Brakes off: Bangkok’s car free day lets tourists cruise sans traffic

Bangkok is revving up for Car Free Day this weekend on Banthat Thong Road, offering a vehicle-free zone for tourists to cruise around and soak up various activities.

The event, dubbed Bangkok Car Free 2024: Connecting for Life, aligns with the annual World Car Free Day on September 22, according to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala.

In a pit stop update, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and his crew will go live on Facebook this Friday to chat about a transportation project designed to give city dwellers more ways to motor around town.

This project champions the First Mile-Last Mile initiative, pushing public transport over personal cars and aiming to shift gears on how Bangkok commutes.

Joining the ride, the Bangkok tourist centre in Pathumwan district plans to test-drive a pedestrianisation scheme, shutting down the stretch from Soi Chula 12 to 20 for foot traffic on Saturday and Sunday.

While local shops will keep their doors open, outside vendors will need to hit the brakes. Expect a full tank of fun activities, including street performances and chalk painting.

And if this pedestrian push gets a green light from the public, the BMA might just turn Banthat Thong into a permanent walking street, the spokesperson revealed. The area will be off-limits to cars from 4pm to midnight, Bangkok Post reported

Time to put the pedal to the metal—on foot!

In related transport news, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has been tasked with completing the high-speed Sino-Thai railway project by the first quarter of next year, according to the directive given to its new director, Veeris Ammarapala.

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced that Veeris will outline his policies to the SRT by early next month, following the Cabinet’s approval of his appointment.

Veeris’s top priorities include resolving the SRT’s substantial 230-billion-baht debt and shifting the primary logistics transportation mode from road to rail, aligning with the government’s preference for rail transport.