Thread: Pavement-restaurants and bridge-markets

As soon as I saw FF name as the latest poster I knew that there would be some common sense and some positive thinking

I was right, nice one FF, like a breath of fresh air after all the cynicism and whingeing

Originally Posted by Smeg

I know the ones on the skytrain bridges aren't. Its fun watching them gather their content-full sheets and scarper when their lookout spots the old bill coming)

But wouldnt that indicate to you that they arent paying thus have to run. Why can the others carry on when the coppers come?
Really Smeg all bullshit aside they gotta pay to sell.

OK real simple. The cops come; those that don't pay, run. Those that do, don't. Not eveyone pays but everyone's s'posed to. Thailand has no monopoly on that concept.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Get away from the tourist areas and you still find street markets food stalls the shoe repairman seamstress and occasional footpath. Folks out socializing and tryin to earn a buck. I fuckin' love it.

I guess that it might be possible to identify 4 distinct types of Westerner.

1) Those that hate the thought of ever coming to Thailand and experiencing what you refer to
2) Those who see it on their hols, and either like it or don't
3) Those who initially see a novelty in it, but become jaded
4) Those whose novelty of such things is endless.

Yes, I agree, its fascinating. But I also try to see fascination in daily life in the West. Its there, and probably just as much of it, but many an expat in Thailand seems to either take it for granted, or hates it.

The MBK bridge walk is a fucking nightmare and it's horrible.

I deliberately "accidentally" tread on their items and encroah on their mats whilst the masses accept it and squeeze by.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

If it's turned into another pissing contest between smeg and his fans

Its pretty sad that this happens. It seems to be "Smeg isn't like the rest of us, he likes to criticise things here, and actually likes the West. Lets not be putting up with that kind of behaviour!".
It seems to be a "collective mind" at work trying to shut me up, hence my assimilation thread of yesterday. I don't mind it, but I don't see the motive, at all

Originally Posted by Smeg

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Get away from the tourist areas and you still find street markets food stalls the shoe repairman seamstress and occasional footpath. Folks out socializing and tryin to earn a buck. I fuckin' love it.

I guess that it might be possible to identify 4 distinct types of Westerner.

1) Those that hate the thought of ever coming to Thailand and experiencing what you refer to
2) Those who see it on their hols, and either like it or don't
3) Those who initially see a novelty in it, but become jaded
4) Those whose novelty of such things is endless.

Yes, I agree, its fascinating. But I also try to see fascination in daily life in the West. Its there, and probably just as much of it, but many an expat in Thailand seems to either take it for granted, or hates it.

That's valid. I remember walking through a French market and being impressed with the way the food was sold.
the market in barcelona reminded me of the one in Adelaide.
The UK was an 'eye-opener'for me when I was there but there's nothing like a jam packed Asian sidewalk full of Thai/Chinese/Japanese/Vietnamese girls to put the icing on the cake.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

The Suk/Nana area is a zoo. Thank god I never had to do business or live there....

That's exactly where I am now and these street vendors are a pain in the ass.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

...The "Sidewalk Society" is wonderful community the folks usallu enjoyable to engage in a moment or two of banter grab a bite or have a par of shoes resoled. The other day ....

I don't think this kind of "Sidewalk Society" is what Smeg is on about. There are many sois in lower Sukhumvit with pavements so narrow that there is NOWHERE to walk to get by, other than into the road.

Even the telephone companies don't give a shit where they put their telephone boxes. There are places where they take up the width of the whole, narrow pavement.

If Toxin would spend more time generating regulations that these large national companies MUST observe for the sake of the ordinary people - rather than making 73,000,000,000 baht for himself - then maybe people would be happier for him to stay.


Regarding the "Sidewalk Society", last night I visited a mate on Petchaburi road, around Sukh 71 area, and there was indeed a feeling of this "society" - people outside chatting, drinking, playing with the local pets - but there was plenty of room: the pavement was about 20 feet wide, not 3.

But this is not what I see around lower Sukhumvit. I accept that the food vendors provide a service for the working people, but the tat, crap, fake garbage on sale at the other stalls is just a pain in the ass.

I can't wait to get back to Phuket.

There are indeed many things I'll never understand about the lifestyle and use of land space here.
For instance, take a typical train journey that leads past rural homes, and outside most of them will be an unsightly scattering of rubble and/or garbage, which appears to have been there for years. Now, I know its hot here, but in that situation, if it were my home, I'd spend a few minutes, even a few hours, to clear it up.

Originally Posted by Smeg

For instance, take a typical train journey that leads past rural homes, and outside most of them will be an unsightly scattering of rubble and/or garbage, which appears to have been there for years. Now, I know its hot here, but in that situation, if it were my home, I'd spend a few minutes, even a few hours, to clear it up.

