🗞️ Good morning! Benchakitti Park just expanded its dog-friendly zone. Central Pattana is offering free health checkups to 1 million citizens — here’s when and where. And watch for a public hearing on the Bangkok Act amendment this month, a city rep says.

🛣️ From the Main Road:

• One big number = 20

• 1. Medical staff shortages

• 2. Victory Monument's skywalk

• 3. Just the headlines

• 4. Saen Saeb bike lanes

• 5. Low-tech CCTVs

• Explainer: Rideshare apps regulated

ONE BIG NUMBER
🚆 20

The cabinet approved a 20-baht fare cap for all 13 mass-transit train routes for a year, beginning Oct. 1. Non-citizens aren’t eligible.

What to do next: Register through the Tang Rat application with your 13-digit national ID in August. Link your Rabbit or EMV contactless cards for payments.

• Need a lift? Bangkok just expanded its free shuttle services earlier this month, adding connections to Lak Song, Sanam Pao, Bang Khun Non, Lat Krabang and Mo Chit stations. Here’s the schedule.

HEALTH SERVICES
1. 🏥 City health centers are cracking

What happened: The city’s neighborhood clinics under the Health Department are facing staffing shortages and decaying facilities, according to the latest City Council’s Public Health Committee report.

Why it matters: These 69 centers in all 50 districts are meant to provide basic care, health screenings and support for chronic illnesses. But patients now might face longer waits, limited services or outright rejection.

What’s going wrong?

• Not enough staff: Some clinics haven’t had a full-time director in years. Medical staff are juggling administrative duties. Nurses are refusing promotions because extra work doesn’t mean extra pay.

• Uneven workloads: High-density areas are overwhelmed, but staffing remains uniform citywide.

• Aging buildings: Some clinics are cramped and have water leaks, with old drainage systems causing mold.

What’s being proposed: Department leaders want to add 790 jobs (a 53.3% increase), hire in-house engineers and architects for faster repairs and build new clinics with better parking, better ventilation and more space to match growing demand.

📺 Watch the full report in Thai.

FOR COMMUTERS
2. 🚧 Rajavithi Skywalk on track for 2026 finish

What happened: Construction of the 1.34-kilometer Rajavithi Skywalk will wrap by April 13, 2026, the city’s spokesperson confirmed.

Why it matters: The walkway will link Victory Monument to Ramathibodi Hospital and connect the Phahon Yothin and the Rajavithi sides.

If you’re a commuter: Starting July 15, expect rolling construction zones across six phases. Each zone will reopen when its phase finishes. But look out for shifting paths, detours and temporary fences.

JUST THE HEADLINES
3. 📰 Catch up quickly

• 👥 Chulalongkorn Property Office connects 600 businesses to help revive the struggling Banthat Thong–Samyan area.

• 👮 The City and Interior Ministry launched the "Sukhumvit Model," targeting drugs, beggars, vendors, illegal parking, poor lighting and cables through a joint-agency cleanup of Sukhumvit Road.

• ✈️ Direct Bangkok-USA flights unlikely, Thai Airways CEO says, citing operational limits and a high market risk amid tariff talks.

INFRASTRUCTURE
4. 🚲 Saen Saeb bike paths progress

What happened: The city has completed around 60 kilometers of bike and pedestrian paths (both sides combined), with another 4.72 kilometers due this year.

Why it matters: Upgrades include leveled walkways, guardrails, additional lighting and wheelchair-accessible ramps. There are plans to replace dozens of old footbridges to meet universal design standards and install CCTV for safety.

📍 Strongest stretches so far, according to the full route:

• Asoke and Surao Ban Don piers

• Klong Tan Bridge and Romsai Village piers.

What’s next: Another 12.7 kilometers is in the bidding process. Future phases of another 17.2 kilometers are in design and budgeting.

👀 Check out the full route in Thai here.

PUBLIC SAFETY
5. 🔎 65,000 city cameras on outdated tech

What happened: A city councilor warned of security risks tied to old data compression technology and operating systems the city relies on for its surveillance network. Some cameras still run on Windows 7, he noted.

Why it matters: The Yan Nawa councilor said this makes the city vulnerable to hackers who could potentially manipulate traffic, spy on residents or disrupt key online services.

By the numbers: He cited 19 administrator-level breaches and 27,000 user account hacks that have already occurred across the city’s websites.

What’s next: Deputy Gov. Wisanu Subsompon said the city is overhauling its surveillance system by upgrading its hardware, adding targeted AI processing, integrating cameras from other agencies and centralizing network control.

📺 Watch the full discussion in Thai.

WEEKLY EXPLAINER
🚕 What to know about new rideshare rules

The big shift: All rideshare drivers must now register their vehicles as public taxis and carry a public transport license, under new regulations.

Why it matters: It’s the country’s strongest move yet to bring app-based transport into the regulated fold. Traditional taxi drivers have long accused rideshare companies of dodging regulations and undercutting fares.

Other rules: Drivers will need to log in using facial recognition before every shift. Their GPS must be on during service. Account sharing is banned. All communication must stay within the platform.

For riders: You’ll need to verify your identity before using the app. Platforms must provide around-the-clock customer support, add an emergency button and improve rating/reporting systems.

What’s next: Regulations take effect 90 days after Royal Gazette publication — around early October. Platforms will be required to submit annual reports to regulators.

🗨️ Got a question about how something works in Bangkok? Reply to this email or hit me up at [email protected]. I’ll break it down in a future explainer!

📅 Mark your calendar

• July 13: BKK by the Canal (Culture District 2025) at Ong Ang Canal

• July 14: Mobile stress relief services at Soi Phet Phra Ram 1 (Huai Khwang)

• July 15: Deadline for Time Out’s “Capture Bangkok” photo contest

• July 15-27: Exhibits showcasing urban inequality at BAAC

• July 16: BMA Recycling Market at City Hall (Sao Chingcha)

• July 18: “Where does Bangkok dust come from?” panel at City Hall (Sao Chingcha)

• July 18: Mobile stress relief services at Tha Phra Temple (Bangkok Yai)

• July 18: Free mobile dental services at Tha Phra Temple (Bangkok Yai)

• July 18-20: Made by Legacy Flea Market No. 18 at SAMA Garden, BITEC

• July 19: BMA Recycling Market at City Hall (Din Daeng)

• July 19-27: Rangnam Localicious at Rang Nam Alley

• July 20: Creative district development event at Wan Buppha Park near Dok Mai Temple (Yan Nawa)

• Now until July 15: Thailand Printmaking Festival at Central Chidlom

• Now until July 31: Mobile x-ray tour at multiple locations in multiple districts

• Now until Aug. 15: Photo contest under the theme of a “wire-free city” (citizenship required)

🗣️ From the sois

What's your best Bangkok street hack? I'm looking for the city's cleverest workarounds and want to feature them for future projects. Tell me your story at [email protected].

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