Tag Archives: Krungthep

Car Free Day 2009

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P1190487 We are a city that tries very hard.  This is especially true when it comes to being green.  We want badly to be green. 

We have added bicycle lanes… that parked cars block with impunity and that run down the middle of vendor- and pedestrian-filled footpaths. 

We stress the importance of public transportation, while dickering over the replacement of noxious, smoke-belching busses and the ever-delayed extensions of rail lines.

And we participate in Car Free Day.

While the rest of the world celebrates Car Free Day on September 22, which this year fell on a Tuesday, we found that a bit inconvenient and so instead celebrated it on the previous Sunday.

While the rest of the world emphasizes getting out of the car on onto your bikes, Car Free Day was just an excuse for those of us who already are cycling, to get together for what wasn’t much more than a publicity stunt.

While mayors and politicians in major cities around the world actually get out of their cars and bike to work or take public transit, our politicians were chaffered to the Car Free Day events.  Only a few people from the Ministry of Energy actually made the effort.

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While this may sound a little bitter, I assure you I’m not.  The (pre-)Car Free Day event brought together about 5,000 cyclists from around the city.  We met at Kasetsart University (originally is was going to be Sanam Luang, the large royal parade ground, but that had been under seige by the “red shirt” anti-government protesters the day before and we thought better of going there) for a group photo on the football pitch, organized into a map of Thailand.  This was dutifully reprinted in some of the local papers the following day, having absolutely no effect on the number of cars on the road on the 22nd.

This publicity stunt was reasonably well organized, but still required more than an hour of standing around in the hot sun.  I didn’t have the patience, since I actually wanted to ride.  So I snapped this picture after about twenty minutes.  It is meant to be the north third of Thailand.  Chiang Rai is kind of up near the goal posts.

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Everyone was in a jovial mood.  Many people who ride for fun have wonderful, unique bicycles.  There are several that are doctored in various ways, customized to express the personalities and playfulness of their owners.  We even had a few Victorian bicycles.  Can you imagine riding this in Bangkok traffic?

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On my way home, I explored a stretch of road I did not previously know about, heading along Thanon Prasert-Manukitch through the Lat Prao district to Thanon Ram-Intra.  I think I once drove out here but have never cycled in this area.

Two blocks from home, while riding along a street that was mid-way through repaving, my rear tire popped and I started to lose air.  Thankfully, I made it back home before the tube was completely flat.  This served as the necessary prompting to finally take my bicycle in for maintenance.  I’ve had it more than three years without any work done to it.

More about that later…

 

Around the City

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A few weeks ago we had visitors for a half-day, friends connecting through Krungthep on their way to Phuket.  They are one of those global couples – an Austrian working for a German company living in Singapore whose partner is a Korean doing research in Switzerland.  With only a few hours to show them a slice of the Big Mango, I took them to Ratanakosin Island – the “Old City” – for a self-guided audio tour.

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Above, a view of Ratjanatda Canal at Tanao Road near the Democracy Monument.  This neighborhood, filled with families who have lived here for many generations, is in the sights of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority’s redevelopers.  They would like to “rehabilitate” this area to make it an arts and entertainment district.  Locals, as you might imagine, aren’t so keen on the government’s ideas and would prefer to undertake their own rehabilitation.

A small side soi – Phraeng Phuton – is described as the best-preserved heritage neighborhood in the city.  Residents restored the community and improved the landscape.  An open square in the center of the block is still used for public performances and plays, just as it used to be during the reign of King Rama V. 

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A local businessman has many antique cars, some of which are actually in superb condition, at what was one of the first automobile repair shops in Siam.  It was also the first driver’s license bureau in the city.  Above, one of the owner’s more recent acquisitions, a piece that is going to need a lot of work to restor.

Across the street was another interesting car, below.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Mini Moke.

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Walking through the monk accessories district (alms bowls, anyone?) at the intersection of Tanao Road and Bamrung Muang Road, I was reminded why bicycle riding in the old city is such a challenge.  There are actually these cool green bicycles available for hire and a corresponding green path taking you to various places of interest in the old city.  Fantastic idea.  Poor execution.

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We stopped by Wat Suthat, the tallest temple in the city and ostensible center of the universe.  Wat Suthat is considered the most finely-proportioned temple and is one of the highest-ranked royal temples.  The temple grounds spread more than 45,000 square meters and has the largest bronze Buddha image in the kingdom.  Construction lasted from 1807-1847 with King Rama I laying the cornerstone of the main sanctuary’s foundation. 

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Across the street from Wat Suthat is Kor Tor Mor Square, a large public square that also faces the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority’s headquarters, City Hall.  You see the red Giant Swing, which was rebuilt last year by an aging craftsman in northern Thailand.  The Giant Swing is part of a Brahmanist tradition and was used in ceremonies honoring the god Shiva.  There used to be an actual swing and young men would compete in a contest to bite a bag of coins from a bamboo pole while riding on the swing.  This contest was discontinued as deaths and injuries were too common.  In ancient Siam there were giant swings in all the major towns.  The original one here in Krungthep was nearly twice as tall.

