Category: The Bangkok Post

Your spot-on horoscope for work, money and relationship from Guru by the Bangkok Post’s famously accurate fortune teller. Let’s see how you will fare this week and beyond.

Aries

Mar 21 – Apr 19

Working solo is where you shine the brightest and deliver your best results. Working with others will wear you down emotionally. Be prepared for meetings that could have been emails and mixed signals. Use the chaos as fuel and you’ll discover unexpected growth opportunities.

A friend or cousin may point you to a low-key gig or hidden side income opportunity. You may stumble on forgotten cash or receive an unexpected windfall. If you’re juggling multiple debts, you’ll knock at least one out. Be careful with lending or investing, as someone may try to take advantage of you. Always double-check the fine print.

You and your partner share more peaceful moments together and quickly find happy mediums when disagreements pop up. You two might kickstart a healthier lifestyle together and keep each other motivated. Sexy time becomes more careful and meaningful.

A new hangout spot or a dating app swipe might light up chemistry that hits fast and hard. Enjoy the moment but stay realistic. The magic might fade once you’re home or when the night ends. At least you’ll walk away with a little story.

Taurus

Apr 20 – May 20

The project you’ve been pouring your energy into will soon complete. You’re getting noticed, maybe even rewarded. Both your main job and side gig will demand your full focus and what you gain in return will be worthwhile. Your network’s growing and more opportunities are coming. A job interview coming up? Expect a quick yes or no.

A windfall awaits you. A friend will drop a solid financial trick or smart investment tip. Income opportunities will keep you busier than planned, but in a way that makes you happy. Don’t forget to spend a little for pure enjoyment. Lost valuables will find their way back to you.

Next week brings smoother conversations, deeper connection and real quality time with your partner. Things are settling into a routine that could lead to the next level or bigger commitments. A new shared goal may emerge and having family in your corner makes it all feel more achievable.

Expect romantic spark with someone from work or a work-related social event but you two decide to get to know each other in secret to avoid gossips. Also, you may instantly click with a new face through social media or a friend’s introduction. Your heart’s about to get busy. Don’t let the excitement blind you to red flags.

Gemini

May 21 – Jun 20

Better communication and team support help you breeze through tasks. Your plans turn into progress with less pushback and more forward moves. Expect to land a key role in a future-focused project or major transformation initiative. It’s all about innovation, and you’ll adapt quickly with more say and influence than before. Job hunting? Keep an eye out for international opportunities.

You’ll handle your earnings and outgoings more smoothly. A friendly auntie or big sis in your circle might hook you up with a money-making opportunity, unlock an extra income stream or help you seal a sweet deal. Be careful with lending and investing – not everyone’s playing fair or has good intent.

Romance is ramping up with more playful, passionate and perfectly-timed moments between you two. Shared dreams are set to spark some wins worth celebrating. Family time is also in the cards. Unmarried couples may bring up wedding or engagenment before their parents.

If you’ve been chatting with several matches, one will sweep you off your feet and this could go IG official. Not seeing anyone? Someone off your radar might steal your heart faster than your usual type ever could.

Cancer

Jun 21 – Jul 22

Some colleagues might dismiss your ideas, but tension turns into clarity. It’ll show you exactly who’s in your corner. Manage your energy wisely as sudden urgent tasks may catch you off guard. Cyber threats or tech glitches could hit, so keep your key data safe.

Your network of friends and associates brings opportunities to earn extra cash through behind-the-scenes or less formal work. The repairs for your car, phone or daily gadget might be bigger than expected. Keep your spending minimum and stash a little cash more for safety. Stay sharp against pickpockets and travel scams while travelling abroad (even if it’s Japan).

Tension with your partner? It’s finally fading away. But don’t get too comfy – family drama or fresh trouble might follow. Still, you two will handle it together with calm confidence. This might just bring your hearts closer and make your minds wiser. Someone nosy might watch your love life for possible gossips ’cause they’re envious.

