SET-listed Bangkok Land wants to develop Muang Thong Thani as a smart city district, with plans to build a new seafood and fruit centre offering goods at affordable prices to attract tourists to Nonthaburi, banking on the Pink Line monorail service that is scheduled to start running there next year.
Paul Kanjanapas, chief executive of Bangkok Land, the operator of Impact Exhibition Management, said there are about 300,000 residents of Muang Thong Thani, with around 200,000 of them commuting daily.
He said the company’s development plan aims to increase revenue for residents and businesses such as restaurants in Muang Thong Thani, eventually encouraging them to incorporate and adopt a sustainable development plan, such as energy-saving practices and safety management that would be enhanced by artificial intelligence technologies in the future.
Bangkok Land is holding discussions with food delivery and ride-hailing service providers on developing an application that can create jobs for local residents and expand the market for businesses in the area, Mr Paul said.
“There’s strong demand for taxi and ride-hailing services when Impact hosts big events. With the new booking system, local residents who own a vehicle could earn extra income by doing driving jobs,” he said.
“The app would also help solve issues related to taxi scams.”
Mr Paul said the company wants to persuade exhibition organisers to use catering services from restaurants in Muang Thong Thani, rather than solely relying on Impact’s catering services.
“Although this may reduce Impact’s catering revenue, it offers a greater benefit to visitors and stakeholders in the area,” he said.
“The company can instead allocate its resources to outside businesses that can create a higher margin.”
In the short term, Bangkok Land wants to expand Ruamjai fresh market into a fresh seafood and local fruit centre by directly supplying products from local farmers and fishermen without using middlemen, such as bringing in seafood from Samae San or Sattahip to ensure good prices for both consumers and suppliers.
One strategy is to add 300 seats for people wishing to dine in, while another is to build a new warehouse dedicated to durian sales, said Mr Paul.
The goal is to develop a new tourist hotspot such as the famous Or Tor Kor market in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, or well-known fish markets overseas.
With the first wholesale and retail durian distribution centre launching in Nonthaburi, he said the market would increase traffic in Muang Thong Thani, creating more jobs for locals and volume for businesses.
PINK LINE EXTENSION
Mr Paul said the opening of two new stations on the Pink Line monorail within Muang Thong Thani should strengthen the company’s smart city development plan.
One station directly connects with Impact Challenger Hall, while the other station is by a lakeside area that can be expanded as part of the project.
To help increase income for condo owners residing in Muang Thong Thani, he said the company plans to feature more rental units on its website to provide local accommodation options for exhibitors and attendees.
Bangkok Land is also holding talks with a hotel management company to develop a new five-star hotel worth 2 billion baht as a mixed-use development located within a 600-rai plot by the lake.
The company plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with the National Innovation Agency to attract startups focused on the development of smart living technology in Muang Thong Thani, said Mr Paul.
He said startups could use Muang Thong Thani as a case study for their products and services, which would be more convenient than other public areas that may require complex procedures to obtain permission for such activities.
These innovations could include self-driving technologies, with the smart city providing a dedicated area for startups to test their products, said Mr Paul.