Tourism is a service sector driven by people's proclivity to travel and their consumption habits while travelling. Strolling through a town or city to explore the local attractions and features has become a popular activity among tourists seeking to gain in-depth knowledge about local neighbourhoods.
According to UN Tourism, walking tourism enables tourists to better engage with the local population as well as with nature and culture.
The trend is also meeting growing demand for outdoor activities in general, and can also be developed to align with the principles of sustainable tourism.
However, supply in many areas has not always been able to meet the growing demand due to a lack of access to certain areas, a lack of public transport or because investment is focused on a specific area.
WALKING TOURISM
"During a trip, we always casually say 'where shall we go for a walk' after a meal or before heading back to the hotel," said Somradee Chitchong, deputy governor for domestic marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Tourists stroll along Kad Kong Ta Walking Street in Lampang.
Ms Somradee said this aspect of Thai culture led to the development of 'walking streets' in major cities and towns across Thailand, which are typically packed with shops serving tourists.
Post-pandemic, the focus has shifted away from walking streets to simply walking for the enjoyment of exploring interesting neighbourhoods which often provide visitors with interesting stories and insights.
Historic cultures, authentic activities pertaining to the area or street food outlets serve as the frontline attractions, showcasing the locals' hidden charms.
"There are numerous walking neighbourhoods across Bangkok and Thailand that are now unique and can be developed further," Ms Somradee said.
In Bangkok, Yaowarat and Ban Tad Thong offer an array of food experiences.
Upcountry, not far from the iconic temple of Wat Phra Tat Choeng Chum in Sakon Nakhon province, Pha Kram Road -- also known as "Indigo Street" or Kram Walking Street -- is a walking street dedicated to selling locally-made products made from indigo fabrics.
Local people join in by providing activities such as presenting small shows in galleries and coffee houses, film screenings, or live music shows designed to keep visitors to the old city entertained. The activities organised are aimed at encouraging visitors, particularly young people, to return.
Recently, local artist 'Pi Near' held an exhibition at Mana Art gallery near Bangkok's Hua Lamphong area, which served as Bangkok main railway station until 2023.
Art shows and festivals funded by major organisations such as the "Awakening" lighting art installation, can also be found in this captivating area, while in the old part of the city, Talat Noi and Charoen Krung present an array of hidden charms to those exploring the areas on foot. More importantly, these attractions help provide local people with a useful source of income.
SUSTAINABILTY TREND
Walking provides people with a perfect low-carbon way of getting around a town or city and responds to the global trend of sustainable tourism.
Panit Pujinda, president of Thai City Planners Society and a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Architecture, says walking is an action that allows people to experience a city in greater detail and at a slower pace.
Mr Panit said walking in a city is different from driving in one because when you're in a car, the occupants only tend to notice large buildings or blocks.
"While walking, shophouses and vendors quickly become evident," said Mr Panit. "Although this may not mean generating more revenue, it's still an efficient way to distribute income among small [business] operators."
URBAN CHALLENGES
"Despite growing demand for walking tourism in Thailand, challenges remain concerning aspects of safety," said Ms Somradee.
Tourists enjoy the vibrant neon signboards along Yaowarat Road in Bangkok.
In many parts of the country, walking streets have not been designed to inclusively cater to all groups of visitors because it's still quite commonplace to find impediments on the roads and pavements which can pose a problem for pedestrians, and particularly wheelchair users.
Sometimes motorcycles illegally share paths with pedestrians, while the cleanliness of some streets in upcountry may not be properly managed in some cases, Ms Somradee said. Another problem can be the inability to get visitors to pay a return visit due to a lack of public train and/or bus services or a lack of places to park.
ROOM TO GROW
"In most parts of the capital, it certainly cannot be described as a walkable city," said Mr Panit.
Historically speaking, Bangkok has larger city blocks than those of other cities because the land on which the city was built comprised of large agricultural plots.
As the city developed and grew, people had to commute further distances, increasing their travel expenses, but public transport services often tended to serve only major roads, making vehicle ownership a necessity.
Mr Panit noted that the most critical pain point for Thailand is its shortage of roads when compared with global standards. Road areas account for only 7% of Bangkok's total city area -- far below the global average of 15-20%, while the road area in major cities such as Tokyo and New York stands at 20% and 28%, respectively. This is despite the fact that the city has vast and growing train and bus public transportation networks, he said.
Even if Bangkok were to build more roads in an effort to expand the usable road area, this might not help alleviate the traffic problem as people in the capital tend to use a private vehicle to navigate the city conveniently as some places in Bangkok can be very far from each other and, in general, there is still a lack of public transport options. The capital's traffic means walking along the pavement doesn't necessarily feel secure and pedestrians still need to keep their eyes open at all times when they cross a busy road or share space with motorcyclists.
