Bangkok To Be Transformed Into A Cultural Attraction

[webfact]

Bangkok to be transformed into a cultural attraction

BANGKOK, 21 March 2011 (NNT)-Suthichai Veerakulsunthorn, a Bangkok City Councilor will propose a development plan for Bangkok and its surrounding areas to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to transform the city into a cultural attraction to compete with Hanoi of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

After visiting Hanoi, Mr. Suthichai said the tourism industry in Vietnam has grown quickly during the past 5 years. Vietnam has promoted its tourism sector through local traditions and cultures, a move which brings nostalgia among tourists.

Among Hanoi’s tourist attractions is Van Phuc, a village which dates back 1,200 years ago, members of this village continue to weave silk for a living. Visitors can also enjoy river views on a boat trip.

In an attempt to raise tourism standards of Bangkok, Mr. Suthichai is set to discuss this matter with the BMA to transform communities in Bangkok and its adjacent areas into cultural attractions to boost the tourism industry.

The Bangkok Councilor added later that his trip to Vietnam was to tighten relationship between Thailand and Vietnam while he also had a chance to study the country’s tradition and old values.

-- NNT 2011-03-21

[gotlost]

Already have Patpong, NEP and Soi Cowboy. We need more?

[Gillespie]

Bit embarrassing the extent to which Thailand is suddenly scurrying after Vietnam looking for tips on how to sort out its problems.

[asiawatcher]

What's the point? You cannot travel anywhere in the city due to traffic congestion! As a friend told me recently, when we slowed to a stop on the expressway and I laughed at having paid the toll to avoid a car park. He said "You pay in car parks and this one is only just a lot larger, same same!" He has a point. Traffic is enough to put anyone off trying to reach any destination or tourist attraction. If BMA is serious - remove the stupidity of manually controlled traffic lights and sync them up so they allow traffic flow and time them at no more than 60 seconds per intersection. Have the BiB police traffic and the push shove merchants, people travelling the wrong way against traffic flow, have all buses remain in the left lane (create a bus/taxi lane) and issue some serious fines attached to a point system for those who ignore the rules.

Then whilst that is happening tourism and cultural attractions can be being built thus by the time BMA gets its s**t together, things may actually work ... ok - now I will stop daydreaming!

[CosmicSurfer]

What's the point? You cannot travel anywhere in the city due to traffic congestion! As a friend told me recently, when we slowed to a stop on the expressway and I laughed at having paid the toll to avoid a car park. He said "You pay in car parks and this one is only just a lot larger, same same!" He has a point. Traffic is enough to put anyone off trying to reach any destination or tourist attraction. If BMA is serious - remove the stupidity of manually controlled traffic lights and sync them up so they allow traffic flow and time them at no more than 60 seconds per intersection. Have the BiB police traffic and the push shove merchants, people travelling the wrong way against traffic flow, have all buses remain in the left lane (create a bus/taxi lane) and issue some serious fines attached to a point system for those who ignore the rules.

Then whilst that is happening tourism and cultural attractions can be being built thus by the time BMA gets its s**t together, things may actually work ... ok - now I will stop daydreaming!

Dreamer!

[CosmicSurfer]

One Question > Has anyone gotten the OK from the "Sirts".. Red & Yellow?

CS

[Awohalitsiktoli]

What's the point? You cannot travel anywhere in the city due to traffic congestion! As a friend told me recently, when we slowed to a stop on the expressway and I laughed at having paid the toll to avoid a car park. He said "You pay in car parks and this one is only just a lot larger, same same!" He has a point. Traffic is enough to put anyone off trying to reach any destination or tourist attraction. If BMA is serious - remove the stupidity of manually controlled traffic lights and sync them up so they allow traffic flow and time them at no more than 60 seconds per intersection. Have the BiB police traffic and the push shove merchants, people travelling the wrong way against traffic flow, have all buses remain in the left lane (create a bus/taxi lane) and issue some serious fines attached to a point system for those who ignore the rules.

Then whilst that is happening tourism and cultural attractions can be being built thus by the time BMA gets its s**t together, things may actually work ... ok - now I will stop daydreaming!