You dont have to be on a train to see Thailand is drowning in litter. I often ask people I see littering "dont you love your country"? They give me a blank stare.
For the litter we have to educate the youth. Thai's aint gonna do it so its gotta be the English teacher. ""Can you spell litter" "Do you know throw away means into a rubbish bin"?

Originally Posted by colourful-era

I've noticed the same - lovely picturesque houses in rural locations but with all of the last 6 months bin bags contents just scattered around.

Why not a little clean up?....nothing to do with poverty this.

I guess that comes down to such rural communities having introduced mass-market consumer goods (contained in packaging), but still lacking a garbage collection infrastucture to cope with the consequences...

Originally Posted by colourful-era

Anyone walked the stretch from Victory Monument along Rachawithi (ie: past the Mcdonalds) - fucking nightmare - you can't even get onto the road because the pavement is 100% blocked.

Have a walk around the Ramkamhaeng Big C area, and you'll see Rachawithi in an improved light

Originally Posted by Smeg

unsightly scattering of rubble and/or garbage, which appears to have been there for years. Now, I know its hot here, but in that situation, if it were my home, I'd spend a few minutes, even a few hours, to clear it up.

So you've been to Big Johns, then?

Litter collection where I am is actually better then the UK. They collect the bins twice a week and anything large can just be left infront of the house on the pavement and it will either be collected by scavenging recyclers or a big lorry that comes round every so often - back in the UK you have to get off yer arse and take it to a tip and the bin lorry only comes once a week.

I've been taking advantage of this system to nick some good pieces of wood for carving.

In the rural areas, as far as I know, they leave all the rubbish outside because at some point some geezer will come past and buy anything that is recyclable - glass and plastic bottles, old clothes, bags, broken toys/equipment etc..., the rest of the rubbish will be burnt as there is normally no collection.

Originally Posted by Dougal

rubbish thrown over the fences by people too bone idle to use the council amenities provided. Laybys or waste land used by fly tippers trying ot save a few pounds by not dumping in a licienced tip.

Dumped and burned out cars on the streets.

Yeah, but the difference is, I understand the situation back there, coz I caused most of it

Originally Posted by Dougal

charity muggers

They were great! I just used to tell them that I didn't have a bank account, then their 10 minute speech leading up to the presentation of the direct debit form was thrown into disarray

I've notice GreenPeace charity muggers starting to appear in Bangers lately

every moth i'd paythe truck driver 10 baht I think some times i wasn't home and we just forgot that month. they collected two, three time a week.

It is the same in most developing nations. My theory is that just a few decades ago, litter mostly consisted of organic materials, and either quickly decomposed, or was eaten by dogs chickens (or beggers). Today it is glass, plastic, tin cans, glossy paper, etc, that just accumulates. Most people have failed to adjust in that respect as the world changed around them.

I've often noted that Thailand reminds me of the US (dunno about the rest of the world) in the late fifties up to the mid sixties.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

I've often noted that Thailand reminds me of the US (dunno about the rest of the world) in the late fifties up to the mid sixties.

Have you read Tortilla Flat or Cannery Row, Frankie? I think we may have had this conversation before??

Yeah. Several times.
...
Convo and books

Originally Posted by Smeg

Originally Posted by colourful-era

I've noticed the same - lovely picturesque houses in rural locations but with all of the last 6 months bin bags contents just scattered around.

Why not a little clean up?....nothing to do with poverty this.

I guess that comes down to such rural communities having introduced mass-market consumer goods (contained in packaging), but still lacking a garbage collection infrastucture to cope with the consequences...

totally on the money there smeg.

Lack of education and, sadly, a way to make money out of it.

Originally Posted by Smeg

Benbaa, is your automated use of derogitory labels rather than enter into intelligent discussion a subconcious reaction to yourself being similarly labelled and surrounded by a similar lack of intelligent dicussion in your everyday life?

Hey Smeggy, I don't want to enter into an "intelligent discussion" with you because you've only got one thing to say, and we've all heard it before in a dozen different threads.

You're like some lunatic at a party:

Party-goer: Hey, man, Smeg, great party, eh?

Smeg: What do you mean great party, have you seen the wallpaper?

Party-goer: There's some good food in the kitchen, man.

Smeg: Yes, but look at the wallpaper, it's disgusting.

Party-goer: Jeeze, look at the fucking tits on her! Whooooaaaah!

Smeg: I have much nicer wallpaper than this at home.

Party-goer: You tried this German wheat beer? It's really great, man.

Smeg: They really need to change their wallpaper. What do you think about the wallpaper?

Party-goer: Fuck the wallpaper, man, this band really rock.

Smeg: So you deny that the wallpaper's horrible, do you?

Party-goer: Wanna toke on this?

Smeg: Aha, you refuse to discuss the wallpaper. You are not normal, You are trying to supress my thoughts on this wallpaper.

Party-goer: *finally gives up and goes after bird with big tits*

Smeg: Ha!! Loser!!!