Bangkok is in full campaign mode. As the capital gears up for the upcoming Bangkok governor election on June 28, we are starting to hear more about how each candidate will whip up the city to their design, turning Bangkok into a thriving capital that can match the structure and energy of first-world capitals worldwide.
Every four years, Bangkokians remember to take their ID cards and go out to vote for their governor. This year, we may all be suffering from slight election fatigue following the national election in February, and whilst politicking in Thailand remains unchanged, the Bangkok governor race is one of the few tangible processes where real change can be reviewed, tracked, and enjoyed by the people who actually vote at the polls.
The billboards go up, and in this year's case, digital billboards across highly congested areas. There are a handful of things a governor has full jurisdiction over, including flooding, air quality management, public spaces and people-friendly initiatives. What makes a Bangkok governor election more accessible is that, for the most part, changes can be felt and experienced instantly.
In the past four years, Bangkok has transitioned into a true cosmopolitan city, and whilst we still have our kinks, many things are functioning much better, and people can file complaints directly via a digital platform. It's things like this that make us feel more involved in the daily well-being of a city we call home.
Bangkok is a bustling city with a registered population of over 5 million. The diverse population comprises families, working professionals, and, increasingly, retirees and the elderly. Whilst the specific needs of each population set vary, the fundamental wants and needs are the same.
Whether we commute to work by the BTS or spend most days at home, Bangkokians all want to live in a city we can be proud of and enjoy a good quality of life. We want walkable pavements, ease of transportation, less traffic and good circulation when the rainy season arrives. These are seemingly straightforward requests but require significant budget allocation, urban planning and continuous maintenance.
In the past four years, we have seen significant improvements across these areas, but there is still work to be done. A city's well-being is a constant work in progress, but people are being more vocal about what they wish to see.
Much of this goes back to Thailand's well-documented structural challenges. Whilst incumbent Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has meaningfully changed a lot in Bangkok, from cleaner canals to more accessible footpaths and more green spaces, there are still many constraints imposed by the legal framework that limit Bangkok's team from coordinating with national agencies and moving quickly when an emergency hits.
There are structurally unresolved complexities that prevent foundational problems from being resolved, a mandate that is close to structural reform.
Structural reform is what many people in my generation wish to see in our lifetime. We have been around long enough to understand how things work in Thailand, but we wish to see stubborn structural constraints amended to meet the demands of a fast-moving contemporary society. This is something I am certain that all governor candidates have in common: the ease of governing Bangkok.
The campaign narrative revolves around Bangkok 2030, a date that feels simultaneously near-term and futuristic. This has gotten me thinking about the path over the next four years, and how things may evolve or remain stuck in place within the city. There is essentially a gap between vision and reality.
Governor Chadchart says that cities will no longer compete or be judged within themselves, but against the benchmark of other bustling capitals. Whilst Bangkok has improved in terms of park access, green space and waste management, many things still fall short and are beyond any governor's control. Ultimately, Thailand's shortcomings are primarily tied to structural challenges, which means that change may take a generation.
A good city contains elements of livability and is designed with its citizens in mind. Think Tokyo and Copenhagen. The city works because the bike lane is maintained, the train is on time, the park is clean and the air is breathable. Tokyo is orderly, spacious and bustling without chaos.
When we think about livability, it's natural to imagine what Bangkok could be, without the chaos of broken pavements, PM2.5 and gridlocked traffic. For a city that's so eclectic, we are also significantly unequal. Bangkok's inequality problem means that the governor is tasked with managing millions of people with vastly different realities.
At its core, Bangkok's vibrancy cannot be replicated, but it also comes with imperfections that won't be fixed with glossy campaigns or, ultimately, four years in office. However, with each achievement and tree planted, we get closer to what an ideal urban city should be, and sometimes, working towards a shared goal is the next best thing.
Niki Chatikavanij is the founder of BitesizeBKK, a digital news outlet. She can be reached at bitesizebangkok@gmail.com.
