What Really Pisses You Off, Bangkok?

From crappy sidewalks and unhelpful taxis to a lack of individuality, we asked you what bugs you most about their city.

Nuttaporn Srisirirungsimakul

30, senior coordinator
“Taxis that refuse to take passengers. I normally drive but sometimes have to take a taxi. During peak hours, there’s no way that they’re going to take us. My friend once got rejected by over 10 taxis in a row.”

Landry TD

30, graphic designer
“Being smashed by buses when bicycling. Buses just cut in front of you and push you onto the sidewalk whenever they pick up passengers. They don’t let you pass so you’d better make sure you get past them before a bus stop!”

Jennifer Phataminviphas

32, marketing manager
“Motorcyles! They’re like flies, flying around everywhere! If I had a bat in my car, I would use it to swipe them off!”

Khemngern Tonsakulrungruang

32, consultant
“To ease traffic please give us a bike-friendly environment. Compared to 10 years ago, Bangkok traffic is now much better, with more alternative forms of transport but it still needs improvement. Bikes are the answer.”

Brian Blanchfield

27, writer
“People with whistles who don’t drive cars telling people driving cars how to park in parking places that aren’t difficult to park in.”

Wiwat Patcharinsak

34, marketing supervisor
“Bad driving manners. People often don’t signal when they’re changing lanes. How can you know when to give way? Drivers should think about others and not just do what they want. Just because everyone does something doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. One more thing Bangkokians should learn is that if you’re in a hurry, don’t jump in the car! Head for the BTS, a motorcycle taxi or a boat!”

Prangie Songtieng

26, writer
“Footpaths. I can’t walk around the city without having to watch every step I take. Blue skies and twinkling stars? Forget it, I’m never allowed to appreciate them when walking in Bangkok. Please someone do something about it, so we can all enjoy the winter breeze by walking from one BTS station to another. It would help reduce traffic jams as well!”

Songwoot  Wattanapan

33, IT consultant
“Unwalkable sidewalks with so many light poles, phoneboxes, hawkers, fire hydrants, bus stops and food stalls. I need my sidewalks back!”

Gauri Khanna

25, project manager
“When people take up both sides of the escalator. And ‘pole-huggers’ on the BTS: people who find it necessary to press their whole body against the pole, even if your hand is already there. Also, we drive on the left hand side of the road, but when people walk on the stairs or in a corridor, why do they keep to the right?”

Chanya Jarikasem

24, freelance translator
“Riding the BTS and MRT during rush hour, there are so many people. I hate feeling like a sardine and having to touch strangers.”

Joe Sloane

34, chef
“People moaning about the BTS—the BTS at rush hour is still great compared to other major cities around the world. They should try the London underground at rush hour!”
 

Akanee Sua-Ngam

25, international coordinator
“Hi-so wannabes! Trust me, these people weren’t raised well enough, and therefore crave social acceptance. Sometimes they even carry a Shenzhen Birkin, but keep buzzing about Paris. Materialism is big in Bangkok. Certain brands are just worn to show how wealthy someone is, not how the fashion was intended.”

Paweerata Pureekul

23, fashion blogger
“Girls who follow the trends without being themselves. Everywhere I go, I try to find new or unique styles but unfortunately I find none. In my opinion, Thai girls are too obsessed with Korean stars, and let themselves become victims of fashion.”

Haikal Johari

34, Chef at Water Library Thonglor
“On the positive side, there are a lot of new restaurants opening up, but on the negative side, most of the food is quite similar. It’s like eating the same food at a different place. Bangkok needs a more dynamic culinary scene. There needs to be less repetition of food trends.”

Michael Zelum

54, IT and digital officer
“Crappy service in bars and restaurants. Waiters and waitresses should watch customers more closely to know when they are ready for more drinks and/or service. I hate having to practically yell across the room waving an empty glass or bottle.”

Cookie Kerdtongtawee

23, student
“Refrigerated red wine and how supposedly cool Bangkokians appreciate it.”

Kongdej Jaturanrasamee

40, filmmaker
“The biggest challenge for indie filmmakers at present is finding avenues of distribution. We have to accept that cinemas are businesses, so it’s only natural that they’ll choose to screen films that will guarantee bigger audiences. But that has a flow-on effect in that people aren’t aware of all the independent films out there.”

Vanviva Bhumibhanit

35, civil servant
“I saw a big family dining at a restaurant. The girl asked her grandpa to take her picture with an iPad. Despite several tries, he couldn’t manage it. Upset, the girl said “silly grandpa” and snatched her iPad back. Her mom also said she couldn’t believe he didn’t know how to use it. They all mocked him. This is worrying: rampant materialism is causing cultural demoralization.”

Matt Smith

30, musician
“Cover bands and the bar owners who continually tell them to only play covers. They’re good musicians! Why don’t they write their own songs? Why not let them? It’s all about starting from the grass roots!”

DJ Azek

31, DJ/ party organizer
“The lack of appreciation for good music in Bangkok. If it’s not ultra-commercial top 40 hits, then most people don’t dance. Such a lack of curiosity. Oh, and the very hot lady DJs popping up everywhere. Why do you have to be half-naked to get a gig? Hold on, I actually like that one.” 

