New Bridge Looking Trashy Around Its Legs

[brahmburgers]

I like using the new bridge, though still feel its grossly overbuilt. Even so, it only really has one full lane going each direction for autos - the second lanes are a bit narrow, so they're usually used for motorbikes and illegal parking.

Under the bridge, at each shoreline, there are wide cement steps. In India they'd be called ghats. It almost looks like they could be seats for a performance, but the performers would have to be on the nearest footings which sit in the river. There are also four cement islands situated upstream. When the bridge was being built, I wondered whether those were for some sort of smaller bridge parallel to the main bridge. It's now clear those were made to buffer/disseminate the force of the river against the four main footings. Now, with their flat tops, they've become a target for punks to throw bottles - so they've covered in broken glass and the spaces around them must also have piles of the same.

The two most annoying aspects of the shore area are the trash and graffiti. Suggest: authorities post a guard at each end to try to deter such eyesores. (I have seen police stopped on the bridge proper, but invariably, all they ever do is stop and fraternize with the prettiest girls). Additionally, for below areas, at least one trash receptacle should be placed at each end. Currently, there is at least one full trash can's worth of trash strewn around there at any one time. Some gets blown in to the river, some gets blown or thrown in to the weed patches alongside the cemented areas.

I may go and purchase a couple barrels (around 800 baht each) to put there, but I don't particularly want to deal with the trash, and put new plastic liners in. Methinks that's more a municipal role. This is Thailand: Spend a billion baht on a massively impressive bridge, but don't spend 1,600 baht on trash receptacles.

On a similar vein, there are several great spots for parks in downtown Chiang Rai. Probably the biggest and best is a parcel 1 mile south of the night bazaar - along the east side of the road. There are three main drawbacks to making that a park:

1. it's owned by Chinese-Thais who are asking a whoppingly high price for it, and it will never sell (neither will dozens of other similarly overly priced downtown properties).

2. it has an old chimney for cremations, so Thais naturally think it's haunted forever.

3. there is no apparent awareness nor willingness by C.Rai city fathers of the great potential there.

It could also have a youth center (the modest building is already there) for art/music/dance/creative activities - but again, that's too far outside the box for Thai legislators to perceive, let alone implement.

[xen]

1. it's owned by Chinese-Thais who are asking a whoppingly high price for it, and it will never sell (neither will dozens of other similarly overly priced downtown properties).

2. it has an old chimney for cremations, so Thais naturally think it's haunted forever.

3. there is no apparent awareness nor willingness by C.Rai city fathers of the great potential there.

It could also have a youth center (the modest building is already there) for art/music/dance/creative activities - but again, that's too far outside the box for Thai legislators to perceive, let alone implement.

It is a shame that somebody from Chaing Rai Council can't negotiate with the owners to clean the site and turf it and maintain it rent free , until it is sold on the provision that it is remains the owners property to sell . If it has a cremation chiminey it will probably never sell but If it is clean it will have a better presentation for the sellers too.

Then it can be utilised for playing/sporting active recreation for the communities benifit.

Will that happen - No!!

[brahmburgers]

video taken 2 days ago - of area beneath north side of the New Bridge.

[jubby]

looks like they are using the blocks for target practice. Its a shame about the broken glass.

what can anyone say or do about graffiti. if it was somewhere in the west it would be much worse.

trash isn't that bad too, considering .....

don't get me wrong, I detest littering myself. It should be a capital offence. but then again TIT. don't get wound up about it brahm's its not as though WE can do anything about it. other than clean it up ourselves. I have enough trash to clean up outside my place .

Noticed a few hidey holes under that bridge though

[sunholidaysun1]

I was told there have been a few bodies found at the bottom also , not sure how many since the bridge was built, either from jumping or being pushed over ? who knows ?

[jubby]

I was told there have been a few bodies found at the bottom also , not sure how many since the bridge was built, either from jumping or being pushed over ? who knows ?

Biodegradable Sunny

[toybits]

If I am not mistaken, that chimney the OP mentioned in that vacant property was probably not a chimney for a crematorium but rather an Old Rice Mill. Many rice mills still use this system - such as the rice mill at Tha Sai, See Yaek Mae Korn, and even at Mae Chan.