Greener city, cleaner traffic

With more new green spaces and train lines, the capital has developed to better serve urban residents this year.The Bangkok Post reflects on Bangkok’s developing landscape and projects and highlights the top five of 2021.

Hua Lamphong

The closure of 105-year-old Hua Lamphong Station to develop it as a commercial project has raised discontent among local commuters.

It has been a while since the closure of Hua Lamphong made headlines and became the talk of the town in the latter part of the year.

Discontent was raised following a proposal to demolish its historic building which dates from the Rama V era.

An unclear answer came after Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob reported that train services to Hua Lamphong Station would be reduced from 118 to 22 on Dec 23, but he later reversed his decision and has kept full services in operation until now.

A week before its expected closure, a public debate was held by state-owned broadcaster MCOT on Dec 14. Responding to the matter, former State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor Prapat Chongsanguan said the body’s current governor must clear up any doubts.

“Traffic jams often occur across the city despite level crossings. The [planned] cancellation of suburban trains at Hua Lamphong must also be reviewed as most low-income people will face further burdens,” said Mr Prapat.

Meanwhile, Trithip Sivakriskul, acting CEO of SRT Asset Co, founded to manage the SRT’s assets and generate income through various land development projects, assured the historic building would not be demolished.

Ms Trithip said Hua Lamphong would be developed in a hybrid format to connect the old town area — such as Yaowarat and Talat Noi — with the new central business district.

The development will maintain its unique historic buildings — such as the Erawan monument, a monument with a portrait of Rama V, and the SRT building — in an attempt to turn it into a source of knowledge to tell the history of Thai railways from past to present.

While important buildings will surely be preserved, regular buildings will be developed as a commercial zone with more green spaces.

In the future, 120 rai of land around Hua Lamphong will serve as a transport link similar to Tokyo Station in Japan, said Ms Trithip.

Pichet Kunadhamraks, deputy director-general of the Rail Transport Department, said Bang Sue Grand Station will eventually replace Hua Lamphong as Bangkok’s rail system hub, in line with the 20-year National Strategy.

Bang Sue Grand Station will one day become the largest rail station in Asean with its 2,325 rai of land featuring 24 platforms for suburban, long-distance and high-speed trains, compared with Hua Lamphong’s 120 rai, which can only accommodate regular trains on 12 platforms, he said.

“As such, its development is essential in order to facilitate more than 600,000 passengers per day in the future,” Mr Pichet added.

Forest Park

A 300-rai Benjakitti Forest Park in Klong Toey district will open to the public in February.

The development was approved by the cabinet on March 8, 2016, in accordance with the wishes of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.

They wanted the park to help cultivate a deeper understanding of the value of forest areas and natural resources among the urban public.

When completed, it will be the first forest park of its size in the capital.

The project is now stretching on 259 rai during its third phase. The park consists of four ponds, a mangrove forest, local decorative plants, a 5.8km walkway, 2.8km jogging track, 3.4km bicycle lane, indoor sport facilities, museum and recreation zone.

Benjakitti Forest Park will also link to a green bridge — an elevated crossing that connects with Lumphini Park.

Fit for a King

When the 102-year-old Nang Loeng racecourse in Dusit district operated by the Royal Turf Club of Thailand closed its doors in 2018, people were left wondering what would become of the venue.

It was revealed recently that the 279 rai of land, which had served as the grounds for the racecourse, is being transformed into a large public park in commemoration of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great.

The Bureau of the Royal Household also unveiled a virtual design for the public park that will feature a monument of King Rama IX at its heart.

On Dec 5, Their Majesties the King and Queen laid the foundation stone for the statue of the late king at the new park.

The park’s design work began in 2018 and the land was donated by His Majesty the King for its development.

According to the bureau, the new park’s design reflects sustainable water management ideals as promoted by King Rama IX in areas such as dam construction, Chaipattana turbines and New Theory Agriculture established in 1994.