Sirasa Kanchamas

33, DJ/ party organizer
“As a DJ I hate it when I’m playing rock ‘n’ roll tunes like Oasis and the Rolling Stones, and someone who randomly came to the party asks me to play Katy Perry. As a party lover, what bugs me most is that drinks are too expensive to get drunk!”

103+ Factory

The buzz: Located just off the main drag, on Ari Soi 4 (North), this is the pet project of a tight-knit group of friends who serve up their favorite fusion dishes and desserts in a cute shophouse setting.
The décor: Sizeable windows let in plenty of natural light and accentuate the white brick walls and striped feature wall. Vintage knick-knacks (and a couple of crayfish in bowls) give the space a homey vibe, while there’s also a tiny garden out front.
The food: The all-day menu ranges from American breakfast to fusion dishes. Start off with the recommended salmon with ebiko cream sauce (B170), laab salmon (salmon with spicy herbal sauce, B140) or the green salad they grow themselves (B80). There are also pasta dishes like spaghetti with bacon, chili garlic and ebiko (B180). The desserts, like the popular red velvet cheesecake (B115) and macaroons (B45 a piece), are served on rustic wooden boards.
The drinks: Besides Twinings tea (B80), hot chocolate with marshmallow (B70) and a full range of coffees (from B50), they also serve Singha, Heineken and Asahi (from B80 per bottle). Wine is on the way.
The crowd: It’s often packed with couples getting cozy over a coffee and office workers gathering for lunch and dinner.
24/4 Ari Soi 4 (North), Paholyothin Rd., Bangkok, 081-495-1555. Open daily 11am-11pm.

Aree

The buzz: Aree opened to packed crowds thanks to the reputation of Salt, which sits across the Soi and is run by the same family and friends, headed by Antika Teparak. They wanted a place that’s more Thai, meaning cover bands, plenty of whiskey to share at big tables and a Thai glab glaem (drinking food)menu—oh and even squat toilets, too.
The décor: There’s a barn atmosphere thanks to oversized wooden stools and tables, a generous use of brick and a few weathered curios ranging from a typewriter to a creepy baby carriage.
The food: Authentic, well-executed glab glaem classics ranging from spicy soups (B180) to deep fried chicken in lemongrass (B90). Given the chef’s fusion pedigree (he heads Salt’s kitchen), this is a great back-to-basics menu.
The drinks: The bar is a countertop covered in whiskey bottles, which gives off a house party atmosphere. There, you can order cocktails (B200 for a whiskey sour), single malts (from B200) or bottles of whiskey both hi-so (Clan Gold, B800, B1,200 for 15 years old, B2,200 for 18 years old) and lo-so (Sangsom, Regency and Jack Daniels) while Heineken is B200.
The crowd: The beautiful people of Ari, with girls all dolled up and guys still in their office clothes.
Ari Soi 4, Paholyothin Rd., Bangkok, 087-511-4466. Open Tue-Sun 6pm-1am.

Oji

The buzz: Oji first started on Chan Rd. before the owners decided to relocate to Ari (it’s right opposite Aree) in order to win over the in-crowd with what they call their contemporary Japanese cuisine, drawing on their time working in a Japanese restaurant in the USA.
The décor: Oji doesn’t share the wood-heavy vibe typical of many Japanese sushi bars thanks to its stark black and white décor.
The food: The focus is also far from traditional, with fusion fare like spicy tuna salad (B179) and tuna tataki (B179). The recommended dishes are the OMG Roll (shrimp rolls topped with strawberry, B279), Beauty and The Beast (spicy tuna and grilled eel maki topped with tempura flour, B299) and Oji Roll (crabmeat and ebiko maki wrapped with tempura seaweed, B279). They also serve a range of classic dishes like salmon sashimi (B120).
The drinks: Refill green tea is B39. Bottled sake ranges from B300-B400, while beers (Carlsberg, Singha and Asahi) start from B90.
The crowd: It’s a similar crowd to Ari’s other new hotspots, typically young office workers but also some who come to check out the cute owners.
111/1 Paholyothin Soi 7, Bangkok, 080-209-0323. Open Thu-Tue 5-11pm.

Wholly Cow

The buzz: Tucked away on Ari Soi 2, Wholly Cow serves affordable, mostly Australian steaks.
The décor: An industrial-style modern glasshouse with plenty of bare brick on show. The interior is quite grown-up with formal tables throughout, a bar at the center and a small stage in one corner which plays host to live jazz bands on Fri-Sat. There’s also a walk-in wine cellar, with a soon-to-open cigar lounge called Holy Smokes in a glasshouse of its own.
The food: Expect appetizers like French onion soup (B150) and scallops wrapped in bacon (B250) alongside hearty fare like Australian rib eye (B530 for 8 oz.), Australian Angus tenderloin (B640 for 8 oz.) and Thai tenderloin (B350 for 8 oz.). Other specialties include BBQ baby back pork ribs. But if meat is not your thing, try the angel hair pasta with spicy seafood (B250) or the fish and chips (B200).
The drinks: Classic cocktails are B180. Wines, both old and new world, start from B750 per bottle. Wines by the glass start from B200. Beers are mostly Belgian, including Duvel, Tripel Karmeliet and the fruity Kasteel Rouge and start from B235.
The crowd: Middle-aged office workers from the neighborhood, and steak-lovers coming to check out the latest spot to sink their teeth into some red meat.
34/1 Ari Soi 2, Paholyothin Rd., Bangkok, 02-619-8177-8. Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm.