The rate at which Bangkok government Chadchart Sittipunt runs City Hall’s affairs has been compared by observers to an old gasoline energy engine– slow to start, just to accelerate towards the end.
Mr. Chadchart faced criticism for not keeping his presidential election promises during the first half of his four-year phrase.
The politician, who largely won the highest couch at City Hall with 1.3 million vote again in 2022, has a polarized opinion of his achievement as governor, according to observers.
Before the ballot, Mr Chadchart exuded the image of a hard-working, high-calibre candidate for Bangkok’s operational best job. He made numerous pledges that would be fulfilled when in company, including a lasting remedy for the city’s persistent floods, which usually occur during the rainy season.
Nonetheless, his opponents were underwhelmed by the governor’s” dramatic” live performances, which frequently feature him riding a motorcycle while inspecting flooded streets and sois.
After some such channels, people felt turned off, slamming what they said was the mayor’s failure to adopt an effective correct for the storm problem.
The supporters of Mr. Chadchart also blasted what they claimed were unfair criticism of him, insisting that Bangkok has a myriad of structural and infrastructure problems that cannot be fixed overnight.
One of the busiest sois meandering through a dense business and residential district, the governor was criticized for a critical traffic snarl in November of last year. The jam was triggered by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s ( BMA ) closure of a partial traffic lane that had instead been converted into a bicycle lane.
The traffic chaos caused by the conversion quickly flooded into Sukhumvit and nearby roads during rush hours and all day long.
Social media caused a lot of public outcry, with numerous complaints branding the converted lane as an ill-thought-out and short-sighted plan.
The BMA immediately issued an apology, and Mr Chadchart leapt forward to defend the merits of the bicycle lane. He argued that the BMA’s initiative, which was launched in collaboration with foreign experts and embassies, represented a designation of a safe route for cycling and walking through the city.
However, the dedicated lane was not tolerated by drivers and residents, leading to traffic issues on 17 major thoroughfares and nearby Phetchaburi, Thong Lor, and Ekkamai.
Motorists reported long queues stretching as far as Victory Monument and Phatthanakan Road. Observers observed that delivery riders and motorcycles primarily used the bicycle lane rather than cyclists.
The BMA made no mistake when it removed the lane barriers, restored two-lane vehicle traffic, and maintained a shared pedestrian and bicycle path.
Mr Chadchart also apologised and admitted that urban development was prone to being marred by the “occasional missteps”.
At the time, it was anticipated that Mr. Chadchart’s popularity would decline as a result of the residents ‘ unpleasant aftertaste of their bicycle lane experiences. The underlying danger, according to critics, may be related to the voters ‘ growing concern that the bicycle lane backtrack may attest Mr. Chadchart’s propensity to get carried away with projects that affect the masses before abandoning them later.
Growing concerns and the absence of substantial achievements may have spurred the governor to get his act together. After all, the following governor’s election is scheduled for the following year.
It wasn’t until recently that MCOT News Radio reported that Mr. Chadchart had made a decision to run for re-election when his current term expires in June of that year.
His strategy is to meet residents in communities via mobile campaigns on Sundays, listen to their problems, and deal with them with a hands-on approach. Additionally, he is expected to make more strides to finish the important initiatives and policies to address persistent issues like floods, microdust pollution, traffic congestion, and refuse collection.
According to a source, Mr. Chadchart’s biggest stumbling block was not completing what he started by quickly removing the most unforgivable sin a leader has committed: graft.
The BMA, with Mr Chadchart at its helm, has had its fair share of graft allegations, including the procurement of overpriced fitness equipment and the construction of what were viewed as substandard bus stops.
The source claimed that Mr. Chadchart’s recent campaigning for “visibility” was not surprising because it appeared to have swayed his popularity.
Projects have been running since November last year, dubbed by his critics as an “early” poll-canvassing ploy.
This refers to City Hall’s success in clearing out the Lao Market, which had for years encroached on the pavement opposite Klong Toey Market. The governor then directed the attention of the illegal stalls that had been occupying the pavement outside Klong Toey Market, where vendors admitted to having bribed city thessakij inspectors to keep their businesses running.
