Seminar boosts upgrading of urban areas as smart cities
Players in the development of smart cities talk about what has been done so far and how artificial intelligence will play an even greater role in the future
Smart city development should be eco-friendly, transparent and improve people’s quality of life, experts told the “Thailand Smart City Expo 2025” seminar organised on Tuesday by the Nation Group’s PostToday and Springnews.
The seminar encouraged knowledge exchange among the public and private sectors on smart city development, with a focus on environmental preservation and achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
Chula Sukmanop, secretary-general of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO), said the office aims to attract foreign investment to the EEC centred on developing bio-circular-green industries and infrastructure.
He said the office is planning to develop the EEC Capital City, which will highlight the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms to ensure an environmentally friendly ecosystem.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said smart city development in the capital focuses on adopting technology to meet residents’ demand, noting that the AI-powered Traffy Fondue application had significantly boosted Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s transparency and working efficiency.
BMA has also adopted open data to allow people to monitor the administration’s budget and policies online, he explained, adding that the administration is developing infrastructure to ensure smooth travel in the capital.
“I think a real smart city means the adoption of appropriate technology which allows people to solve issues equally,” he said.
Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Prasert Jantararuangthong confirmed that the government is committed to developing the digital economy and smart cities to boost Thailand’s competitiveness, ensure data security and improve people’s quality of life.
He said the City Data Platform project will collect data to support the development of 175 cities nationwide. AI will play an important role in smart city development in terms of transportation, energy and city planning, he said.
The ministry has collaborated with the Board of Investment on attracting investment from large tech companies to make Thailand more liveable, he added.
