Amid a wealth of news and catchy headlines from Bangkok in 2024, the 'Bangkok Post' picked five of the most noteworthy to cap the year.
1. Lisa's PR efforts go viral as city shines
Few stories have generated as much global excitement as the promotional efforts of Lalisa "Lisa" Manobal, the Thai K-pop superstar.
On June 28, Lisa unveiled her music video Rockstar, filmed in the vibrant, bustling night-time food street of Yaowarat, Bangkok's iconic Chinatown. The release sparked a massive trend, with fans flocking to the filming location to follow in her footsteps.
The global impact of this event was undeniable. After the Rockstar teaser was released online, it garnered over 4.9 million views on YouTube, becoming the platform's top trending video at the time.
Meanwhile, her related Instagram and TikTok posts received over 3.3 million likes and 4.5 million views, respectively.
In Thailand, influencers and celebrities joined the Rockstar trend, recreating Lisa's iconic scenes in Yaowarat and turning the phenomenon into a viral sensation.
This isn't the first time Lisa has spotlighted Thailand's "soft power" on the global stage. In her LALISA music video, she donned a dazzling golden Thai traditional outfit, igniting a worldwide interest in timeless Thai attire.
Lisa also played a pivotal role in promoting Thailand's culinary culture. In late 2021, she endorsed the famous "standing meatballs" at Buri Ram railway station during the Covid-19 pandemic, when vendors were struggling. Her influence led to an influx of online orders, with some vendors earning tens of thousands of baht per day.
Amid the Rockstar frenzy, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt expressed his gratitude to Lisa, saying, "I'd like to thank Lisa for choosing Yaowarat as her filming location. She has already helped us immensely.
"Moving forward, we must develop and improve on our own. Vendors need to cooperate in ensuring a pleasant experience for tourists. If visitors come because of Lisa's music video but leave unimpressed, they won't return."
He emphasised the importance of enhancing public facilities, including restrooms, pedestrian walkways, traffic management, and the fair treatment of tourists. Proper care for visitors, he noted, would not only boost their experience but also stimulate the local economy.
2. End of days for Lao Market
Another significant news story is the demolition of the "Lao Market", a section of Klong Toey Market, located on a footpath along Rama IV Road for nearly 20 years since it started in 2005.
Clearing the cables: The Lao Market (Klong Toey), Bangkok, is reclaimed to alleviate traffic congestion. The Electricity Authority cut the market's power supply on Dec 2, and the Public Works Department began demolition on Dec 7. Somchai Poomlard
Back then, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) designated the area as a zone exempt from the usual restrictions, initially hosting 96 vendors.
At the time, the Khlong Toey District Office even installed a roof over the area to provide convenience for both vendors and customers.
However, over time, vendors began leaving their goods permanently in the 300-metre-long market space on the footpath.
This caused inconvenience to residents, who had to walk on the road because the footpath was obstructed.
In addition to blocking the footpath, vehicles such as tuk-tuks and delivery trucks contributed to severe traffic congestion in the area, which raised further complaints among locals.
As a result, the BMA announced the end of the exempted zone on Aug 30, 2018. However, vendors appealed for leniency and requested an extension.
Around that time, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, leading the district office to grant an extension, allowing vendors to carry on at the site.
Once the Covid-19 situation improved, the district office resumed negotiations with Lao Market vendors, urging them to move to inner Klong Toey Market.
The discussions eventually reached an agreement, and the vendors completed their relocation on Dec 1.
The Lao Market officially closed this month when the BMA dismantled it over three days, from Dec 2-4.
The area has since been redeveloped, with the BMA collaborating with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to bury power lines underground and the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority to lay new water pipes, among other improvements in the general area.
The removal of the market is one attempt by the BMA in a long-running campaign to return footpaths to pedestrians, which has met with mixed success at best.
3. BMA hit with hefty skytrain debt
The Supreme Administrative Court on July 26 upheld a ruling by a lower court, which ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and its business arm, Krungthep Thanakom, to pay the overdue debts to Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), the operator of BTS Skytrain.
City rides: The Bearing-Samut Prakan section of the Green Line is one of the extended routes operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC).
The debts were incurred from hiring BTSC to run the electric train service on two extended routes of the Green Line and provide electric rail system maintenance services.
Of the debts, 2.34 billion baht must be paid for the first extension, consisting of the Saphan Taksin-Bang Wa section and the On Nut-Bearing section, while 9.4 billion baht must be paid for the second extension consisting of the Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot section and the Bearing-Samut Prakan section.
The defendants must pay overdue debts to the plaintiff, BTSC, by around Jan 21 next year.
The debts were incurred under the Prayut Chan-o-cha government, which decided to extend the BTSC concession for another 30 years after it expired in 2029 and defer the debts for operation and maintenance for the extensions of both lines.
The proposal remained stalled in cabinet due to opposition from the Transport Ministry and procedures under the Public-Private Partnerships Act until Chadchart Sittipunt assumed the position of governor.
4. Rate cut for trash sorters
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will offer a discount on garbage collection fees for households which sort out their rubbish prior to disposal, to help bring down the amount of waste generated in the city.
Catch up with recycling: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is encouraging people to separate their recycled items from other rubbish items to reduce waste.
Deputy Bangkok governor Jakkapan Phiewngam said City Hall has decided to amend the regulation issued in 2019 that sets the fee at 80 baht per month, which critics said was too high.
Now, households which sort their own trash will have to pay 20 baht in collection fees a month, while those which do not sort their recyclables from food waste will be charged 60 baht a month.
The amendment was approved by the BMA Council on Oct 30 and will come into effect 180 days after its announcement, he said.
Households must register online or at their local district office to be eligible for the lower garbage collection fee. Out of over two million households in the city, only about 50,000 sort their recyclables from wet waste before collection.
With disposal costs averaging 2,300 baht per tonne, unsorted waste is putting a strain on the city's finances, according to BMA.
5. Trok Pho fire a wake-up call
A fire at the Trok Pho community, an old community in Bangkok's Samphanthawong district, in July, shocked the public when it damaged 66 houses in this century-old community in Yaowarat Soi 7.
Inspecting the damage: City Hall officers survey the scene after a fire burnt down Trok Pho community on July 6.
The fire broke out at 8.40pm on July 6. Fire engines from 11 stations with more than 30 trucks battled the fire for nearly four hours. Since the houses were made of wood, the fire spread quickly. The alley into the community was only two metres wide, which made access difficult.
The fire damaged an area of more than 1 rai wide. The fire also damaged parts of two hotels and adjoining commercial buildings, restaurants and food shops. The fire caused at least 200 million baht in damage and left five residents injured.
The century-old Trok Pho was hidden away in Yaowarat, a road known worldwide as a street food capital. The Trok Pho community, formerly known as Tai Zi Eia, later changed its name to Trok Pho because of the presence of so many Bodhi trees, called ton pho in Thai.
After the fire, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt inspected fire hydrants in several old communities in Bangkok to ensure public safety. He also focused on fire drills.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation also joined hands with community volunteers, traffic police, and the district office to put in place safeguards to protect other old parts of the city.