Koh Loi, a small garden in the middle of a pond in Lumpini Park is well known for normally being the park's quietest spot.
However, it was unusually crowded from Nov 25 to 27 when a network of urban tree conservationists conducted a tree surgeon training course there.
The "1st International Arboriculture Certificate Training and Assessment in Thailand" course caught the attention of many park visitors.
A large part of the exercise involved trainees climbing trees using professional climbing gear. The object was to trim the trees into healthy things of beauty. Many who received training were members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) gardening team.
They were taught about the use of tree trimming tools and basic forestry knowledge such as the nature of tree roots in an urban environment.
The organiser of the course was a network of urban tree conservationists from urban conservation groups, BIG Trees, the Thailand Urban Tree Network, and experts on forestry and landscape design from universities and government agencies.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is going to seek help from professional 'tree surgeons' to train BMA personnel in taking better care of city trees. photos by Courtesy of Mattanyu Meksawat
There were also members from the Thai Association of Landscape Architects. It was not the first time that this network has provided training for arborists, or "tree surgeons". Yet, it was an international event as experts from Singapore were invited to provide training.
The workshop was arranged to create more people to take care of urban trees, BIG Trees founder Oriya Sutabutr said.
"We [Thailand] still lack arborists," she said. "When we talk about urban tree maintenance, all we can see is a picture of BMA officials on a vehicle's hydraulic lift using basic equipment to trim trees along a road in order to protect electricity cables.
"We hardly think of specially trained people taking care of trees."
She said the network has arranged training courses for more than three years in Bangkok and other major cities that have issues with urban trees such as Chiang Mai.
Among the international experts providing training last month was Rick Thomas, president of Arboriculture Pte Ltd, a private company in Singapore that provides service and consultancy on tree care, including urban tree management in the City state.
Mr Thomas said the state of urban tree conservation and management in Bangkok is similar to that of Singapore more than a decade ago. At that time, professional arborists were virtually unheard of.
But cities which give priority to urban tree conservation use arborists who are professionally trained to take care of trees. A certified arborist can receive a handsome income. Those working in Singapore earn about 80,000 baht a month, according to BIG Trees.
Mr Thomas said Singapore started using arborists more than a decade ago. The small uses legal instruments and incentives to keep big trees alive and thriving in the urban jungle.
The Singaporean government has issued laws to control the height of buildings and electricity poles, and incentives for developers to safeguard big trees.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is going to seek help from professional 'tree surgeons' to train BMA personnel in taking better care of city trees. photos by Courtesy of Mattanyu Meksawat
Emeritus professor Dacha Boonkham, a national artist and founder of the Thai Association of Landscape Architecture, said the country "seriously needs more arborists" to take care of urban trees.
The training at Koh Loi could prove to be a good catalyst, as many district directors and senior management officials from the BMA observed the course. The real push came from Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang who recently summoned all 50 district directors to devise a new policy on caring for urban trees.
Pol Gen Aswin plans to launch a campaign on urban tree management in which civic groups such as BIG Trees and professional arborists will participate. The BMA also want their workers to receive more training.
Tomorrow, Pol Gen Aswin will preside over a ceremony which will include the trimming of a bodhi tree in front of Banjasiri Park on Sukhumvit Road.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is going to seek help from professional 'tree surgeons' to train BMA personnel in taking better care of city trees. photos by Courtesy of Mattanyu Meksawat
The ceremony marks the launch of a drive for Bangkok's 50 districts to take care of trees in a more professional way.
Pol Gen Aswin yesterday promised that within a year the public will see positive changes in the preservation of urban trees.
The BMA in April needed to ask for help from arborists to transfer tamarind trees from Sanam Luang to another province to prepare for the construction of the royal crematorium.