Thailand’s capital strives to develop parks in communities

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has launched "Suan 50 Suk", its latest public park on Soi Sukhumvit 50 road, marking its effort to increase green areas in city communities.

The park was developed on an over 2ha abandoned piece of land that the Klong Toey District Office spotted and proposed to the BMA as a public park.

According to a BMA official, the park has a running track for exercising and a recreation zone. It also has an area for art exhibitions, a pet park, and space for schools to host school activities like camping.

On the environmental side, the BMA and partners planted about 1,000 trees in the park, including silver trumpet trees, Indian rose chestnut trees and mahogany trees.

It also has a garbage disposal area that encourages people living nearby to separate waste and have better disposal methods. It opens from 5 am to 8 pm everyday and has security guards on the spot around the clock.

The park is part of Governor Chadchart Sittipunt's green project, which expects to turn abandoned areas in the city into public parks and green space for residents.

The governor aimed to establish 500 parks by 2026. So far, the BMA has launched about 130 public parks.