ASA CREW VOL.9

or double track railway. We have prepared the master
- The E-San Corridor along Highway No. 2 to the west
Additionally, Nakhon Ratchasima, as the economic
plan for the operation and the local agencies are well
of urban Nakhon Ratchasima is the consolidation, distri-
gate of E-San, still has to continue its role as identified by
aware and
driven to make the development of people’s
bution and service hub between the northeastern region
the national, provincial and regional policies as well as the
quality of life really happen. The private sector is eager to
and metropolitan areas. It will also function as an integrative
province’s own developmental plans as follows:
invest in land development projects around the transport
tourism area, especially Seekew district, which will become
The role of the province in the national scale is
stations and hubs. The lands around the stations have
the center of personnel and products from the area where
attained from the economic products and structure it is
been designed to combine the functionality of a commercial
two different bordering regions It will be developed into
able to create including its status as the nationally signif-
center, retail shops, residential projects and these are the
one of the country’s most important warehouse districts
icant producer of agricultural products and operators of
potential areas of high job opportunities. The existence of
where massive volume of products are stored and distributed.
energy plant processing industry including alternative
E-San, as we know it, is changing. With the arrival of
mass transport system that will turn the northeastern
region of Thailand into an urbanized society, what does
the future hold for E-San and how should the architects
of the region take part in this major development?
Wichien Chantaranothai
The Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima Province
Could you explain the future of E-San in the big picture,
what do you think the region is going to evolve into and
in which direction with the coming of mass transport
infrastructures such as the double track railway, the
high speed train network and the motorway?
E-San is transitioning into a new dimension of
development. It’s a reflection of the future expansion of
investment that will steer the region towards urbanization.
It will transform the society, way of life and consumption
identity of E-San people. In addition, the neighbor countries
who share their borders with Thailand such as Lao PDR
and Cambodia will see a continual economic growth
while the plan to facilitate the interconnected network of
Thailand’s transportation system can help strengthen
E-San’s potential and growth in the coming years.
In the past several years, E-San thrives as an area of
high investment potential. This goes into an opposite
direction with the investment tendency of the country
economic hub such as Bangkok whose growth has begun
to reach the plateau. Such tendency are complemented
with E-San’s capabilities from workforce to the region’s
expansive land, not to mention that it’s a massive market
with incredible potential to grow. E-San also has Chaiyaphoom
as the strategic province where goods can be distributed
to the neighbor countries. All and all, E-San has much more
room to grow and develop its potential, especially with
the government’s vehement support in the development
of its infrastructure.
The next step is the investments led by the government
and private sector that will significantly propel the economy
of the region. Such support will lead to the turning point
in the region’s economy, which will eventually enable
urbanization and consumption growth as well as cross-border
commerce in the era of ACE’s free trade agreement while
the obstructions that once prevent the connection
between Thailand and the neighbor countries have been
reconciled. As a result, with E-San’s potential to move
forward, it can be estimated that economy of this northeastern
region of will revolve around the expansion of retail
and wholesale business, providers healthcare services
including construction material and real-estate development
industry, which are speculated to grow in accordance
with the region’s urbanization. The role of transportation
business will rise as a key supporter and facilitator of the
business sector, including local consumers and tourists.
While the weak points of E-San are water shortage,
drought, flood, soil quality, poverty and malnutrition of the
population, the region is well equipped in education
infrastructure with standardized educational and research
institutes. In order for E-San to head towards the future
of stability, prosperity and sustainability, these basic
problems need to be resolved along with consistent
research and development. Technologies, innovations and
creativity must be incorporated to reinforce the region’s
economic strength that will enable E-San grow to its
fullest potential. E-San needs to search for opportunities
to bring together the knowledge, outside capitals, technologies
and innovations to help propel its development.
It needs to make the best use of the development of
mass transportation infrastructure that will connect E-San
to the more expansive network of transportation systems
and the country’s main economic areas. The region should
make itself benefit from the connections and
agreements with the thriving neighbor countries around
Mae Khong River. If succeeded, such facilitated
connection will significantly enhance new developmental
activities within the region, causing E-San to grow while
the long existing social and economic inequality between
the northeastern area and other parts of the country can
resolved in the long run.
How has Nakhon Ratchasima been preparing to connect
the province’s existing infrastructure to the imminent
arrival of mega public transport systems?
If we look at it in the big picture, it isn’t just about
developing the local transport system to support the
connection with the high-speed train system, motorway
this type of spaces can increase the number of passengers
and facilitate the more convenient access to the mass
transport system.
Strategically, land development is a continual and
corresponding process. The development must be in
the same direction. It has to be integrated to the infrastructural
systems as well as the supply chain under a
comprehensive production process. The development
plan can be outlined as follows:
- The area along Highway No. 304 known as the
Industrial Corridor that connects Nakhon Ratchasima to
the industrial districts and deep water ports in the EEC
(Eastern Economic Corridor) and the Eastern Seaboard.
The urban areas around this economic axis see the
tendency of an organic growth due to the supports from
both the government and private sector.
- The area along the No.2 highway from the north of
urban Nakhon Ratchasima to Sida district sees the
potential development of becoming an industrial district
housing operators of agricultural product processing
business. Buayai-Sida will become the hub of packaging
industry, warehouses and multimodal transport. The hub
will consolidate and distribute agricultural produce from
central northeastern region. The development of transportation
potential of both rail and road system is also
a part of the master plan.
