for the Thai language
| | Internet resource for the Thai language |
F.A.Q. Check out the list of frequently asked questions for a quick answer to your inquiry
recent donations!
Sign-up to join our mailing list. You'll receive email notification when this site is updated. Your privacy is guaranteed; this list is not sold, shared, or used for any other purpose. Click here for more information.
To unsubscribe, click here.
gallery home prev photo next photo
Thailand's capitol city of Bangkok (กรุงเทพฯ) is a chaotic world unto itself. For example, pollution in Bangkok is so hazardous that many traffic police
officers die of respiratory illness each year.Bangkok may have the worst pollution and traffic in the world. It is possible for a vehicle to be completely stopped for up to thirty minutes during "rush" hour. Part of the problem is explained by the observation that the city has one of the lowest proportions of paved street area among all major cities. One attempt to solve the traffic problem is a spectacularly ambitious plan to build an elevated mass transit system. A massive pylon for the system can be seen in the background of the next photo—these have been constructed around the city, worsening traffic during construction (which mostly proceeds overnight) and permanently eliminating a lane from major roads. With the recent financial crisis in Thailand, the completion of this enterprise may be in jeapordy. Air pollution is a problem because of belching city buses (modernization is underway) and the widespread use of polluting two-stroke motorbikes (the only way to penetrate gridlocked traffic) and tuk-tuks (motorized samlors). Photo taken on Sunday, June 29, 1997 |