Bangkok Design Week 2022 has come to a close with around 190 great programs in 9 days on 5-13 February held in Bangkok’s creative districts, Charoenkrung – Talad Noi, Phra Nakhon, Samyan, Ari – Pradipat, and Thonglor – Ekkamai, and areas all over the city. Besides the amazing activities and showcases around 100,000 registered online and onsite festival goers  have experienced, the festival has opened up new perspectives and ignited creative ideas for both professional and amateur designers for many new possibilities in the post-COVID-19 era. 

 

Encourage Creative Industry, Generate Income, and Bring the City Back to Life

This year’s Bangkok Design Week was packed with showcases, talks, workshops, creative markets, and activities that encouraged creative potential. The potential that connects people together, allowing them to (collaborate) ‘Co With Creation’. With collaborations of over 500 creative networks, public and private sectors, academic institutions, and the communities, who brought their best ideas to spring the creative districts back into life from the gloomy pandemic. Many of the showcases have incorporated the main ingredient, the stories of the communities, collaborating and inspiring the people of the community to relook at their existing value and generate great income within the economy. 

 

The Challenges Amidst the Pandemic

It is difficult for Bangkok Design Week to happen during the pandemic hardships. The festival has to be carefully planned with social distancing and screening measures with the use of Crowd Check innovation that shows real-time crowd density updates in the area. Additionally, the festival has increased online and outdoor activities to reduce the virus spread risk. Hopefully, the colourful showcases and activities in the past 9 days have mentally soothed and added happiness to those who came out to visit and got inspired.

 

Past, Present, and Future of Thai Design

The remnant of the past created the present, at the same time, what’s happening right now is creating a path towards the future. These ideas have been presented through the past few years of Bangkok Design Week. Since 2018 where the festival presented new perspectives on Bangkok through ‘The ‘NEW-ist Vibes…’ to talking about Bangkok’s unique characters in 2019 ‘Fusing Forward’ and in 2020 where designers presented their ideas on adapting and preparing themselves for new challenges ahead in ‘Resilience: New Potential for Living’ as well as the adjusted setting of 2021 due to the pandemic, where the majority had moved online presented the concept of ‘Resurgence of Possibilities’, and this year’s successfully ended Bangkok Design Week 2022 Co With Creation. 

 

Next year, we will certainly be back with more impressive programs that aim to drive the Thai creative industry by opening up spaces for the creators to unleash their full potential, living up to Bangkok’s mission as Bangkok City of Design – UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Get yourself prepared for the next festival now and see you again on 4-12 February 2023