A Closer Look At Bangkok's Blueprint

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WEEKENDBRUNCH
A closer look at Bangkok's blueprint
Nophakhun Limsamarnphun


Panyapas

BANGKOK: -- The latest city plan targets transport and green space as the means to improve residents' quality of life, explains deputy planning chief Panyapas Nopphun

Panyapas Nopphun, deputy chief of Bangkok's city planning office, says the capital's residents will benefit from the new five-year city plan that came into effect on May 16.

"The city plan covers a total area of around 1,568 square kilometres of Bangkok. The city's official number of residents is nearly 6 million, based on household registrations, but in reality there are as many as 11-12 million people working and living in Bangkok.

"The new city plan has 12 objectives, including improvements to public transport and mass transit systems, quality of life, and land use.

"In comparison with the previous city plan, which was used for seven years, the new plan has been formulated to help solve problems arising from global warming, with areas designated for disaster- and flood-management.

"The new city plan is also designed to accommodate the mass transit projects [skytrain and subway] currently under construction in Bangkok and its peripheries.

"We believe that public rail transport will become the key mode of commuting in big cities like Bangkok whose population has topped 10 million. While there are densely-populated areas in the inner-city, we want to ensure that these are not overcrowded.

"In terms of land use, we have tried to accommodate residents' changing lifestyles, as some prefer to live in high-rises in inner-city areas, while others prefer the low-rise and more spacious middle-city, outlying and suburban areas.

"We use the FAR [floor area ratio] and OSR [open space ratio] to measure land use, while there are 10 different colour-coded zones in Bangkok to designate commercial, business district, residential, agricultural, warehousing, and other zones.

"The red 'commercial use' zones, for example, have five sub-categories, with the central business districts, or CBD, having the highest FAR of 10.

"Separately, there is another piece of legislation, the Building Code, which governs the height of buildings in connection with the width of local roads. The Building Code helps public safety by limiting the height of buildings according to their accessibility - for example, large fire engines may not be able to access small local roads.

"In terms of green areas, some countries have huge public areas or parks that add up to as much as 20 square metres per person. But in Bangkok, that ratio is still low at around 2 square metres per person, so we need more public green space."

Among the critics of the new plan is Dr Sophon Pornchoke-chai, chairman of the real estate data and appraisal centre.

"There are many weaknesses in the new city plan," says Sophon.

"For example, land use should be improved in densely-populated areas such as inner-city sections of Sukhumvit Road.

"The FAR should be as high as 20 so that land use is more efficient in terms of building high-rises to promote inner-city accommodation.

"In fact, only small areas of Bangkok's CBD - on Silom Road, for example - currently have an FAR of 10, with most at around 6-7. Meanwhile, the OSR will further restrict land use.

"Another major weakness of Bangkok's city plan is that it has nothing to do with the city plans of neighbouring provinces, namely Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi.

"I think the population of Bangkok has been declining over the past decade as residents migrate to nearby provinces where building codes are more favourable and thus make it possible to build cheaper houses.

"It would be useful if Bangkok's city plan was formulated in tandem with the city plans of neighbouring provinces so that the overall area of so-called greater Bangkok can be properly planned.

"In terms of land use, the cost of residential, commercial and other development schemes is likely to increase due to additional restrictions in the new city plan. Cheaper housing and rented accommodation will move farther from the inner-city areas."


-- The Nation 2013-05-25

[rheinwiese]

There was a plan used for 7 years???

[MaxLee]

Bangkok ONLY BAAAANGGKOOOOOOOK!!!!!! Greedy investors and Mall group owners won't stop to build more shopping facilities, cause it's all bout the money, money, moneyyy

[happynthailand]

I thought Bangkok was " sinking" ,sounds like somebody's trying to fill their pockets so they can fload way when Bangkok sinks

[chainarong]

The blue print plan needs to be implemented, I emphasize the word implemented. oh hum

[MaxLee]

The blue print plan needs to be implemented, I emphasize the word implemented. oh hum

What blueprint, it only existed in their imaginations, of course they're not gonna dare to step their efforts on the greedy business people who have all the money in the world to pay their way under the table for corruption to get what they want...

[Sayonarax]

Bangkok ONLY BAAAANGGKOOOOOOOK!!!!!! Greedy investors and Mall group owners won't stop to build more shopping facilities, cause it's all bout the money, money, moneyyy

Why not build more? Every holiday a Thai gets their off to the department store for the day.

Cheap food and free air.

[bkkgriz]

Is this the type of planning we can look forward to in the future?

[MaxLee]

Bangkok ONLY BAAAANGGKOOOOOOOK!!!!!! Greedy investors and Mall group owners won't stop to build more shopping facilities, cause it's all bout the money, money, moneyyy

Why not build more? Every holiday a Thai gets their off to the department store for the day.

Cheap food and free air.

Well the food in the malls at the food court aren't really cheap costing at least 60 Baht minimum...

[lee b]

Are they planning boats for future inner city travel?

[Morakot]

Come on! People shouldn't be so negative. Nothing wrong with a feel-good article...

[Chao Lao Beach]

Every school kid in Bangkok will be issued.

[BrianCR]

Have you lot really listened to yourselves? This county is falling apart - not really just some of the westerners who survive here are!!

[BrianCR]

Every school kid in Bangkok will be issued.

Is that your daughter?

[BrianCR]

Bangkok ONLY BAAAANGGKOOOOOOOK!!!!!! Greedy investors and Mall group owners won't stop to build more shopping facilities, cause it's all bout the money, money, moneyyy:giggle:

Why not build more? Every holiday a Thai gets their off to the department store for the day.

Cheap food and free air.

Well the food in the malls at the food court aren't really cheap costing at least 60 Baht minimum...

Wow, 60 Baht? If you can't afford that tell me, I'll lend you some money!!!

[Greer]

I would say that the food courts in most malls are quite cheap - I often go to them, and even Paradise Park on Sri-Nakharindra, which is pretty up-market, you can buy a meal for 40 to 50 baht - so for say around $1.50 or so, you can buy a plate of food - in places like Australia and the UK, a plate of food in a shopping mall food court would easily be 5 or 6 times that price. - $1.50 often wont even pay for a plastic container of soft drink in Sydney malls...

I would like to see the numbers that show that the population of Bangkok is falling too; I don't believe that for a second.

However, all the knocking is not helpful, and at least there exists a concept that encompasses some of the things that residents need. Yes - fortunately, there is a long way to go to make Bangkok like a western city, and frankly, if/when that happens, it wont be Bangkok any more, and I wont want to live here...

[chainarong]

The blue print plan needs to be implemented, I emphasize the word implemented. oh hum

What blueprint, it only existed in their imaginations, of course they're not gonna dare to step their efforts on the greedy business people who have all the money in the world to pay their way under the table for corruption to get what they want...

Yeah Max I know , I just like to put them on the spot ,the failure rate for implementing plans in Thailand is around 99%

[hellodolly]

Come on! People shouldn't be so negative. Nothing wrong with a feel-good article...

As the minister of finance says as long as it makes people feel good it is OK to lie.

Seriously speaking when the city is measurably sinking to a level that will be below sea level and it has streets unassailable by fire trucks. And nio real space to just walk with nature.

There is some thing seriously wrong with it. I did not bother to mention the transportation as that is a nightmare recently encouraged by the Thai government to help them get votes by putting over a million new cars on the road. Which leads us to the air pollution.

The Bangkok government is now faced with opposition from the Thai Government to help clear up their smog and transportation problem.