Bangkok: Mr. Mongkolkitt Suksintharanon, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the "Bangkok Can Fly" group, along with Mr. Pasapong Chaiwirinwanich, the group's candidate for Bangkok Governor, and their deputy governors, visited Siam Paragon and Siam Square to meet with the public and present policies to address the economic hardships of Bangkok residents.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Pasapong revealed that the "Bangkok Can Fly" group has key policies aimed at solving traffic congestion, PM 2.5 pollution, and the high cost of living. The group is particularly focused on assisting delivery riders, street vendors, and informal workers through loan guarantee programs to facilitate easier access to funding. Mr. Pasapong urged the public to consider supporting the "Bangkok Can Fly" group in the upcoming Bangkok gubernatorial election.
Mr. Mongkolkitt addressed complaints from rider groups about platforms deducting as much as 25-40% per delivery. He plans to develop the TEM7 application to help reduce these fees, aiming for deductions of only about 5%, thereby increasing riders' income. Additionally, he proposed providing low-interest loans to approximately 170,000 motorcycle taxi drivers, tuk-tuk drivers, and other public transport drivers. Each person would be eligible for a loan of 50,000 baht at an interest rate of around 2-3% per year, with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration acting as guarantor to improve their liquidity during the economic slowdown.
There are also policies to assist street vendors by offering low-interest loans to prevent them from resorting to informal lending. The Bangkok Aviation Group currently has over 30 policies, including the establishment of a "dating agency" for Bangkok residents. This initiative aims to help single people find partners through an AI-powered matching system, with offices in various districts coordinating information and arranging meetings.
Mr. Mongkolkitt also discussed the management of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's budget, totaling over 120 billion baht. He emphasized scrutinizing all procurement projects to reduce unnecessary spending and corruption, thereby redirecting funds to improve public welfare. Another policy aims to support educational expenses for approximately 900,000 children aged 0-18 by providing a daily allowance of 100 baht on school days, amounting to about 2,000 baht per month, to alleviate the financial burden on parents.
Additionally, Mr. Mongkolkitt proposed measures to improve the city's landscape, such as organizing power and communication cables and cleaning up canals like Khlong Saen Saep and Khlong Prem Prachakorn. He also suggested studying the feasibility of collecting a "land entry fee" from tourists entering Bangkok through Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, with the revenue aimed at enhancing residents' quality of life.
Reporters noted that the field visit to Paragon and Siam Square attracted significant attention, particularly from teenagers and students. Many requested to take photos with the reporters, and some even asked to pose as cats for content. A child inquired about the appearance of dinosaurs and expressed a desire to send people to Mars.