Photo: TCC

 Thailand, bordered by Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia, may not immediately evoke visions of cycling. Yet a big push of advocacy has change on the horizon for cyclists in Thailand. The Thailand Cycling Club (TCC) has succeeded in achieving some great results through their persistent advocacy. This month, we’d like to celebrate our member in Thailand as Member of the Month!

Thailand Cycling Club is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. With a vision to make cycling and walking popular in Thailand, the TCC’s mission is to advocate for policies, laws, mechanisms and structures that promote, support and facilitate walking and cycling. By changing values and behaviours of people in Thailand, the TCC hopes to see more regular walking and cycling. Established in 1991, TCC brought together a group of people wishing to reduce traffic and pollution and improve energy and health issues by shifting modes of transportation. The focus here is on short distances (less than 2km) to be shifted to walking and/or cycling rather than private cars. Back in 1991 there was little to no mass transportation system in Bangkok. The founder and President of TCC, Prof. Thongchai Panswad Ph.D  met ECF’s Secretary General Dr. Bernhard Ensink at the Velo-city conference in Seville. From then on collaboration between the two organizations was ongoing and resulted in TCC becoming an ECF member organization. TCC is ECF’s first member in Asia, having joined as an associate member in 2013.

The TCC is much more than a cycling club. They seek an equal right to travel – that is, for cyclists, pedestrians, and for the disabled and the visually-impaired. The TCC recognizes the need for proper infrastructure to give people the option to safely go from A to B whether by bike, on foot, or if they are in a wheelchair or need visual guides.

Creation of Systems and Infrastructure to Promote Walking and Cycling in Daily Life!

Photo: TCC

In November 2013 a resolution on the ‘Creation of Systems and Infrastructure to Promote Walking and Cycling in Daily Life’ was approved by the Government Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister. The National Health Assembly resolution, initiated and advocated for by the Thailand Cycling Club, is a fantastic step towards concrete improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. Prof. Thongchai Panswad has worked as Chairman of the academic working group appointed by the National Health Commission to develop the draft resolution for the NHA. The TCC, along with other key stakeholders during the public hearing process, proposed various ideas to achieve results: initiating pilot projects with local provinces and at universities, improving safety for bicycle users, providing more parking facilities, as well as planting trees to provide shade for pedestrians and cyclists.

As the TCC goes beyond representing pedestrians and cyclists, safety was also discussed in regards to how to benefit persons with disabilities. A representative of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security emphasized that the design and construction of systems and infrastructure for walking and cycling should also provide safe and convenient modes of transport for children, elderly people and disabled persons.

TCC will be taking on a leadership role to coordinate further with partners and to create a network to drive work towards their goals to increase the safety and modal share of cycling and walking. The resolution rightly sees the need to engage many stakeholders if concrete changes to sustainable mobility are to come about in Thailand.

Cycling & Industry? Check!

Exchaning the signed MoU. Photo: TCC

That is not all! In January 2014 the Ministry of Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the TCC to further promote cycling and walking. The MoU covers three areas of cooperation. Academic cooperation will entail working to improve standard for bicycles, bicycle accessories, and for equipment used by people with disabilities, as well as creating a working group to develop systems for supporting cycle-related industries for the domestic market. Public relations will see the TCC and the Ministry of Industry collaborating to provide advice and academic information for pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities. Finally, industrial promotion will involve supporting entrepreneurs and industries related to the manufacturing of equipment used by pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities. This type of cooperation and agreement will surely help with the implementation of the NHA resolution.

Biking in Bangkok

ECF’s Secretary General Dr. Bernhard Ensink had the pleasure of going to Bangkok to meet with the Thailand Cycling Club back in October 2012. After having met at Velo-city in Seville, Dr. Ensink was eager to accept the invitation to Thailand that followed. “I was happy that I could share with them some insights and some materials from our EU co-funded project PRESTO,” said Dr. Ensink. “I stressed that starter cities, and Bangkok is a starter city, need a different approach than climber or champion cities.” Dr. Ensink suggested starting by improving cycling infrastructure on less busy streets. While he mentioned his shock at the little space given to cyclists and pedestrians, the initiatives and determination of the TCC shows that progress is possible.

And we can see that this hard work is paying off, both with the passing of the resolution and the signing of the memorandum. “I am proud to have the TCC as a member organization, ready for future collaboration with us and within our networks, and that they will be represented in Adelaide at Velo-city Global 2014.” All the more reason to go to Adelaide!

 About the Author

Zoé Kruchten is a Communications Assistant at the European Cyclists’ Federation. She has a BA in International Relations and has worked in the past as a bike mechanic.