Bangkok’s youth council meets for first time to exchange innovative ideas
Bangkok launched its very “city youth council” on Sunday to harness the new generation’s ideas on what can be done to make the capital better.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Youth Council met for the first time on Sunday at City Hall 2 in Din Daeng. Presiding over the meeting was Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
Deputy Bangkok governor Sanon Wangsrangboon told the press that the council was established to represent the youth, who have been offering ideas and seeking to work with the city administration over the past few years.
“Some of these ideas are useful, but not yet viable. So the city decided to collaborate with the Children and Youth Council of Bangkok to explore, exchange and improve on these ideas,” he said.
Sanon added that the new council will meet every three months to discuss proposals made by young people through online and offline channels.
The council will accept input from Bangkokians aged 15 to 35, regardless of where they originate from.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration also plans to establish a model city to experiment with the ideas proposed by the youth council before developing them into a policy that can be implemented in a real-world setting, Sanon added.
The meeting on Sunday launched the “Better Bangkok Discord” online platform to accept input from youths in the city. Three policies were also proposed and discussed, namely increasing student participation in schools, inclusive public space for co-learning and a campaign to provide free STD testing kits.
In his closing speech, Chadchart said the council will serve as a stage for youth and children in the city to communicate their ideas and opinions with adults, and he believes it will further expand to the district level in the future.
“The city will be passed on to the next generation, and today we have a good start. It is a long journey, so we must start accumulating experience now to make Bangkok a truly liveable city for all,” he added.