That special someone you’ve been seeing might be ready to go public with you. A married-with-kids someone from your work or social circle might sneak into your DMs with big flirty energy. If you can’t see yourself with them, don’t waste their time.

Leo

Jul 23 – Aug 22

There may be more meetings than usual but you’ll be given more decision-making power. A coveted project or unexpected opportunity lands in your lap. A few colleagues might stir up drama out of insecurity. You’re turning pressure and deadlines into fuels to push forward. If you run your own business, a big-name collab is on the cards.

Debt negotiations will work out in your favour. You might stumble on extra cash or a low-key income stream. An insurance payout, refund or overdue payment will soon arrive. Beware of fortune that comes with hidden cost. However, it will yield benefits and returns to you in the long run.

You’re each other’s anchor, muse and sage. Expect fun hangouts, romantic magic and pure couple glow. Sweet surprises may find you two as fortune smiles. Your shared vision starts turning into wins worth celebrating. You’re both stepping into deeper commitment territory, feeling completely sure about your journey together. Oh, we’re so jelly!

You may be tempted to ghost someone who doesn’t seems to be a good fit to you after getting to know them. Let them down gently. Your friends will play matchmaker and social scenes will spark fresh flirty vibes both IRL and online. You enjoy the attention and the flirtation without getting serious with anyone right now.

Virgo

Aug 23 – Sept 22

Bigwigs and clients are raising the bar and your plate’s about to get real full. Your boss might breathe down your neck more than usual. You might have to search for past assignments, fine-tune them and give them another polish. They seemed flawless to you at the time but time away from them help you realise their rooms for improvement. Sudden travel or surprise meetings could pop up.

More money comes in but more money also goes out. Beware of early signs of missing your savings goal. Joy trumps regret for now. However, don’t lose sight of your financial freedom. If recent past years have taught you anything, the lesson is that life is full of uncertainties.

Faithful couples may have a few playful disagreements and friendly competitions. If you’ve been two-timing, you may get exposed and shamed for it. Your official love and side love pressures you to choose and you may end up with none if you’re hesitant.

You may unexpectedly click with someone who’s nothing like your usual type. The chemistry is real, but so are the fears and doubts creeping into your mind. Old wounds and your differences might make you second-guess. It’s okay to take your time and feel things out.

Libra

Sept 23 – Oct 22

If you’re stuck on something, things finaly fall into place. Your energy, creativity and team synergy are at their peaks. You’ll breeze through deadlines while surprise setbacks will fuel your growth. Your professional circle is about to expand in ways that unlock hidden opportunities you never saw coming.

You’ll spend more on socialising, but you’ll also gain connections and intel that could unlock income boosts or supercharge your portfolio. Travel might bring a small windfall. You can afford little luxuries while staying on track with your savings goal.

Love feels lighter, with real talks replacing routine replies. You’ll actually hear each other, bringing you two closer. Shared goals and everyday challenges start turning into wins. Cross-cultural couples discuss their plan to wed or which country to settle down.

Fighting for someone’s heart? You’ll charm your way to victory. If you’re seeing no one, a fascinating foreigner or someone from a different culture might steal your heart. Despite some differences, shared passions and similar life goals will spark a deep, instant connection.

Scorpio

Oct 23 – Nov 21

You pick up new tech and tools fast while your creativity is at the maximum. What once felt tricky now feels easy. With the blend of knowledge, people skills and data-driven intuition, you’re becoming the office’s go-to guru and peacemaker. You’ll crush your to-do list and land a secret mission from bigwigs.

Your negotiation skills will deliver rewarding results. An unexpected inheritance or family heirloom could come your way. Valuable insider info might boost your investment game or help you spend smarter. Juggling multiple debts? One’s about to be history.

Heart-to-heart talks bring you two closer. You and your partner are more in sync. You two laugh more while building deeper trust. A shared dream or goal brings a spark of excitement between you two.

A family member or a close family friend might play matchmaker, nudging you toward someone with similar vibes and social standing. A fresh face or a blast from the past might slip into your DMs for a casual hook-up.

