Within five years Bangkok could be the world’s next mega-city

Bangkok could be the world’s next mega-city 88property

Within five years, Bangkok’s metro systems will open up unprecedented spaces in the city

Bangkok is on the cusp of emerging as the world’s next mega-city, industry experts said at the “Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2018”

Wikipedia defines a megacity is a very large city, typically with a metropolitan population in excess of 10 million people. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2014 “World Urbanization Prospects” report counted urban agglomerations having over 10 million inhabitants. 

As of 2017, there are 47 megacities in existence. Most of these urban agglomerations are in China and other countries of Asia. The largest are the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Shanghai, and Jakarta, each having over 30 million inhabitants.

Within five years, the rapid expansion of Bangkok’s metro systems will succeed in opening up unprecedented spaces in the city, and with it huge opportunities for the travel and tourism industry,  said industry experts said at the “Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2018”.

This has not been lost on one of Thailand’s most prominent real-estate developers, Sansiri, which will bring one of the most dynamic New York hospitality brands – The Standard – to Bangkok in a major foray into hospitality as it seeks to bring new cutting-edge brands to the capital.

Sansiri chief executive officer Apichart Chutrakul gave the keynote interview to open TTF 2018 on the theme of “MEGACITY BANGKOK – A Tourism and Hotel Futurescape” to a packed ballroom of almost 700 travel industry delegates from Thailand and across the region at the InterContinental Bangkok. In his opening remarks, TTF 2018 co-organiser and managing director of C9 Hotelworks Bill Barnett, said: “In five short years the electric metro across greater Bangkok will reach a length of 464 kilometres. This will surpass London, which stands at 402km with the Underground, and New York City’s Subway, which measures 380km. The great promise of the East has now become the new West. Important will be the access to three international, interconnected airports – Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao.”

Megacity Bangkok – A reality soon?

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Credit – Thailand Business News