LACK OF GREEN-SPACE & PARKS in Bangkok - So Disappointing.

[easybullet3]

Bangkok NEEDS more Green Space !!

i found these statistics online:

Metres of Green Space PER PERSON in various Cities of the World. (rounded to the nearest metre).

Mumbai 1 metre² of Green Space per person.

Buenos Aires 2

Jakarta 2

Tokyo 3

Bangkok 3

Manila 5

Barcelona 6

Paris 11

Hanoi 11

Toronto 12

Madrid 14

Chicago 17

New York 26

Rotterdam 28

London 32

KualaLumpur 43

Amsterdam 45

Singapore 66

Viena 120

and...

here is a list of how much PERCENTAGE of each city is actually Covered with GREEN SPACE. (Rounded to the nearest %)

Mumbai 2 % of the city is covered with Green Space.

Rome 3 %

Tokyo 3 %

Bangkok 5 % (#)

Buenos Aires 5 %

Chicago 9 %

Amsterdam 9 %

Jakarta 10 %

Berlin 14 %

Sydney 15 % (++)

Munich 16 %

Los Angeles 16 %

San Francisco 18 %

New York City 19 %

Stockholm 30 %

Rio de Janerio 40 %

Hong Kong 40 %

Singapore 47 %

London 47 % (**)

Vienna 51 %

- its worth noting that some cities (eg: London) have a huge amount of Green Space, but the High Population brings the actual area per person down. Whereas Some cities (eg: Amsterdam) have a Low-ish amount of Green Space, But the Low Population gives each person a 'high ratio' of Green Space per person.

And, the annoying part of Bangkok Green Parks is that they are so restrictive with rules. (no kicking balls, kids not allowed to practice riding bicycles in most parks (except Lumphini and Benjarasi, which may be FAR for many people), no scateboards, no playing on grass (in some parks) Cant walk a dog)... etc

Honestly, where are kids supposed to learn how to ride a bike or play football or take the dog for a walk ?

I have seen how much thai people are into football,, so how on earth are kids supposed to get good at the sport if it is banned in every park ?? !!

i am hoping that SOMEONE who works in the the following departments will read this Forum and show their boss how Bangkok compares to the rest of the world with GREEN SPACES in the city.

• The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) CITY PLANNING
• Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation: Chatuchak
• Governor of Bangkok: Mom Rajawongse

PLEASE BUILD MORE PARKS. From my condo balcony I can see the Cement Mixing Plant near to Central World is being converted into a small Park, but again, this looks very asthetic and not much GREEN !!! Its mostly concrete pathways, some Grass and VERY FEW TREES. (not to mention it being several years BEHIND schedule).

Seriously, bangkok needs SO MANY MORE PARKS!!

INVEST IN THE FUTURE GENERATIONS. (Children are the Future). many people dont care about it. but they are. they should have more places to run around safely (away from cars and traffic). They need fun things to do. (All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy)!!

ALLOW FOOTBALL AND BICYCLES IN MOST PARKS. (How else will kids learn these things). Whats the point in "Bicycle for Dad", if kids have no places to ride a bike ?? if you want Thailand to do better in the world cup, then you should allow kids to play football in all parks !

BRING SOME OXYGEN BACK TO THE CITY. - this is pretty obvious! Bangkok NEEDS more Green. i think any intelligent person knows this.

Sources:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/You-have-just-1-1-square-metres-of-open-space/articleshow/13585198.cms

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/05/03/battle-makkasan-green-space-versus-commerce-heart-bangkok

http://www.baharash.com/liveable-cities-how-much-green-space-does-your-city-have

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1660203

(#) Bangkok Statistics:

I couldnt find any statistic of Green Space Land Area coverage in bangkok, so I calculated myself:

if each person has 3.3m², and a total population of 8.5 million people. - Therefore, Bangkok has 28 million M² of green space.

Bangkok has a Land Area of 600 Million M². Therefore: 5% of Bangkok is Green Space.

(**) London Statistics:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/47-per-cent-of-london-is-green-space-is-it-time-for-our-capital-to-become-a-national-park-9756470.html

(++) Sydney Statistics:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-09/concrete-jungles/4742290

[KhunBENQ]

You start a long crusade?

Anyone surprised about the numbers?

Who expected different?

Ever thought why not everyone wants to live in this moloch? (if he has a choice)

Why do so many (who can afford) flee for the weekend and each short holiday?

This country is as centralized like not many, "everything" in Bangkok, almost no regional development.

Ever more people pushing into the city for work.

Where should space for the green come from?

I am almost 60y and will not see a green Bangkok.

