Will
Architect with own practice 2000-2012. Has worked in sustainable transport promotion -with cycling lobby groups- 2003-now.
17 Bargy Road East Wall Dublin 3 D03 VY60 Ireland • +353 86 6088843 • email
Climbing slowly towards the Myanmar border. Some interesting creatures and beautiful scenes.

Cranes everywhere, hoardings on every street and road advertising new houses, offices and apartments: Thailand seems to be developing again with gusto.

I’ve been biking round Bangkok now, including the day-and-a-half spent coming in from the countryside, for six days, covering maybe 100km including trips to the camping shop, bike tour hq, embassy and round hotels. The short version: it’s terrible!

I love these mid-20th-century buildings with a few decades’ wear showing. They generally have a good, livable scale that breaks down nicely from city- to home-size.

A few initial impressions after just crossing the border from Cambodia (and why hadn’t I found out that Thailand traffic keeps left!?)
Firstly the shock of the smooth: Beautiful surfaces compared to poor Cambodia:

Wobbling along the Gulf Coast of Thailand you see some beautiful jungle growing right up to the road, and gorgeous beaches. Buddhist monasteries and temples and shrines are everywhere.

I find the Buddhist shrines here in Thailand incredibly intriguing- wish I knew more about what the meanings are. They’re ridiculously pretty in any case.
