BANG RAK — In a rare initiative linked to Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt’s potential reelection campaign, long-term international residents — who can’t vote and are rarely included in municipal planning — were invited into a room.

They came with ideas on waste, transport, public space and daily frustrations — the kinds of concerns that shape how people experience a city.

But as the session unfolded, it revealed something less visible: while the participants were eager to speak, few actually expected to influence what happens next.

“It’s long overdue,” said Jim Hollyer, an American living in Asoke. “Farangs are an untapped resource of what I call time, treasure and talent.”

The session was hosted by Work Work Work, a volunteer group exploring a platform for the governor. Nearly 20 people, mostly Thais, gathered at Flâneur Tea to discuss health care, housing, mobility and social issues.

Thanaphat Sangkharom, an architect on the team, said the goal is to build an active citizen network across professions and demographics that outlasts an election cycle. The team also hosts similar workshops for other issues.

“This group of people, they’re increasing in number; however, they’re a missing voice that’s left behind in terms of the city’s communications,” he said. “But they’re the same ones who are using Bangkok’s facilities and infrastructure.”

Much of the discussion focused on daily friction: the lack of a comprehensive English interface for Traffy Fondue, broken sidewalks, unsafe driving behavior, limited bike lanes and the difficulty of navigating the system without centralized, reliable information.

A shared pain point wasn’t tied to any single issue, but to how information flows through the city. For many, Bangkok’s systems felt less like public infrastructure and more like closed loops, difficult to access without Thai language or local knowledge.

After the session ended, the organizing team of nine regrouped for a two-hour debrief to process the feedback. It was there that the gap between organizers and participants became most visible.

The team discussion — which Soiciety was present for — shifted between analysis and surprise, often punctuated by laughter as organizers compared their assumptions with what they had just heard.

Some were surprised to learn many participants preferred shopping at wet markets or regularly used win-motorcycles, a mode of transport often viewed by Thais as a necessity rather than a choice.

“Farangs, I don’t know what’s with them; they like sitting on motorcycles,” one organizer said in Thai.

When the conversation turned to buses, several team members admitted they had never taken one and likely never would, reacting with surprise that some participants relied on and even appreciated the system.

One suggestion from earlier in the day — to encourage bus usage by hiring people to ride — resurfaced during the debrief. It was met with agreement and laughter.

“If they hire me, I might ride it,” one organizer said in Thai.

It’s not often that groups with ties to City Hall solicit international input. For some, that alone was reason enough to attend.

Claire Souchet, a 17-year resident from France, said it was her first time joining such a discussion. Living in Sathorn, she came prepared to talk about waste management.

While she tries to separate plastic and electronic waste on her own, she said her effort often breaks down in practice as she doesn’t know where to put them.

“If I compare waste management in French cities, I think Bangkok is a little bit behind, and I think we can do better,” Souchet said.

Bangkok rolled out a citywide trash-separation campaign last October, with more than 1 million households joining the program. The city has services for electronic waste and large disposals.

Others focused on mobility.

Paul van der Hijden, a Dutch resident of 17 years, pointed to motorcycles riding on sidewalks and “ineffective” speed bumps that are easily bypassed. His idea: a reality-style “safe traffic quiz” TV program to encourage better driving behavior.

Yet, even as participants shared suggestions, many framed them without expectation.

Asked whether he believed the input would lead to change, Hollyer — who proposed what he called “the gathering of the khlongs” to bring canalside communities together — was direct.

“Do I have an expectation that something will be done? No, I don’t,” he said. “My hope is that I planted an idea virus in the Thai people here and maybe then they can take it forward. I don’t have an expectation that they will. I just appreciate that they’re willing to hear some ideas.”

For the organizers, the session was part of a broader effort to move away from what Thanaphat described as “blindfolded” policymaking.

He framed the approach for this particular group as a balance between “maximizing profits” — taking advantage of their higher income, specialized knowledge and global networks — and “minimizing effects,” citing what he described as an “overpopulation” of foreign students in certain public schools and a housing market skewed by Chinese investment.

Hollyer, however, believes the disconnect remains in how the country views its international residents. When asked what Thai policymakers get wrong about them, he said there’s a tendency to view them as “dangerous or harmful.”

“There’s always going to be bad actors, but there’s 99% good actors,” he said. “I think that’s one of the big rubs here.”

Asked how input from non-voters could translate into policy, Thanaphat said voting is only one facet of democracy.

“Democracy is also (about) being able to hear voices,” he said, noting policies affect everyone living in the city, not just Thai citizens.

But for the residents in the room, that distinction has limits.

Daniel Prandin, a newcomer from Italy who hoped for more opportunities to connect with Thai communities, noted how easily international residents can remain socially separate.

“I know a lot of people who are living here, but they have little contact with Thai people,” said Prandin, who resides in Samyan. “And for me, it’s strange.”

For others, like van der Hijden, this civic invisibility isn’t something to fix, but a condition of the “guest” experience.

“Yes, I’m a guest,” he said. “Even if I live here for 60 years, even if I speak fluent Thai, I stay farang, I stay a stranger.”

Souchet echoed that view.

“I accepted it; it’s a part of the game,” she said. “As a foreigner living in Thailand, I already accepted that my voice will not be heard.”

By the end of the session, both sides had what they came for.

Organizers left with pages of notes, new perspectives and a better sense of a demographic they’re trying to understand. Participants left having shared their experiences.

What happens next remains unclear. There was no formal mechanism discussed for how the ideas would be carried forward or how participants might stay involved, besides joining the LINE chat.

For many in the room, that uncertainty and boundary were already understood.

Editor’s note: Jim Hollyer and Paul van der Hijden are Soi Visionaries, early one-time contributors to Soiciety.

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