Mr. Aekvarunyoo Amrapala, BMA Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary to the Governor of Bangkok, led a group of media to survey the sidewalks around Ratchadamri Road and Ploenchit Road and see the improvement of manhole covers that stand out and express the identity of the Ratchadamri-Ploenchit area. The sidewalk in this area is considered one of the pilot routes for the new sidewalk standard that will be more stable, and more Universal Design, and the entrances and exits of the building and the sidewalk are of similar heights.

He said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration aims to develop Bangkok’s sidewalks to be walkable and pleasant. In the first phase, the target is 1,000 kilometers through 3 methods: rebuilding the entire route, urgently improving damaged spots, and adapting innovations to suit the area.

He went on to say that there are two formats. Inner areas and heavily traveled routes will be paved according to the new sidewalk measures. The foundation must be reinforced concrete 10 centimeters thick to increase strength. Currently, 16 sidewalks in Bangkok are undergoing renovation with new sidewalk standards. By 2024, there are plans to implement new sidewalk standards for another 38 routes and 22 routes in 2025.

The improvement of each route will have different highlights, such as Ploenchit and Ratchadamri Roads where art has been applied to manhole covers through design to stand out and express the identity of the Ratchadamri-Ploenchit area as an economic district in the middle of the city. There are also other developments to become one of the city’s symbols, like Japan, which combines manhole covers with city symbols.

He also said that Bangkok will adhere to 5 guidelines for improving sidewalks as follows: 1. Resolution of complaints in Traffy Fondue, 2. Development along the BKK Trail 500 km., 3. Pavements must be good within a radius of 500 meters around the electric train station, 4. Routes with heavy traffic according to Heatmap data, other than the electric train radius, need to be improved, 5. Restoring conditions from public utility agencies and accelerating management of public utilities that affect traffic surfaces and sidewalks, such as water supply, electricity, and bringing electrical wires into the ground.