And that’s your snapshot tour of Ratanakosin Island!

 

Wading Police

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Thai police come in for a lot of ridicule and scorn by locals.  They are variously seen as corrupt (random road stops to extract a few hundred baht in ticketless “fines”) and lazy (recent campaign at a force-wide weight reduction as there were too many tummies stretching the already skin-tight brown uniforms) by many residents.

There is no doubt that some members of the force aren’t the most outstanding examples of fine police work.  That’s probably true of any police force.  There are plenty of other members of the Thai police who, despite long hours, low pay and terrible working conditions (traffic police have the highest incidence of lung cancer in the country), do their best to keep traffic moving on the choked roads.

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It was on a rainy Friday afternoon a few weeks ago that I caught this snapshot of a traffic policeman, slogging through the recently-formed lake that was the expressway entrance toll plaza on Ploenchit / Rama I Road.  No doubt he was earning ever last satang of his salary that day.

 

Real Perspective

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Adjacent to the Surasak Skytrain station, there is an abandoned, partially-finished building that is a casualty of the 1997 Asian economic crisis.  At a prime location, for whatever reason nobody has stepped in to finish the building which was already being fitted out with duct work for ventilation – meaning all the structural work was complete.

The building is usually subjected to various graffiti.  Recently, though, I noticed that an entire floor’s worth of graffiti had been painted over and there was a new bit of word art.



Depending on where you stand, the parts of the word come together.  Perhaps the underlying message is that you have to have the right perspective in order to discern what is real.

Raising the Sidewalks of Krungthep

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As layer upon layer of asphalt gets added to the streets, the distance between the road surface and the footpaths steadily diminishes.  Once the torrential showers of rainy season arrive, this means ever more flooding that dampens the ankles of residents.  The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, in all their wisdom, is addressing this issue by raising the sidewalks.  In the case of Sathorn Road, a main business artery, sidewalks have increased by about a foot (30 cm).

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Here you see a raised section abutting a section of the footpath that is at the old height.  The new section actually gains additional elevation behind the fence.  The green metal poles are a new addition, too, designed to prevent motorized vehicles (except motorcycles, I suppose) from driving on the footpaths.  They are still wide enough to allow street vendors’ carts to enter, though.

The problem is – and you can probably anticipate this as it is common to metropolitan governments the world over – the construction crew responsible for raising the footpaths isn’t responsible for raising any of the objects along the footpaths such as street lamps, signs and bus stops.

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The net effect is that bus stop seats that used to be at a comfortable sitting height are now at a squat.  Sure enough, another contractor is following the first one, tearing up the new pavers (which, a first for Krungthep, are actually on a cement base rather than just floating on a layer of sand and dirt), then digging out and raising the benches, shelters, signs, etc.

If I didn’t know better, I would think this inefficiency was an intentional way to spread a little largess.  Wait a minute…  would they do that?  Nah…

 

A Different Type of Fifth Wheel

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A fifth wheel is a type of coupling device used for towing campers, trailers and various types of recreational vehicles.  More broadly, the term “fifth wheeler” refers to recreational vehicles.  In the category of “bringing another vehicle with you”, I saw one of the stranger entries while walking down Soi Thong Lor 13 on my way home from the market last Friday:

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What in the world is this guy doing and why?  I have one particular answer in mind, but I want to see what you think the answer might be.

 

Saab Bor Hok – the Sixth Grade Test

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Settling back into the routine here in Krungthep, I’m reminded why I carry my camera with me most everywhere I go.  There is always something interesting to see.  On Wednesday I had to run some errands.  I drove to the Ministry of Labor to retrieve my work permit book, the address of which I had modified to reflect the “annex” unit we bought next door to our condo.  Then I continued to the post office to mail wedding thank-you cards.  Next I headed to UOB Bank to drop off some paperwork.  Finally, I stopped at Emporium mall to have some pho at Little Hanoi restaurant.

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While sitting in traffic on Sukhumvit Road, I noticed something odd about the cement truck in front of me.  Dangling between the rear wheels was a dirty pink stuffed animal, akin to an Ugly Doll but probably not a branded one.  I’ve seen this before.  In fact, about a year ago I was noticing this on cars and trucks of all types here in Krungthep.  To this day, though, nobody with whom I’ve spoken has an explanation.  Why would you tie a stuffed animal at the back of your vehicle?

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From the carpark at UOB Bank (the Sukhumvit 25 branch), I snapped this picture of an unfinished hotel.  This is supposed to become a Crowne Plaza property at the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 27 but the developer halted construction about six months ago, ostensibly in response to the lousy tourism market.  It is very well-located, just a few blocks from the Asoke/Sukhumvit junction and the Skytrain and Subway stations there.  to the right of the picture you can see the Windsor Suites hotel, managed by our friend Ben.  Very nice hotel and also well-located.  If you’re looking for a place to stay in Krungthep, I recommend it.