Edited March 18, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[andre47]

Here in Pattaya we have the same situation. If you have kids you don't know where to go with them and let them play outside. Only a few places or you must drive far out of the city.

[CynthiaArtist]

I agree!

Bangkok parks are terrible for Kids who want to learn how to ride a bicycle!

3 of my local parks said he cant ride a bicycle!

Where else is he supposed to learn?

on the Pot-Hole Dangerous Road?
on the Broken Pavement that is full of Thai Food Sellers and Holes?

It seems that the Bangkok administration is more concerned with a Basic vision of Functionality and Profit, and they care NOTHING for Long-Term Vision of the City.

Parks dont make any profit for the government. and, from Experience, I have seen that Thai governments usually dont like giving too much for free.

there is no investing in the future here.

its a shame.

if Bangkok ever wants to be like a western city, it needs to ACT LIKE ONE !!

[blackcab]

For those figures to be true in central Bangkok they must have been counting people's private gardens.

[Thainess]

So go and live in Vienna then! You're living in Bangkok, but you don't like it? Or go to live in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, I heard it's 100% green space there. Stop being a whinger on public forums.

[andre47]

So go and live in Vienna then! You're living in Bangkok, but you don't like it? Or go to live in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, I heard it's 100% green space there. Stop being a whinger on public forums.

I don't like your post. It is very deconstructive.

[kinmaew]

You are making too much sense and think you are in a western democracy just walk around and see people crawling on their hands and knees leaving open bottles of Fanta with a straw for "Gods" to remind you of where you are.

[wandasloan]

I'm sure you have many other helpful suggestions on how to bring Bangkok up to the standards of Munich and Stockholm.

[Denim]

The railway park to the north west of Chatuchak is very large and has hundreds of bikes for rent. There is also a separate area for kids and a mini cycle track for toddlers.

[Jimbo2014]

The so called green space is owned by old families. One quite well known. In the absence of land taxes there is no incentive to develop these and they become garbage dumps. Without greater sharing of private owned wealth with the state this land remains locked up. The irony is that much will be under water in 20 to 30 years and the owners will have seen little benefit.

[mesterm]

if Bangkok ever wants to be like a western city, it needs to ACT LIKE ONE !!

I don't think it wants to. Go back to your western country if you need your western city khabbb

[mesterm]

On a serious note, great stats and suggestions, but it's not going to go far (or anywhere) being posted in this forum.

Who do you think needs to see what you wrote to make the changes you want to see?

[NoshowJones]

So go and live in Vienna then! You're living in Bangkok, but you don't like it? Or go to live in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, I heard it's 100% green space there. Stop being a whinger on public forums.

If every poster suddenly stopped "whinging", how I hate that word, Thaivisa would soon be no more.

What do you thing a public forum is for? I enjoy reading peoples opinions on Thaivisa, whether they are positive or negative.

Edited March 19, 2016 by possum1931

[xen]

I think you sentiments are admirable.

However how do define "Green Space" - Do you include all the vacant lots full of overgrown vegetation with piles of rubbish. What about roof gardens that are not suitable for bike riding, private gardens , road verges and all that vacant land under or adjacent to the freeways , - All will contribute to oxygen and carbon sinks because of the vegetation . I would suggest the 3% that is quoted for Bangkok would be designated parks of a particular size or volume and divided by perhaps 25 million which wiill return a low percentage . A country town in the middle of nowhere with a population of 400 could therefore return a figure of 60% for example with population/green space ratio. just saying .

That is not to say that Bangkok is not ready for new ways of thinking about Green Space and recreational needs . I often look at the spaces under the freeways that some enterprising Thai has began to landscape or have turned in community gardens. However, the gardens will only remain until somebody more powerful sees more value in the land .

[bangon04]

Seems unlikely that Bangkok will suddenly find lots of new green space for the public peasant to enjoy.

However I heard that there is a good chance of more public lakes in the next 20 years.....

[1FinickyOne]

I agree - one of the reasons that I left Bkk and actually, I don't miss it at all...

[dluek]

If you live in central Bangkok (Siam, Silom, Sukhumvit) you have three good parks to choose from that are fairly easily reached: Lumpini, Benjakiti and Benjasiri. I think that Lumpini in particular is an excellent and centrally located park, though I don't have kids so I don't see Bangkok's parks from a parent's perspective. I'm into basketball, not football, and two out of those three parks have at least one good-quality bball court. There are also some large green spaces on the campus of Chulalongkorn University.

Street-style football is played under highway overpasses and the like all over the city -- not ideal, for sure, but it's not like Bangkok kids don't find places to play. Many schools also have sports facilities for kids. There's also the huge National Stadium complex located smack in the city center, which is not counted among the green spaces. There you'll find nightly football matches on a court next to the BTS station, plus Olympic-size running tracks, basketball courts, an Olympic size pool complete with diving boards, and a full-size football pitch, all of which can be used by the public (public not allowed in the main stadium but can use the secondary field next door).