Sagittarius

Nov 22 – Dec 21

Curveballs and shake-ups will push you out of your comfort zone. You’ll meet unfamiliar faces, test new methods and work with tools you’ve never used before. Pressure might hit hard at first, but it’ll gradually give way to hope and excitement. Entrepreneurs, new markets await across borders or city lines.

Your pay/rate negotiations are likely to succeed, so trust your value and own your earning power. If you’re selling your property or brokering deals, expect signed and sealed papers. You’ll add more to your savings and still afford smalls splurges that make you smile.

Someone, through social media or your friend group, could sweep you off your feet in a heartbeat. Things might get steamy and spicy behind the scenes, but your heart’s still with your main squeeze. Your bond’s unshakable and you manage to keep them in the dark for now.

You radiate rizz. Expect several admirers, taken and available. Some just want to bed you and nothing more. Set boundaries that protect both your peace and your heart. Remember that with great charm comes great responsibility.

Capricorn

Dec 22 – Jan 19

Brace yourself for extra tension at meetings and more office drama. Soften your words to avoid burning bridges. On the bright side, your fierce determination and energy will power you through tough tasks and help you slay every deadline. You’ll do well in any upcoming test or competition.

Expect delayed or only partial payments. You may also get hit with major spending urges for entertainment and luxuries. A promising financial opportunity or unexpected cash boost may come into you late next week.

Brace yourself for a relationship rollercoaster. A hidden secret or money issue could come to light. Pain from the past might resurface too. Give each other more patience and kindness. Take a deep breath and ride out this turbulence together.

Fresh romance is heading your way. Some people aren’t looking for lasting love. Watch out for scammers and fling-seekers. If things are heating up with someone, you may be blindsided as they’re about to ghost you for someone else.

Aquarius

Jan 20 – Feb 18

Something feels off at your workplace. Expect tense talks and tangled communication. A higher-up might call you out for not delivering your best. Next week is a prime time to face and fix lingering issues bubbling beneath the surface. Fresh opportunities await if you’re bold enough to shake up your routine.

Your income stream may feel shaky. Expect surprises and shortfalls instead of steady streams. Ditch the dice and skip impulse buys on fun stuff. Don’t play guarantor for anyone’s debts. Time to tighten up or reboot your money plan.

Your relationship’s running on autopilot, stuck in repeat mode. You’re hungry for spark and fresh excitement. You might drop tiny white lies just to spice things up. Someone unaware that you’re taken might casually flirt with you.

You meet potential admirers IRL and online but none seems to live up to your standard. You think you deserve someone who deserve you and aren’t going to settle for less anytime soon. However, one of your admirers may call you snobbish.

Pisces

Feb 19 – Mar 20

You’re firing on all cylinders. Your energy, intuition and creativity will unite to take on projects, surprise deadlines and backlogs head-on. You can read the room in seconds, smoothly navigating conflicts and managing expectations with effortless finesse. Your standout results could land you a moment worth celebrating.

Fresh connections could reveal a secret source of income. You might be busier making money but it’s the good kind of busy. Make hay while the sun shines. You’re in your best earning years so don’t slow down just yet. Seeing those digits climb will definitely put a smile on your face.

Couples know when to spend time together and when to spend time on their own. Personal space and time are necessary for any healthy relationships. Quick make-ups will follow any mix-ups. Unmarried couples bring up their wedding or engagement plan to see their parents’s approval.

You’re laser-focused on building wealth and becoming your best self. As you glow up, someone older might start eyeing you with more than friendly interest. Your go-getting vibe is very appealing to them. An old flame or someone from your dating past might slide into your DMs for a casual hookup but it isn’t necessarily a good news.

Exo all-rounder Doh Kyung-soo, better known as D.O., is scheduled to perform for Thai fans at his solo concert “2025 Doh Kyung-soo Asia Concert Tour “. Organised by GMM Show, the concert will take place at Impact Arena on Oct 11.

