Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is the local government of Bangkok, which includes the capital of Thailand. The government is composed of two branches: the executive (or the Governor of Bangkok) and the legislative (or Bangkok Metropolitan Council). The administration's roles are to formulate and implement policies to manage Bangkok. Its purview includes transport services, urban planning, waste management, housing, roads and highways, security services, and the environment.^[1]

According to the Thailand Future Foundation, Bangkok employs a workforce of 97,000, including 3,200 municipal officers in Bangkok city, 200 in the City Law Enforcement Department, and 3,000 in district offices.^[2][3]

Departments

BMA has 70 departments in total, 50 of which are departments respective to the 50 districts of Bangkok. The rest consist of:

• The Governor of Bangkok Secretariat
• The Bangkok Metropolitan Council Secretariat
• Office of the Permanent Secretary
• Office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Civil Service Commission
• Strategy and Evaluation Department
• Medical Service Department
• Health Department
• Education Department
• Public Works Department
• Drainage and Sewerage Department
• Environment Department
• Culture, Sports and Tourism Department
• Finance Department
• City Law Enforcement Department
• Social Development Department
• Traffic and Transportation Department
• City Planning and Urban Development Department
• Fire and Rescue Department
• Budget Department
• Digital Department

City Law Enforcement Department

City Law Enforcement Department is the primary unit for overseeing security and orderliness of Bangkok with more than 3,000 quality personnel.^[4] Which has 5 important tasks which are to organize the city, Security, Traffic supervision, Tourism Administration and other special missions. Responsible for overseeing, investigating, arresting, prosecuting and enforcing Bangkok Metropolis regulations and other laws within the jurisdiction of Bangkok including operations beyond the authority of the district office or in the case of serious danger to most people.

Fire and Rescue Department

Fire and Rescue Department operates the city's fire and rescue services. The Bangkok City Council reported in February 2018 that, of Bangkok's 874 fire trucks, only 88 were in "good" condition. Another 340 were rated "only just usable", 232 were "dilapidated", and 225 were parked permanently. Firefighting boats were found to be in roughly the same shape: three of 31 vessels were ranked in "good" condition and 21 were out of service and permanently docked. The BMA's firefighting unit has not been allocated a vehicle maintenance budget for nearly 10 years.^[5] The BMA employs 1,800 firefighters as of 2018.^[6]

Medical Service Department

Medical Service Department operates 11 hospitals and is headquartered at BMA General Hospital (Klang Hospital) in Pom Prap Sattru Phai District. Other hospitals include Taksin Hospital, Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital, Sirindhorn Hospital, Lat Krabang Hospital, Luang Pho Taweesak Hospital, Wetchakarunrasm Hospital, Ratchaphiphat Hospital, Khlong Sam Wa Hospital, Bang Na Hospital and the Bang Khun Thian Geriatric Hospital. The department also operates the Erawan Medical Centre for emergency medical services.

City Planning and Urban Development Department

City Planning and Urban Development Department are divided to Secretarial Office, Town Planning Office, Urban Development and Renewal Office, Geo-Informatics Office, Town Planning Control Division, Policy and Planning Division. The department has a duty to planning of the city including planning for the development of specific areas, planning for conservation Rehabilitation and planning for urban development and also an agency for controlling, promoting and inspecting the use of land and buildings.^[7]

Navamindradhiraj University

BMA autonomously manages Navamindradhiraj University, of which the Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital and Kuakarun Faculty of Nursing are part.

Krungthep Thanakom

Krungthep Thanakom Company Limited is the BMA's holding company for public investment projects such as the concession for the BTS Skytrain and a 20 billion baht underground cable project.^[8][9]

Budget

Bangkok's FY2024 budget totals ฿90,570,138,630. Most of the budget goes to civil construction and maintenance projects.

Bangkok Metropolitan Council

The Bangkok Metropolitan Council or BMC (Thai: สภากรุงเทพมหานคร) is the legislative branch of the administration. It is vested with primary legislative powers as well as the power to scrutinize and advise the governor. The council is headed by the Chairman of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council (Thai: ประธานสภากรุงเทพมหานคร). The current chairman, since 2013, is Captain Kriangsak Lohachala.

The number of members depends on the size of Bangkok's population. One member represents one hundred thousand people. From 2010 to 2014 there were 61 members,^[10] elected from 57 constituencies (some constituencies elect more than one member) in Bangkok. Each is elected to a four-year term. The last election was held on 22 May 2022. Currently there are 50 members, with Pheu Thai making up 20 seats, Move Forward 14 seats, the Democrat Party 9 seats, Rak Krungthep 3 seats, Phalang Pracharat 2 seats and Thai Srang Thai another 2 seats.^[11]

Criticism

The Bangkok Post has made the point that, although the city suffers from the "worst traffic congestion in the world after Mexico City", 37 disparate agencies are responsible for traffic management, planning, and infrastructure. It maintains that the city government panders to personal automobile use. As evidence, it points to the city's plans to construct four new bridges across the Chao Phraya River, its runaway air pollution, its lack of green space—less than that of any other Asian capital—and its "...obsession with felling trees along Bangkok streets."^[12]

See also

• Provinces of Thailand
• Districts of Bangkok
• History of Bangkok

References

1. ^ "General Responsibilities of BMA". Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
2. ^ Sankam, Visarut (2015-10-31). "Research reveals ugly side to Bangkok life". The Nation. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
3. ^ "งานแถลงผลการศึกษาเรื่อง"10 ข้อเท็จจริงชีวิตคนกรุงเทพ"". Thailand Future Foundation. Retrieved 31 October 2015.^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "34 ปี วันสถาปนาเทศกิจ กรุงเทพมหานคร จริงจัง จริงใจ รับใช้ประชาชน". Archived from the original on 2019-12-14. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
5. ^ Wancharoen, Supoj (15 February 2018). "Study reveals woeful state of fire dept". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
6. ^ Wancharoen, Supoj (5 May 2018). "Battling through the blazes". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
7. ^ ให้เปลี่ยนชื่อสำนักผังเมือง ชื่อใหม่สำนักการวางผังและพัฒนาเมือง-แถมปรับโครงสร้าง
8. ^ Wancharoen, Supoj (30 July 2019). "Resignations dim trust in Aswin". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
9. ^ "Telecoms bosses lobby PM over Bangkok cables". The Nation. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
10. ^ "Bangkok Metropolitan Council". Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
11. ^ "สภากรุงเทพมหานคร" (in Thai). BMC. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
12. ^ "Big Problems in the City". Bangkok Post. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.

External links

• Bangkok Metropolitan Administration