🗞️ Good morning! Bangkok faces another heavy watch Oct. 5-8. It’s Climate Action Week, and its programming proceeds as planned. Separately, Asia Era One agreed to run the Airport Rail Link for four more months.

📣 We’re heading to Bang Mot on Saturday, Nov. 7 for a half-day excursion! The itinerary features an e-boat ride, a boat conversion hub, SAFETist Farm and talks on youth-led green tourism and sustainability.

Sales at some Bangkok restaurants fell about 80% during the floods, even where streets stayed dry, Thansettakij reported.

Why it matters: Menu prices could rise after roads dry if farmland is damaged and transport routes stay disrupted, said Sorathep Rojpotjanaruch, president of the Restaurant Operators Club.

Between the lines: Restaurants can absorb about a week of losses, but small operators could run short on cash if flooding lasts two weeks, he added.

By the numbers: The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates the Sept. 25-29 floods cost Bangkok 7 billion baht, 57% of the 12.3 billion baht national loss. Flooding also hit 31 other provinces.

Bangkok’s draft city plan is drawing scrutiny for shrinking conservation zones that absorb floodwater and host “monkey cheeks,” ponds that temporarily hold it.

Why it matters: Critics say the proposed zoning map would let developers build on natural flood defenses, leaving the city more reliant on tunnels and pumps when northern runoff, rain and high tides coincide.

Zooming out: The “monkey cheek” concept dates to a 1995 royal initiative that likened the ponds to a monkey storing bananas in its cheeks.

Zooming in: The 2013 city plan marks rural and agricultural conservation land as flood absorption areas. The latest draft shrinks those designations by about 70%.

The friction: Six sites Bangkok once eyed for monkey cheeks are zoned for denser development, drawing criticism of Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt.

Flashback: Former Gov. Sukhumbhan Paribatra’s administration identified the six sites in 2013. Only two — near Khlong Khu Bon and Khlong Bang Chan — survived public opposition, but the state never expropriated the private land.

The other side: Chadchart said building the ponds would cost 11 billion baht today, including 5 billion for land, and that concept doesn’t suit every area.

By the numbers: The Khu Bon and Bang Chan ponds would hold 700,000 million cubic meters of water, while a drainage tunnel could move about 5 million cubic meters a day, the current administration said.

What’s next: Residents can file formal petitions on the draft zoning map until Nov. 9, either online, at City Hall or at a Bangkok district office.

Siam Amazing Park will close for about six months after floodwater covered its entire 368,000-square-meter grounds, totaling an estimated 500 million baht in damage, its owner said.

Why it matters: The 46-year-old amusement and water park serves about 1.2 million visitors a year and employs about 500 people. Its peak season runs October to December.

Zooming in: The CEO said rides and equipment weren’t elevated and sat underwater for days. The park carries about 195 million baht in property insurance, but flood coverage is capped at about 5 million baht per incident.

What to watch: The park has set up an emergency team to handle customer inquiries.

Bangkok condo asking rents fall 7.9% for each kilometer from the nearest BTS or MRT station, a new Thammasat University study finds. The estimate accounts for unit size, bedrooms, bathrooms and view.

State of play: The study analyzed 14,849 condo listings from the portal FazWaz, including 9,774 in Bangkok. The station-distance estimate draws on the 7,195 Bangkok listings that report that distance.

By the numbers: The average Bangkok asking rent was 40,403 baht, a figure pulled up by large, expensive units. For a unit of average size and bedroom count, the model estimates 29,328 baht.

Between the lines: The researcher said the figures reflect advertised rents from one platform, not what tenants pay. The study also couldn’t measure building age, construction quality or exact location. About a third of rent variation remains unexplained.

Khlong Toei residents are asking the Transport Ministry for a guaranteed slice of the port land, a say and a place to live during its redevelopment.

Why it matters: The ministry wants to move Bangkok Port’s cargo operations to Chon Buri and turn the Khlong Toei land into an entertainment complex.

Zooming in: Democrat Party spokesperson Pongsakorn Kwanmuang called the proposed 20% housing, 80% commercial split insufficient. He said he’s concerned about relocating all residents during the three- to five-year construction period.

Between the lines: Seven representatives per community were selected for the Oct. 2 meeting. Pongsakorn said they can’t speak for all residents and called for an open public forum.

What’s next: The plan is still under study. Transport Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn said they would build the replacement housing first, and he won’t proceed if more than half of residents oppose it.

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