Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt left the for London on a three-day visit from February 6-8 to exchange knowledge on urban management with executives and other world class leaders.

Chadchart was invited by the British Embassy in Bangkok as part of a collaboration with the British government to promote open procurement between London and Bangkok, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala said on Tuesday.

The project aims to exchange vision, experience, and high potential information under the Open Bangkok initiative, as well as discuss future operations between executives of both cities and related agencies, he added.

“This visit complies with the governor’s policy to utilise world class information in solving Bangkok’s problems and improving the quality of life of urban people. All expenses are covered by the British Embassy,” he said.

“The governor has neither abandoned his job in the city, nor left Bangkokians to fight the dust pollution problem by themselves as some have speculated,” Aekvarunyoo said. “Before the trip, the governor had given orders to related agencies to tackle the air pollution problem and help affected people.”

The city’s spokesperson also posted Chadchart’s itinerary in London as follows:

February 6

– A meeting with London’s Chief of Climate Change at City Hall to discuss climate change operations, especially regarding the risk of flooding, which could be applied to Bangkok’s repeated flood problems.

– A meeting with London’s Chief Digital Officer and visit London Data Store at City Hall to study the city’s open data initiative that serves both businesses and the general public.

– Visit the Thames Barrier and meet Andy Batcher, operations manager, Thames River Monitoring and Environmental Office.

– Visit the Open Data Institute to discuss cooperation under the Open Bangkok initiative.

February 7

– A meeting with David Halpern, president of Behavioural Insights Team, to discuss cooperation in behavioural study to promote positive personal and social impacts under the good governance policy.

– A meeting with representatives of Transport for London to study the linking of London’s transport networks.

– Visit TFL Digital Management Hub to study approaches to improve Bangkok’s mass transit system.

– Meeting with executives of Royal Town Planning Institute, an urban planner for climate change; Mott MacDonald, a flood and infrastructure management company, and Town and Country Planning Association, operator of parks in the city, to discuss flood, climate change and public space management for Bangkok.

– A meeting with UK’s environment agencies to study the Thames Barrier project and Thames Estuary 2100 plan, which was selected as a model of good practice by the C40 World Mayors Summit.

– A meeting with executives of Arup, operator of Battersea Power Station, a non-profit organisation focusing on sustainable urban development and flood preparation.

– A meeting with representatives of Open Contracting Partnership, an agency working to support the Open Bangkok initiative.

February 8

– A meeting with Elena Williams, Head of Global Programmes at UK’s Connected Places Catapult, an innovation agency focusing on using digital/high-tech tools for urban planning and transport.

– A meeting with University College London’s Urban Research Centre, and visiting the rehabilitation project of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which can be applied to Bangkok’s project to develop multi-purpose public spaces throughout the city.