In a bid to give the impression that the drama over the ownership of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) will have a happy ending, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has set up a six-member committee to select the BACC's management.
They are due to select 12 new members for the BACC board in the next two weeks.
But going through the list of committee members, I, like many readers, could not help but wonder what they will do in the new role. The committee comprises one retired navy commander, two army generals and two retired BMA officials. Only one member is a professional artist.
Sirinya Wattanasukchai is a columnist, Bangkok Post.
I can't imagine how the new selection committee, which is mostly lacking in any background in art or culture, will be able to complete its assignment in selecting the new BACC board, not to mention create good policies. I hope they know they can't just handpick any old school art teacher for the job.
The list also gave little comfort to the centre's director, Pawit Mahasarinand. He said the BACC may have to reduce its operating hours to save expenses on water and electricity.
This belt-tightening policy is aimed at delaying the possible closure of the art centre if the BMA refuses to provide financial support. The BMA claims that by law it doesn't have to provide financial support to the centre any more, and has held back its annual subsidy of 40 million baht for two straight years.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang tried to defend his controversial BACC takeover move yesterday by posting on his Facebook account that the idea of "reclaiming the art centre is over" and that he was "keeping his promise not to get involved with the management". With that promise, he said he "cannot prolong financial support for the centre".
You don't need a degree in rocket science to know that this is just a trick to pressure the art centre into shutting down, thus paving the way for the BMA to devour it. Is that good for the BACC and the art scene in Bangkok as a whole? I really think not.
I don't have any hope of this ending well after seeing City Hall take over so many events or establishments in recent years.
Take World Car Free Day as an example. Prior to an event organised to mark this occasion in the city centre last Saturday, the BMA announced there would be extensive parking space available for participants who were due to ride bicycles in a parade. But what is the point of driving a car to attend an event celebrating the non-use of cars? I'm not sure if any high-ranking officers rode there from their homes or took public transport, which would have been more fitting considering the theme of the event.
Earlier this week, at least four staunch cyclists who have commuted to work by bike for ages told me they do not want to be part of this annual event any more. Why? They were concerned it had lost any real meaning and become just a ceremony, rather than an event aimed at raising awareness of the need to reduce traffic in the city in the long run.
I remember when the event was hosted by the Thai Cycling for Health Association, hundreds of cyclists pedalled from home, many in groups, to an assigned spot before starting a demonstration on the designated route around the city. Unfortunately, the association faced financial and manpower restrictions, and had no choice but to allow the city to take over.
Such a biking demonstration was probably not the best, but it made more sense that people who wanted to campaign for cycling commuted by bicycle, rather than just packing their two-wheeler in a car boot to join the "car-free happy hours" in the heart of the city.
This is just an example to show how the BMA has managed to reduce a serious campaign to just a show, if not a publicity stunt for its top administrators.
I should also remind you how the agency sticks to the "form over substance" format in handling the 300-million-baht Bangkok City Library on Ratchadamnoen Avenue. With just a few good books, the library was converted from a majestic building to become a co-working space.
Or how the Children's Discovery Museum, once considered a must-see tourist site, became a "toy cemetery" after it was taken over by the BMA's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, the same agency Mr Aswin wanted to take over the BACC.
If the BMA keeps pursuing its BACC takeover move, I can only imagine how the property in such a prime area like the Pathumwan intersection could only be turned into a noisy market, to economically maximise the location.
I mention this as the BMA has made use of the plaza in front of the BACC as an Otop market at weekends. If the BMA is successful in its the takeover bid, it's likely the centre will just serve as a background for people in traditional Thai outfits to take selfies in front of next winter.
The upper levels of this glass-walled building will be filled with new cafes or restaurants for visitors to enjoy the city view, rather than art exhibitions. The basement could end up a co-working space, as dreamed of by the governor, who blamed a shortage of chairs as one of the reasons for the BACC takeover.
Mr Pawit is right in pointing out the facility caters to various groups of people. He means the library on the basement, where students can study, and cafes and restaurants on the lower floors. Most of the building is devoted to exhibitions and events relating to art and culture. They are free of charge for members of the public, a fair exchange for taxpayers.
The BMA always thinks it knows best and seems to want to take all of the credit for everything. It wants to be seen presiding over ceremonies and successfully managing such a facility.
But managing a children's museum or art centre means more than just taking care of its structure. It requires knowledge management from a group of experts in each field, be it museums, art centres or libraries.
The BMA should realise it doesn't have enough knowledge to manage a cultural establishment and should let the experts deal with these additions to Bangkok.
The agency should maintain its financial and systematic support, however, and allow such venues to perform to their fullest. In short, it is time for the BMA to embrace a more "hands off" policy in a constructive way for the benefit of the public.