Si Racha advances from industrial hub to ‘smart city’

Si Racha advances from industrial hub to ‘smart city’

Transforming the future

Looking out: Visitors take a look at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chon Buri's Si Racha district. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Looking out: Visitors take a look at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chon Buri's Si Racha district. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

Si Racha district in Chon Buri is known as the home of large industrial estates and the Laem Chabang seaport. However, in the near future, the town will acquire an additional status as a “smart city” that uses digital innovation to improve the standard of living and create new business opportunities.

“The Chon Buri Provincial Administration is upgrading Si Racha’s swath of land to a technology hub. The 1000-square-kilometre tract has enormous potential because it is part of the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC),” said Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, the chief executive of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa), which oversees the development of Si Racha.

Mr Nuttapon said Si Racha is ready to serve as a hub for innovation due to its existing resources and infrastructure.

“Each city should have a vision of its own smart city plan. To become a smart city, that city must have an infrastructure development plan, a city data platform, architectural blueprints, and a sustainable management strategy. Chon Buri has all of these things. The city has a seaport, an airport, a road, rail facilities and an environmental management plan. These are the fundamental aspects of a smart city,” he told the Bangkok Post.

Thailand is not the only country in the Asean bloc that is piloting smart city projects. “We speak with our neighbours about how smart cities should look to find a common ground for development and cooperation. We also discuss our successes and failures. Strikingly, we share the same goal of raising the living standard of urban dwellers,” he said.

All-seeing eye: Chon Buri will install CCTV in areas with high crime. (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

Chon Buri, Bangkok and Phuket are among 26 locations in the Asean Smart Cities Network (ASCN), the result of an initiative endorsed at the 2018 Asean Summit in Singapore. While Chon Buri will become a “centre of innovation”, Bangkok will be turned into a “mobility hub”, or a place with a high level of planned public transportation, and Phuket will focus on “smart tourism”.

Smart cities include Bandar Seri Begawan, Banyuwangi, Battambang, Cebu, Da Nang, Davao, Jakarta, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Luang Prabang, Makassar, Mandalay, Manila, Nay Pyi Taw, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Singapore, Vientiane, and Yangon.

HI-TECH, SUSTAINABLE SI RACHA

Mr Nuttapon said he took the bottom-up approach in using technology to tackle urban expansion problems. Local people and companies will play an important role in developing the smart city, he said.

The first step will be to improve the transportation and logistics systems within the city through the use of digital innovation.

“Truck drivers normally get stuck in traffic for several hours at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port because they don’t know when they should arrive. They not only waste time and energy, but also create a public nuisance by creating noise and air pollution,” he said.

Hanging around: Trucks wait in traffic at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port. Researchers are developing an app to reduce waiting times. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

“A company has come up with an application to manage truck queues so drivers do not have to rush to arrive early and congest the road. The application will organise and schedule a proper time for drivers.”

Mr Nuttapon added the application of technology in the smart city will provide better opportunities for everyone. “It is a win-win scenario,” he said. “The company can make a profit from the application, and Laem Chabang port can charge drivers and have a more efficient queuing system. Besides, locals will no longer be disturbed by noisy trucks.”

The introduction of smart buses also will ensure connectivity and safety in the area. “Many companies have proposed to launch smart buses for local students. Parents can track vehicles, so they know where their children are,” he said.

Security is another cause for concern in Si Racha. Mr Nuttapon said CCTV cameras will be installed in areas with high crime rates.

“Tech startups have proposed installing facial recognition technology in factories and near Pattaya Bay. They will contact the Ministry of Defence or the Immigration Bureau for permission to use their records and sell facial recognition cameras to local business operators, such as hotels and bars. These smart devices will alert owners of safety risks when criminals appear on their premises,” he said.

Getting around: A man in a wheelchair moves on a ‘smart flyover’ in Pattaya, which includes an elevator for disabled and elderly people. (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

“As crime is most likely to occur in densely populated areas, the system will monitor and send notifications to police officers to remind them to be more vigilant in patrolling these red zones,” he said.

As technology is a crucial element of the smart city concept, people should be ready to adapt and take on new systems. Mr Nuttapon places great emphasis on the role of education in producing a workforce with skills that are applicable in the future. “Kasetsart University’s Si Racha campus is looking to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) centre for college students.

“The Amata Industrial Estate is planning to train its workforce to use machines that will be gradually adopted into factories. When students and workers are equipped with in-demand skills, they will contribute more to the industrial sector and earn higher salaries,” he said.

With the implementation of new technology, Si Racha hopes to become a more sustainable and environmentally friendly district.

Mr Nuttapon stressed the new urban development project should also alleviate environmental problems.

Future views: A prototype image is seen of Amata Corporation Plc’s planned ‘smart city’ at the Amata City industrial estate in Chon Buri.

“Air pollution in Si Racha is caused by combustion in factories, which operate around the clock,” he said.

“Companies have come up with a creative solution to install sensors that will automatically shut down some engines running inside the factories. “This will help reduce air pollution.” However, the urban development scheme will not turn Si Racha into a smart city overnight.

The chief executive of Depa stressed the project, which will take five years, is trying to address the needs of locals rather than change the face of their city and disrupt their way of life.

“People won’t see a hyperloop [a high-speed train that runs through an underground tunnel] and bike lanes in the blink of an eye,” he said.

“It is impossible. However, we would like to solve their daily problems and raise their living standards by using innovative concepts.”

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