Bangkok's about to lose one of its rare green spaces, with Rama 3 Park set to close on Jun 28

The 29-rai park, which sits on the bank of the Chao Phraya River in Yannawa/Sathorn, was opened to commemorate the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 72nd birthday in 2000.

However, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) has announced the park will now close to become part of an expressway project running from Rama 3 Road and Dao Khanong to the Western Outer Ring Road.

According to The Nation, EXAT plans to transform the park into a workers’ camp and storage zone for machinery used in the construction of the 16.9km expressway.

Approximately 2,000 people are reported to use the park daily, and many are not very happy at the news. 

In protest, a petition has been launched on Change.org under the lead of Mr. Tanongsak Manotamraksa that's already garnered over 2,300 signatures.

Today, petition leaders were scheduled to meet with EXAT officials to clarify the future of this green space.