Thailand: The 'pocket parks' making Bangkok greener

Residents of Bangkok, Thailand's capital, often complain about the lack of public green spaces, which are only available to the wealthy. It is a situation Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has been trying to change for a while. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has announced plans to open 40 to 50 small parks.

Bangkok was once known as the "Venice of Southeast Asia" because of all of its canals. But the city's population of 11 million people now contend with traffic jams and a lack of public space. Bangkok's city administration maintains around 40 parks but wants to double this number by utilizing small, unused plots of land between highways or high-rise buildings.

BMA spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala explained that the parks, which will provide walking trails, sporting facilities and other exercise areas, are an attempt to create green spaces. "It's a big city, so we are trying to use the spaces to provide some nature," he said.

Around 100 years old, Lumphini Park is the largest park in the city. There are currently 40 large parks with a total area of 41 square kilometers (16 square miles). Officially, the city has a green space ratio of 7.6 square meters (82 square feet) per capita, although some sources estimate the true ratio to be 1.47 square meters — far below the minimum ratio of 9 square meters the WHO recommends.

Many working residents in Bangkok finish work during rush hour. To avoid the traffic, they can stop at a "pocket park" and pass the time. Afterward, they often find it easier to get home through the city traffic.

Another problem for Bangkok residents is the extreme heat and increasingly bad weather conditions. Air-conditioned office buildings or shopping malls are one way to escape the heat, but not everyone can. The "pocket parks" offer an alternative for everyone, shaded under the surrounding highways.