D.O.’s Asia concert tour is being held after he dropped his first full-length solo album Bliss in June. The album features the lead single Sing Along! — a fresh new vibe showcasing his versatility — which he co-wrote with well-known composer Zico. In September, D.O. released a track with pop-rock influence titled Dumb in which he collaborated with rapper Penomeco. Bliss offers various genres including ballad, rap, pop, bossa nova and chill lo-fi.

In addition to songs from Bliss, fans can enjoy songs from his other mini albums such as Popcorn and Simple Joys from Blossom, I’m Gonna Love You and It’s Love from Empathy, as well as Exo’s medley including First Snow, Don’t Go, Growl and Love Me Right.

The organiser GMM Show claims that Thai fans can expect an unforgettable night since the venue will feature a perfect stage setup so that fans can clearly see D.O. and soak in every second of the concert magic. The production will include amazing lights, sound and effects.

Tickets cost 2,900, 3,900, 4,900, 5,500, 6,000 and 6,500 baht and can be purchased at allticket.com and at Counter Service at all 7-Eleven branches in Thailand. A credit card installation plan is also available.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday assured the House of Representatives that the probe into a collapsed road near Vajira Hospital in Bangkok’s Dusit district would be conducted both independently and transparently.

He said he has no business ties to Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction (STECON), founded by his father, which is part of the joint venture contracted to build the Purple Line near the treacherous sinkhole.

People’s Party (PP) MP for Bangkok, Paramet Worawitthayaraksan, pressed Mr Anutin to speak clearly about how the government would take action against the contractors over the incident and whether it would seek compensation for work delays.

“Will they be prosecuted, told to pay compensation or blacklisted? Will they be fined for delays in the project delivery?” Mr Paramet asked.

Mr Anutin said he sold his shares in the company through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2019 in full compliance with all legal requirements for political office holders when he became aware the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) could secure a significant share of House seats.

The prime minister said he has no involvement with the company and has never used his influence for its benefit.

It was Mr Anutin’s first response to a fresh interpellation since he assumed office.

Founded by Chavarat Charnvirakul, Mr Anutin’s father, STECON was listed on the stock market in 1993 with a registered capital of 300 million baht.

On the probe into the collapsed road, he said the Ministry of Transport will be looking into the incident with the help of a committee comprising specialists and representatives from the Public Works Department and City Hall.

The investigation would be based on engineering evidence, he said, noting that if negligence or recklessness are proven, contractors would be held accountable.

He said the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is working on repairs, and traffic is expected to resume on Oct 9, 2025.

The next general election is likely to cause the country its biggest headache ever. It will be the first time that voters will have four ballots — two for electing lawmakers and two for public referendums.

The first two ballots will include normal voting papers to elect constituency MPs and list-MPs to parliament and Government House. The third ballot will be a referendum about the content and process of planned constitutional amendments.

The real conundrum is the final ballot. It is a referendum on whether eligible voters should retain or repeal MoU 43 (2000) and MoU 44 (2001), signed with Cambodia, regarding the establishment of joint border committees to resolve land and maritime border disputes.

The fourth ballot is a fresh initiative of the new government of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. It is facing pressure to address the Thai-Cambodia border issue, especially from an angry public that wants to see the government scrap both of the MoUs.

However, it remains a significant question why the Anutin government is allowing this foreign policy decision to be made by voters. Regarding the voters, deciding on the MoUs with Cambodia requires an understanding of history and its long-term effects.

Both MoUs have served as key diplomatic frameworks for the two countries to negotiate border demarcation and long-term resource sharing.

Political experts have publicly warned about the troubles ahead. Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn even warned that parliament could face delays in passing the required organic laws for elections and referendums.

A delay in parliament would mean another big political conflict for the Anutin government, which may face protests if it stays beyond the promised four-month term in office.

But the biggest challenge is preparing voters for the referendum. How will the government provide quality, well-balanced information for the public to decide?

