Greater availability of new digital technologies raises hopes that Bangkok can be transformed
A plan to transform Bangkok into a smart city is looking less far-fetched due to the availability of new digital technologies that can accelerate its digital transformation, says an academic who specialises in the field.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has already integrated some digital technologies into its handling of the capital’s problems and new development projects, said Assoc Prof Prapatpong Upala, director of the Smart City Innovative Research Academy (SCiRA) at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL).
The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) together with alliances is announcing the plan to expand the Smart City Ambassadors Program into a second round of success. This time, the objective is to nurture 150 young smart city ambassadors selected from 150 areas across the nation by improving their skills and knowledges relevant to the mission. It is anticipated that it will encourage the formation of 150 smart city promotion areas and propel the development of more than 50 smart cities in Thailand. depa expands Smart City Ambassadors Program into a second year of success aiming to nurture 150 smart city ambassadors this year.
Mr. Sanon Wangsrangboon, Deputy Governor of Bangkok gave a special speech on the topic "Wider Perspectives on Smart City: Smart City, Smart People, and Smart Management with Technology" at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Smart City Ambassadors (SCA) Program.
Kevin Cheng, president enterprise business group, Huawei Technologies (Thailand), details how technology is aiding Bangkok to become a city of intelligence, while at the same time keeping social development front and centre to prioritise what matters to citizens.
Asia is one of fastest growing regions in the world, demonstrating a high appetite for digital development to create new growth opportunities for both its business landscape and its citizens. The ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, or 4IR, is well underway and Huawei technology provides the backbone for much of this digital transformation, supporting urban, social and economic development in a sustainable way.
Read more: TH: Digital Bangkok: building a city of intelligence that puts people first
Through the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC), a division of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand has developed a digital platform tag as Navanurak aims to support the collection and conservation of cultural heritage in the nation.
Navanurak is a platform for the administration and transmission of knowledge about culture and biodiversity, according to Dr Thepchai Supnithi, Director of NECTEC Artificial Intelligence Research Group. He added that the platform enables users to preserve natural or cultural assets by adding descriptive text to the database along with multimedia files like images, videos, and audio recordings for each object.
Read more: Digital Platform for Thailand’s Natural and Cultural Heritage
Major cities all around the world are striving to reinvent themselves into more innovative spaces thanks to information and communication technologies (ICT). Their use not only enhances service delivery but also lays the path for the transformation into real smart cities that are livable urban environments, and effective in their organization and management.
In Southeast Asia, it is no surprise that Singapore is currently leading smart city initiatives. The island nation continues to invest and adopt new technologies to ensure it is able to cater to the demands of a modern smart city. This includes increasing the adoption of 5G and having a complete ecosystem for services for its people.
Read more: Thailand’s smart city initiative to support industrial hub