BANGKOK--The Thai capital will offer 500,000 people free wi-fii access starting Thursday, in a pilot project that will provide 15,000 hotspots for them to get online, Bangkok's municipal government said.

The scheme is part of the city's drive to cut back on its energy use as officials hope residents will drive less if electronic communication becomes more convenient.

The free service, which is set to last for one year in its initial phase, will offer only slow 64K connections designed mainly for checking e-mail or sending text messages.

"Using information technology for communication with others rather than taking transportation will save energy in crisis period and for the future," Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said in a statement.

"This kind of communication will also be cost-saving and convenient while answering a demand of the new generations."

Users will require a special card to access the hotspots. The city has been passing out the free cards in shopping malls in the run-up to the launch of the service on Thursday.