Once common and essential, phone booths have lost their relevance in recent years. But in Bangkok, they’ve been given a new mission — no longer forgotten boxes by the roadside, but real public safety hubs. Thanks to an initiative by a Thai telecommunications company and support from the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, ordinary booths now offer Wi-Fi access, mobile top-up services — and even life-saving emergency care.
Defibrillators on the street: every second counts
The key innovation is equipping booths with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). These devices can be critical in the first minutes after sudden cardiac arrest — before an ambulance arrives. Units include step-by-step instructions in Thai and English, allowing even untrained bystanders to use them in emergencies.
The program "Phone Booth Saves Lives" launched in 2019 but is now more relevant than ever: dense urban development, traffic congestion, and Bangkok’s growing population delay emergency response times. Installing 300 such units across the city helps cover gaps in accessible medical aid.
Wi-Fi, top-up, and a public mission
Beyond medical use, each upgraded booth offers free internet access and mobile top-up services. This is especially helpful in high-traffic areas and for people without smartphones or stable connectivity.
These features make the booths not only useful but relevant again. According to Bangkok Post, a single booth once earned about 10,000 THB monthly, but with the rise of mobile networks, revenue dropped to just 200 THB. Now, phone booths have a second chance — not as profit centers, but as vital urban infrastructure.
The future of urban space is multifunctional
The trend of repurposing infrastructure for new needs is part of a broader urban transformation. Old city elements don’t need to be demolished — they can be given new roles. In Bangkok, this isn’t just rhetoric: phone booths have truly been revived, combining digital access, safety, and care for human life.
Back to list
