☁️ Good morning! This year’s winter is expected to start late this month, with an average low temperature of 21 degrees. That means haze season is approaching. The city urges employers to allow working from home once a week to curb pollution.

🙏 Thanks to James Sellon for becoming a Soi Visionary this week. If you find Soiciety valuable, please support my work by becoming a one-time paid supporter!

Motorway 81 is at the center of a navigational mishap that has sent Bangkok drivers on an unintentional road trip, prompting government action.

Why it matters: Drivers aiming for Central Westgate in Bang Yai are being incorrectly routed by Google Maps onto the new M81 motorway.

Big picture: The motorway has primarily been open for trial runs on weekends. For this holiday weekend, all eight exits are temporarily open until Oct. 14.

What’s next: The Department of Highways has acknowledged the issue and is adding clearer signage and coordinating with the app’s developers.

The city council is pressing the Bangkok administration to rein in the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority over its disruptive, poorly managed pipe-laying projects.

Why it matters: Residents face unfinished utility work that leaves roads potholed and congested, the air dusty and tap water cloudy.

Big picture: Bangkok has no authority over the MWA, a state enterprise under the Interior Ministry. The city does, however, oversee road surfaces, meaning the MWA needs its permission before starting work.

The intrigue: Sai Mai Councilor Rattikan Kaewkerdmee highlighted how districts fight hard for funds to pave new roads only to see the MWA dig them up months later and leave them in a state of disrepair.

What they’re saying: Multiple council members echoed Rattikan’s concerns.

The other side: Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said he had raised it with the Interior Department, asking for better management. He said he usually consults with the MWA before road projects so the agency can dig first.

The bottom line: This dispute underscores a long-running turf war between city and state agencies, fueling calls to give Bangkok more autonomy. (Dig deeper in the explainer.)

Six months after an earthquake sent tremors through Bangkok, 80% of affected residents who applied for financial aid have yet to receive any, a legislator said.

Why it matters: The slow-moving bureaucracy highlights a reality for city dwellers. The financial assistance offered also often falls short of covering the actual repair costs.

By the numbers: Of the 44,000 eligible households, more than 35,000 are still waiting for approval. The average payout so far is about 2,000 baht, a fraction of the 49,500-baht maximum.

Big picture: Bangkok MP Suphanat Minchaiynunt blames excessive paperwork and inefficient processes for the delays.

City Hall is planning to overhaul public smoking rules by creating a dedicated enforcement unit, an effort modeled on programs in the Philippines.

Why it matters: While a law against public smoking has existed since 1992, officials acknowledged that enforcement has been a challenge. This move signals a more serious crackdown in a city with more than 1.2 million smokers.

Zooming out: The model from Iloilo City focuses on using highly-regulated smoking areas. Enforcement is pushed to the community level, where businesses risk license revocation for non-compliance, and parents of minors can be fined.

Central Pattana is investing 21 billion baht to build “The Central,” a 49-rai mixed-use project that aims to create a new commercial core for northern Bangkok.

Why it matters: The developer aims to transform the Phahonyothin-Lat Phrao area into a premier business and lifestyle district on par with Ratchaprason, home to Central World.

Between the lines: The new mall is being built less than a kilometer from Central Lat Phrao, the mall that first put the neighborhood on the map.

Big picture: The Central isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s part of a city-wide explosion of mega mixed-use projects.

What’s next: The Central is scheduled for completion in late 2026.

The story about the council’s frustration with the MWA is a great example of a bigger structural problem preventing Bangkok from being a manageable city.

Why it matters: The BMA’s inability to control agencies operating in its own territory stems from a 40-year-old law that a growing number of officials want to overhaul.

Big picture: While Bangkok elects its governor, the national government still holds the reins. The Interior Minister can remove the governor and dissolve the city council. The city also relies on central government subsidies for its budget.

Driving the news: The current administration has been pushing to amend the 1985 Bangkok Administration Act, with 92.34% of residents agreeing that the law is a key cause of the city’s persistent problems.

Proposals on the table would allow the city to manage more public services, generate its own revenue and create a two-tiered local government system by letting residents elect district chiefs and councils.

What’s next: The city is drafting its own bill based on public feedback from a solicitation in May. Officials hoped a new law could be passed before the next gubernatorial election, but nothing has been formally introduced so far.

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