In North Bangkok, the Suan Rotfai / Chatuchak / Queen Sirikit combined green spaces are huge and there are lots of activities available there. In the Old Town area, you've got Saranrom and Romaneenart, plus Sanam Luang -- none of these are very big but at least they are peaceful places to go and sit under a tree or do some exercise.

The areas that badly lack green spaces are Thonburi (or pretty much everywhere west of the Chao Phraya) and heavily populated parts of East Bangkok like Ramkamhaeng and Bang Kapi. In the South there's the whole Bang Kachao "green lung", which has a large public park in addition to the many canal-side bicycle lanes. Because it's technically part of Samut Prakan province, all of Bang Kachao is also not included in Bangkok's green space stats.

It's worth mentioning that Bangkok could double its public green spaces overnight if it turned three places into parks: 1. The Royal sports club on Ratchadamri Rd (I cringe every time I see two rich golfers enjoying a massive green space in the heart of the city -- it really taunts passersby on the BTS); 2. The rarely used Nang Loeng horse track up in Dusit area, which could be a convenient park for all the people living in Victory Monument / Phaya Thai area; 3. The SRT-owned Makkasan land, which is nothing but hectare after hectare of undeveloped land that just sits there overgrown. Can't imagine that Bangkok's hi-so will give up their own private playgrounds any time soon, but at least there's still hope for Makassan.

In sum, my feeling is that Bangkok's green spaces are actually a bit better than the stats show -- parks are strategically placed around the city and some public green spaces / sports facilities (National Stadium, Bang Kachao, etc.) are not included in the stats. Certainly much room for improvement though.

[Thunderbirds20]

So true! Barren Bangkok, .. no tree lined streets either. I wonder where Vancouver would rate on this list of green space

[Scouse Twoccer]

What's the sudden importance of children being able to learn to ride a bike in a park specifically? Riding a bike can be learned anywhere, being able to do it in a park is an irrelevance. I didn't go anywhere near a park when I learned, many years ago, the street was fine. I don't think there are many Thai children who feel hard done by due to having to learn in the street.

The point of providing parks is not so that you will have somewhere for your dog walk and to defecate. Owning a dog isn't compulsory, if you own one it's your choice and your problem if you don't have anywhere to exercise it. Who gives a monkey's about self-important dog owners? Why should children have to play on grass that your pooch defecates and urinates on? Do you wash it down after the dirty deed? Of course you don't, you just wander off home with your faeces covered animal thinking of something to complain about.

By the way there is no shortage of parks in Bangkok.

Edited March 19, 2016 by Scouse Twoccer

[mcfish]

What sort of idiot would choose bangkok to raise children? There are a zillion better places to do that. Yes find another job elsewhere if you're children are important

[Thian]

There's plenty of green but you don't get access to it. There are many great moobaans with parks, soccercages, tenniscourts, fittnessclubs, pools, playgrounds and so on...You only need to buy a house there or a ticket for the facility's only.

In the city around sukhumvit are also big parks but BKK needs many more of them i agree.

Just came back from Khao Yai, great there and not that hot..Great resort at a river, loads of green...But even in a car on the road very dangerous.

If i had children i wouldn't live in BKK, money is not that important to me. But you can buy everything you want in Thailand, even green.

[CoreanoOzzie]

What sort of idiot would choose bangkok to raise children? There are a zillion better places to do that. Yes find another job elsewhere if you're children are important

Maybe all the Thais who live in Bangkok?

[CoreanoOzzie]

If you live in central Bangkok (Siam, Silom, Sukhumvit) you have three good parks to choose from that are fairly easily reached: Lumpini, Benjakiti and Benjasiri. I think that Lumpini in particular is an excellent and centrally located park, though I don't have kids so I don't see Bangkok's parks from a parent's perspective. I'm into basketball, not football, and two out of those three parks have at least one good-quality bball court. There are also some large green spaces on the campus of Chulalongkorn University.

Street-style football is played under highway overpasses and the like all over the city -- not ideal, for sure, but it's not like Bangkok kids don't find places to play. Many schools also have sports facilities for kids. There's also the huge National Stadium complex located smack in the city center, which is not counted among the green spaces. There you'll find nightly football matches on a court next to the BTS station, plus Olympic-size running tracks, basketball courts, an Olympic size pool complete with diving boards, and a full-size football pitch, all of which can be used by the public (public not allowed in the main stadium but can use the secondary field next door).

