🏆 Good morning! Wachirabenchathat Park will host a free viewing of the World Cup final Sunday night. The BMA’s 93-billion-baht 2027 budget proposal is up online; I’ll dig in and share insights.

🚶 Join me for a walk in Phra Nakhon either Aug. 1 or Aug. 8 to discuss human rights issues like homelessness and freedom of assembly. RSVP here.

At least 30 data centers are now operating in Bangkok and eight more are planned, according to Prachachat, with a major cluster in Rama IX where four separate fiber-optic routes converge.

Why it matters: Construction of a 20-megawatt data center next to Rama IX Hospital has drawn complaints about heat emissions and potential strains on power and water supplies.

Yes, but… The city classifies these projects as data storage warehouses, not factories. They bypass environmental impact assessments, needing only to meet building codes. No Thai law regulates them as a distinct category.

What’s next: Officials plan to coordinate with utility authorities to monitor impact on the Rama IX area.

🗺️ Is there a data center near you?

Only 16.4% of Bangkok’s entertainment-style venues are properly licensed as such, according to a city council report released in April that called for a zoning overhaul. Soiciety first reported these findings in May.

Why it matters: Last week’s fatal fire at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao reignited scrutiny of this gap. The venue registered as a restaurant, which carries looser building and safety requirements than entertainment venues.

By the numbers: The report found 810 venues citywide operating as entertainment venues by serving alcohol alongside performances. Only 133 hold proper licenses, and just 55 sit inside legally designated zones: Ratchada, RCA and Patpong.

The intrigue: Wattana — home to Soi Cowboy and Nana — has 63 unlicensed venues operating like entertainment venues. That exceeds the total number of licensed venues across all designated zones.

Between the lines: Operators outside those zones can’t legally obtain entertainment licenses. The report flagged this months before the fire.

What to watch: The prime minister promised to review entertainment zoning laws. Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt ordered citywide inspections of venues, holding them to nightlife-venue safety standards regardless of their registered status.

Flashback: A 2009 Ekkamai pub fire killed 67 people and prompted similar calls to tighten building codes. A lawyer involved in that case said last week that little has changed.

The Cabinet outlined offenses triggering deportation for non-Thais: illegal entry, unauthorized work or business, document fraud, crimes carrying more than three years in prison and aiding any of the above.

Why it matters: Officials said Thailand lacks clear deportation procedures. Cases often stall for months in appeals, court hearings and embassy coordination after conviction. These regulations aim to speed that up.

The catch: This draft targets nominee schemes — a common workaround for foreign ownership limits — but its deportation reporting mechanism only triggers upon a person’s release from prison.

Between the lines: A Justice Ministry memo notes that Foreign Business Act convictions rarely get prison time, usually just a fine or forced dissolution. Then, new nominees swap in, and the businesses continue. So most nominee cases would never reach Immigration.

What’s next: The draft now sits with the committee that vets cabinet-bound legislation, for urgent review before enactment.

The city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department plans to convert sites under the Bang Khlo and Rama IX bridges into new sports fields and recreational spaces.

Why it matters: It’s a part of a broader push to convert Bangkok’s under-bridge and expressway land into public space. A similar project under Talat Phlu Bridge is 90% complete.

Big picture: The Expressway Authority of Thailand has handed more than 170,356 square wah to the city so far for 34 sports fields and 61 parks or green spaces.

🌳 Look up green spaces near you.

An overgrown patch near the Green Bridge inside Lumphini Park will become a pet cafe, mainly serving pet owners who come to the dog park, the governor says.

Why it matters: The move aligns with the governor’s second-term push to expand Bangkok’s “pet-friendly district” by rolling out public amenities like waste bags, while urging private businesses to add designated pet seating and bowls.

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