BANGKOK – Sidewalks in Bangkok, which have been notorious for being uneven, easily damaged, and often a tripping hazard, are now being renovated. Officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) are gradually improving the sidewalks, and many areas have already been completed, including Ratchadamri Road and Phloen Chit Road in the heart of the city’s business district.
Ekwaranyu Amrapal, BMA spokesperson, said that there are currently 16 routes of BMA sidewalks being improved under the new sidewalk standards, such as Ratchadamri Road, Phloen Chit Road, and Udomsuk Road. This year, there are plans to implement the new sidewalk standards on 38 more routes, followed by 22 more in 2025.
The BMA has set itself the goal of making the sidewalks in Bangkok barrier-free, pleasant to walk on and inviting. Initially, 1,000 km are to be achieved using three methods: Building new paths, repairing the damaged areas that need urgent repairs and adapting the innovations to the specific area.
Asphalt is used as a road surface for some less busy routes in suburban areas. The pilot routes include Phutthabucha Road, Khum Klao Road, Old Railway Line Road (Pak Nam), Phutthamonthon Sai 1 Road and Chalermphrakiat Rama 9 Road.
Each improved route will have its own unique features, such as: Artfully designed manhole covers: The manhole covers on Ratchadamri Road and Ploenchit Road have been designed to be both attractive and representative of the character of the neighborhood. BMA plans to roll out this concept to other routes, making them one of the city’s symbols, similar to Japan’s manhole covers that incorporate city symbols.
There will also be an inline drainage system: The drainage channels along the entire length of the road have been converted from the old drainage channels next to the sidewalk to inline drainage channels. This will drain water away from the road more quickly and prevent flooding.
“The manhole covers are intended to be both attractive and representative of the character of the Ratchadamri and Phloen Chit districts,” Ekwaranyu said. “They are among the pilot routes using the new sidewalk standards, which are more durable, offer more universal design and have a more consistent height between building entrances and sidewalks.”
BMA’s Public Works Department and the county departments responsible for sidewalk maintenance and repair deploy rapid response units (BEST) to repair damaged sections as quickly as possible and return them to a safe and usable condition. If a section can be converted to a new standard footpath, it will also be upgraded. The BMA is supported by the public in reporting damaged or dangerous areas via Traffy Fondue so that the districts can quickly become aware of problems.
“For routes that are not suitable for sidewalk construction, such as alleys or narrow areas, obstacles have been removed and a variety of methods have been used to accommodate the conditions, such as painting lines to delineate pedestrian areas and using porous asphalt to border trees to increase sidewalk width,” Ekwaranyu said.
Natthaphon Nakphan, director of the Department of Public Works’ Construction and Renovation Division 1, added that the new, improved sidewalks will no longer have the same problems as before, such as loose tiles or potholes, as an extra layer of concrete will be added before the tiles are laid during construction, making them stronger. In the past, when the sub-base was sand, slugs were laid and when it rained, the water flowed into the gaps, eroding the sand and causing problems.
In addition, BMA officials will monitor and enforce the law to prevent unauthorized digging for the laying of pipelines. If an authority plans to excavate for the laying of public utility lines, it is required to restore the area to its original condition upon completion of the excavation work.
The 10 new BMA sidewalk standards are as follows:
- Reduce the height of the sidewalk curb to a shallow ramp of 10 centimeters.
- Reduce the height of the sidewalk curb at building entrances and alleys to 10 centimeters from the previous 18.50 centimeters.
- Change the sidewalk surface to reinforced concrete for increased strength, using 10 centimeters of concrete and 6 millimeter reinforcing steel.
- Make building entrances and exits flush with the sidewalk to allow all sidewalk users to pass through seamlessly and conveniently.
- Adjust all ramps and slopes to a 1:12 incline in accordance with international standards.
- Add alternative paving materials for sidewalks, such as stamped asphalt concrete.
- Change vertical drainage channels to horizontal drainage channels to increase the flow rate of water.
- Develop guidelines for the placement of utilities on sidewalks to avoid obstructing pedestrians.
- Install tactile paving (Braille blocks) to assist visually impaired pedestrians.
- Improve tree enclosures using porous asphalt materials to increase sidewalk width.
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