What are you missing most from normal times in BKK?

[moontang]

I am missing the beer culture, where it is common to see people casually drinking beers all over the place.  I miss seeing all the uni girls throughout the day, even if they are a bit young.  Also, am missing trips to the malls for a cone and a look.  

[Thainess]

I'm not missing anything. It's much better at the moment, more quiet and less traffic and pollution. Long may it continue.

[JRG23]

Beer and girls

[mikesil]

The smog, the really heavy blankets of smog.  I used to ride my motorbike all day without a helmet and the cops couldn't see me.

[NightSky]

Planning anything mid to long term is on hold.

[WebGuy]

Night markets and eating outside. Swimming pools

[Fairynuff]

None of what the OP says, actually the post makes me feel quite uneasy

[Nanaplaza666]

  On 4/22/2020 at 11:52 PM, JRG23 said:

Beer and girls

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Both you can still find if you miss them enough .

[Expat Tom]

Soi Cowboy and Nana....come on people!!! It's a joke!!!!

[tomazbodner]

Nothing, may it last.

[moontang]

  On 4/23/2020 at 4:05 AM, tomazbodner said:

Nothing, may it last.

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While it has been the best Songkran in years, and there is an air of peace and quiet out there, the reality is that without a functioning economy, things will start looking like Mad Max, Asia.

[unblocktheplanet]

Smog in the red zone. No seats on the Skytrain. Queuing.

 

Come on! This is the way BKK should be: Thai. Before the selfish, the greedheads, the generals, the car owners got hold of it. Before a hundred shopping malls of the same stuff, a hundred thousand useless condos.

 

Bring back street food! Bring back Pak Klong Talat. Let's get back to being Thai, the reason most of us came here in the first place! Before Immig got to be so tight-as.

 

It is about the economy: local folks making a living offering whatever they do best right in the neighbourhood.

 

I'm not seeing any anger, any impatience, just cheerful resignation, making a go of it. We foreigners are here because we love it, just like Thais.

[moontang]

  On 4/23/2020 at 4:31 AM, unblocktheplanet said:

Smog in the red zone. No seats on the Skytrain. Queuing.

 

Come on! This is the way BKK should be: Thai. Before the selfish, the greedheads, the generals, the car owners got hold of it. Before a hundred shopping malls of the same stuff, a hundred thousand useless condos.

 

Bring back street food! Bring back Pak Klong Talat. Let's get back to being Thai, the reason most of us came here in the first place! Before Immig got to be so tight-as.

 

It is about the economy: local folks making a living offering whatever they do best right in the neighbourhood.

 

I'm not seeing any anger, any impatience, just cheerful resignation, making a go of it. We foreigners are here because we love it, just like Thais.

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Queues for the BTS or queues (and riots) for small quantities of noodles and rice.  Take your pick.

[Caldera]

Taking a walk in a park.

 

Meeting friends for dinner and drinks.

 

Other than that, the relative peace and quiet suits me just fine. In particular, I don't miss overcrowded BTS trains and shopping malls.

[NoshowJones]

  On 4/23/2020 at 4:31 AM, unblocktheplanet said:

Smog in the red zone. No seats on the Skytrain. Queuing.

 

Come on! This is the way BKK should be: Thai. Before the selfish, the greedheads, the generals, the car owners got hold of it. Before a hundred shopping malls of the same stuff, a hundred thousand useless condos.

 

Bring back street food! Bring back Pak Klong Talat. Let's get back to being Thai, the reason most of us came here in the first place! Before Immig got to be so tight-as.

 

It is about the economy: local folks making a living offering whatever they do best right in the neighbourhood.

 

I'm not seeing any anger, any impatience, just cheerful resignation, making a go of it. We foreigners are here because we love it, just like Thais.

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"Bring back street food!" Yes. This is an excellent post, and I think the Thai government made a mess of banning a lot of vendors and putting them out of work. But in saying that, the pavements have to be kept clear up to a point because I got really angry when myself and others had to go on to a busy road to get past. I don't ever want to see that happening again, as it used to be on the pavement on the odd Soi numbers in lower Sukhumvit.

[BobbyL]

• Golf
• Gym
• Swim
• Pub
• Restaurants
• Eye candy

[The Word]

  On 4/23/2020 at 4:22 AM, moontang said:

While it has been the best Songkran in years, and there is an air of peace and quiet out there, the reality is that without a functioning economy, things will start looking like Mad Max, Asia.

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The economy is functioning.

[DJ54]

Let me think.... traffic? No... just thought maybe 10+ years coming 

here before moving here before the newer expressway. Always

puzzled that almost every policeman directing traffic had mask

on.. presumably from pollution... they were ahead of the curve..

 

oh and a lot of half built structures that looked abanded..

[The Word]

  On 4/23/2020 at 5:12 AM, possum1931 said:

"Bring back street food!" Yes. This is an excellent post, and I think the Thai government made a mess of banning a lot of vendors and putting them out of work.

