While the Bangkok skyline is filled with modern architecture, the sidewalks and other infrastructure can seem a bit primitive by comparison. You will do a lot of walking in Bangkok. There’s no way to avoid it. And walking in this city is often like traversing an intense obstacle course. Smooth, flat, unobstructed sidewalks are not the norm here. If you don’t keep your eye on the ground, you could very well end up flat on your face, or worse.

The uneven sidewalks are just one of many obstacles you must navigate - crowds of people, street (sidewalk) vendors (often with hot grills and boiling pots of water or oil), sleeping dogs, restaurant tables and chairs, water hoses, drainage hoses, electrical cords, umbrellas, moving or parked bicycles and motorcycles, parked cars, vehicles entering and exiting drive ways. I could go on, but you get the idea. I’m not embellishing one bit! You can experience all of the above, and more, in one city block.

Don’t get me wrong, there are areas with smooth unobstructed sidewalks, but in my travels around Bangkok it is the exception. Even around modern upscale places like Siam Square can be treturous.

Anytime you encounter a driveway look both ways, or risk getting hit by a moving vehicle. I don’t know what the law is on this, but if pedestrians have right of way, no one seems to care. I got complacent one day and almost got hit by a truck backing out of a parking garage entry - at a high rate of speed. Fortunately I caught him out of the corner of my eye and leaped to safety. Of course, even if I had looked first, I would not have anticipated his backing out like that.

Yes…they do drive on the sidewalks here. Mostly motorcycles entering or leaving their parking spot - on the sidewalk.

I’m still trying to get a picture of the hordes of people that choke the sidewalks of Bangkok. I’ll add it once I do. With some exceptions, crowds of people come and go during the day. The busiest times are during morning and evening commutes and at meal times, particularly lunch. Perhaps you can imagine what this place is like when filled beyond capacity with people going to lunch.

They don’t seem to be concerned about low hanging wires - power and phone I assume. The only place I’ve seen any warnings posted was on the food bridge in front of the American Embassy. Just as a chuckle, the US Embassy is located on Wireless Road.

I’ll have to say the ONLY thing that has annoyed me while living in Bangkok is the habit of Thais liking to stop and talk in the middle of a bottleneck. Thais are notorious for stopping to have a conversation in the most inconvenient places - doorways, staircases, escalators, and any other place that logically should be left unobstructed. Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just me?