🌧️ Good morning! DMK Airport is upping its parking fees this December. Traffy Fondue, a platform to report urban issues, now accepts consumer complaints for online shoppers. Lastly, here’s the latest on the BMA election next year.

📣 Thank you to our new supporters this week! Matthew Noble and one other reader became Senior Soi Builders. Darrell Doren became a Soi Builder. Find Soiciety useful?

A notorious curve on Ratchadaphisek Road in front of the Criminal Court has recorded zero deaths so far this year, a success City Hall attributed to new safety measures.

Why it matters: The turnaround shows how coordinated enforcement, tech and design can save lives.

The playbook: The city installed speed warnings, roller barriers and speed cameras while also improving the road surface and increasing police enforcement. By year’s end, new guardrails and flashing lights will be installed.

By the numbers: The curve saw 10 deaths in 2022, 15 in 2023 and 4 in 2024.

What’s next: The city will expand the model to other high-risk areas.

Bangkok’s small-scale parks show no measurable health benefits to nearby residents, a new study from Kasetsart University finds.

Why it matters: The findings question the effectiveness of the city’s initiative to build hundreds of “15-minute parks.”

Big picture: Cities worldwide are embracing the “15-minute city” concept, which prioritizes resident access to essential services and green spaces within a short walk. The belief is that proximity boosts park use and public health.

By the numbers: 393 of these parks have already opened, with 65 more in the works, according to the city spokesperson. The goal is to open 500 parks by 2026.

Study’s details: A survey of 615 Bangkok residents across 50 districts found that only proximity to large parks (5-20 ha) was linked to better physical and mental health, suggesting a “critical size threshold.”

Between the lines: While the city’s program prioritizes overlooked land for daily use, the study suggests the city should focus on fewer, larger parks.

Dig deeper: Use this map to find 15-minute parks near you.

A “polluter pays” fund, the core enforcement mechanism of Thailand’s Clean Air Bill, is reportedly in danger of being scrapped, threatening to make the legislation powerless before it becomes law.

Why it matters: This move contradicts a recent public hearing, where about 93% of participants supported the fund’s creation.

Big picture: The proposed fund would operate as a legal entity, allowing it to take legal action against sources that cause pollution through fees and fines. The money would then be used to tackle air pollution issues.

The quote: “Polluters would continue to go unpunished, and Thais would continue to be at risk of respiratory diseases, cancer and other serious illnesses from PM 2.5 pollution,” Wisanu Attavanich, spokesperson for the bill’s drafting committee, told The Active.

What’s next: The draft bill is awaiting its second and third readings in the House of Representatives, where the fate of the fund will be decided.

A Bangkok Council subcommittee is targeting major traffic and beautification projects, proposing 446 million baht in cuts for the city’s traffic and disaster prevention agencies.

By the numbers: The Traffic and Transportation Department faces the largest reduction, totaling over 431 million baht. Here are some projects at risk:

What’s next: These cuts are not final yet. The full council will debate the proposed budget in its second and third readings, scheduled for Sept. 10-12.

A legislative snag has delayed the 20-baht train fare cap, originally slated for October, leaving commuters waiting.

Why it matters: For many, this isn’t just about cheaper fares but also about shorter commutes, better health, more time with family and access to a service they feel priced out of.

What they’re saying, via the Thailand Consumer Council:

What’s next: Officials said the program will begin in mid-November, instead. But that was before former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed.

As seasonal rains flood Bangkok's streets, a larger threat looms: climate models predicting that large parts of the city could be underwater by 2050.

Yes, but… In a statement this week, the city insisted its engineering strategy is more than capable of holding back the tide.

Why it matters: Bangkok’s consistent floods stem from heavy rain, river runoff and high sea tides, worsened by its low-lying geography.

What they’re saying: The city is betting on its infrastructure.

By the numbers: The city projects the Chao Phraya River could reach a high-water mark of 2.55 meters in 2050 under the most severe climate scenario, but the flood barriers now stand 3-3.5 meters tall.

A useful tool: The city’s Drainage Department runs a flood-monitoring website showing real-time water levels and inundated areas, something you can check when it rains.

📧 Reach me at [email protected]. I will respond!