Hands off our city parks

LUMPINI Park is one of Bangkok’s most treasured assets - a playground, refuge, sports centre, cycle and jogging track, home to an amazing amount of wildlife and a green lung in one of Asia’s fastest growing cities.

Unfortunately it is also the object of some very silly decisions. Slap bang at the centre of Lumpini, some dunderhead has authorized the construction of two very large public telephone booths. Not only are these buildings unsightly and obtrusive, but also largely unnecessary since most people nowadays own a cell phone. Even in an emergency, a mobile is for sure never far away.

Moreover, the purpose of a park is surely not as a place to make phone calls. This is truly absurd. These booths should be demolished and replaced by trees.

Meanwhile, Benjasiri Park on Sukhumvit seems to be increasingly used as an events venue. One of the most recent was a food fair, with dozens of stalls and tents displaying their wares. Although organized by the BMA (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration), the fair was clearly a commercial venture, supported by food companies and other enterprises.

Bangkok is so short of open spaces and public parks, surely the BMA could find an alternative venue for such initiatives?