🗞️ Good morning! Khlong Sam Wa is Bangkok’s most populous district and one of its least developed. I joined two city council campaigns there to bring you inside the race to fix the city’s “ignored” outer edge.

🗳️ City elections are next Sunday. Join Soiciety’s walk in Asoke on Saturday to see how Bangkok’s governance structure often leaves winning candidates unable to keep their promises. RSVP here — only three spots left.

Former Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt, the frontrunner, wants to divide Bangkok’s “mega blocks” into 425 smaller zones — averaging 1.5 square kilometers each — if he wins a second term.

Why it matters: The plan is his blueprint for a “15-minute” city, an urban planning model where residents can access all daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home.

By the numbers: Each block will have an 800-meter walking radius. A pilot covering 50 blocks would launch within two years.

Flashback: A study found no health benefits for residents near 15-minute parks and concluded the model may not translate to Bangkok’s heat, humidity and air pollution.

Bangkok has at least 147 malls — nearly 11 million square meters of indoor retail — according to a new data mapping project by Data Hatch and Thai PBS’s The Active. That’s equivalent to 19 Lumphini Parks or 93 Sanam Luangs.

Why it matters: Private developers are filling a void left by the government’s failure to provide accessible public space, often with a commercial price tag, said urban planning lecturer Panit Pujinda.

Between the lines: Just four corporations control the majority of the city’s largest malls: Central Pattana, The Mall Group, Siam Piwat and TCC Group. Almost every mall larger than 50,000 square meters connects directly to electric train lines.

The tension: These mega-malls dictate how people spend their free time and squeeze out local businesses, Panit warned, noting officials should address the issue rather than thanking developers for jumping in.

Zooming in: Pathumwan leads with 14 malls. Sai Mai, Nok Chok, Min Buri, Bangkok Yai, Chom Thong and Rat Burana have none.

🔎 Explore the raw data in Thai here.

The 16-billion-baht Siriraj international hospital in Bang Pho will match original Siriraj rates for Thais, while charging a 25% premium for non-Thai patients, the government confirmed last week.

Why it matters: The project’s “global medical hub” branding sparked fears it would adopt the premium pricing of Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital.

Zooming in: The 22-story campus — the first public hospital in Bang Sue — will have 400 beds and 90 ICU units. It will house Southeast Asia’s first advanced cancer treatment center and perform simultaneous triple-organ transplants.

What’s next: The project is undergoing environmental review. Once construction is complete in 2031, it aims to serve at least 650,000 outpatients a year.

The Transport Ministry plans to install automatic train protection and AI-controlled signals at 19 Bangkok rail crossings over the next two years, according to the findings from its Makkasan crash investigation.

Why it matters: A single operator currently handles every step at each crossing: detecting the train, activating warning lights, lowering the barrier and clearing traffic. Automation would reduce the risk of human error.

What’s next: Long term, the ministry aims to replace crossings with rail overpasses or underpasses.

A long-shot gubernatorial candidate from the Economics Party is proposing a voluntary 100-baht levy on foreign visitors, collected via a “Check In Bangkok” app at airports and tourist sites.

Why it matters: With 30 million annual visitors, the fee could raise more than 3 billion baht a year for the city, the party says. The revenue would fund child care, public services and park upgrades.

Zooming out: The candidate cites Venice’s access fee, Barcelona’s tourist tax and Kyoto’s accommodation tax as models.

Big picture: The proposal targets tourists, but Thai authorities have long treated most non-Thais as temporary guests, regardless of visa type or how long they’ve lived here.

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