Car-free Days in Bangkok!

Sawatdee, krup and hi there! How’s tricks? Ready for a mug of coffee and a virtual treat? Of course you are and who wouldn’t be, eh? Well now, y’know that we lived in Bangkok for a number of years, right? Unbelievable number of cars with millions of vehicles coming into the city every day. Traffic can be horrendous. The recent innovations of more expressways criss-crossing the city, Skytrain and subway have all done their part to relieve some of the pressure, However, Bangkok has nowhere near the road space it needs to handle the amount of traffic. Police do the best they can to manage the congested intercections. So, why not try a car-free weekend, eh?

City Hall is to close several major roads to all motorised vehicles for a "car-free day" this weekend to encourage the use of public transport.

The two middle lanes of Silom Road, from Sala Daeng to Narathiwat Ratchanakharin, will be closed from midday until 10pm on Saturday. All lanes on the same stretch of road will then be closed from 10pm on Saturday night until 6am on Monday, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

More than 20,000 cyclists are expected to meet at Sanam Luang on Sunday at 8am. They will form a convoy and cycle to Silom, riding along Ratchadamnoen, Si Ayutthaya, Ratchaprarop and Ratchadamri roads.

The three left-most lanes on Ratchadamri Road in front of CentralWorld shopping centre will be closed from 1am to 6pm on Sunday.

The BMA advised motorists to avoid the Silom area during the weekend and the convoy route between 8.30-9.30am on Sunday. 

I can imagine the chaos for those who are unaware of the closings. Those who know ahead of time are likely to take it in stride as Bangkokians, and indeed, most Thais, do. Don't be surprised to see an inordinate number of vendors and food carts setting up on the car-free streets. That's what usually, strike that, always happens. Great food, too!

See ya, eh!

Bob