🌥️ Happy (early) Mother’s Day! Chinese embassy officials, accompanied by Bangkok officials, visited the BACC to demand takedowns of work by artists in exile, Reuters reports. The city and UNIQLO opened a free “clothing corner” at a BKK Food Bank.

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🛣️ From the Main Road:

• One big number = 12 million

• City plan snags

• IMPACT expands

• Grab growth + youth stress + indictments

• PM 2.5 zone

• Little India revamp

• Explainer: New rules for cat, dog owners

ONE BIG NUMBER
🫨 12,000,000

After a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that collapsed a high-rise building in March, the city is asking for 12 million baht to get its seismic monitoring project off the ground, according to the 2026 budget document.

Why it matters: The proposal includes installing seismographs at the city’s eight hospitals and hiring consultants to evaluate the earthquake resistance of high-rise buildings.

Flashback: This project was rejected by the City Council last year due to the perceived low risk of earthquakes in Bangkok and the lack of urgency.

What’s next: It’s currently under consideration by the BMC, which advanced a 92-billion-baht budget to a 45-day committee-level review last Monday.

URBAN PLANNING
1. 🗺️ Rights agency: Bangkok zoning plan violated public input rights

What happened: The National Human Rights Commission concluded that Bangkok failed to adequately involve the public in developing its new city plan, a blueprint that would replace the 2013 zoning map. The commission urged the city to hold new hearings.

Why it matters: The ruling follows months of protests and petitions, including one signed by nearly 500 residents, who alleged that the draft plan was railroaded through without community consultations. They said the plan threatens to displace residents in several communities.

Driving the news: The NHRC’s findings highlight several flaws in the city’s public hearing process, including limited public outreach, short hearing periods and the use of overly technical language when explaining the plan to residents.

By the number: Only about 21,700 people attended 174 hearing sessions, according to the commission. That’s less than 1% of the city’s population.

Big picture: The latest city plan aims to accommodate Bangkok’s urban growth, but critics said the zoning map favors commercial developers over communities. Some key changes include:

• Historic areas like Yaowarat and Bang Lamphu were rezoned as high-density areas, paving the way for large-scale development.

• Parts of Thonburi, once zoned for rural and agricultural conservation, were reclassified as low-density residential.

• Major new road enlargements in small sois would trigger displacement and more development.

• A new floor-area ratio bonus system would encourage developers to trade public amenities for building height.

What’s next: The NHRC recommended that the city redo hearings in all 50 districts, mail official notices to every household, explain the impact in plain language and publicize minutes and reports from every public hearing.

DEVELOPMENT
2. 🏗️ IMPACT bets big on entertainment

What happened: IMPACT Exhibition Management Co. plans to develop a mixed-use project along its lakeside, with two Hilton-managed hotels, a mall, a waterpark and a 45,000-seat outdoor stadium, according to Bangkok Biz News.

Why it matters: The new development, combined with the recently opened Pink Link monorail extension that connects directly to the space, signifies a shift from being solely a convention center to a full-fledged entertainment complex.

• For locals, this may translate into rising costs and more crowds. The Pink Line is estimated to bring 20% more visitors.

What’s next: IMPACT aims to increase its hotel capacity from 900 to 5,000 by 2033, with construction on two new Hilton hotels set to begin in 2026. The company is also forming a joint venture with Live Nation to boost concert events. Talks around mall development are underway.

JUST THE HEADLINES
3. 📰 Catch up quickly

• 🍽️ Grab: Expat and digital nomad orders surged 50% in the past 12 months, with the most-ordered Thai items being pad Thai, khao man gai and Thai tea.

• 🚨 30% of Bangkok’s youth are stressed, a rate higher than the national average, said Deputy Gov. Tavida Kamolvej.

• 📜 Indictments were issued for 23 individuals and companies on charges related to the collapse of the State Audit Office building.

PM 2.5
4. 😶‍🌫 ‘Pollution control zone’ push gets first nod

What happened: The central government gave Bangkok the initial go-ahead in its push to declare the city a pollution control zone, a status that would give the city more power to tackle the worsening air pollution.

Why it matters: Bangkok has faced persistent air pollution, with dangerously high levels of PM 2.5, posing a significant health risk to residents.

Big picture: The city administration has said it lacks the comprehensive authority to tackle pollution on its own and has had to rely on cooperation from various government agencies, something it said has been ineffective.

What’s next: The city wants your input before the final plan is locked in. This plan will then be submitted to the National Environment Board for final approval.

📝 Participate in the survey before Aug. 20.

CULTURE
5. ⛩️ Little India may get arches, murals

What happened: A proposal has been put forward to install two “Indian Gate” arches, seven “India Color Art Wall” locations and five street art spots in the Khlong Ong Ang-Phahurat area, known as Little India.

• The proposed locations for the gates are on Chakkraphet Road, with one in front of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and the other near Phaurat Road.

Why it matters: The project aims to highlight the area’s Indian cultural identity. There were about 460,000 Thai Indians in Bangkok in 2022, according to BBC Thai. The initiative also comes as Thailand welcomed record-breaking 2 million Indian tourists last year.

Big picture: The proposal came from the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Association, the Phra Nakhon District Office and the City Planning Department. The group will conduct a site visit to verify the locations before proceeding.

WEEKLY EXPLAINER
🐶🐱 What Bangkok pet owners need to know about new rules

The big shift: Dog and cat owners in Bangkok are required to microchip and register their pets within 120 days of the animal’s birth or 30 days of bringing them into the city, under new legislation taking effect in January.

• The regulations also cap the number of pets allowed based on living space. For example, a condo unit between 20-80 square meters can have one pet.

• All pets must be leashed when outside, and certain dangerous dog breeds must wear a muzzle.

Why it matters: City officials implemented the rules to control the pet population and prevent problems from stray animals. They said the rules would also help find lost animals and reduce the number of abandoned pets.

The process: First, get your pet microchipped at any of the eight BMA Veterinary Clinics or a private practice. After receiving the necessary form, take it along with your ID, house registration and a consent letter from the property owner to one of the 50 district offices or a BMA pet clinic. Your pet will then be issued an ID card.

🗨️ 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!

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