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I seem to remember that the government did not "put the all the vendors (who had been illegally obstructing the public pavements for years) out of work" but actually offered all of them alternative legal sites where they could operate that most accepted.

[timendres]

  On 4/23/2020 at 6:48 AM, The Word said:

I seem to remember that the government did not "put the all the vendors (who had been illegally obstructing the public pavements for years) out of work" but actually offered all of them alternative legal sites where they could operate that most accepted.

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Which resulted in them disappearing. There was a reason for their original locations, and reasons why the corrals did not work.

[moontang]

  On 4/23/2020 at 6:51 AM, timendres said:

Which resulted in them disappearing. There was a reason for their original locations, and reasons why the corrals did not work.

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Any place like that, as well as any rented pub are always on borrowed time.  Landowners actually have rights, here.  There are still many tourists, who rarely go 2 km from Asoke.  Build a place on cheap food and drink, and the corporations will destroy it in the name of being family friendly.  Same thing happened in Las Vegas.  

[The Word]

  On 4/23/2020 at 6:51 AM, timendres said:

  On 4/23/2020 at 6:48 AM, The Word said:

I seem to remember that the government did not "put the all the vendors (who had been illegally obstructing the public pavements for years) out of work" but actually offered all of them alternative legal sites where they could operate that most accepted.

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Which resulted in them disappearing. There was a reason for their original locations, and reasons why the corrals did not work.

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So my comment was accurate.

[timendres]

  On 4/23/2020 at 6:59 AM, moontang said:

Any place like that, as well as any rented pub are always on borrowed time.  Landowners actually have rights, here.  There are still many tourists, who rarely go 2 km from Asoke.  Build a place on cheap food and drink, and the corporations will destroy it in the name of being family friendly.  Same thing happened in Las Vegas.  

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Thailand has the concept that a "cart" (essentially a service on wheels) can ply it's business anywhere. And that is a good concept. The problem begins when those carts "put down roots" by setting up a business on the sidewalk by setting out tables and chairs. This was accepted for a long time, due to it's convenience. It has nothing to do with tourists. These were serving a very legitimate need of local Thais for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, there is a clash between this and pedestrian traffic. Carts are not the issue. Pseudo restaurants are, and this is what was trying to be addressed. Unfortunately, the corral solution was not really workable in many cases. Not sure what the best solution is, but I do miss those setups.

[brewsterbudgen]

I'm missing the parks, the food-court at Centralworld (where I still work every day), eating in at restaurants, and most importantly my wife and son who are locked-down in another country.

[moontang]

  On 4/23/2020 at 7:37 AM, timendres said:

Thailand has the concept that a "cart" (essentially a service on wheels) can ply it's business anywhere. And that is a good concept. The problem begins when those carts "put down roots" by setting up a business on the sidewalk by setting out tables and chairs. This was accepted for a long time, due to it's convenience. It has nothing to do with tourists. These were serving a very legitimate need of local Thais for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, there is a clash between this and pedestrian traffic. Carts are not the issue. Pseudo restaurants are, and this is what was trying to be addressed. Unfortunately, the corral solution was not really workable in many cases. Not sure what the best solution is, but I do miss those setups.

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Anything on lower Sukhumvit relates to tourism.  They have had identical issues on KSR, too, but KSR has always sucked.

[NoshowJones]

  On 4/23/2020 at 6:48 AM, The Word said:

I seem to remember that the government did not "put the all the vendors (who had been illegally obstructing the public pavements for years) out of work" but actually offered all of them alternative legal sites where they could operate that most accepted.

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There was a few good food venders near my regular hotel who have disappeared, none of them was causing any obstruction, there was plenty of room for all the pedestrians.

[Hanuman2547]

  On 4/23/2020 at 4:31 AM, unblocktheplanet said:

Smog in the red zone. No seats on the Skytrain. Queuing.

 

Come on! This is the way BKK should be: Thai. Before the selfish, the greedheads, the generals, the car owners got hold of it. Before a hundred shopping malls of the same stuff, a hundred thousand useless condos.

 

Bring back street food! Bring back Pak Klong Talat. Let's get back to being Thai, the reason most of us came here in the first place! Before Immig got to be so tight-as.

 

It is about the economy: local folks making a living offering whatever they do best right in the neighbourhood.

 

I'm not seeing any anger, any impatience, just cheerful resignation, making a go of it. We foreigners are here because we love it, just like Thais.

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You must be talking about 1985.  Although there were still a lot of cars about and the generals were always around.

[The Word]

  On 4/23/2020 at 8:36 AM, possum1931 said:

There was a few good food venders near my regular hotel who have disappeared, none of them was causing any obstruction, there was plenty of room for all the pedestrians.

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They were there legally?   If they were operating on the public pavement they were causing obstructions, by definition; they were taking up space designed for pedestrians.

[fhickson]

I miss seeing all the uni girls throughout the day, even if they are a bit young.

 

this guy sounds like a perv.

[Jane Dough]

I'm a homeboy anyway but my life in Bangkok is always influenced by what comes into it via TV and the internet.

 

To wit, I am desperate for the resumption of international sport.

 

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