Thailand could possibly be the following Southeast Asian country to maneuver its capital after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggested such a move may be “possible” under his rule, Guardian reported.
Drawing inspiration from neighboring Burma and similar plans developed in IndonesiaThailand’s prime minister suggested that moving the capital could help Bangkok overcome growing urban challenges.
Like Jakarta, Bangkok struggles with overcrowding, pollution, rising sea levels and heavy traffic.
While speaking on the Connecting Thailand to the World conference on September 18, the retired army general outlined two options for a possible move. “The first is to find a city that is neither too far nor too expensive to move to,” he said. “The second step is to move to the outskirts of Bangkok to reduce congestion.”
According to GuardianThis shouldn’t be the primary time that the thought of moving Thailand’s administrative capital has been floated, and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also proposed moving the executive capital to Nakhon Nayok, a province 100 km away from the capital.
There was also research into moving government offices to Chachoengsao, an agricultural center east of Bangkok.
While Indonesia’s example proves that such a move is theoretically possible, some Thai officials, resembling National Council for Economic and Social Development Secretary General Thosaporn Sirisamphand, expressed skepticism over the opportunity of such a drastic move actually happening in Thailand.
“Relocation of capital is a big problem and requires serious cooperation between various agencies,” Sirisamphand he told The Bangkok Post..
