Bangkok’s famous “green lung” is getting a much-needed deep breath — and the credit goes to a bold reforestation push led by energy firm Bangchak. The Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (TNCC) has applauded the company’s hands-on work in Bang Kachao, Samut Prakan province, highlighting a project that pairs corporate firepower with grassroots energy to restore mangroves, protect wildlife and teach a new generation why nature matters.
Planting hope — and rare mangroves
At the heart of the campaign was a colourful community planting day at the Bangchak Fulfilling Societal Happiness Forest Park. Bangchak’s sustainability chief, Gloyta Nathalang, joined local residents, conservationists and even athletes to sink seedlings into the mud — not just any seedlings, but rare mangrove species chosen to strengthen the area’s natural flood barriers and boost biodiversity.
“This is not just about planting trees. It’s about restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and educating the next generation on why conservation matters.” — Gloyta Nathalang
That sentiment sums up the project perfectly. It’s part environmental repair job, part outdoor classroom, and part community festival — a mix that helps the mangrove belt recover while giving residents reasons to be proud of their local patch of wilderness.
Why Bang Kachao matters
If you’ve ever cycled along the shady bike trails or sought refuge from Bangkok’s concrete sprawl, you’ve probably felt the difference Bang Kachao makes. Often called the capital’s “green lung,” this ribbon of forest absorbs pollution, soaks up excess water during storms, and provides habitat for species squeezed by urban growth. Strengthening the mangrove belt here is about more than aesthetics — it’s a practical defence for Bangkok’s future.
Photos of the bike trail and playful kids pedalling through the park — courtesy of BKK kids — paint the human side of the project: people enjoying cleaner air and a safer, greener place to relax, exercise and learn.
Business meets community: a model for impact
The TNCC was quick to put Bangchak’s work in the spotlight, praising the initiative as a textbook example of cross-sector collaboration. As a premium member of the chamber, Bangchak is using its corporate resources and know-how to deliver measurable environmental and social benefits — while showing other companies what meaningful climate action can look like on the ground.
Bangchak’s approach extends beyond tree planting. Sustainability is now embedded in the firm’s identity: carbon reduction targets, renewable energy projects, and community-based conservation programs all sit under the same banner. The idea is to create a virtuous cycle where improved air quality, better flood defences and eco-tourism opportunities directly lift local livelihoods as well as the local environment.
Grassroots engagement for long-term change
Gloyta, who also serves on the TNCC board, is clear about the secret sauce: you can’t parachute in a solution and expect it to stick. “The forest park is a living classroom,” she said, stressing the value of hands-on involvement. “It inspires not only environmental responsibility but also pride among those who live here.”
That pride matters. When families, school groups and local businesses see direct benefits — from calmer floods to new eco-tourism footfall — they become active stewards rather than passive beneficiaries. That kind of buy-in is what turns a short-term planting day into a long-term, resilient ecosystem.
Lessons for other cities
As Bangkok grapples with traffic fumes, urban heat and the pressures of rapid development, the Bangchak-TNCC initiative offers a repeatable playbook. Private companies can be more than sponsors; they can be partners in planning, financing and maintaining natural infrastructure. When public, private and community actors align around a shared goal, progress becomes faster and more durable.
Bangchak’s work in Bang Kachao is already showing how targeted conservation, backed by corporate commitment and community participation, can deliver real climate resilience — and a nicer place to ride your bike on the weekend.
If other firms follow suit, Bangkok’s green lung might not only recover but expand — and that’s something the city, its people and its wildlife will all breathe easier for.
Proud to have led the planting day at Bang Kachao — this is about community, biodiversity and resilience, not just PR. We chose rare mangrove species carefully and are committing to long-term monitoring. Please join future events and bring questions.
Sounds great, but how much of this is public relations versus real science? Companies love glossy photos.
I was there with my kids; the volunteers looked sincere and the seedlings were real. The community turnout felt genuine.
Joe, fair point — we publish our methods and partner with independent researchers for monitoring. Transparency matters and we welcome audits.
Local farmer here: the flood protection is already better in places with older mangroves. If Bangchak helps maintain them, great.
Bang Kachao saved our weekend rides. If this keeps it green, I’m all for it.
Me too! I biked there and saw new trees. It was fun and muddy.
Corporate-led conservation can be effective, but it requires independent baseline data, long-term funding and community governance. Otherwise projects risk short-lived gains and shifting responsibilities onto locals.
Exactly. Mangrove restoration has success only when hydrology is restored first. Planting alone is insufficient if soil and tidal flows are altered.
As a reporter, I want to see the monitoring reports and the names of the independent partners. PR pieces rarely include that level of detail.
I’ll happily collaborate with anyone willing to share data. Scientific oversight is non-negotiable for real conservation value.
I appreciate the jobs and small tourism boosts, but will they hire locals for long-term maintenance? Short projects disappear fast.
If it creates eco-tourism, private investment will follow. That can lead to sustainable local employment if done right.
Or it leads to green gentrification. Locals get priced out and corporations take control of ‘nature’ spaces.
Corporations have the money and project management skills. In my experience, partnerships are the fastest way to scale environmental work.
Money good. Trees good. Bikes yay!
I’m skeptical. Corporations often use ‘community’ language while their primary goal is branding and carbon credits. We need legal guarantees for land and local oversight.
Legal frameworks are vital, but so is ecological knowledge. Planting the wrong mangrove mix can harm local fauna. Species choice matters.
Nai, your concerns are valid. We built community advisory boards and signed maintenance agreements with local groups to avoid top-down control.
A note on species: using locally adapted Rhizophora and Avicennia can re-establish natural levels of biodiversity if tidal patterns are preserved. Monitoring for 5-10 years is crucial.
Agree, and genetic diversity in seedlings should be considered to avoid monocultures and disease susceptibility.
I visited last weekend and saw cleaner air and more birds. It felt safer for kids to play and for families to picnic.
When I was young the area was more wild; it’s nice to see it come back but we must protect it from developers.
Protection requires policy support — municipal zoning and enforcement — not only corporate goodwill.
The TNCC praise is predictable — chambers highlight members. That doesn’t negate good outcomes, but transparency about funding and long-term plans would strengthen credibility.
Elena, could you ask for documents showing budgets and maintenance plans? Locals would like clarity.
Bang Kachao is an urban ecological experiment. If done scientifically, it can provide a model for other megacities dealing with heat, flooding and biodiversity loss. But the methodology must be rigorous.
Methodology and business models don’t have to be at odds. Payments for ecosystem services can make restoration economically viable.
Payments for ecosystem services often exclude those who relied on the land before, like fishers and foragers.
Inclusion of traditional users is essential. Restoration that ignores people fails both ecologically and socially.
I remember floods that ruined the market. If these trees stop that, I’ll be happy. But we need promises kept, not one-day photo ops.
Auntie Nok, we hear you — our teams will work with elders and market committees to set measurable milestones for flood protection and upkeep.
Reporting note: readers want to know who controls access, who benefits commercially, and what safeguards exist against future development encroachment.
I’ll be filing a follow-up. Transparency around land titles and private-public agreements should be public record.
We’re preparing documents for public release and invite journalists to review the agreements in detail.
When can we plant more trees? I want to help and bring my school friends.
There will be school programs, they said so at the park information desk last week.
Check the Bangchak website or the community board for volunteer dates. Kids are welcome!
I’m worried about access to fishing grounds. Will planting change where fish spawn or block our traditional routes? We need clear communication.
Properly placed mangroves usually enhance nursery habitats for fish, but layout planning must involve fishers to avoid conflicts.
Historically, locals are consulted after plans are set. Let’s demand consultation upfront.