Small Voices That Want to Change a Big City — Communication Arts Students Pitch Disaster Prevention Ideas to the Next Bangkok Governor
Presenting the “Easy to Understand” Policy through the R-Rabai Application
Turning a real-world brief into creative ideas for transforming Bangkok, a student team from the School of Communication Arts — Team RA-BYE — comprising Ms. Siyapat Yingponpiboonporn (Pemee), Communication and New Media; Ms. Nisamanee Piakbut (Dove), Event Production and Exhibition & Convention Management; and Ms. Kornkanok Boonphan (Kalamare), Broadcasting and Streaming Media Production — proposed actionable solutions for the city’s development. The Faculty of Communication Arts was selected by the programme “Bangkok Pitch: แผนพลิกบางกอก” on Thai PBS to present “Disaster Prevention” policy ideas from the new generation directly to the next Bangkok Governor — ahead of the upcoming election on Sunday 28 June 2026, 08:00–17:00. The platform gave students a voice in shaping the city’s direction, brainstorming policy proposals, and reflecting community needs directly to Bangkok’s future leadership.
Seizing Every Opportunity
“All three of us love challenges and seek out new experiences, so when the opportunity came we didn’t hesitate. From receiving the brief to the filming day, we had about two weeks to brainstorm — developing an initial idea, submitting it to Thai PBS for feedback and refinement, then finalising our approach. We focused on what would be clearest and most concrete for the audience.”
Flooding as a Disaster Prevention Policy Focus
“We’ve all experienced flooding since childhood, so it felt like something we could speak to from genuine insight. We chose flooding as our main Bangkok disaster case study — allowing us to gather data and build solutions quickly, grounded in lived experience. Our policy concept takes the form of a mediating application called ‘Khao Jai Dai Ngai Dee’ (Easy to Understand), which translates raw government and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration data into plain language for the public — starting with flood information and expanding to other disaster data such as cooling shelter locations and event alerts. The goal is to convert technical information into accessible language for everyone. We also built an actual app mockup — called ‘Ra-Bayai’ (a wordplay on flooding and relief) — to visually demonstrate the user-friendly functions.”
Applying Communication Arts to the Real World
“We applied skills from the classroom to a real arena — starting from real problems and the voices of those affected, grounding our work in theory to make our communication more user-centred. We also expanded our research methods using new tools like Social Eye and learned to distinguish primary from secondary sources — building a more reliable evidence base for our communication work.”
Enjoying the Experience
“Even though this was our first time in an ‘idea pitching’ format rather than a competitive show, we had a great time and would love to participate again. It was an experience that built our confidence and inspired us to work for society. We also formed cross-institutional friendships with peers who shared the same commitment to exchanging ideas. Seeing our concept displayed at a policy exhibition was genuinely moving — even without knowing whether it will be adopted, being part of the urban policymaking process made it entirely worthwhile.”
the ‘Disaster Prevention’policy from RA-BYE TEAM