Rattanakosin area set for makeover

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Silpakorn University are teaming up to turn Rattanakosin Island into a smart city.

The two organisations on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Rattanakosin Island smart city project at City Hall.

The project is part of the Bangkok Smart City scheme aimed at creating a livable and sustainable city through close collaboration between the BMA, communities and other organisations.

The scheme will develop a framework and prototype of a smart city using the inner quarter of Rattanakosin Island as an area study, Deputy Bangkok Governor, Kriangyos Sudlabha, said on Thursday.

In doing so, Mr Kriangyos said the BMA, Silpakorn University, various other organisations, as well as the public, will work together making use of modern technology and innovation with a goal to improve people’s quality of life.

Communities on the island are expected to come together to restore and modernise the island, he said.

In accordance with the government’s creative economy policies, he said the project will develop areas where there is potential for development in line with their identities.

The area around Silpakorn University will be developed as a living gallery, Pak Khlong Talat as a flower lab and Bang Lumphu as a food lab within five years of the MoU signing date, he said.

Mr Kriangyos said the BMA is also working with high-calibre government and private organisations to turn Bangkok into a smart city, including the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa), the Digital Government Development Agency, the Creative Economy Agency, PTT Plc, the National Innovation Agency, Future Tales Lab, Magnolias Quality Development Corporation, RMIT and the British embassy.

Depa has set an ambitious goal to turn 100 cities nationwide into smart cities in two years to improve the economy and quality of life in line with the 20-year national strategy plan.

It is hoped smart cities will also help create jobs.

Cities in six provinces plus Bangkok have begun the process of transforming themselves.

The provinces are Phuket, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao.

Cities under the development cover seven smart city dimensions: economy, mobility, energy, living, people, governance and environment.