As the ‘Gate to E-San’, what will the direction of
development for Nakhon Ratchasima province be like?
We used to be called the Gate to E-San, but Nakhon
Ratchasima or Korat today is no longer just a gate to the
northeastern region but an entry to other neighbor countries,
especially countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
(GMS). It is also the gate to EEC, and seaports that connect
to the southern region of the country. The Bangkok - Nongkai
high-speed train project will connect the country to
Vientian-Luangprabang-Kunming, The project is also meant
to be connected with China’s high-speed train system as
part of the One Belt, One Road cross-border development.
Nakhon Ratchasima is not just a province people passing
through but an area of highly advantageous land capacity
and population with its own industrial districts that can
sufficiently accommodate interested investors. These
factors are complemented by the province’s strong foundation
of industrial operations, particularly agricultural
product processing and construction industry that can be
developed and ramified to other possible industries such
as the supporting industries that come in the form of
SMEs, providing a wide range of products and services
from electronics, automobile, steel to engineering. The
aforementioned developments have been initiated as a
part of the Thailand 4.0 policy.
energy industry (wind farm, solar farm, ethanol).
The significance in the regional level is developed
from Nakhon Ratchasima’s strategic location and its role
as the logistic hub of the lower E-San region, which houses
major truck stops (for transportation of goods and other
forms of public transport).
The role and significance of each district is varied by
it resources. For instance, the southern districts (Pak Chong,
Wang Nam Keaw, Sernsang, Konburi, Dankhuntod) are
renowned tourism destinations with alternative development
initiatives such as alternative energy and agriculture being
operated. The central districts (Amphoe Mueng Nakhon
Ratchasima, Seekew, Soongnern, Nonsoong, Chalermprakeit)
serve as the province’s commercial, investment, governing
and transportation hub. The northern districts (Bua Yai,
Kong) are located in the strategic location that can become
goods transportation and distribution center of the northern
E-San through the logistics development policy. The province’s
northeastern districts such as Pimai, Chumpuang, Mueng
Yang, Lumtamanechai are the home of Thung Samrit, the
province’s fertile and expansive land where high quality
jasmine rice is being grown.
How should the people of Nakhon Ratchasima be prepared
for the future?
It’s very important for us to be prepared and improve
people’s quality of life because the direction of the development
of Nakhon Ratchasima comes with the ability to
adapt ourselves to the borderless community, the free
flow of labor, the growth from the implementation of the
government’s development policies. These things require
every dimension of development of human resource, and
everything needs to be balanced. The strength of social
institutions should be reinforced along with the development
of the quality of education, people’s well being, the
city’s safety and urban regulations whether it’s the prevention
of fire, crime, including disaster prevention and mitigation.
As a result, for the province to progress in the direction
that corresponds and benefits other involved sectors, the
people have to be aware of and learn to protect their own
rights to access details and information about these
ongoing and impending projects. They have to be able to
voice their opinions and demands as well as problems and
difficulties. They need to follow and inspect the progresses
of these projects and the direct and indirect effects these
mega projects have on themselves and the society. This
way, the projects can be initiated and developed in the
right direction, and eventually achieve the set out objectives
that can sustainably benefit the society and the people.
What should the role of architect in this development
be like, in your view?
I expect architects to take part in the social and
community development. Architects are the people who
are able to combine technologies, cultures including the
locals’ wisdoms and demands to create changes and new
creations. They facilitate a continual process that helps
improve people’s quality of life and the way people live.
For such objective to be achieved, we have the grant
community members the power to participate in the
process of urban planning and design. We have to provide
them the knowledge and techniques, encouraging them
to develop their ability in the way they look at things, the
way they visualize the connection between physical
environment in order for the development to take place
in every possible dimension. When the direction of the
development is made tangible, and the standpoint of E-San
and Nakhon Ratchasima is clearly visualized, the important
thing is the formulation of a participative process that
allows the locals to have a chance to design their own
home and city. Modern technologies have to be incorporated
to better facilitate and manage the development of
the society and public utilities, ultimately granting greater
convenience and comfort for the inhabitants of the city.
The role of architects in the community level can
simply begin by the way their design knowledge is applied
to the thought process, using different mediums such as
computerized models or 3D images to create tangible and
systematic examples that can generate better understanding
among the locals. This way, people in the community are
able to visualize the speculated outcomes more easily.
The creative professionals can also help increase the
value of local products through packaging design and
other design knowledge.
What kind of participation or collaboration do you
expect from the Commission of Northeastern Region
(E-San) in the provincial or regional level?
They should take part in providing people a better
understanding about the environmental impacts, which
contribute a great deal to the development of the city.
These impacts caused by these new developments have
to be minimized. For instance, the conservational approach
to the development of the old town districts in Pimai
district and the city of Nakhon Ratchasima needs to be
made more tangible. In the global scale, there is climate
change issue, which is the cause of endless unpredictable
natural disasters such as flood, and that’s one of the
major issues this province has to face. The opinions and
insights from the commission are reflected from the ideas
of the people who are experts in the designing and developing
the physical environment. It’s very important for
those who are involved in the development of the city
take these matters into the discussion, reach the conclusion
and come up with the solution that can be used as an
effective measure in order for Nakhon Ratchasima to be
truly and sustainably developed.
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MAR-APRIL 2018 - ISSUE 09
MAR-APRIL 2018 - ISSUE 09