Picture: Facebook/Sanook

 

Thais were at their teasing best as they commented in great numbers on a Facebook post by the site that translates as "Hey! These are Thailand's sidewalks".

 

The site had posted a picture of a swanky newly painted Zebra crossing at the Chitlom intersection in downtown Bangkok.

 

World leaders might pass it for the APEC 2022 meeting being held nearby at the end of next week.

 

It seems to have been spruced up in a flash with the site leading the way saying facetiously how wonderful it was that road markings were now clear and precise. 

 

One netizen went with: "Are they worried that the world leaders will be hit crossing a Zebra?", reported Sanook.

 

Another said: "They should have come in the rainy season - then they would have seen the Venice of the East" - a reference to the city's perennial flooding issues. 

 

Another said they should change the site of the meeting on a rolling basis to all 77 provinces - that way everyone might get a slice of Bangkok's beautification.

 

Continuing in the vein that it was all about not losing that most valuable of Thai commodities - FACE - Move Forward MP in Bangkok Jorayuth Jaturapornprasit noted that all the unsightly wires around the Queen Sirikit National Convention center had miraculously been buried underground in a single day.

 

It was great that the dignitaries eyes would not be offended by all those nasty wires and would be able to see the sky (pollution permitting!).

 

It was just a pity that requests from all around the country to do likewise have stalled. 

 

It was all about face - and not losing it  - when important foreigners were in town!

 

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Lipstick on a pig! ????

 

 

Edited November 12, 20223 yr by 2baht

6 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Lipstick on a pig! ????

 

 

Why insult a pig ...........

6 minutes ago, petermik said:

Why insult a pig ...........

..................it's still a pig!

Hope none of our esteemed "World Leaders" try and actually use that zebra crossing...

 

On second thoughts..????

☹️

2 hours ago, webfact said:

all the unsightly wires around the Queen Sirikit National Convention center had miraculously been buried underground in a single day.

I think that they were more likely just cut and dumped. Sort out the locals internet later.

Beatified Bangkok ? ????

They should spend some of that money on the homeless problem here, which got much worse during the pandemic. I see people living on the beach here in Pattaya.

20 hours ago, webfact said:

World leaders might pass it for the APEC 2022 meeting being held nearby at the end of next week.

 

It seems to have been spruced up in a flash with the site leading the way saying facetiously how wonderful it was that road markings were now clear and precise.

I wonder if they'd dare ask one of the world leaders to get out and give them a go at walking across, [unaided] ?

The IMF congress of October 1991 springs to mind. They closed Bangkok and declared "public holidays"; reason given was, so school children could share the pleasure of the IMF congress as well. 

The Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) got erected in nine months only while Ratchadapisek road from QSNCC to Sukhumvit road got a concrete wall. Latter got painted by school children - to hide the slums behind those walls. 

Well, little did those participants know on how roads can be emptied very professionally and the entire "holiday break" for the enjoyment of school children was paid for by the private industry. In other words, no link to reality of day-to-day mess in Bangkok.

Another lovely bonmot is certainly SEA Games 1998; lower Sukhumvit got brand-new pavements, fixed in record time with pavers. A mere week after the games ended, the trucks came along, picked-up all those interlocking pavers again and the pavements looked like before - just if nothing ever happened! Unclear remains to this day, if those "collections" were done by the municipality or if Somchai helped himself to some hardly used building material..... 

Dr Thaksin pulled the best hat trick in 2003. Bangkok's subway MRT was unfinished and behind schedule. The only stretch serviceable was between QSNCC and Sukhumvit Road. So, for the occasion, the Thaksinians flew in (you read correctly FLEW IN) three MRT wagons, one wagon at a time with a chartered Antonow AN-124 (Ruslan) from Europe to Don Meuang. Never found out, what that little stint cost the Thai taxpayer but, trust me, possibly the most expensive tube trip of all times; just to lead those dignitaries for a one-station trip underground through Bangkok. With compliments of the Thai taxpayer, of course. 

More to come, surprises are here around the corner, daily, everywhere, endless .......... ???? Face is absolutely everything; once you understood that, Bob's your uncle! 

Edited November 13, 20223 yr by Sydebolle