Surrounding the statue will be a lake, constructed in the form of the Thai numeral nine, with the Yod Nam Phra Thai and Cho Bakong bridges built across the lake.

The bridges are symbols of a time when the former king travelled by jeep to visit villagers in Ban Cho Bakong in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat.

The inner area of the park has also been designed as a large water catchment area known as a kaem ling (monkey cheek), one of the late king’s projects that helped efforts to counter flooding in the capital.

More than 4,500 trees will be planted in the park, which will also include paved areas, bicycle lanes and an outdoor gym.

Expected to be completed in 2024, the park underscores the kindness and thoughtfulness of His Majesty who attaches importance to the public’s health and well-being.

Slated as a new major landmark in the capital, the park will be the largest of its kind in the capital but smaller than Lumpini Park in Pathumwan district and Benjakitti Park in Klong Toey district.

Canal reborn

City Hall announced an ambitious plan to dredge Khlong Chong Nonsi, which has become too shallow and filled with polluted water, and turn it into a modern public recreation space in Bangkok.

Inspired by Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon project, the Chong Nonsi public park made a promising start early this year.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced a plan to spend 980 million baht to fund the landscape renovation for the 4.5-kilometre canal, to be implemented in four phases.

The project has triggered visions of a reinvigorated canal with cleaner water, modern walking tracks and exercise spaces, rows of trees and flowers kept neat and clean all year long.

However, while the BMA was expecting the first phase of the landscape renovation to take shape between the end of this year and early next year, some have already started criticising the project.

Asst Prof Niramon Serisakul, a lecturer with Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, for instance, has pointed out that unlike Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon project, the Chong Nonsi canal project did not seek the participation of the public. While the Cheonggyecheon project went through up to 4,200 public hearings before it was built, the BMA simply launched its canal improvement project and revealed images showing idealised views of how it would look, she said.

Only sketchy details were provided as to how the 980 million baht would actually be spent, Ms Niramon added.

The opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) has even accused the ruling Palang Pracharath Party of diverting a budget to fund this project with the aim of wooing voters ahead of the next election for Bangkok governor.

Aswin Kwanmuang, the incumbent governor, responded to the MFP’s allegation. He said funds were to be drawn from the BMA’s central budget, not from the government, and the project wasn’t being exploited for election campaigning.

Skytrain fares

After its plea that the BMA pay its overdue debt fell on deaf ears, the Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), as the operator of the BTS Skytrain, filed a petition with the Administrative Court seeking an order to get City Hall to service its debt.

The BTSC had written to the BMA and its investment arm, Krungthep Thanakom Co, at the beginning of the year to seek a debt settlement.

It was hoping to recover 12 billion baht for operating the Green Line extension [On Nut-Bearing, Saphan Taksin-Bang Wa, Bearing-Kheha and Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot] since April 2017. The court accepted the lawsuit for consideration.

Currently, services on the two extensions are free of charge.

According to the operator, if the 30-billion debt remains unpaid, it could balloon to 90 billion baht when the BTSC’s concession expires in 2029.

The BTSC was granted a concession on the Silom Line from the National Stadium to Taksin Bridge Station, and the Sukhumvit route from Mo Chit to On Nut. The concession is due to expire in 2029.

The BMA’s Traffic and Transport Office was instructed to study fare collection and fare structures for the extended routes.

In the latest update by Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul in early December, the Traffic and Transport Office came up with three options for the BMA to consider.

The first is a flat-rate fare of 15 baht for the extensions, which would help raise income to service the debt.

However, it would still leave the BMA 3 billion baht in debt.

The second is a fare between 15 baht and 30 baht, with the fare for the first five stations proposed at 15 baht, that for the next five set at 20 baht, and the fare for the remaining stations at 25-30 baht.

The third option comprises an entry fare of 15 baht plus an additional three baht for every station — with a cap of 30 baht.

However, these two options would also still leave the BMA with an outstanding debt of 2 billion baht.

Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang is expected to make a decision soon.