Bangkok Is In Desperate Need Of Open Spaces And Fresh Air

[PhilipCook]

Remove all manufacturing, warehousing, boat docking in and around Prapadaeng or better yet turn it entirely into a nature preserve. Its a lovely area that can serve as the lung of Bangkok. When the Klongtoey port is removed, it too can be another green area. The Tobacco factory and QSNCC should move as well to the city outskirts. There is another area which should be considered for demolation and relocation, that is the aging housing projects next to the expressway which are just east of the new Japanese embassy/north of Rama IV. These ideas all take alot of effort, the city needs a powerful boss, like when the mayor of Seoul tore up a road to reveal a natural stream underneath. He did it with good intentions for everyone. Maybe these ideas are too hard for one person to do here, maybe it should just start with removing vendors from sidewalks, blocking motorcycles from riding on sidewalks including policemen, leveling sidewalks and removing hazards, and planting some trees where trees were ripped out, destroyed or have no chance of survival.

[PhilipCook]

Bangkok has its issues like any city on earth, what it needs is a powerful mayor with a decent strategy to improve things. Imagine a day when the canals of the city are the preferred method of travel for city folk and tourists alike. Elect the person who can make it happen.

[Fookhaht]

The locals' prevalent attitude: "Why muck around in a steamy jungle-climate Bangkok park, when you can be sipping your favorite cool drink in an air-conditioned shopping mall, probably also among indoor trees and ponds?" The shopping centers of Bangkok have become, de facto, Bangkok's "parks."

On another note: The biggest problem I have when I come to visit friends (who live in many parts of the city) is finding an outdoor place to go walking or jogging. Have to ride the BTS or MRT forever to get to a location with a park. If I'm not near one of those transportation hubs, forget the outdoor exercise for the day.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Fookhaht

[Thai at Heart]

Bangkok has its issues like any city on earth, what it needs is a powerful mayor with a decent strategy to improve things. Imagine a day when the canals of the city are the preferred method of travel for city folk and tourists alike. Elect the person who can make it happen.

Well, isn't most of Bangkok grossly overcrowded already. So essentially, they would have to put a moratorium on any construction

increases the density of population any more. Try swinging that one past the people who treat land as a pension.

In fact, for most of the downtown, the responsible thing to do would be to ban any further construction completely.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[spidermike007]

Green space requires politicians with vision, compassion, understanding, maturity, intelligence, and effectiveness. None of which most Thai politicians have. We have a political system here that is not based on merit, but rather on cronyism. That is the least effective form of governance possible. It encourages corruption, and is the opposite of the public good. So, how can one even expect a politician here to "do the right thing"? It rarely happens. If decades ago, when property was still affordable, park land was set aside, Bangkok would be a far different place. Now, it is the Los Angeles of Asia.

Mike Macarelli

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[spidermike007]

Remove all manufacturing, warehousing, boat docking in and around Prapadaeng or better yet turn it entirely into a nature preserve. Its a lovely area that can serve as the lung of Bangkok. When the Klongtoey port is removed, it too can be another green area. The Tobacco factory and QSNCC should move as well to the city outskirts. There is another area which should be considered for demolation and relocation, that is the aging housing projects next to the expressway which are just east of the new Japanese embassy/north of Rama IV. These ideas all take alot of effort, the city needs a powerful boss, like when the mayor of Seoul tore up a road to reveal a natural stream underneath. He did it with good intentions for everyone. Maybe these ideas are too hard for one person to do here, maybe it should just start with removing vendors from sidewalks, blocking motorcycles from riding on sidewalks including policemen, leveling sidewalks and removing hazards, and planting some trees where trees were ripped out, destroyed or have no chance of survival.

Nice ideas. But, you are speaking of vision. How often do you see vision from a Thai politician? When was the last time? They seem to be a particularly undeveloped group of people. Little in the way of consciousness, or compassion for their own people. The prevalent attitude seems to be self preservation, greed, power, and face. So, where does that leave the Thai people they are supposed to be serving?

Mike Macarelli

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[spidermike007]

Bangkok is the most horrible city I have ever visited or lived. If you're not a creepy old sex tourist, I can't think of one thing that godawful hellhole has to offer. Hardly any parks or anything beautiful for that matter, its architecture is hideous, the food is mostly awful, its filthy everywhere, no fine arts or theater districts, almost no museums or anything of any real cultural or historical interest.. Its hard to imagine another city of this size with this much money with so little to offer.

Well you must not have traveled much.

The Silom galleries are great. Bangkok has some of the best bookstores in Asia. The cinemas are state of the art, and better than the best cinemas in Los Angeles. There are fantastic restaurants by the dozen, you jus have to know where to eat. Siam Paragon is the most enjoyable mall on the planet, and I do not like malls! There are decent jazz clubs, and occasionally good concerts. I do agree that for a city it's size, the cultural scene is surprisingly light, and relatively vapid. But, there are alot of things to do and to see in Bangkok, which is a great city, by many standards. Is it possible that you did not try hard enough to discover the city? The sex scene is merely one small part of Bangkok. Unless that was all that interested you?

Mike Macarelli

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[xen]

Over the past 30 + years i have been visiting or living in BKK there has been a huge improvement but there is so much more to do . There are now many more ,altho badly maintained , street trees for example and rubbish collection has vastly improved from the early days.

The area around Phra Padaeng will be interesting to see if it does remain as it is or the developers will make short term profit. I have yet to visit the new park there but that is a step in the right direction. There is a lot of vacant land around that could be turned into low maintenance parkland rather than high maintenance designs that the Thais seem to love (get rid of clipped hedges for example). Lease vacant land from the owners and explain that a park would is more useful than a overgrown vacant block for rubbish dumpers and vermin. They can make money from lease as well as capital gains.

Under all the flyovers there is vacant land , some of which has been turned into park land of sorts. These would be good areas to encourage community gardens for example but that is not easy to organise i know because i have been involved in that .

I guess it all comes down to self interest verses community interest and long term investment.