangkok is a dreadful toilet. You've just gotten used to it thats all.

[Time Traveller]

City officials can't build more parks because they simply do not own the land. That's what it comes down to. The only serious action plan is if they open the books and reveal to everyone who owns what land in Bangkok, then discuss with some of the largest land holders - who pretend to care about the people - to consider either voluntary development of public parks or selling the land to the state for parks.

[belg]

we have a lot of green zone in our moo bahn... and i can see how the thais let their dogs shit all over the place, specially where children play after school

0 respect

[Tanaka]

After coming to Thailand for the past 16 years and living in Bangkok for a year 10 years ago can concur with Thai at Heart - on the last two nights in Lad Prao took 30 minutes each time to get a taxi and in the end just offered double the meter fare - nightmare getting around bloody nightmare. I've just seemed to be in one traffic jam after the other these past two weeks and another 1.25 million cars on the way - give me a break !

I do not understand your complaint. Apparently you have chosen to live in Bangkok knowing how it is. Move out if you do not like it anymore. Plenty of better places to live here.

[Thai at Heart]

City officials can't build more parks because they simply do not own the land. That's what it comes down to. The only serious action plan is if they open the books and reveal to everyone who owns what land in Bangkok, then discuss with some of the largest land holders - who pretend to care about the people - to consider either voluntary development of public parks or selling the land to the state for parks.

Get the wealthy to do something for free in Thailand? Ironically, the only bit of green land that has come to pass in the downtown in the last 10 years, is Chuwit's park. At least he has a sense of irony, if not that much civic sense.