There are 3 kinds of roads in Bangkok: overpass, Main Street and alley.
The toll overpass is very fast and also avoided at all costs. Also large stretches are Under Construction. But it shows up on the map as a wonderful blue road. Just don't tell the cabbie to take it for speed - it only looks good on paper.
Main streets have business on the first floor - "business" is primarily a storage unit stall filled with cloth, tires, doors, or snacks and stuff. Interspersed every mile or so are 7/11 or Big C or another glassed in front store. Or a car dealer.
The alleys - literally 1 car wide but not 1 way, paved but no walk way - has food stalls under a tent or awning in front of the stall. These are usually fresh fruit or vegetables. Meat seems to be only sold in the larger market areas. There are also carts and stalls with prepared food. The teacher said a typical dinner for with three dishes if 20 baht, about 65 cents so many many people just buy off the street on the way home. It is almost cheaper than buying fresh and cooking.
Also in these little alleys are residents, in a separate part section. Driving in one of these, you find not only the "1 lane 2 cars", but parked cars! The rest is all walls and gates. Except for the traffic it is all safe to walk. Watership Down rabbit warrens come to mind so we all carry cards with the address and cab fare to take us the 2 blocks were are away from the house but lost.
I am sure there is a downtown Bangkok of lavish malls and glitter but this is real life where people work hard and make ends meet.
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The toll overpass is very fast and also avoided at all costs. Also large stretches are Under Construction. But it shows up on the map as a wonderful blue road. Just don't tell the cabbie to take it for speed - it only looks good on paper.Main streets have business on the first floor - "business" is primarily a storage unit stall filled with cloth, tires, doors, or snacks and stuff. Interspersed every mile or so are 7/11 or Big C or another glassed in front store. Or a car dealer.
The alleys - literally 1 car wide but not 1 way, paved but no walk way - has food stalls under a tent or awning in front of the stall. These are usually fresh fruit or vegetables. Meat seems to be only sold in the larger market areas. There are also carts and stalls with prepared food. The teacher said a typical dinner for with three dishes if 20 baht, about 65 cents so many many people just buy off the street on the way home. It is almost cheaper than buying fresh and cooking.Also in these little alleys are residents, in a separate part section. Driving in one of these, you find not only the "1 lane 2 cars", but parked cars! The rest is all walls and gates. Except for the traffic it is all safe to walk. Watership Down rabbit warrens come to mind so we all carry cards with the address and cab fare to take us the 2 blocks were are away from the house but lost.
I am sure there is a downtown Bangkok of lavish malls and glitter but this is real life where people work hard and make ends meet.
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