Partnership between UK and Thailand to help create smarter cities

As part of plans for broader cooperation between the UK and Thai governments on smart cities, the UK government and the Thai Ministry of Digital Economy and Society have launched a Smart City Handbook. 

The handbook outlines the environment of smart cities around Thailand as well as provides examples of some UK projects and expertise in smart cities.

 Key challenges

Urbanization is one of the key challenges of the century, the UK government says. 

In a statement, the UK government said that, through urban planning and the integration of smart technologies with open data and user-centered design, the country is seeking to create the cities of the future. 

Recent research suggests that almost a third of the urban areas of the United Kingdom with populations over 100,000 currently have smart programs planned.

The handbook is part of a series of activities announced to support Thai-UK joint work on smart cities.

Other activities the UK is planning include:

• Continuing projects with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration under the UK Global Future Cities Program to create an improved flood management system for Lad Phrao; to plan a data center to support the collection and use of data for decision-making in Bangkok, and to develop a construction masterplan for the Khlong Bang Luang and Bang Wa BTS stations in Bangkok.

• UK-hosted workshops of smart cities in Chiang Mai, Chonburi, and Khon Kaen. 

• Under the UK's Software Export Academy for the Asia Pacific, Thailand was also selected as a focus market, which will see 30 British smart city companies undertake a trade mission to Thailand next year.

• The Digital Trade Network was revealed earlier in June 2020, with Thailand identified as one of the focal markets. The three-year pilot program aims to develop the digital technology capability of the United Kingdom, as well as to support digital trade and investment opportunities in Thailand.

Brian Davidson, Her Majesty's Ambassador to Thailand, said: "I hope that the launch of the Smart City Handbook and on-the-ground expertise, as part of the Digital Exchange Network will provide the foundations for future cooperation, sharing of experience and expertise between the United Kingdom and Thailand in smart city areas."

"We look forward to hosting British businesses next year for a trade mission at the Software Export Academy."

SORCE: Smart Cities World