Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 10.539 million as of 2020, 15.3 percent of the country's population. Thailand has taken positive steps towards realising a digital economy and the development of smart cities is a priority. This is in line with the government’s Thailand 4.0 initiative which aims to see the country prosper as a high-income nation with an economy dependent on innovation and value-based industries.
Smart City Projects
Towards a smart and sustainable City
One of the main aspects of a smart city is the construction of energy efficient buildings. Park Ventures Ecoplex which houses the Okura Prestige Hotel in Bangkok’s Central Business district was the first building in the city to be accorded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum rating.
Its achievement has become the yardstick for other energy efficient buildings in the city. According to the 20 Year Energy Efficiency Development Plan (2011-2030), Thailand aims to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent in 2030. This would require companies to adopt more stringent steps to reduce energy use in their buildings.
Earlier this year, Thailand’s Energy Policy Administration Committee approved a new building energy code (BEC), applicable to buildings with an area greater than 10,000 square metres. The regulations, which govern power usage of air conditioning systems, lighting and hot water, are expected to slash electricity consumption by 10 percent. Over the next 20 years, the BEC is estimated to save approximately US$1.5 billion of the nation’s power bill.
City Media Center
Bangkok moves up in Smart City rankings
Bangkok took four steps up the global rankings of Smart Cities in results released last week by Helsinki’s Institute for Management Development and the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
2022-07-12
