Thai PBS has joined forces with a network of civil society partners and urban experts to launch "Next Station: The Future of Bangkok" - a public engagement campaign inviting Bangkok residents to help shape the future of their city ahead of the 2026 Bangkok gubernatorial election. The campaign was unveiled at a press conference on Friday, 29th May 2026 at Siam Paragon.
The Active by Thai PBS, together with its partner network, also hosted the "BANGKOK ACTIVE Networking" forum which opened the floor to both in-person attendees and online viewers, inviting them to share their opinions and propose ideas for urban development in real time through the Mentimeter application. The forum brought city residents together to brainstorm and drive small-scale public policy ideas, as a lead-up to "BANGKOK ACTIVE ELECTION 2026", a festival inviting the public to help design the future of Bangkok, running from 19–21 June at Lumpini Park.
Somchai Bhudachandra, Deputy Director General of Thai PBS for Content, said the upcoming Bangkok election is a defining moment for the city's future — and Thai PBS is committed to playing its part.
Bangkok has come a long way, and it has the potential to go much further — if everyone has a seat at the table,
Next Station is a place for people to look at their city from a new angle, ask hard questions, exchange ideas, and decide together what the next stop should look like.
Working alongside urban designers, researchers, civil society organisations, and urban professionals, Thai PBS will bring diverse perspectives to the public in accessible and engaging formats.
Somchai added that Thai PBS places great importance on creating open, creative public spaces where society can explore solutions together. A key highlight of the campaign is a series of eight public forums organised by Thai PBS's Sathanee Prachachon (People's Station) programme. Five sessions under the banner "Candidates Come to the People's Station" will give Bangkok governor candidates the floor to share their visions directly with the public:
- 9 June — Dr. Mallika Boonmeetrakool Mahasook (Independent)
- 10 June — M.L. Kornkasiwat Kasemsri (Independent)
- 11 June — Komsan Phanwichatkun (Independent)
- 12 June — Anucha Burapachaisri (Democrat Party)
- 15 June — Chaiwat Sathawornwichit (People's Party)
In addition, three "People's Station on the Road" community forums will take the conversation directly into Bangkok's neighbourhoods, listening to residents and opening space for dialogue on the city's future:
- 16 June — "Mahachon" Forum on quality of life and inequality, in Khlong Toei District
- 23 June — "Mahaphai" Forum on safety and pollution, in Phaya Thai District
- 25 June — "Mahasamut" Forum on the chronic flooding that Bangkok communities face year after year, along the Chao Phraya River in Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok Noi, and Bang Phlat Districts
The series of public forum form parts of the broader Mahachon – Mahaphai – Mahasamut (People – Perils – Ocean) documentary news series, which examines Bangkok's most pressing urban challenges across three dimensions: its people and communities, the city's vulnerabilities and risks, and the larger forces of change bearing down on it — from environmental crises and urban disasters to inequality, quality of life, and deep structural pressures. The series is grounded in data, fieldwork, and voices from across the city.
Public opinion will also be captured through an online survey, "Bangkok’s Voice: Listening to the People of the Metropolis," tracking the hopes, concerns and priorities of Bangkok residents throughout the campaign period. All coverage will be woven into Thai PBS's regular news programming.
On election night, Thai PBS will build on the success of its previous election coverage with a dedicated website offering comprehensive, real-time results for both the Bangkok gubernatorial race and all 50 Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMA Council) districts, presented through clear data visualisations. The platform will also feature a Tracking Poll, an AI chatbot inviting the capital’s people to review their city and share their vision for its future, and English-language coverage via Thai PBS World for international audiences.
Thai PBS's social and public policy unit, The Active, has also partnered with the Urban Design and Development Centre (UddC) and WeVis to build "BANGKOK ACTIVE with Data" - a major open data resource drawing on 20 years of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration records to illuminate the city's real challenges across traffic, urban planning and inequality. The data, visualised in accessible formats, was presented at the launch by three leading experts: Aruchita Auttamapokin, Communication Innovation Manager at Thai PBS’s The Active, Adisak Guntamueanglee, urban geographer and Deputy Director of UddC, and Thanisara Ruangdej, CEO of Punch Up and WeVis.
The launch also featured a "BANGKOK ACTIVE Networking" forum - a mini policy brainstorm session bringing together civil society voices and next-generation leaders, including Duangrak Lertmangmee of the Why I Why Foundation, content creator association president Khajorn Chiaranaipanich (known online as @Khajochi), urban design expert and we!park founder Yossapon Boonsom and policy influencer Jameekorn Aumnatphook from Chiang Mai University's Public Policy Institute. Participants and online viewers shared ideas in real time via the Mentimeter interactive platform, moderated by Nattaya Waewveerakoupt, Director of the Social Agenda and Public Policy Communication Centre (The Active) at Thai PBS.
The campaign continues with BANGKOK ACTIVE ELECTION 2026, a three-day public event on 19th–21st June at Lumpini Park, and a Bangkok Governor Debate on 18th June, at which candidates will present their policies and visions for the city.
Follow all election coverage, in-depth data and live results via Thai PBS Channel 3 and at www.thaipbs.or.th/BKKElection69