Additionally, Mr. Chadchart made an announcement that the authorities were repressing traffic on city streets and streets that have been obstructed by abandoned vehicles.
Also, recently, the government set a goal of planting 1.06 million trees in Bangkok’s eastern suburbs by April next year.
Pheu Thai battling for space
The Pheu Thai Party-led government has decided to temporarily halt its controversial casino-entertainment complex bill in response to rising economic pressure from many nations and concentrate instead on growing concerns over Washington’s 36 % increase in import tariffs on Thai goods.
Pichai: Solutions must be’ viable’
Fears are pervasive that they could still be put in place against the kingdom despite President Donald Trump’s surprise this week, which included a 90-day pause on the tariffs for nations that chose not to retaliate.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra refrained from accusing the Thai government of using its delay as a stalling tactic in order to distract attention from the contentious bill’s controversial provisions.
Last week, Mr Trump announced a minimum 10 % tariff on imports from all countries, along with additional country-specific retaliatory tariffs. Thailand’s rate was set at 36 %, which was originally effective on April 9.
The House of Representatives was scheduled to read the bill the day before the decision to postpone it, and the same day, the new tariff rate was scheduled to go into effect before the 90-day pause.
As the government moves from a local political battle to weather broader economic storms, political analysts suggest it should not rush into any deal and must first understand what the US truly wants to achieve.
There is no need to make any concessions right now, according to Sompob Manarangsan, president of the Panyapiwat Institute of Management, and the government should look for other ways to negotiate as well.
Mr. Sompob claimed that the US Trade Representative ( USTR ), the Thai-US Chamber of Commerce, and other in-person contacts like lobbyists who are close to the US Republican Party could be used as well.
He noted that markets with larger trade volumes with the US like Japan, the European Union ( EU) and Canada will feel the brunt of the tariffs more than Thailand.
In order to divide the countries facing tariff increases, Mr. Sompob divided them into three groups: smaller nations that support the US without retaliation, those who support China, the EU, and Canada, and those who are eager to see how things turn out.
The US-China tension is rising, and it is hurting the US economy, as evidenced by the decline in US stock prices and consumer confidence. This may prompt the US to reconsider its tariff policy”, he said.
Exporting to the US must continue as usual despite the effects of the tariffs, Mr. Sompob continued, noting that all nations will experience the pinch.
The US may end up being the biggest loser, he said, because its citizens will end up paying higher prices for goods.
Somjai Phagaphasvivat, an independent political and economic analyst, said the tariff hike appears to be driven more by national security concerns than economic ones, especially against countries perceived to be aligned with China.
He noted that Vietnam and Cambodia are subject to nearly 50 % tariff increases, which is thought to be a way for China to re-export Chinese goods under their own labels.
He claimed that because Thailand is perceived as leaning toward China, it faces the threat of a 36 % tariff.
Mr Somjai said the government must adopt a multipronged approach in its negotiations with the USTR and use any leverage the country has, especially in agriculture.
He claimed that the nation might increase imports of US goods and promote its security cooperation and investment by private Thai companies in the US to lessen tensions and lessen the impact of the tariffs.
He remarked,” Don’t be a punching bag.”
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, who leads the Thai negotiation team, has admitted that settling on terms that satisfy both countries equally will not be easy.
We must fully comprehend what the US wants and what they’re attempting to fix. Although I’m willing to negotiate, we must make sure that the ideas we bring to the table are useful and achievable.
” We need to work hard to show that our proposed solutions are viable, “he said.
The trade imbalance, according to the finance minister, is a contributing factor to the US debt, which accounts for about 123 % of its GDP.
The US wants to lower its interest rates and debt. That’s why they’re pushing to correct trade imbalances and bring more manufacturing back to America,” Mr Pichai said.
Thailand’s trade surplus with the US was estimated to be greater than US$ 40 billion ($ 1.37 trillion baht ) in the previous year.