Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt met UK climate representative Rachel Kyte yesterday, October 12, to discuss public transport, flood prevention, air pollution and other measures aimed at making the capital more resilient to climate change.
The pair travelled by BTS from National Stadium station and visited the Pathumwan Skywalk while discussing Bangkok’s transport network and plans for development around mass-transit stations.
Their talks covered flood management, including improvements to drainage systems, water-retention areas, flood-absorbing parks, permeable pavements and early-warning systems.
They also discussed preparations for extreme heat, including the expansion of Bangkok’s 15-minute parks and designated cooling spaces for vulnerable groups.
On transport, the discussions included better connections between different modes of travel and transit-oriented development around stations, including areas such as Rama IX and the Thailand Cultural Centre.
Bangkok is also considering low-emission zones and congestion charging as possible ways to reduce traffic and pollution.
Air quality was another focus, with discussions covering tighter controls on diesel emissions, the city’s Green List system, pollution from factories and open burning, and better use of air-quality data.
Chadchart and Kyte also discussed the impact of data centres in urban areas, including noise, heat, water use and community safety.
Climate financing was raised as another area of cooperation, including access to programmes such as the Climate Finance Accelerator.
Bangkok is also looking at lessons from London on low-emission zones, data management and workforce training for electric vehicles.
A roughly 90-second video filmed during the visit is due to be released by the British Embassy in Thailand and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on October 31.
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