In North Bangkok, the Suan Rotfai / Chatuchak / Queen Sirikit combined green spaces are huge and there are lots of activities available there. In the Old Town area, you've got Saranrom and Romaneenart, plus Sanam Luang -- none of these are very big but at least they are peaceful places to go and sit under a tree or do some exercise.

The areas that badly lack green spaces are Thonburi (or pretty much everywhere west of the Chao Phraya) and heavily populated parts of East Bangkok like Ramkamhaeng and Bang Kapi. In the South there's the whole Bang Kachao "green lung", which has a large public park in addition to the many canal-side bicycle lanes. Because it's technically part of Samut Prakan province, all of Bang Kachao is also not included in Bangkok's green space stats.

It's worth mentioning that Bangkok could double its public green spaces overnight if it turned three places into parks: 1. The Royal sports club on Ratchadamri Rd (I cringe every time I see two rich golfers enjoying a massive green space in the heart of the city -- it really taunts passersby on the BTS); 2. The rarely used Nang Loeng horse track up in Dusit area, which could be a convenient park for all the people living in Victory Monument / Phaya Thai area; 3. The SRT-owned Makkasan land, which is nothing but hectare after hectare of undeveloped land that just sits there overgrown. Can't imagine that Bangkok's hi-so will give up their own private playgrounds any time soon, but at least there's still hope for Makassan.

In sum, my feeling is that Bangkok's green spaces are actually a bit better than the stats show -- parks are strategically placed around the city and some public green spaces / sports facilities (National Stadium, Bang Kachao, etc.) are not included in the stats. Certainly much room for improvement though.

Very solid post. There's also that nice park next to Nong Bon where one can go sailing too.

[CoreanoOzzie]

So go and live in Vienna then! You're living in Bangkok, but you don't like it? Or go to live in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, I heard it's 100% green space there. Stop being a whinger on public forums.

If every poster suddenly stopped "whinging", how I hate that word, Thaivisa would soon be no more.

What do you thing a public forum is for? I enjoy reading peoples opinions on Thaivisa, whether they are positive or negative.

It's just a pity that most of the opinions are negative though, and usually wrong. Kind of reflects the type of people Thailand attracts to be honest.

[Thainess]

So go and live in Vienna then! You're living in Bangkok, but you don't like it? Or go to live in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, I heard it's 100% green space there. Stop being a whinger on public forums.

If every poster suddenly stopped "whinging", how I hate that word, Thaivisa would soon be no more.

What do you thing a public forum is for? I enjoy reading peoples opinions on Thaivisa, whether they are positive or negative.

Stop whinging about my post and get a life!

[NoshowJones]

So go and live in Vienna then! You're living in Bangkok, but you don't like it? Or go to live in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, I heard it's 100% green space there. Stop being a whinger on public forums.

If every poster suddenly stopped "whinging", how I hate that word, Thaivisa would soon be no more.

What do you thing a public forum is for? I enjoy reading peoples opinions on Thaivisa, whether they are positive or negative.

It's just a pity that most of the opinions are negative though, and usually wrong. Kind of reflects the type of people Thailand attracts to be honest.

Sorry, I don't agree, there are loads of positive opinions here on Thaivisa, a forum, especially Thaivisa, is not all just about opinions.

[NoshowJones]

So go and live in Vienna then! You're living in Bangkok, but you don't like it? Or go to live in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, I heard it's 100% green space there. Stop being a whinger on public forums.

If every poster suddenly stopped "whinging", how I hate that word, Thaivisa would soon be no more.

What do you thing a public forum is for? I enjoy reading peoples opinions on Thaivisa, whether they are positive or negative.

Stop whinging about my post and get a life!

I would not waste my time whinging about your posts, there is just so much nonsense in them they are not worth bothering about.

Like this one for example.

[CLW]

Honestly, what do you expect? Bangkok is an Asian megacity and not well-known for it's parks and green areas.

Most green area has been converted to housing or road extension.

My girlfriend every time surprised when we are in Germany.

"How you can have trees in the middle of the road and separate bike+bus lanes?" Well, we just cut two off the car lanes...

Still there are some spots left called "parks"

I'm still looking for a place to ride my bicycle. Don't have a car so the bike track at the airport is not an alternative.

Now doing rounds before it gets dark at Kasetsart University Campus Bangkhen.

Quite a few bikers around there.

[andre47]

Honestly, what do you expect? Bangkok is an Asian megacity and not well-known for it's parks and green areas.

Look at the statistics which the OP provided.

Manila + 66%

Hanoi + 266%

KualaLumpur + 1430%

Singapore + 2200 %

So it is possible for Asian megacities to provide more green space for its citizens.