All good points Asiawatcher. I was in Bangkok a few days ago and the traffic was horrendous morning, afternoon and evening. I actually started thinking about not going anywhere because of the traffic. It is simply getting worse. In the US, in some cities, there is a "bus only lane" and/or a car lane for more than one person per car (in other words, you can't use the lane if you are driving alone). These are usually set up in the morning and evening hours when people are going to work or coming from work. That might help. There is also a major problem of not being able to park in most places, so people continue driving around just trying to locate a place to park. The bottom line is too many people w/ cars living in a confined space called Bangkok. The end result, following the ever-popular and totally insane development without boundaries/limits model, is what you see today in Bangkok: a dysfunctional, overcrowded, polluted mess. And other cities are becoming similar (e.g. Pattaya, Chiang Mai).

[toenail]

??????????????????????? I don't get it...there are plenty of tourist venues (some authentic, some set up for tourists) where one can see the traditional arts, crafts, customs of old Thailand. This particular councilman is like any local person - doesn't visit his own tourist sights, only when he is visiting another country. As farangs, we know where the tourist sights are in Thailand, but most likely don't know them in our own country.

I have been to Vietnam and I wouldn't use them as a role model. How about using Singapore or Germany for a role model?

[Guest]

Open your eyes, there are bus/taxi lanes all over the city center, and the BIB even enforce them when they are hungry!

Anyway why bitch about the traffic, there are great services on the BTS, MRT and river, and a dozen new train lines are under construction. If Thailand had a fraction of the money the US has, infrastructure would be a lot better, and its already been transformed over the last 15-20 years. As for traffic signals, thats a valid point. A computerised system was installed aeons ago but the BIB refused to turn it on. Their story as to why and what the truth might be are slightly different!

[pisico]

What's the point? You cannot travel anywhere in the city due to traffic congestion! As a friend told me recently, when we slowed to a stop on the expressway and I laughed at having paid the toll to avoid a car park. He said "You pay in car parks and this one is only just a lot larger, same same!" He has a point. Traffic is enough to put anyone off trying to reach any destination or tourist attraction. If BMA is serious - remove the stupidity of manually controlled traffic lights and sync them up so they allow traffic flow and time them at no more than 60 seconds per intersection. Have the BiB police traffic and the push shove merchants, people travelling the wrong way against traffic flow, have all buses remain in the left lane (create a bus/taxi lane) and issue some serious fines attached to a point system for those who ignore the rules.

Then whilst that is happening tourism and cultural attractions can be being built thus by the time BMA gets its s**t together, things may actually work ... ok - now I will stop daydreaming!

Embarrassing indeed!

Viet Nam increased tourism from zero to something. Is that the example to follow?

Bangkok is the only city I know that has access ramps on all its sidewalks for the benefit of motorcycles not the disabled.

Did he ever walk on the sidewalks of Ratchadamnoen or Pinklao? I think not.

Sidewalks in general, except for the smattering of streets in the Ratchaprasong area are craggy, full of dangerous holes and perennially dirty. Public transportation buses seem to be washed only during Songkran or when it rains.

Pedestrians are not considered to be a life form to protect from traffic. Soi dogs on the rise, a clear sign of urban decay.

All this guy can think of is to have peasants continue weaving silk as they do now to turn this city into a cultural hub?

It comes to show that people in this city's government have a deep disconnect with reality. They think we all live in the same bubble they do.

[AleG]

What's the point? You cannot travel anywhere in the city due to traffic congestion! As a friend told me recently, when we slowed to a stop on the expressway and I laughed at having paid the toll to avoid a car park. He said "You pay in car parks and this one is only just a lot larger, same same!" He has a point. Traffic is enough to put anyone off trying to reach any destination or tourist attraction. If BMA is serious - remove the stupidity of manually controlled traffic lights and sync them up so they allow traffic flow and time them at no more than 60 seconds per intersection. Have the BiB police traffic and the push shove merchants, people travelling the wrong way against traffic flow, have all buses remain in the left lane (create a bus/taxi lane) and issue some serious fines attached to a point system for those who ignore the rules.

Then whilst that is happening tourism and cultural attractions can be being built thus by the time BMA gets its s**t together, things may actually work ... ok - now I will stop daydreaming!

