Bangkok Is One Of The Most Innovative Cities In Asia-Pacific

[webfact]

ASIA-PACIFIC
Bangkok is one of the most innovative cities
The Nation

Capital porous to outside influence despite unique culture; tops society category

BANGKOK: -- A recently-released ranking of the most innovative cities in Asia-Pacific puts Singapore on the top of the list for making "a distinct statement through dramatic and perpetual improvements for the past 25 years".

Solidiance, a Asia-focused management consulting firm, measured six main categories - human talent, knowledge creation, technology, society, government and global integration.

Bangkok was 12th out of the 16 cities ranked in the research. At a glance it seems that the city has unequivocally outperformed with no merit, but actually it ranked first in the society category, which included culture, value systems and ideology.

Since Bangkok was never really colonised by any foreign forces, its society is one of the most open to the outside in the region. Bangkok is very proud of its unique culture, yet is still very accepting of other cultures. Westernised education system, Sanskrit architecture, heavily Japanese-influenced pop culture and the Hong Kong-inspired movie industry are a few proofs of this city's porosity to diversity and new ideas.

Being innovative or not doesn't apparently lessen Bangkok's appeal to foreigners - 20 million of them still visit it every year. The city is fast changing and debunking prejudices. The idea of Bangkok as a place with high connectivity and a burgeoning movie and advertisement industry was not envisioned back then.

Managing partner Damien Duhamel says Bangkok is a rising force to reckon with.

Most potential to climb

"Hard to define and hard to grasp. Among our Asia-Pacific city list we believe Bangkok has the most potential to climb in the ranking in the future. An open mind is a basic requirement to build an innovative ecosystem and Bangkok has proven to be very open."

"Bangkok is fast changing and it is challenging the most entrenched preconceived ideas. Not long ago people would have laughed when the idea of a modern Bangkok subway and Skytrain connectivity was mentioned. Just a while ago people would have also laughed when told that they would soon be watching Thai action movies. People would have again laughed when told that Bangkok is becoming the Asean creative/advertising hub where hilarious ads are created and re-transcribed into other Asian languages and markets.

"People laugh less these days. They smile and recognise the changes happening all over Bangkok". CNN was first to spot that by electing Bangkok as the World's Greatest City back in 2009.

Bangkok has pushed Thai food and Thai restaurants to the far corners of the world. Thai boxing has become mainstream all over the world. Thai movies are no longer a curiosity and Hollywood is rushing to the city of angels to shoot more blockbusters.

How will this benefit businesses? Expect more credibility in the future for Bangkok architect firms venturing overseas, expect more regional respect for the fast growing Bangkok advertising and media industry, expect even more global interest for Bangkok as a tourist, art, healthcare, culinary, sports and MICE hub. The world is about to discover and welcome a few more Jaa Panoms and Aitthipat Kulapongvanichs.

Solidiance opened its Thailand office in Bangkok in 2009 and runs seven more offices in Asia-Pacific.


-- The Nation 2013-03-20

[KireB]

12th out of 16?

[RisqEM]

12th out of 16?

Right! Well, this was my laugh of the day!

[laurentbkk]

Bangkok the new hub of the most innovative cities

[Payboy]

People laugh less these days.

This articles should solve that little problem.

[kerrysum]

Who writes this stuff?????

Are they really serious????

Who paid them to write it ?????

just a thought........

[BrooklynNY]

As far I have known that most Thai people have complex, they have a habit of tooting own horns and also tooting each other egos like this news is an example.

Many Thais lack of fineness, they are flaky.

I am not impressed with this lame news.

Edited March 20, 2013 by BrooklynNY

[Wombat6]

Managing partner Damien Duhamel says Bangkok is a rising force to reckon with.

Yep, they are rising from the Squat toilets to Western Style

[toenail]

I like the "innovative" Bangkok sidewalks that allow telephone, electric, and street sign poles along with food vendors, night market booths, and sleeping soi dogs as an added treat to walking in this city.... or the "innovative" customer service where you can have 4-5 clerks in a Tesco or Big C just staring at you when you need some help...or the innovative convenience of being able drive your car beyond the speed limit or ignore all rules of the highway because the police are too busy to ticket the motorcycle drivers for not using their turning signal or wearing a helmet...or the innovative way to advertise by blasing away the promotion on loud speakers that can be louder than a sonic boom ---all very innovative.

[Katipo]

"Most potential to climb" ... since it's nearly at the bottom

[fire and ice]

Since Bangkok was never really colonised by any foreign forces

Only because Bangkok itself didn't exist as a city when the Burmese tramped all through Siam on numerous occasions.

"We've never been colonised by a Western Nation"

TRANSLATION = "Lets say this a lot, to draw focus away from the fact that others in the region have trampled all over use for centuries".

Edited March 20, 2013 by fire and ice

[Locationthailand]

... innovative in corruption... (only)

[FNQ]

Bangkok the new hub of the most innovative cities

A new hub of "<deleted>" more like it.

[stoli]

Who writes this stuff?????

Are they really serious????

Who paid them to write it ?????

just a thought........

I guess your thought is what has really bothered me all of my life. There are people getting paid to write this stuff, and then they actually find other people to spread it. And then we are stupid enought to read it, and now I am commenting on it. Where does it stop?

[vijer]

See, you really can say untrue things in Thailand, and not only will nobody get sued but a lot of people will believe what they read.

[Trouble]

Every now and then there is something on this forum which is a shear delight. Between the Nation article and the comments I started out my day with humor. Thanks to all.

[khaowong1]

When your at the bottom of a hole, the only way to go is up, unless you happen to have a shovel with you. Number 12 out of 16, wow, I'm impressed.

Edited March 20, 2013 by metisdead
: Font

[Bluenose BKK]

Capital porous to outside influence despite unique culture; tops society category

BANGKOK: -- A recently-released ranking of the most innovative cities in Asia-Pacific puts Singapore on the top of the list for making "a distinct statement through dramatic and perpetual improvements for the past 25 years".

Surely the irony here is that Singapore is ranked at all on a list of Asian Cities?

[KuhnPaen]

Thai boxing is popular because FARANGS spread it worldwide, FARNAGS eat the Thai food in those far corners of the world (and probably got the owner of the restaurant a visa)....

Yay for farangs!!!!

We're the best!