In terms of city development, another problem for many Thai cities is that land areas fall into just two categories -- public or private.
In developed nations, some landowners allocate some of their private land for public usage, which is widely known as a privately owned public space (POPS).
This additional category of land would allow the benefits of such an area to be shared with the entire community, while owners of the plots could enjoy some incentives such as the right to add another floor to a building, for example.
Mr Panit noted that in Tokyo many private developers leave plenty of space in front of the their developments to provide sufficient public footpaths or areas for the public to use, while also enabling the developers to seamlessly connect to existing public walkways in the vicinity.
As a result, this arrangement encourages local residents to walk more and interact more fully with the city, he said.
LISTEN TO LOCALS
Mr Panit said if the authorities wish to develop a walkable district in the capital, they should start with areas offering strong potential, identifying nodes that could act as the central point of each area.
This could be an area with a 400-500-metre radius surrounding a significant building such as City Hall or a train station, because these locations already have plenty of traffic access. However, they must be easily accessible within an area that would encourage visitors to further explore on foot while the area should showcase unique attractions and provide storytelling opportunities.
An up-to-date example is the redevelopment of a walking route in Silom district.
The area is already known for it's lively street activities and food vendors, offering a variety of interesting dining options as well as various nightlife attractions. It's also very conveniently located. For example, when walking through Silom, it's easy to find a BTS or MRT train station nearby. There are also lots of office buildings and interesting shops and restaurants in the locale.
While local governments have been working on projects aimed at developing walkable neighbourhoods over recent years, many cases have not deployed suitable designs in terms of landscape and architectural principles that would serve to encourage visitors, said Ms Somradee.
"Local governments sometimes directly imitate a model from abroad without considering the environmental and local context," she said.
Any form of development should begin with demand among the local population. Locals should also be managed in such a way that it does not disturb the local vibe, nor should the development lure too many tourists or promote unsuitable activities.
She said even though an area may offer the potential to become a new walking street, such a project wouldn't be sustainable without satisfying local demand and providing a good storytelling opportunity.
COOLER CLIMES
The TAT has been involved in promoting evening walking tours in the country, providing visitors with the chance to enjoy cooler climes as they explore a city in depth.
Such opportunities are being held in a variety of popular areas such as along the Mae Kha Canal, which connects visitors to the heart of Chiang Mai, along with a walking tour of Phuket's old town. Similarly, a street in Songkhla hosts an array of street arts and activities, providing lots for visitors to do as they explore the city on foot.
Ms Somradee said if Thailand further develops the country's public transportation systems, walking tours would grow more sustainably countrywide.
MARKET BLOOMING AGAIN
Pak Khlong Talat, the capital's famous flower market, has been undergoing something of a revival after a slump following a decision made by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in 2016 that affected regulations concerning pedestrians.
These days the neighbourhood frequently hosts events and exhibitions, and it participated in Bangkok Design Week hosted by the Creative Economy Agency in both 2023 and 2024. Events organised during Bangkok Design Week tend to prove to be popular among both young Thais and foreign visitors.
"Creating a walkable route doesn't mean it will inspire people to walk along it, as it would need to have the atmosphere generated by street-based activities such as vendors selling their wares," said Supitcha Tovivich, a lecturer at Silpakorn University's Faculty of Architecture and co-founder of Humans of Flower Market, a design project dedicated to Pak Khlong Talat's revival.
Ms Supitcha said her team initiated the project in 2016 by documenting vendors' stories and displaying photo essays and then by holding flower workshops in 2017 that invited local vendors to teach visitors some useful and interesting skills.
Since the resumption of Design Week following the pandemic, more flower vendors opted to develop a retail business, selling their wares to tourists instead of solely relying on the wholesale business they historically conducted.
Around 800,000 baht was spent in 2023 to develop Bangkok Design Week activities at Pak Khlong Talat and the nine-day series of activities successfully generated around 4 million baht.
Ms Supitcha said the area is now served by Sanam Chai MRT station and this had encouraged many more visitors to explore the Pak Khlong Talat area and other areas nearby on Rattanakosin Island on foot.
"Urban development must prioritise inclusivity, embracing both locals and foreign tourists, as well as orderliness and informality, otherwise the neighbourhood would lack its liveliness," said Ms Supitcha.
She noted that while pedestrians are now able to delve into the city's past while keeping the streets clean, there is always a risk that some things may be lost.
"A good balance should consist of convenient physical connectivity, social interaction between people in the area, along with economic growth."