🖼️ Good morning! A new mural in Thong Lo spotlights migrant workers on a 10-by-12-meter wall. “Seeing my own face, I’m very happy,” one from Myanmar told Soiciety. “I look this cool.” Check out our latest feature.

🏳️‍🌈 Here’s a list of Pride events across Thailand in June.

✈️ I’m on vacation until late this week. I hope to publish an issue next Sunday, but if you don’t hear from me, that’s why.

Bangkok is spending 294.1 million baht to hold city elections this year.

Why it matters: That’s a 42.1% jump from the 2022 cycle, while the number of eligible voters rose just 2.4% to 4,507,523. There are also 188 fewer voting sites.

Bangkok Possible unveiled 30 candidates for the Bangkok Metropolitan Council, centering its pitch on legislative reform, not executive projects. It’s the first group to run on such a platform.

Why it matters: The BMC is Bangkok’s legislative branch, but current rules prevent councilors from enacting effective ordinances and the public from fully participating, the group argues.

The platform: The group, led by former MP Duangrit Benjathikul Chairungruang, wants to make all voting records and meeting documents public (they’re currently not), use Traffy Fondue data to shape legislation and expand public participation.

By the numbers: The previous council proposed 14 ordinances, approved 211 motions and studied 386 topics, according to WeVis. But Bangkok Possible said only five ordinances were implemented.

Flashback: The BMC passed a 2023 ordinance mandating electric buses within city limits, but it was never enforced because the council lacked the legal authority.

Between the lines: The group says it’s independent — but nearly 20 former Pheu Thai members and council veterans, including a former BMC speaker and deputy speaker, are running under its banner.

What to watch: The BMC race is shaping up as more competitive than the gubernatorial contest. Party-hopping has reshuffled the field, and parties are fielding full (or almost full) slates across all 50 districts.

Bangkok’s green space has grown ninefold over the past 30 years, from 4.8 million to 44.8 million square meters, according to The Active’s analysis.

Why it matters: On paper, that provides 8.47 square meters per person, shy of the World Health Organization benchmark of 10 square meters.

Yes, but… The real number is much lower. Experts said publicly accessible green space is closer to 3 square meters per person. The city’s tally includes private land, tree canopies and spaces the public can’t enter.

The bottom line: At the current rate of growth, researchers estimate it would take nearly 1,000 years to hit the 10-square-meter benchmark.

Bangkok Urban Cycling Alliance’s policy wishlist for candidates flags enforcement gaps and budget cuts that stalled the previous administration’s alternative transport push.

Why it matters: The city averages 800 road deaths a year. Without dedicated, connected infrastructure, cyclists remain among the most exposed.

What worked: Bike-share trips jumped 358% to 274,000 annually. Canal-side paths, new sidewalk standards and a dedicated Cycling Promotion Unit inside City Hall have all moved in the right direction, according to the report.

What failed: Some targets outpaced budgets and staff capacity. The 50-district bike lane rollout stalled, and the city council repeatedly cut funding for bike parking stations, according to the report.

What’s next: BUCA wants a zero-fatality target, a clearer road hierarchy, expanded bike-sharing as a transit feeder, promotion of biking culture and stricter enforcement to shape drivers’ behavior and keep parked cars out of bike lanes.

👀 Read the full draft in Thai.

Most residents at two public hearings last week opposed a proposed Dark Red Line extension between Wong Wian Yai and Mahachai.

Why it matters: The extension would pass through some of Thonburi’s oldest communities, including a Muslim neighborhood anchored by Masjid Suan Phlu and a residential area with 80-year-old schools.

The friction: The Suan Phlu community fears construction will make it harder to cross to the mosque, which is already separated from the neighborhood by an existing rail line.

Officials countered that the elevated track stays within the existing corridor with no demolition required — even though a small part of the mosque encroaches on SRT land. A space beneath the path is planned to maintain access for crossing.

Meanwhile, in Wong Wian Yai, where a station is planned, students from Sahaniyom Wittaya and Baan Suan Phlu schools showed up in uniform, carrying signs: “Electric trains pass, but my house and school disappear.”

Yes, but… The main school buildings fall outside the impact zone; only a four-meter strip along the fence and a play area would be affected. Officials proposed shrinking the station’s footprint and using easements instead of full expropriation.

What’s next: Public hearing sessions in project areas are ongoing. The SRT hopes to finalize the plan and get the Cabinet’s OK next year.

❤️ Want to support Soiciety? Become a Soi Resident today.

📧 Reach me at [email protected].