Elections and public referendums require more than just setting days and venues, as both issues are complex and highly politicised.

Charter amendment has been a divisive issue. The opposition People’s Party and its pro-democracy allies have been campaigning for the rewriting of a new charter, aiming for drastic reforms.

The conservative camp and its political parties, meanwhile, prefer the least amount of amendments to the charter, opposing a full rewrite.

Another challenge now is providing voters with access to fair and balanced information, rather than propaganda from political camps. With the ongoing border conflict and surge of jingoism, it remains a big question whether voters can obtain sensible and quality information.

How will the government provide an honest view on the pros and cons of both MoUs without fearing backlash? How can voters digest the complex situation and make informed decisions?

The referendum has been enshrined as the mantra of a direct democracy. Mr Anutin said his decision to run the referendum is a form of “showing respect to public opinion”.

No matter how inspiring this sounds, the reality is that the referendum will only be successful if voters are well-informed on the matters at hand. The onus now falls on MPs and the Election Commission to run a campaign that communicates to voters and educates them.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday assured the House of Representatives that the probe into a collapsed road near Vajira Hospital in Bangkok’s Dusit district would be conducted both independently and transparently.

He said he has no business ties to Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction (STECON), founded by his father, which is part of the joint venture contracted to build the Purple Line near the treacherous sinkhole.

People’s Party (PP) MP for Bangkok, Paramet Worawitthayaraksan, pressed Mr Anutin to speak clearly about how the government would take action against the contractors over the incident and whether it would seek compensation for work delays.

“Will they be prosecuted, told to pay compensation or blacklisted? Will they be fined for delays in the project delivery?” Mr Paramet asked.

Mr Anutin said he sold his shares in the company through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2019 in full compliance with all legal requirements for political office holders when he became aware the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) could secure a significant share of House seats.

The prime minister said he has no involvement with the company and has never used his influence for its benefit.

It was Mr Anutin’s first response to a fresh interpellation since he assumed office.

Founded by Chavarat Charnvirakul, Mr Anutin’s father, STECON was listed on the stock market in 1993 with a registered capital of 300 million baht.

On the probe into the collapsed road, he said the Ministry of Transport will be looking into the incident with the help of a committee comprising specialists and representatives from the Public Works Department and City Hall.

The investigation would be based on engineering evidence, he said, noting that if negligence or recklessness are proven, contractors would be held accountable.

He said the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is working on repairs, and traffic is expected to resume on Oct 9, 2025.

A predawn storm on Friday brought heavy rain and strong winds to Greater Bangkok, toppling trees, damaging vehicles and flooding key roads.

Traffic radio broadcasters said strong winds and heavy rain toppled trees in Bang Kapi, Bang Sue, Huai Khwang and Din Daeng districts of Bangkok, as well as parts of Nonthaburi. Several vehicles were damaged, according to Traffic Police and Jor Sor 100 radio.

Flooding was also reported on Rama 9 and Bang Na-Trat roads.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said Chatuchak district appeared hardest hit but a full damage assessment was still pending.

The Meteorological Department reported heavy rain at Suvarnabhumi airport in the 24 hours to 7am Friday. City Hall later recorded light rain at 8.45am in districts west of the Chao Phraya River, including Phasi Charoen, Chom Thong and Thon Buri.

The department warned more rain was moving in from Saraburi and Prachin Buri and was expected to reach Nong Chok before noon. Widespread showers are forecast across Greater Bangkok through the weekend.

The country’s critical information infrastructure agencies and regulatory agencies improved their cybersecurity scores this year, while government agencies recorded lower scores.

For critical information infrastructure agencies, their average score increased to 89% in 2025, up from 83% last year, while regulatory agencies posted a score of 91%, rising from 85% in 2024, according to Thailand’s cyberthreat risk assessment conducted by the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA).

The average for government agencies dropped to 59%, from 65%.

This year 298 agencies, representing most state departments, participated in the self-assessment programme, of which 191 agencies submitted assessment results.

