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Just bought a bike in Bangkok. To be honest it sat in my living room for a week because of the fear of riding it on these most dangerous streets. (Bangkok has

Just bought a bike in Bangkok. To be honest it sat in my living room for a week because of the fear of riding it on these most dangerous streets. (Bangkok has bad reputation for accidents worldwide). But today I took it out. I rode to work and it was amazing. People here respect two wheels a lot and drivers slow down for you. Normally I’d walk to work for the exercise 3km. Which is about 45 minutes for me each way. But today the riding took about 10-15 minutes with a great cardio workout. I’ll take the bike out most of the week now instead of taking a cab. Here motorcycles are the mainstay. But I’ll stick with my bike for shorter distances and cabs for longer ones.

shishy 4y ago
How's the bike infrastructure there? Do you have lanes / separation from the cars or is it all just one?
- martopix 4y ago
  Wikipedia has a nice and amusing summary: > The Thai state has failed at promoting utility cycling as a mode of transport.[33] Officials regard bicycles as toys, and cycling as a leisure activity, not as a means of transport that could help solve traffic and environmental problems. Their attitude was on display at Bangkok's celebration of World Car-Free Day 2018, celebrated on 22 September. Bangkok's Deputy Governor, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, who presided over the event, arrived in his official automobile, as did his entourage. He then mounted a bicycle for a ceremonial ride.[34] Prior to the event, which encouraged the non-use of cars, the BMA announced there would be extensive free automobile parking spaces available for participants who were to ride bicycles in the parade.[35] > In his first year office, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha launched a cycling initiative, encouraging members of the public to cycle. But state investment in cycling lanes ended up a being a waste as they quickly devolved into parking lanes for motorists.[36] All Thai rail companies, whether commuter or long distance, make on-board transport of bicycles difficult or impractical.[34] Without state intervention, direction, and education, the public lacks the impetus to adopt a mode of transport that remains ignored by urban development projects.[33] Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Bangkok#Utility_cycling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Bangkok#Utility_c...
  - TremendousJudge 4y ago
    > Without state intervention, direction, and education, the public lacks the impetus to adopt a mode of transport that remains ignored by urban development projects That's an accurate summary for most countries
  - eric4smith 4y ago
    Yes, because people here love motorcycles. They're faster than bicycles and no effort needed for pedaling. Actually, I always (humorously) say that Thai people really don't like to walk. All my Thai friends just to go a hundred meters or so tend to take a motorcycle.
- eric4smith 4y ago
  It's all one. The big difference is that drivers respect pedestrians, motorbikes and bicycles as having the right of way here the majority of the time. So bike lanes would be nice, but not so necessary.
martopix 4y ago
I just came back from bangkok and was impressed by how well people drive compared to other large cities in developing countries I've been to. To be fair Thailand is much more developed than I thought before going.

shishy 4y ago

How's the bike infrastructure there? Do you have lanes / separation from the cars or is it all just one?

martopix 4y ago
Wikipedia has a nice and amusing summary: > The Thai state has failed at promoting utility cycling as a mode of transport.[33] Officials regard bicycles as toys, and cycling as a leisure activity, not as a means of transport that could help solve traffic and environmental problems. Their attitude was on display at Bangkok's celebration of World Car-Free Day 2018, celebrated on 22 September. Bangkok's Deputy Governor, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, who presided over the event, arrived in his official automobile, as did his entourage. He then mounted a bicycle for a ceremonial ride.[34] Prior to the event, which encouraged the non-use of cars, the BMA announced there would be extensive free automobile parking spaces available for participants who were to ride bicycles in the parade.[35] > In his first year office, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha launched a cycling initiative, encouraging members of the public to cycle. But state investment in cycling lanes ended up a being a waste as they quickly devolved into parking lanes for motorists.[36] All Thai rail companies, whether commuter or long distance, make on-board transport of bicycles difficult or impractical.[34] Without state intervention, direction, and education, the public lacks the impetus to adopt a mode of transport that remains ignored by urban development projects.[33] Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Bangkok#Utility_cycling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Bangkok#Utility_c...
- TremendousJudge 4y ago
  > Without state intervention, direction, and education, the public lacks the impetus to adopt a mode of transport that remains ignored by urban development projects That's an accurate summary for most countries
- eric4smith 4y ago
  Yes, because people here love motorcycles. They're faster than bicycles and no effort needed for pedaling. Actually, I always (humorously) say that Thai people really don't like to walk. All my Thai friends just to go a hundred meters or so tend to take a motorcycle.
eric4smith 4y ago
It's all one. The big difference is that drivers respect pedestrians, motorbikes and bicycles as having the right of way here the majority of the time. So bike lanes would be nice, but not so necessary.

martopix 4y ago

I just came back from bangkok and was impressed by how well people drive compared to other large cities in developing countries I've been to. To be fair Thailand is much more developed than I thought before going.