After several years of consulting and lobbying, a great result has been achieved by the Thailand Cycling Club, an organisation that is part of the Steering Board of the World Cycling Alliance. Such a change will impact Thailand’s cycling system and culture for the years to come. As proof, walking and cycling have already been included in a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s seminar, last week.

Examples of successful advocacy are not easy to find. This is why usually, when results come, changes are durable and influential. It’s exactly what happened in Thailand, thanks to the consistent and efficient advocacy action of the Thailand Cycling Club (TCC). After years of collaboration and coordination between the TCC and administrators in the Ministry of Transport up to the Director Generals and Ministers, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) finally issued a key document, destined to change the development of cycling infrastructure all over the nation: the Standards for Bikeway Design and Construction in Thailand 2016. On January 19^th, the Government Cabinet also passed a resolution to officially approve the document. All governmental agencies will have to refer to these Standards for the implementation of bikeways in the country.

Furthermore, the Government Cabinet now also requires agencies involved, including the MoT, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Tourism and Sports, to allocate funds to implement measures to promote and support cycling as a mode of transportation, always keeping the new Standards as a reference.

Developed from bikeway standards of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the Manual of Standards for Bikeway Design and Construction in Thailand provides details of Bikeway Classification, Geometric Design of Bikeway, Pavement Design, Traffic Signs Design, Bikeway’s Pavement Markings and Safety Facilities, Traffic Safety System, and Guidelines for Bicycle Parking Facilities.

A new page in the history of cycling in Thailand

The TCC considers this progress as a giant step forward in the cycling culture in Thailand. But it should nevertheless be managed cautiously: Thongchai Panswad, TCC President and Founder, clearly stated that “before concerned government agencies enforce these Standards, a number of technical and public hearings should be held. Such a process would lead to more recognition and, consequently, the application of these Standards would encounter less resistance and receive much more cooperation from the public and several institutional authorities.” Always looking to the next campaign, Panswad concluded:

We have already come to this point: how can we go even further in promoting cycling in Thailand?

The TCC and WCA

The World Cycling Alliance (WCA) promotes cycling on a global scale at the highest levels of governance. Through its advocacy action at the UN, it supports the introduction of cycling in national mobility plans. In this perspective, the success achieved by the TCC resonates all over the world, and it stands as a positive example of what can be accomplished thanks to a strong and consistent advocacy activity. The WCA is proud to have TCC’s leader as a member of its Steering Board.