Thailand has embraced the agenda of smart cities, with promises of hope for better urban futures. It is not always clear what is meant by a "smart city" but the agenda in Thailand is presented as being founded on seven core pillars -- Environment, Economy, Mobility, Governance, Living, People and Energy, with promises to improve people's quality of life, reduce inequality, and create prosperity, security, and sustainability.
Importantly, the Smart Governance pillar offers "to make governance fair and transparent, and also encouraging people's participation". These are commitments that are much needed in Thailand, but the planning process of smart cities appears to exclude the majority of urban citizens and is a long way from being transparent or accountable, and with no meaningful participation in how cities are shaped or for whose benefit.
Cities are fundamentally sites of people, culture, knowledge, and politics. But people and their needs have been largely neglected in urban planning. People in cities are not just individuals but people living together, creating communities, and sharing spaces and opportunities. Yet urban citizens have been invisible, rarely consulted and often obliged to navigate the consequences of bad planning as best they can.
