A sand-carrying barge on the Chao Phraya could be converted into a "floating park" to add another recreational option for the city's residents and visitors as they take in sweeping views of the riverbanks and beyond.
It would include stops at key historic sites and old communities so visitors can plan a memorable itinerary for their trip on the water.
That was one of the top ideas presented at the ongoing Bangkok Design Week 2018, which kicked off on Jan 27 and wraps up tomorrow at the Thailand Creative & Design Centre.
"Our team came up with the idea because we'd like to attract both the public and private sector to have their say on this option to offer more green space to the public in an era when sizeable green space is difficult to find," Yossapon Boonsom, director of Shma Co, a landscape company, told the Bangkok Post.
According to his plan the barge would measure 32 metres in length and be 8m wide, offering a recreational space of 19m by 6.5m stocked with plants, a playground and an exhibition zone.
Mr Yossapon said his team wants this design to become a model that any government agency or private company could adopt and scale up or down.
The team claims it could be done for 2 million baht: half for the barge and half for the renovation work.
The Marine Department would need to get involved to resolve issues such as docking areas, he said.
And the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) could write a list of stops along the way, incorporating both historic hot spots and living communities, he added.
Private companies already operating tourism businesses such as Asiatique and Tha Maharaj, a shopping mall in Bangkok's historic Old City, could work with government bodies to flesh out the itinerary, Mr Yossapon said.
"We think the floating-park service should be free and the barge should use the same route as cruise ships operated by hotels along the river," he said.
While acknowledging the negative impact the barge could potentially have on the local environment, or in terms of causing further congestion on the river, Mr Yossapon said such problems could be minimised with proper planning and management.
For example, scheduling changes could resolve docking issues so that certain areas get "days off", he said.
"Ideally, people could enjoy a new kind of Chao Phraya River cruise for the first time as a result of a very small investment," said Mr Yossapon.
The average ratio of green space per capita in Bangkok is estimated at just 6.18 square metres, or 10 times lower than Singapore (66 sq m), he said.
The barge could become even more multipurpose, doubling (or tripling) as a floating exhibition hall, a power-generation station -- if fitted with solar panels -- a floating library, and so forth, he suggested.
Potential stops could include the new parliament complex, the Bank of Thailand Learning Centre, or development projects such as Tha Tian, Kadi Chin, Charoen Krung, Tha Maharaj or LHONG 1919, Mr Yossapon said.
Other sites of interest include ICON Siam, Asiatique, Yodpiman River Walk, Pak Khlong Talat, the Bangkok observation tower project and the Ban Pun, Mit Kham and Wat Thewarat Khunchon communities, he said.
Adding more green space to this bustling city is always a primary concern of City Hall despite the obvious limits on space that can be repurposed in this way for Bangkok's residents, said Deputy Bangkok governor Chakkaphan Phewngam, in charge of the BMA's environmental affairs.
"This floating park idea is brilliant. But it's also important to think about how to prevent any possible negative impact of the barge on the environment and on regular boat transport on the Chao Phraya River," the design chief said.
"The safety of visitors at the floating park is another major concern that needs ironing out," he said.
"Sustainable management of the floating park would also be crucial to ensure it has a long shelf-life."
Designers claim it would cost 2 million baht to turn a barge into a multi-purpose 'floating park' that could double as a garden, playground or even an exhibition zone. photos by Apichit Jinakul
