On Construction Standards

The new subway, opened in mid 2005, is first class, very well designed and very efficient. On a scale of one to five, I give it five stars. The stations are wide, escalators are fast, trains are fast and clean and bright. And it's not expensive to take a trip anywhere.

The SkyTrain, built a few years ago, is efficient, but not as well designed. There are only 3 cars in the trains, although the stations can handle 5 or 6 cars, so the cars are always overcrowded. Worse, there is typically only one escalator, so there is always a mad crush. On a scale of one to five, I give it two stars.

Bangkok's sidewalks are dreadful. Most are a haphazard collection of mismatched concrete and tiles, difficult to walk on. Cracks and holes are everywhere. Sewer covers are frequently damaged and have gaping holes. Occasionally I see new construction where a sidewalk has been torn up for some reason and replaced; the new work is very sloppy, uneven, hard to distinguish from the old.

I find it incredible that a country that can produce such an amazing subway cannot build a flat sidewalk.

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