Regarding this, it would be a great thing to extend the MRT line from Hua Lamphong to Yaowarat (China Town) and onwards to Wat Phra Keaw. Besides having a huge movement of local people in between Hua Lamphong and The Grand Palace, it's a mayor tourist area that is quite disconnected from the mass transit system.

[kevc]

I remember reading in The Bangkok Post about 20 years ago the Vietnamese tourist board traveling to Thailand to learn from TAT on how to promote tourism in Vietnam.

[ginjag]

What's the point? You cannot travel anywhere in the city due to traffic congestion! As a friend told me recently, when we slowed to a stop on the expressway and I laughed at having paid the toll to avoid a car park. He said "You pay in car parks and this one is only just a lot larger, same same!" He has a point. Traffic is enough to put anyone off trying to reach any destination or tourist attraction. If BMA is serious - remove the stupidity of manually controlled traffic lights and sync them up so they allow traffic flow and time them at no more than 60 seconds per intersection. Have the BiB police traffic and the push shove merchants, people travelling the wrong way against traffic flow, have all buses remain in the left lane (create a bus/taxi lane) and issue some serious fines attached to a point system for those who ignore the rules.

Then whilst that is happening tourism and cultural attractions can be being built thus by the time BMA gets its s**t together, things may actually work ... ok - now I will stop daydreaming!

Embarrassing indeed!

Viet Nam increased tourism from zero to something. Is that the example to follow?

Bangkok is the only city I know that has access ramps on all its sidewalks for the benefit of motorcycles not the disabled.

Did he ever walk on the sidewalks of Ratchadamnoen or Pinklao? I think not.

Sidewalks in general, except for the smattering of streets in the Ratchaprasong area are craggy, full of dangerous holes and perennially dirty. Public transportation buses seem to be washed only during Songkran or when it rains.

Pedestrians are not considered to be a life form to protect from traffic. Soi dogs on the rise, a clear sign of urban decay.

All this guy can think of is to have peasants continue weaving silk as they do now to turn this city into a cultural hub?

It comes to show that people in this city's government have a deep disconnect with reality. They think we all live in the same bubble they do.

Well you cannot blame the guy for getting out of the SH#T hole and taking a holiday. The hub of rip offs, god, all the true stories about tourists going into BKK and being ripped off by GUIDES, a joke, now they want to rip off more with this cultural bull.

Skywalks 5555555555. you stupid governor, your 50,000 bht round trip would have paved another PATH for people to walk on. Get your ground level paths for pedestrians sorted. spend the billions on them. MAKE the Royal BIB do their job, enforce the bus lanes, keep the traffic flowing. 2 hours in the congested areas will show them the problems and a quick emergency meeting --hey presto the contractors are in and sorting it out. These governors make me pewk. It shows plain and simple they dont give a monkey's toss.

make a street for venders, in all popular areas, paths become free to walk on. or am I stupid. (no please don't say you are)

Edited March 21, 2011 by ginjag

[Thailand]

Silly me I thought Bangkok was already full of tourist attractions, almost everywhere you go there is something to see.

As for traffic, I lived in Bangkok in 1989 and it would take 2.5 hours to get from Soi 62 down to Silom and that was with a large part of the journey on the expressway!

Garages used to sell portable car potties for those who go caught short in the rot tits.Maybe they still do?

[egg]

the cultural "hub" now ,,, as if ,,,,,,

[tonititan]

Already have Patpong, NEP and Soi Cowboy. We need more?

That's probably not the kind of tourist they are wanting to attract.

[egg]

l should have added that there is already a lot of culture in BK ,, but it's mainly centred around the drains and most of the food stalls

[Pib]

I'm sure all of this will come true since "a" city councilor (1 of 57 councilors) "proposed" it; done deal for sure!

Edited March 21, 2011 by Pib

[Macmundi]

Thai culture had quickly become the "rip-off land of smiles". Thats the culture. Behind that smile is an intention to rip you off. They're smiling at you so you can show them ways for them to rip you off. That means if they smile at you, your first response should be,'I have nothing.". Then you will see that smile fade away. Because whatever they do next will be sincere and without design.

[Cnxforever]

don't they know - the word is "Hub" Bangkok will be the hub of all culture - together with being the "hub" of everything else !!!

