Two million trees strong: Bangkok battles a legacy of concrete
The campaign isn't just about planting trees in parks. Greenery is cropping up in some surprising places such as empty plots without buildings, railway tracks, sidewalks, central reservations, under expressways, elevated rail lines, in open areas near buildings and along the waterfront.
BangkokTree, launched in June 2022 by Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, was framed as a green beautification project and a statement that promises to tackle air pollution, reduce urban heat and reconnect Bangkokians with nature. That first one-million-tree goal was met in just two years. Today, Bangkok is charging towards its next milestone.
Bangkok's problems with heat and haze aren't new. The city regularly ranks high for PM2.5 pollution and its concrete-heavy sprawl keeps absorbing and radiating heat. So while two million trees sound impressive, the truth is that scale and strategy matter. It's not all about planting trees, perhaps planting the right trees, in the right places and ensuring they survive. A sapling planted along a pavement might check the box on paper but it would not always grow into a carbon-guzzling, shade-giving giant. Maintenance is the key.
Compare that to Singapore, an urban greening city. With around 66 square metres of green space per person, the city-state has transformed itself into a vertical garden with green rooftops and more. Bangkok, by contrast, offers roughly six square metres per person, which becomes a reminder that planting alone doesn't equal transformation. That's why Bangkok's greening efforts need to go beyond the ground. Transforming rooftops into gardens, converting abandoned lots into pocket parks and rewilding canal banks into leafy corridors are a few ways the city could expand its green spaces.
The capital is counting toward three million trees planted however the real measure of success won't be in numbers. It'll be in shade that lasts, air that's cleaner and neighbourhoods that feel a little less like concrete ovens. Bangkok doesn't just need more trees. It needs a green strategy, one rooted in science, inclusivity and care.
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Time Out
01-08-2025
- Time Out
Two million trees strong: Bangkok battles a legacy of concrete
Bangkok once prided itself on being the 'Venice of the East,' with canals flanked by trees and shaded walkways. Decades of rapid urbanisation, road expansion and real estate pressure saw much of that greenery disappear. By the early 2000s, green cover in central districts was shrinking fast and today, the Big Mango is a very concrete jungle. But change is on the horizon with a campaign called BangkokTree. It could be a major step forward for the capital, with over two million trees already planted across the city. According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), this includes 1.1 million perennial plants, 690,000 shrubs and 180,000 vines and crawlers. The goal now is shifting to hit three million plants. BangkokTree is pursuing a future where the air is fresher, the streets are cooler and city life is gentler. The campaign isn't just about planting trees in parks. Greenery is cropping up in some surprising places such as empty plots without buildings, railway tracks, sidewalks, central reservations, under expressways, elevated rail lines, in open areas near buildings and along the waterfront. BangkokTree, launched in June 2022 by Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, was framed as a green beautification project and a statement that promises to tackle air pollution, reduce urban heat and reconnect Bangkokians with nature. That first one-million-tree goal was met in just two years. Today, Bangkok is charging towards its next milestone. Bangkok's problems with heat and haze aren't new. The city regularly ranks high for PM2.5 pollution and its concrete-heavy sprawl keeps absorbing and radiating heat. So while two million trees sound impressive, the truth is that scale and strategy matter. It's not all about planting trees, perhaps planting the right trees, in the right places and ensuring they survive. A sapling planted along a pavement might check the box on paper but it would not always grow into a carbon-guzzling, shade-giving giant. Maintenance is the key. Compare that to Singapore, an urban greening city. With around 66 square metres of green space per person, the city-state has transformed itself into a vertical garden with green rooftops and more. Bangkok, by contrast, offers roughly six square metres per person, which becomes a reminder that planting alone doesn't equal transformation. That's why Bangkok's greening efforts need to go beyond the ground. Transforming rooftops into gardens, converting abandoned lots into pocket parks and rewilding canal banks into leafy corridors are a few ways the city could expand its green spaces. The capital is counting toward three million trees planted however the real measure of success won't be in numbers. It'll be in shade that lasts, air that's cleaner and neighbourhoods that feel a little less like concrete ovens. Bangkok doesn't just need more trees. It needs a green strategy, one rooted in science, inclusivity and care.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
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DR MAX: This insatiable demand for higher doctors' pay looks tawdry and cynical. It makes me want to rip up my BMA membership card
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The Guardian
30-03-2025
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‘I must have hope': the families waiting for news of loved ones after Bangkok tower collapse
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