AVM Jadet Khuhakonkit, assistant to the NCSA secretary-general, said the agency is accelerating the elevation of cybersecurity threat protection standards to ensure Thailand is a stable and trustworthy nation.

AVM Jadet attributed the decline for government agencies to the increase in participation among agencies from various sectors this year.

This dip means there are significant cybersecurity gaps that need to be addressed, he said, especially in the areas of risk and vulnerability management, and cyberthreat response plan development and testing.

Other areas requiring attention include business continuity and crisis communications plan development, oversight of outsourced service providers, information asset registry development, threats detected, and risk trends.

NCSA and Mahidol University also identified the top three threats in Thailand: exploitation of internal vulnerabilities, unauthorised access to systems or data, and disruption or denial of service.

Threats are increasing from ransomware, supply chain attacks, cloud misconfiguration and phishing, demonstrating the need for Thai agencies to urgently address vulnerabilities and strengthen preventative and proactive measures, said AVM Jadet.

He said one approach to strengthen cybersecurity would be to invest in the existing National Threat Intelligence Platform, a national cyberthreat intelligence centre.

The platform started operations last year and collects, analyses, and shares data from all sectors with related agencies, in accordance with international standards.

“The platform enables critical infrastructure organisations and government agencies to respond to threats quickly and accurately,” said AVM Jadet.

The platform is operated by the Thailand Computer Emergency Response Team under NCSA’s umbrella.

Thailand will face 2013 champions Iraq, Australia, and China in Group D after the draw for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 took place yesterday in Kuala Lumpur.

First-time hosts Saudi Arabia, who have automatically qualified for the finals, are joined by 15 teams from the qualifying competition.

The 16 teams were divided into four groups for the seventh edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to be held from Jan 6-24, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, the 2022 champions, will play 2018 runners-up Vietnam, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan in Group A.

Defending champions Japan will have to contend with 2024 hosts Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Syria in Group B.

The 2018 champions Uzbekistan are in Group C with the 2020 champions South Korea, Iran and finals debutants Lebanon.

The top two teams of each group will progress to the knockout stage.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) new waste separation initiative, “This House Doesn’t Mix”, has drawn an enthusiastic response from city residents, with more than 700,000 households registering since its launch on Wednesday, according to Pornprom Vikitsreth, the governor’s sustainability adviser.

Mr Pornprom, together with representatives from the National Housing Authority (NHA), visited the Kheha Huai Khwang housing community yesterday to observe operations at the local waste sorting facility and encourage proper waste management practices.

To drive household participation, the BMA introduced a new waste collection ordinance effective Oct 1. Under the rules, general households are charged 60 baht per month for waste collection. However, those who register with the programme pay only 20 baht per month.

Since the policy took effect, the programme has already exceeded expectations, doubling its initial target, he said. Of the 700,000 registrants, about 300,000 were individual households, while 400,000 represented groups such as apartments and housing estates.

Mr Pornprom said participation is expected to grow by 30% next year.

In recognition of local support, deputy governor Jakkapan Phiewngam presented awards to district offices with the highest participation rates.

Six districts were highlighted: Lat Phrao (14.57%), Samphanthawong (20.91%), Phra Khanong (14.52%), Bueng Kum (19.96%), Bangkok Yai (17.35%), and Phasicharoen (13.38%).

Khlong Sam Wa district was recognised for having the highest number of individual participants (14,487).

Bangkok turns to AI and LiDAR mapping to fix its weak, uncounted urban forest, promising safer streets and a high-tech defense against deadly air pollution.

Traditionally, checking tree inventory and evaluating the condition of trees are time-consuming and cost-constrained. The maintenance is very expensive because one has to visit every tree in proximity, then decide if maintenance needs to be done. But the Smart Tree Inventory (STI) uses a ground-based car-mounted mobile laser scanner-a 3D scanner and a panoramic camera-to capture trees very quickly.