[Awohalitsiktoli]

Hub of a failed cultural experiment

[isanbirder]

It already was a great tourist attraction when I first visited it... in 1957. Since then it deteriorated and deteriorated until the opening of the Skytrain. There are now ways of getting round most of the city fairly quickly, so long as you keep off the roads.

[animatic]

More like away to heard more of the tourists into one circuit,

so they can be targeted more efficiently. By soapy touts, premium tour guides,

jewelry scammers, high cost taxis, and the usual pseudo classical

performances by 'traditional performers'.

[Awohalitsiktoli]

It already was a great tourist attraction when I first visited it... in 1957. Since then it deteriorated and deteriorated until the opening of the Skytrain. There are now ways of getting round most of the city fairly quickly, so long as you keep off the roads.

I think many readers would really like to know what Bangkok was like in 1957: traffic jams? overcrowding? dirty? interesting? exotic? fun? cooler than the present? etc.

[ratcatcher]

Another thing the good councilor from Bangkok may have forgotten, is that Vietnam is a Communist country. When the party orders something done, there is far less obstruction and possible corruption than here.

As most posters have noted,the way to help solve this problem would be to:

1.Clean up and repair the sidewalks.

2.Organize the street vendors off the already crowded sidewalks.

3.Ban motorcycles on sidewalks.

4.Deal with scammers at tourist attractions.

5.Synchronize traffic lights under the ciomputerized controls where possible.

6.Deal with the police.

7.Smoke another joint.

Doing all these things in the present system in place in this country will be, sadly, next to impossible. No will, just dreams.

[landofthefree]

Another thing the good councilor from Bangkok may have forgotten, is that Vietnam is a Communist country. When the party orders something done, there is far less obstruction and possible corruption than here.

As most posters have noted,the way to help solve this problem would be to:

1.Clean up and repair the sidewalks.

2.Organize the street vendors off the already crowded sidewalks.

3.Ban motorcycles on sidewalks.

4.Deal with scammers at tourist attractions.

5.Synchronize traffic lights under the ciomputerized controls where possible.

6.Deal with the police.

7.Smoke another joint.

Doing all these things in the present system in place in this country will be, sadly, next to impossible. No will, just dreams.

Bangkok really has very little culture to offer. If you take away the temples and the Palace what is there?There are lots of concrete skyscrapers, bad traffic, pollution and little to no footpath space I think the song one night in Bangkok sums it up well a muddy river and not much between despair and ecstasy .....Maybe Bangers should stick at what its renowned for and stay a hub for the dirty old raincoat brigade! to quote Chess again ;)and if your lucky then its a she !

[ginjag]

It already was a great tourist attraction when I first visited it... in 1957. Since then it deteriorated and deteriorated until the opening of the Skytrain. There are now ways of getting round most of the city fairly quickly, so long as you keep off the roads.

I think many readers would really like to know what Bangkok was like in 1957: traffic jams? overcrowding? dirty? interesting? exotic? fun? cooler than the present? etc.

The canals were dirty sewers then==temp/find no different==I wouldn't say exotic==suriwongsi and P/P same sort of tourist sex area-the other one was Nana, and arabs were there then, all around that area, Pratunam was always good for shopping but without the vast Malls, Palace and temples were the big attraction for photo's as every one wanted the Thai photo's back then. At a temple I took my pricey trainers off -went in-when I came out they were gone and left were some 5 baht flip flops. my first intro into the rip offs was a tuk tuk, to the river 1 hour-and later I found I could have walked in 5 mins, traffic bad, but more so now. the best bit was the old airport, and that walk between terminals. Mind as a football ref I was fit. just sorry we cannot go back--it was much more friendly then-and smiles were more natural

[janverbeem]

So will the weekly protest demonstrations be promoted as an attraction?

[rubl]

Bangkok to be transformed into a cultural attraction

Vote k. Purachai for Bangkok governor

Edited March 21, 2011 by rubl

[elcent]

there was a movie shooting from HBO many years back. The movie was about the Vietnam war. A large area was turned into a Vietnamese-village-look. It just took a couple of days for the team to realize this. Low budget as well. This was the only time were I thought Bangkok has had at least some charm.

What will they do here in Thailand. New neon-lights blinking in all forms and variaties everywhere? This I think is as far as they can go.

Instead to announce the impossible please try to solve the other impossible first - that is city planning.