Bangkok - where people are still falling down the drains after all these years

 

Picture: TNews

 

BANGKOK: -- More than 30 years ago iconic Thai band "Carabao" sang about Bangkok being the place where people fell down drains.

 

If a video posted on Facebook yesterday is anything to go, nothing much has changed!

 

Picture: TNews

 

The clip - on the page of Jason R. Hofer - shows two students happily walking to get some snacks in Muang Ek north of the city

 

Then one of the ladies falls down a drain hurting her leg.

 

First year student Kantaporn Intaraprasit who attends Bangkok University in the area had to go to Rangsit Hospital for treatment.

 

She wasted time and money through no fault of her own - the drain had no cover, said the poster.

 

The poster called on the authorities to take note and thanked motorcycle rank drivers in the area for their help.

 

Carabao sang in their satirical mid eighties hit "Made in Thailand" about Bangkok being the place where people fell down drains.

 

Source: TNews

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-07-28

 

I made it a point to never step on any drain or cover here a long time ago while walking.

In the early ninteies I was walking, or should I say wading,  along a flooded Sukhumvit Road, near Soi 10. the water was about six inches deep. A western man about 5 yards in front suddenly disappeared up to his chest in the water. He had walked over an uncovered drain about a metre square. could not see it in the floods. We pulled him out and happily he was unhurt, just angry.

18 minutes ago, Hereinthailand said:

I made it a point to never step on any drain or cover here a long time ago while walking.

Now that many, if not all, of the sidewalks are cleared of street vendors, why would someone choose to walk in the street, much less over a drain cover (or lack thereof)?

 

I saw some girls wearing their school uniforms the other day, riding a motorcycle, but without helmets.  I question the worthiness of their schooling.  These girls were really stupid.

 

This brings me to the point... why did these girls choose to walk on the street and not the sidewalk?

wonder if it is getting worse with peoples addiction to smart phones.

2 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

wonder if it is getting worse with peoples addiction to smart phones.

I totally agree! Can't count the number of times I've seen people glued to their phones without any regard for what's going on around them. I guess natural selection will come into play.

35 minutes ago, Gumballl said:

Now that many, if not all, of the sidewalks are cleared of street vendors, why would someone choose to walk in the street, much less over a drain cover (or lack thereof)?

 

Ummm you must not get out much because I have never been on a walkway in bkk or elsewhere where the sidewalk didnt have concrete drain covers everywhere

Notice that this person just happened to video recording this? Was this a set up? Interesting, did they know something and didn't tell anyone or was it just that a setup?

19 minutes ago, Mrjlh said:

Notice that this person just happened to video recording this? Was this a set up? Interesting, did they know something and didn't tell anyone or was it just that a setup?

Seems obvious to me why this person happened to be recording videos at this location at this time.

1 hour ago, Gumballl said:

Now that many, if not all, of the sidewalks are cleared of street vendors, why would someone choose to walk in the street, much less over a drain cover (or lack thereof)?

 

I saw some girls wearing their school uniforms the other day, riding a motorcycle, but without helmets.  I question the worthiness of their schooling.  These girls were really stupid.

 

This brings me to the point... why did these girls choose to walk on the street and not the sidewalk?

 

In the video, I see two bulky concrete pillars and one vendor and his customer blocking part of the pavement (US: sidewalk) and this prompted the two students, and a pedestrian passing seconds earlier, to to step onto the street.

2 hours ago, Mrjlh said:

Notice that this person just happened to video recording this? Was this a set up? Interesting, did they know something and didn't tell anyone or was it just that a setup?

 

1 hour ago, timendres said:

Seems obvious to me why this person happened to be recording videos at this location at this time.

He Video capture from an on screen play of a CCTV... 

2 hours ago, ross163103 said:

I totally agree! Can't count the number of times I've seen people glued to their phones without any regard for what's going on around them. I guess natural selection will come into play.

Except when they cause someone else's demise as was the case last week with the cyclist hitting a woman engrossed on her phone to be watching out for oncoming traffic.

5 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

wonder if it is getting worse with peoples addiction to smart phones.

 

If you actually watch the video, the girl who fell wasn't using a phone.