Mr. Peter Sassi, Vice President of Greehill Asia-Pacific Pte-a Singapore-based tech company specializing in mapping, monitoring, and managing urban tree and green assets-explained that STI provides information analyzed with artificial intelligence. ‘This information is prepared for the experts so that they can focus their attention on the trees that actually need help and focus the limited maintenance efforts on the trees that actually need help,’ Sassi said during a talk entitled ‘Urban Forests for The Future: Global Lessons and Local Actions for Bangkok.’

The technology acts like a diagnostic tool for the city’s green infrastructure. Sassi likened the process to high-tech medical imaging: ‘You can imagine this that this is like a whole city MRI machine and then we go to the three doctors who decide what should be the treatment because currently you either go for one tree and treat it but that’s very expensive or go for the entire district but you have to over-treat it.’

Measurable Impact: Safer Streets and Cost Savings

The adoption of AI-powered technology immediately translates into better public safety and significant cost reduction for the city. Globally, STI has proven its ability to flag dangerous trees before they cause harm. The technology’s predictive analysis minimizes the risk of incidents and property damage, leading to an over 80% increase in safety for communities where it is deployed.

Simultaneously, the STI drives efficiency by allowing city maintenance crews to move from reactive, district-wide over-treatment to targeted care. By focusing resources only on the trees that the AI has highlighted with issues like significant lean angles, diebacks, or structural defects, cities can achieve up to 30% savings on maintenance costs. Sassi emphasized the long-term benefit: ‘If the bad things already happened, it’s a lot of cost to clean up afterwards. But if you just have to do some pruning before, it’s much easier.’

Local Crisis: Air Pollution and the Uncounted Forest

Bangkok’s move to a data-driven system is critical because its urban forest faces unique, severe environmental pressures, particularly from PM2.5 particulate matter. Trees are one of the city’s most vital defenses against this deadly air pollution, but the city cannot manage what it cannot measure.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chairat Treesubsuntorn, Head of the Remediation Laboratory at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, highlighted the urgency: ‘You could see like in Bangkok we face to many pollutions such as a particulate matter during the winters.’ He noted the current manual method-where arborists must check tree height, diameter, and leaf count one by one-is impossible at a city scale. ‘Imagine if you have to walk to the tree and then you have to check… and then you have to do it one by one,’ Dr. Chairat stressed.

Local experts estimate that of the city’s approximately 3 million trees, fewer than 1% have been electronically documented. This massive data gap prevents Bangkok from strategically using its green assets. Dr. Chairat explained that the technology is necessary to apply his lab’s findings on effective local species: ‘We have a very high diversity of the tree species and we need to we cannot use the references easily from the publication or from research in other countries.’

Bridging the Gap through Collaboration

Successful implementation hinges on collaboration among the private sector, academia, and local communities. Santi Opaspakornkij of the Big Trees Foundation emphasized that while the current governor’s initiative successfully planted over a million trees quickly, the real challenge lies in long-term, specialized care.

He pointed out that the city’s existing trees are often ‘big, it’s old, but it’s also not very strong’ because roads and buildings were constructed later, unintentionally weakening the root systems. To address this, collaboration and technology are key. Santi noted that international partnership often helps to bring about change locally: ‘When you know that your international friends the visitor the western expert tell you the same thing that some Thai organization has been telling for many years you now listen more.’

The new technology serves as the essential tool to unify these efforts, providing the objective data needed to transform the urban forest into a measurable and actively managed municipal asset.

A Shift to a Data-Driven City

The move to a Smart Tree Inventory signifies more than just an upgrade in city maintenance; it represents a fundamental shift toward making Bangkok a data-driven, resilient city. By embracing this technology, the city transforms its neglected green assets into a crucial part of its infrastructure, actively improving air quality, enhancing public safety, and safeguarding its citizens’ health. This cross-sector collaboration provides the precise, objective knowledge base necessary to manage the entire urban forest proactively, ensuring that Bangkok’s next million trees are not just planted, but scientifically positioned to thrive and deliver maximum benefit to the community for generations to come.