Bangkok (VNA) – The World Bank (WB) on September 22 released a report recommending that Thailand step up investment in secondary cities such as Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, Chonburi and Phuket, rather than continuing to concentrate resources in the increasingly congested capital Bangkok, with the aim of joining the group of high-income countries by 2037.
According to the bank's “Thailand Cities of the Future: Urban Foundations for a High-Income Economy” report, Thailand’s urban system remains heavily concentrated in Bangkok, which generates close to half of national output and is nearly 27 times larger than Chiang Mai, the country’s second-largest city.
This concentration has supported Thailand’s economic development, but its costs are rising. Congestion costs 7 to 10% of Bangkok’s GRP (Gross Regional Product) each year, while climate risks and infrastructure pressures are increasing costs. Secondary cities, meanwhile, have yet to reach their full potential.
Rather than choosing between Bangkok and other cities, the report calls for a stronger urban network. Bangkok is the national anchor, supported by secondary cities with complementary economic roles. A successful network will depend on complementary specialisation, productive density, strong connectivity and institutions, and resilient infrastructure.
The report proposes action along three parallel tracks of reinforcing Bangkok as a productive national anchor; putting stronger urban foundations in place across Thai cities; and preparing selected secondary cities to take on larger economic roles.
The report was co-authored by the World Bank, the Programme Management Unit on Area-Based Development (PMU-A), and the Urban Design and Development Centre (UDDC), bringing together international, national, and local expertise on Thailand’s urban development challenges and opportunities./.
Thailand promotes modernisation of timber industry
Darika Saranket, Advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, stated that the country promotes the use of economically valuable timber in conjunction with sustainable forest resource management, thereby enhancing the role of the timber industry in economic development and the transition to environmentally friendly development.