There are places in the very center of Bangkok where there are no sidewalks.  People are forced to walk on the street in the face of oncoming traffic.  Where there are sidewalks, many have an irregular surface prompting people to walk on the street.  This in the very heart of the city.  Property laws are unlikely to change so unless Bangkok is able to exercise eminent domain, the situation is unlikely to change.  Also, where there are private sidewalks they are often obstructed by tour buses and other vehicles.

10 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

In the early ninteies I was walking, or should I say wading,  along a flooded Sukhumvit Road, near Soi 10. the water was about six inches deep. A western man about 5 yards in front suddenly disappeared up to his chest in the water. He had walked over an uncovered drain about a metre square. could not see it in the floods. We pulled him out and happily he was unhurt, just angry.

Happened to me in '95 on Surawong, had 7 stitches in my leg.

12 hours ago, Gumballl said:

Now that many, if not all, of the sidewalks are cleared of street vendors, why would someone choose to walk in the street, much less over a drain cover (or lack thereof)?

 

I saw some girls wearing their school uniforms the other day, riding a motorcycle, but without helmets.  I question the worthiness of their schooling.  These girls were really stupid.

 

This brings me to the point... why did these girls choose to walk on the street and not the sidewalk?

Agreed, I was watching the clip noticed it ended too soon I wanted to see if the guy walking in the same path as the girls would avoid the drain. 

As a general note, I wonder how many youngsters would avoid such mishaps if they put the cell phone away while walking?

12 hours ago, Hereinthailand said:

Ummm you must not get out much because I have never been on a walkway in bkk or elsewhere where the sidewalk didnt have concrete drain covers everywhere

Often with concrete broken away with wire mesh showing

11 hours ago, Mrjlh said:

Notice that this person just happened to video recording this? Was this a set up? Interesting, did they know something and didn't tell anyone or was it just that a setup?

I suspect it was footage from one of the many surveillance cameras. 

Remember big brother is always watching

12 hours ago, Mrjlh said:

Notice that this person just happened to video recording this? Was this a set up? Interesting, did they know something and didn't tell anyone or was it just that a setup?

 

sure it's fake and not a very good one, thats why the camera zooms in just before fall into the drain.

7 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

If you actually watch the video, the girl who fell wasn't using a phone.

dont think they have smart phones 30 years ago.

10 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

There are places in the very center of Bangkok where there are no sidewalks.  People are forced to walk on the street in the face of oncoming traffic.  Where there are sidewalks, many have an irregular surface prompting people to walk on the street.  This in the very heart of the city.  Property laws are unlikely to change so unless Bangkok is able to exercise eminent domain, the situation is unlikely to change.  Also, where there are private sidewalks they are often obstructed by tour buses and other vehicles.

 

It is also remarkable that there are main streets in the very centre of the city that have no or very few streetlights. Most of the light comes from the buildings.

Honestly, who is surprised? 

On 7/28/2017 at 11:32 AM, williamgeorgeallen said:

wonder if it is getting worse with peoples addiction to smart phones.

Cyber Zombies :)

Didn't have the "twig barriers"

23 hours ago, Itay said:

On 7/28/2017 at 3:42 AM, Mrjlh said:

Notice that this person just happened to video recording this? Was this a set up? Interesting, did they know something and didn't tell anyone or was it just that a setup?

 

On 7/28/2017 at 4:02 AM, timendres said:

Seems obvious to me why this person happened to be recording videos at this location at this time.

He Video capture from an on screen play of a CCTV... 

Ah. That would explain the terrible resolution.

Has anyone on here walked  the pavement area after you cross the road from Asok walking towards Nana?An absolute death trap waiting to happen...and this is a well trodden tourist area!

Love the direction of the grids when riding along on my bike.

In Aus there are cattle grids to stop cattle getting out ... here they have bike grids to stop bikes from going further along the soi.

3 minutes ago, marquis22 said:

Love the direction of the grids when riding along on my bike.

In Aus there are cattle grids to stop cattle getting out ... here they have bike grids to stop bikes from going further along the soi.

Yes, a lack of logical/forward thinking in the Soi  

I never step on those drainlids, some are really rotten and waiting for accidents to happen...Thailand should be very ashamed they can't make proper drainlids, also on the roads they are damaged/missing all the time...And after they build new ones the trucks damage them pretty fast again.