Back from the brink

It was 15 years ago that I made my first visit to Bangkok. I was returning to Canada from Bali after 6 weeks of tranquility. As the aircraft approached Bangkok where I would change planes, an irrational idea popped into my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it. I was going to miss my flight to Canada. Bangkok had summoned me, and, as if under a spell, I obeyed.

My experience in Bangkok over the next week was exhausting and exhilarating. I fell in love with Bangkok and the people. I made friends easily, I danced til dawn, I wandered the streets of a gritty, fascinating city. A city, looking back, that was on life support. Traffic was in gridlock, the air was noxious, trees struggled to survive on the polluted streets. The sky was a constant grey white. Something had to give – life support couldn’t keep Bangkok ticking that much longer.

And something did change, even if imperceptible at first . A skytrain, followed by a subway that has made navigating much of Bangkok incredibly easy. Extensions to both systems, along with a new BRT (bus rapid transit), promise to continue to rejuvenate a city that simply didn’t function. A Bangkok governor who had the vision to ‘green’ the city to alleviate heat, pollution and to add beauty. The regulation requiring taxis to switch to cleaner burning natural gas or propane. It’s common today to wake up to blue skies in Bangkok. And, on the rare day that I venture out to meet a friend for lunch at one of the mega malls, I usually walk. Sure it’s hot, but it’s shaded by trees most of the way. And I hop on the Skytrain to get me most of the way home.

Like every fast growing city in Asia, Bangkok continues to face severe challenges. But I believe a corner has been turned that could save the city. A lot will depend on the political willpower of future governments. Much of it rests with you and I. I’ll discuss in a future post ideas we’ve adopted at Bangkoksong to help Bangkok on the road to a full recovery.


Guest post by Randall