Love Thailand, support Thailand
(Modernize her; make her a great nation)

Bangkok is a mindset center for the Thai people. Chosen by King Rama the First of the Chackri Dynasty, Bangkok replaces the former capital city on the opposite bank of the Chaopraya River, Thonburi for the present capital city of the country.

The two cities are similarly located on soft and low land, parts of the Chaopraya River delta. Unlike other cities on higher grounds, both Bangkok and Thonburi are badly aggravated by many problems. Drainage, flood prevention, as well as structural foundation for serious high-rise buildings are more expensive to build than in many other places in the world.

But otherwise Bangkok is unique and charming, as any other tropical settlement. Romantically it was once named Venice of the East for its abundant network of canals. Under several myopic vision leaderships, the city embraces short-term automobile influences; most canals are disappeared. The remaining ones are not properly maintained. Additionally over-speculate developments responding to the recent economic-booming-cycle, delivered under inadequate zoning and regulating environment, as well as the severe influx of population migration change Bangkok for the worst.

How different the city is, in the Thai mindset, Bangkok is still a name for admiration, the country’s capital city, the place where the monarch resides, and the place for formal dignitary reception.

During the last 30 years Bangkok has been experiencing over populated problems. The city agonizes through nightmare traffic problems, flooding, water pollution, air pollution, and the inner city’s high temperature trending. The governments have tried their best to correct the problems. Elevated roadways, inner-city elevated electric rails, city-flooding controls, and many other remedies have been undertaken.

Visitors, who are not familiar with the day-to-day Bangkok’s routines, will hardly recognize the city that they used to know. How each feels about these, happy or disappointed depends on the individual’s background.

The visitors, the Thais abroad or upcountry, always have the feeling for Bangkok as a noble place, a model of all good stuff that represents their Thai-pride. They wish Bangkok and its resident well; they hope Bangkok remain a bright spot in the Thai civilization that they can tell their children about in the years to come. They hope to tell their children that Bangkok is beautiful, clean, charming, safe, and worth every minute of visiting.

In the last 30-40 years, the governments appear to have lost the battles in making Bangkok a bright spot. The governments focus heavily in correcting the end-problems; they lost perspectives of what has caused the problems.

Bangkok is a major magnetic force. It draws citizens from all parts of the country for jobs, education, and health care. Population in Bangkok has long peaked and exceeded the city’s capacity. It expresses the symptoms in the forms of failing traffic, housing scarcity, extra long commuting time, low quality public health, increase of crime, etc.

The governments correct the end problems that they see; more and more people will perpetually continue to pour into Bangkok. This is because such end-problem-solving works as both job creation itself as well as the invitation to increase new users. Most migrated workers, once getting jobs in Bangkok will end up settling in the City. At the same time certain problems, once corrected, draw more people to be in Bangkok. This is the work that backfires and it will never end.

Bangkok will be recovered should it ever experience any meaningful population decline. This will happen when citizens in remote and small towns have choices. The people should have all they need such as jobs, housing, health care, education as well as prides in places that called homes.

When the capital city and small towns share responsibilities in being good places to live and work, Bangkok will turn into the City of Angel once again. Bangkok will be a clean city. Low land with wastewater will be developed and used for recreational and park systems. Substandard buildings must be demolished to make ways for neighborhood parks. Wastewater and trash will be reduced to a manageable level. Polluted water will have a chance to redeem itself. Fish population will rejuvenate which in turn will help to keep mosquito population in checked. City buses, that are as hot and steamy as pizza ovens, will cool down with more seating and standing rooms available. Commuting time will be reduced, automobile fume will be cut down to a negligible level, thus, city air will be clean, and the inner city’s temperature will be reduced.

Small towns will be livable and well populated. The people will be contented with the village living environment and develop positive ties to their homeland. Under developed territories will afford proper infrastructure. The villagers will enjoy well-planned communities, well-planned roadways, well-planned monasteries, and well-planned farms and orchards. The people will live with pride and enjoy good mental health.

Should we fail to accept and understand the problems, and continue to throw the money away, Bangkok will be full of diseases. Chiangmai will be sure to follow the trend. Beautiful resorts such as Phuket will start to disappear soon. We all will lose what our forebears have left for us. Such lost is amounted to losing Thailand, the cultural identities or as losing war in an analogy to the poem written so powerfully by the King Rama the Sixth.

Should Siam continues to live,
Siam lives, we all shall live.
If Siam’s destroyed, will we ever exist?
We will all end to ever exist;
Like dead, we are and no longer who we were.

When our homeland exists, visiting will be present. Whether it is Bangkok, Thonburi, Nakorn-Patome, Chiangmai or Konkan, we will want to see our friends with happiness.

Who ever the invaders will
Invade; fight to the end we will;
Sacrifice flesh and blood, we came.
Our lives lost, saving our fame.

The invaders, this time, did not come from beyond the borders. The invaders came from within and add to our confusion. We may result in life-lost and yet saving no fame.

How can the population in the Capital City be reduced? Population in Bangkok or other big cities can be reduced through cooperation of the three sectors: Governments; private sector; and the general public. The governments must increase pay scales for its employees who work in small towns. It must make affordable goods and service available in the villages and small communities. It must improve and expand transportation system connecting big cities and small towns for shorter traveling time. Private sectors must search and capitalize in resources and talents in rural districts for its own welfare. Natural features, cultures, tradition, local industries, local scholars, and athletic talents are ways to create jobs and income. The general public must understand not risking life, living in cities plagued with decease and discomfort such as Bangkok even where high-paying jobs are available.

This battle will be long because we have allowed the enemy to advance for 30-40 years, if not more. We will win the battle and the war, when we know where the enemy is, leaving the homeland for our young generation to enjoy.