Former Deputy Bangkok Governor Chakkaphan Phewngam and deputy leader of the Kla party, Pimuk Simaroj have been invited to join the new administration of Bangkok Governor-elect Chadchart Sittipunt.
Chadchart explained today (Friday) that one of the reasons for the recruitment of Chakkaphan is because he also gets up at 4am every day, so they can discuss work before going to the office.
The governor-elect was accompanied by Chakkaphan and Pimuk, currently chairman of Susco Public Company, when they inspected a third of a hectare of privately-owned land near Wong Sawang intersection, close to the Purple Line railway station, after reports emerged that the landowner may donate the space to be converted into a public park.
Chadchart told the media that he worked with Pimuk for quite a long time and only discovered recently that he is a deputy leader of the Kla party, led by former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij.
As a businessman and a politician, he said he is confident that they will form a good team along with Chakkaphan and others.
Chadchart said his idea of increasing green spaces in Bangkok for public benefit will benefit from planned tax reductions for landowners who donate or lease their unused land to the city administration to be converted into public parks, adding that some laws will have to be amended to make this possible.
He hinted that, in the future, zoning, in accordance with town and city planning, may be taken into consideration in determining the rates of land and property taxation.
There are currently 37 public parks in Bangkok, but most of them are pocket-sized. Popular parks include Lumpini, Rod Fai, Chatuchak, Benjakitti, Benchasiri, Rama IX, Queen Sirikit and the Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park.
During the visit, he greeted some road sweepers and told them what his administration will try to improve their welfare and hire them as permanent employees, so they would be eligible for some fringe benefits.
Chadchart won the May 22nd gubernatorial election by landslide.