🎮 Good morning! A new video game, “Bangkok Story: A Stray Dog,” asks players to see the city’s “unseen” population. Read about the developer’s goal to tell the stories behind homelessness in our latest feature.

📣 Reminder: I’m hosting a human rights walk in Phra Nakhon this and next Saturday. Reserve your spot here.

That’s the proposed 2027 budget increase for the Bangkok Traffic and Transportation Department — the biggest increase of any city department, according to a Rocket Media Lab analysis.

Why it matters: While transportation funding surges, the Social Development Department, which handles welfare and job training, takes the steepest cut: 48.55%.

Zooming in: More than half of that traffic budget covers the Green Line operating fees and land taxes for the Mo-Chit-Khu Khot and Bearing-Samron extensions.

Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt is pushing two tax changes on two fronts: seeking new authority to tax cigarettes and hotels for the first time and raising existing rates on fuel and land.

Why it matters: Municipalities elsewhere already have the authority to tax cigarettes and hotels — Bangkok doesn’t. Chadchart said the new powers, plus the fuel tax hike, could bring in up to 1.9 billion baht a year.

By the numbers: The proposal adds a 10-satang-per-cigarette tax and a 3% tax on hotel room rates and doubles the fuel tax to 10 satang per liter.

Zooming in: A separate fix targets landowners exploiting agricultural rates by planting crops on empty lots. City Hall wants a 0.02% across-the-board hike on agricultural rates.

What’s next: The first three require amending the 1985 Bangkok Metropolitan Act, currently under Interior Ministry review. The land tax change only needs city council approval.

City Hall’s proposed 2027 budget for park repair covers just five sites: Queen Sirikit 60th Anniversary Park, Phahonyothin 24 Park, Bang Khae Phirom Park, Phra Nakhon Park and 50th Anniversary Garden of Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Driving the news: City councilors dominated Wednesday's session with complaints about neglected neighborhood parks, urging the administration to match the care given to Lumphini and Benchakitti parks.

Why it matters: Some districts lack even a “real” park to neglect. Lat Phrao, home to about 100,000 residents, has only three exercise parks, while Bang Na and Taling Chan only have pocket, “15-minute parks.”

The quote: Councilor Kantapong Dechaiya said they earn that label because they’re “parks where you can’t spend more than 15 minutes because there’s nothing to do there.”

Multiple councillors flagged similar issues: dirty bathrooms, poor lighting, broken playgrounds and maintenance trucks wrecking running tracks.

What to do: If your neighborhood park has broken equipment or safety issues, report it via Traffy Fondue.

City council advanced a draft regulation to livestream all its regular and committee meetings by default, drawing pushback from a vocal minority.

Why it matters: With the People’s Party’s council dominance, final passage is likely. Still, Wednesday’s two-hour debate revealed lingering resistance to public oversight.

What they’re saying: Opponents cited conflicting committee schedules, a lack of legal immunity for what’s said, airing a “bad image” and the difficulty of taking legal action against hostile, defamatory livestream comments.

Between the lines: Veteran councilors label the newer People’s Party members as an “energetic” faction and “little ones” who underestimate the burden of future committee assignments.

Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn wants to move Bangkok Port’s cargo operations to Chon Buri and redevelop the Khlong Toei land into an entertainment complex.

Why it matters: The Pheu Thai government floated this same vision in 2024, drawing backlash. The site has also been undergoing a separate renovation into a “smart port.”

Zooming in: The 2,353-rai redevelopment would include a cruise terminal, yacht marina and high-end real estate, reserving 500-600 rai to rehouse Khlong Toei’s 12,600 households.

The other side: Critics argue the Port Authority already has unused land to develop and any freed-up port land should become parks or affordable housing, sparing the community.

Yes, but… The port’s move remains in the “review” phase.

The Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report dropped, and the Thailand numbers make me curious about how Soiciety fits into your news habit.

Big picture: 26% of Thais say creators or influencers now meet all or most of their news needs, double the global average of 13%. Meanwhile, 47% say they consumed news from a creator or influencer weekly.

Yes, but… Trust in news here dropped 8 percentage points, among the steepest declines anywhere.

Zooming out: In the U.S. media industry, solo publications like Soiciety often get labeled “creator journalists” or “news creators.” But when I’ve met readers in person, I’ve heard everything from blog to newsletter and online newspaper.

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📧 Reach me at [email protected].