BANGKOK ¨C For more than half a century, Thailand¡¯s state-owned tobacco monopoly mass-produced cigarettes at a sprawling industrial estate in Bangkok. A steady stream of heavy trucks brought raw tobacco into the heart of the city and hauled millions of cigarettes away.
But now, that cancer-inducing complex has given way to something completely different: green space that has brought a breath of fresh air to Bangkok¡¯s congested, often smoggy center.
The transformation has been a stunning success, creating a 40-hectare oasis for city dwellers. The site ¡ª an expansion of the existing Benjakitti Park ¡ª includes a 1.6 kilometer long elevated walkway, water-purifying wetlands, 8,000 new trees, pickleball and basketball courts and a dog-walking zone.
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