🌧️ Good morning! Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt plans to resign early this week before his term ends Thursday. Permanent Secretary Narong Ruengsri takes over as acting governor.

📰 In our latest feature, a couple opened a board game bar in Ekkamai, promising to be a “friend’s living room” without pressuring customers to spend heavily. Now, the financial pressure is on them. They share business lessons like short-lived influencer hype.

🌳 Happening this Saturday: There are spots available for Soiciety’s meetup/walk at Benchakitti and Lumphini parks May 23. You can RSVP here. If price is the friction, feel free to reach out to me directly. I’d love to see you there!

Bangkok is cleaning its 3,811.7-kilometer drainage network by the end of May to handle the monsoon peak. Crews have finished 78%, as of mid-May.

Why it matters: The country entered the rainy season Friday. City officials are preparing for “rain bombs,” extreme bursts of up to 300 millimeters of rainfall within three hours, which can instantly overwhelm the infrastructure.

Between the lines: Blocked neighborhood pipes are one of the primary causes of flash floods.

A new study maps 685 private paddle boats in Thonburi, highlighting a localized network that fills gaps in the city’s official transit grid.

Why it matters: These boats provide low-carbon, last-mile connectivity for communities far from the BTS and MRT, but researchers said they’re underutilized and remain excluded from formal transit integration.

Driving the news: This Kasetsart University research is the first empirical survey of canal-based mobility using data from residents’ personal boats rather than government estimates.

By the numbers: Of 685 total boats across four western districts, 496 boats were recorded in Taling Chan, a hub for water mobility from Khlong Lat Mayom to Khlong Bang Luang, with 1,838 embarkation points.

The friction: Unlit landings and silt-clogged canals undermine the network’s efficiency, despite the high boat density. Inconsistent drainage schedules also make regular commuting difficult.

Between the lines: Researchers frame this as an infrastructure and governance issue. The boats exist and are in active use, but the city hasn’t provided adequate infrastructure to connect them to the wider transport network.

What’s next: The study suggests standardizing infrastructure like piers and dredging, aligning floodgate schedules, adding digital tools for real-time navigation and integrating a ticketing system with the electric trains.

👀 Read the full study in English.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is facing a retail slump that vendors say is tougher than the pandemic years, Prachachat reports.

Why it matters: Foot traffic is there, but sales are down 60%. Vendors say tourists now visit the market to eat and take photos, not to shop.

Big picture: “For-rent” signs are proliferating inside market alleys, even as main-path zones remain active. A vendor said a high-traffic stall can command a 10,000-baht monthly rent.

What they’re saying: Shop owners urge the government to promote the market to drive actual sales. They’re pleading for rent stability and infrastructure repairs, noting some roof structures haven’t been updated in 40 years.

What’s next: Bangkok wants to return the market management to the State Railway of Thailand. Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt has repeatedly said the city lacks the expertise required to manage the site effectively.

Between the lines: The city owes the SRT 1.34 billion baht in unpaid rent and interest, the governor said last week. City Hall is appealing to reduce interest accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bangkok’s fourth city plan revision enters its final 90-day public notice period this June — the last legal window for residents to contest zoning shifts.

Why it matters: The new city plan has been delayed for years. It determines what kind of development can be built in different areas.

Big picture: The latest draft cut planned road projects from 148 to 96 to “reduce public impact,” while increasing density around Bang Sue, Makkasan and Thung Song Hong.

What’s next: The draft can be viewed at City Hall, any district office or on this website, starting in June.

Nearly 62% of Bangkok voters aren’t excited about the June 28 election, a NIDA poll shows. Most cite a predictable outcome or feel the winner won’t change their daily lives.

State of play: The incumbent dominates the latest Suan Dusit Poll with a lead of 37.8 points over the nearest challenger. The People’s Party leads the council race with 40.13% in the poll, followed by independents at 21.23%.

Dig deeper: A policy specialist calls this an “election that we've already lost,” arguing that the structural reform required to make Bangkok more functional is a parliamentary issue that was already decided in the February general election.

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📧 Reach me at [email protected].