THE END OF SUAN LUM NIGHT BAZAAR

The plan: Central Pattana plans to build Thailand’s tallest building with—wait for it—a hotel and a shopping mall.
What really happened: P Con Development was given the lease in 2001, opening the bazaar one year later on the site of a former military academy. When the lease expired in March 2006, the Crown Property Bureau (CPB) asked P Con to pack up and make way for Central Pattana. Despite repeated extensions, no one budged. In January 2008, a court ruled that all traders and shopkeepers must pack their bags and leave within 30 days and pay a B100-million fine to the CPB. Finally, Suan Lum is officially closing now. They are moving to the Ratchada Night Market space, but in a purpose-built mall. Ugh!

CONNECTING SOIS

The plan: In 1994, the BMA planned to link certain sois and roads that were particularly badly planned. These 25 projects included connections between sois Insaraphap 15 and 21, between Chaeng Wattana Soi 14 and Soi Kosum Samakki and between Udomsuk soi 28 and 42.
What really happened: Faced with fierce local opposition and negative media coverage, the BMA, without officially abandoning its plans, has backed off.

RATCHADAMNOEN ROAD REVAMP

The plan: Beautify the “Champs Elysées” of Bangkok, by turning the avenue into a landmark befitting the City of Angels. Launched in 2001 under Thaksin, the 13-billion baht project included a walkway under Democracy Monument and a revamp of the sidewalks and surrounding buildings.
What really happened: The Rattanokosin Committee, the BMA and activists are still fighting over the fate of local communities in the area. The good news: for the King’s coming birthday, there is a project to use some illuminations along the avenue.

BOBAE MAKEOVER

The plan: In hopes of easing the traffic and beautifying the area, the BMA planned to drive away the vendors who illegally set up stalls on the sides of Krungkasem Road, along Klong Mahanak, as well as on Bobae Bridges 1-4.
What really happened: After numerous fights and debates on the front pages of newspapers, on May 23, 2007, HM the King gave a piece of royal property worth B9 million to create a cooperative for Bobae vendors. The sellers were to set up shop there while an underground market with a budget of B800 million would be built. Although there’s been some cleaning up on one side of the road, next to Klong Mahanak—trees, a new pavement, a pretty green iron fence—no digging is taking place.

UNDER-EXPRESSWAY DEVELOPMENT

The idea: The BMA realized it had overlooked precious plots of land lying in the shadows of the expressways of Bangkok. Some 90 plots of land, a total of 551 rai, are scattered under the expressways, most of it in a state of neglect.
What happened: Sixty three plots were to be handed over to the BMA to fight the trash and squatters that have accumulated under most of them. Deputy Governor Pichai Chaipojpanich, who was to head the commission established to organize these plots, resigned. And everyone forgot about the whole thing. Today, there are only a handful of succesfully developed zones of this type.