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Tawn was very inspired by our trip to New York, taking careful notes on the styles and looks he saw on Manhattan’s busy streets.  Above is one of his work outfits that he put together as a result of his inspiration.  What do you think?

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Speaking of New York, I returned from my 24-day trip to the US only to discover that a Dunkin Donuts kiosk has opened underneath the escalator connection from the Asoke Skytrain station to the Sukhumvit Subway station.  See, the Big Mango is just like the Big Apple!

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Since my return, I’ve resumed my twice-weekly classes with my Thai tutor, Khruu Kitiya.  For the past two and a half years, we’ve been meeting at the same place, a small coffee shop and restaurant called Bitter Brown, also close to the Asoke/Sukhumvit junction.  They make cute latte art, like the flowers above.  After having been gone for nearly a month, the owner was a bit shocked to see me again.  “We thought you must have graduated!” he said, upon seeing me.

No, I haven’t graduated.  Although, Khruu Kitiya is suggesting it might be a good idea for me to take the government administered “Saab Bor Hok”, or Sixth Grade Examination.  While it isn’t a requirement for me, this examination represents the level of linguistic skills the government expects for certain types of visa holders such as missionaries or those applying for permanent residency.  The test, which lasts about five hours, has four parts:

  • Dictation of questions and multiple-choice answers, in which you have to indicate the correct answer on an exam sheet.
  • Reading of questions and multiple-choice answers, in which you have to indicate the correct answer on an exam sheet.
  • A writing section composed of two parts: Dictation of paragraphs which you have to correctly write on the exam sheet, and then the composing of a short essay based on a question or subject given during the exam.
  • An oral section in which you have to engage in a ten-minute conversation with an evaluator.

Khruu Kitiya’s assessment, with which I concur, is that the first two parts would be very easy for me, the writing section would be challenging (the essay would be harder for me than the dictation), and the oral section would be a killer.  This is because the one thing I don’t spend much time doing is actually speaking with Thais, since I work from home and my work is in English.  As she has suggested before, Tawn and I should probably start using Thai as the spoken language at home.

Contrast this with Jon, a 19-year old Canadian with whom we had dinner Thursday night.  Jon first contacted me through this blog more than a year and a half ago, when he was on a one-year Rotary Club exchange program here in Bangkok.  He finished that program and returned to complete his senior year in Edmonton, with the plan of returning to Bangkok after he has his university degree.

Jon spent most of his year here immersed with Thais – Thai students, Thai friends, living with a Thai family.  Then on this current two-month trip, the circumstances have been the same: all Thai, all the time.  Needless to say, his spoken Thai is way beyond mine and I was humbled by the ease with which he and Tawn were able to converse.  Clearly, there is still some work for me to do!

The good news is, the “Saab Bor Hok” isn’t until the end of November, so I have time to prepare for it as well as time to decide whether or not I even want to take it at this time.

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View from my balcony on Friday late afternoon.  We’re in rainy season and there were some spectacular storms this week.  The best part about it, in my opinion, is the way these awesome (and I mean that in the original sense of the word) clouds form: huge, complicated things that build into dark, angry towers.  They are amazing to watch.

Lots of cooking to update you on in the next entry.

 

Four-Way Intersections

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As I travel around my adopted hometown of Krungthep, I sometimes see things and think, “Oh, that is so very Thai.”  These things usually seem innocuous enough at first glance, but I think they illustrate the differences between Thai culture and other cultures.  Four-way intersections are a good example.

When I drive in the US (or pretty much any “developed” country), there are rules and laws and signs and to some degree, everyone follows them.  Very little is left entirely to human nature and the good will of the drivers.

Italy seems to be an exception, actually…

Anyhow, here in the City of Angels, we have many uncontrolled intersections.  Much of this is a result of how the network of roads and streets developed out of a network of canals and waterways.  What worked well for boats isn’t always so effective for cars.

Whether a major street like Sukhumvit or a small, twisting back soi, you encounter these intersections where the drivers’ best behavior is all that governs right-of-way.

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Most of the time, it works alright.  In fact, like the use of traffic circles, drivers are forced to be more attentive and drive slower because there are few rules to rely upon.  Other than the occasional marks on the ground, spray-painted by an insurance company investigator after a crash, there are few signs that the uncontrolled intersections are really a problem.

Here’s a 90-second video clip (set to pleasant music) for you to see the above intersection in action:

In a chicken-or-egg dilemma, it is unclear whether these types of social confrontations (uncontrolled intersections) work so smoothly because of the Thai people’s culture of patience and friendliness towards others, or is the culture a result of having to negotiate these types of confrontations in everyday life?

In either case, it is interesting to observe and even more interesting to experience firsthand as the driver behind the wheel!