The Birth of Bangkok Forum

Bangkok Forum is a loosely-formed citizens’ or civic group. It has not been legally registered to enable the group to be flexible and responsive to the needs of its members. Members can freely choose to participate in the group’s activities or not with no obligation.

The founding members would like the new-found group to be a forum where Bangkok citizens discuss and exchange ideas no issues relating to the development of the city and those that affect their lives. Particular concerns involve centralization of power of the government both at national and local levels and the lack of mechanisms to allow public participation in the government’s decision-making process.

Bangkok Forum is not a non-governmental organization (NGO) in its traditional sense. It does not volunteer to take action on behalf of the Bangkok people. It is meant to be a forum for concerned citizens to get together and brainstorm to arrive at possible solutions to Bangkok’s problems through collective action.

This also serves as a self-education process. Education is a key word, for education generates awareness which, it is hoped, will lead to action. Through seminars, discussion, and brainstorming, participants will exchange information on various issues affecting their lives and become aware of causes of problems which should motivate them to take action that will improve their quality of life.

Bangkok Forum also whishes to serve as a catalyst in an intellectual process to come up with a vision for future Bangkok, to make Bangkok a city fit for human lives, in other words a process to “humanize Bangkok”.

While Bangkok Forum is devoted to working on issues that affect all Bangkok residents in terms of immediate (hot) as well as long-term, structural issues, its target group is the Bangkok middle class. It may be asked why we chose to target this upwardly mobile group. The answer is that low-income people, particularly slum dwellers, have already had organized themselves in many areas as well as receiving assistance from several NGOs. While the Bangkok middle class faces no economic hardship, it as a whole has no representation in terms of groups advocating “sustainable urban development”. (It is possible that the middle class in Bangkok lacks the “moral force” and is more concerned about its own economic interest.)

The conception of Bangkok Forum originated from casual meeting during the months of February and March 1994 among a small group of academicians and political activists. They talked with concern about the conditions in the Thai society which showed signs that they might return to those which existed prior to the eruption of violence in the “Black May” incident in 1993.

Public perception of the government had deteriorated, frustration and disappointment increased. At the time, the government coalition were composed of political parties whom the public often referred to as the “angelic” parties for the reason that they either supported the people’s movement or stayed neutral during the days leading to the bloody confrontation. Expectations thus were high that they would implement various reforms which would further democratize the nation.

But this they failed to do. They ignored public desires for political reform, decentralization of power, right to information, and public participation in the government’s decision-making process on development plans which have direct impact on their lives. The plan to construct an expressway through the 200-year-old community of Ban Krua, the construction of an elevated electric train, and the plan to construct highways on both sides of Chao Phraya River are but a few examples of such plans which have been decided without public participation.

Active citizens who are aware and interested in political development, but who do not wish to get involved directly in party politics, should have a role in the public decision-making process that has direct impact on social, cultural and environmental conditions of Bangkok. The government, or rather those who control the state mechanisms, should not be the only ones to have the decision-making power.

Chaiwat Thiraphantu and Dr. Peter Traub related to the founding group about the role of civic groups in Germany in the development of “participative” democracy. There are more than 30,000 such groups, called “Buerger initiative” groups, in that country. They laid the foundation for an open or civic society that Germany has become.

The group agreed that this form of civilian initiative group is appropriate for the development of a modern society. Thus, Bangkok Forum was formed in April 1994 with

Khun Chaiwat as coordinator. Currently, the group has 16 “core” members from various walks of life, including doctor, academicians, businessmen, lawyers, and journalists.

After over a year of operation, Bangkok Forum has been able to attract more than 200 people who applied for membership, some of whom also expressed interest to be volunteers. Members come from a broad range of professions, including journalists, social activists, teachers, academicians, students, government workers, company employees, businessmen, and private entrepreneurs. Most of them, about 90 percent, either have college education or are attending colleges.

Initially, activities focused on organizing seminars on decentralization of government power to the local level and direct democracy, using examples from other countries such as Germany and Switzerland. Later on, public discussion centering on “hot” issues were organized to arouse public interest in problematic projects, such as the plan to construct highways on both sides of Chao Phraya River and the construction of an elevated electric train.

Bangkok Forum has also initiated activities aiming at stimulating a re-thinking process on the middle class’s lifestyle and value system. Bangkok’s middle class not only indulge in conspicuous consumption, submitting to the power of advertisement. They have been political consumers as well in the sense that they would wait for the authorities to keep order in the society or solve problems for them rather than taking active part in doing things by and for themselves. It is from such behaviors that the political culture of passive consumerism and passive citizenship accumulates.

In an attempt to address this particular aspect of the middle class’s way of life, Bangkok Forum has organized a public discussion-cum-fair called “Smart Consuming, Smart Entertaining: Creating an Alternative Cultural Network”. It was to explore alternatives of living a modern life that are “environment-friendly” and not detrimental to the natural development of culture.

The variety of activities may make it seem as if Bangkok Forum has no direction of its own. But the fact is we have a definite aim to stir up Bangkokians to get involved politically in a participative democracy style. An emphasis is placed on brainstorming process and joint action, using various social tools, particularly culture and art, as media to attract public participation. In this way, it is hoped that a political culture whereby citizens become active would evolve.

A normal practice, now and in the past, in organizing an activity begins with a consultation within the core member group to arrive at an agreement on the theme, direction, and goal. Then, potential “partners” are identified and approached to be co-organizers. Normally, partners can be found among various NGOs or groups in universities. In the future, Bangkok Forum aims to enter into joint action with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in carrying out certain projects of benefit to the public at large.

No organization is without constraints or limitations. For Bangkok Forum, the most frustrating constraints include, among others, the inertia and consumption behaviors of Bangkokians who refuse to take an active role in protecting their own rights and interests as well as the notorious traffic congestion which often discourages people from participating in various activities even on holidays and Sundays.

Nevertheless, we try to make its activities interesting and attractive to be worthwhile enough to draw people out of their homes. It is our intent to make the activities “entertaining”, informative and stimulating.

So far, it can be said that our efforts have been satisfactory based on the number of participants in each event and the interest shown by various media which cover our activities on a regular basis.