I'll try nto keep it tight and put more photos per thread but I believe I'll still need 3 separate threads for that. I think Bangkok is worth it anyway

So here we go




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Suvarnabhumi International Airport which is about 30km away from the central areas of the city and can be reached by taxi or bus (or train from August 2009) via elevated motorway. Currently it is the 3rd largest airport terminal building in the world (1st and 2nd ones being Beijing and Hong Kong respectively)





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Sukhumvit Rd. Soi 11, one of many small Sois (small streets) lining along Sukhumvit rd. Soi 11 is one of the busy ones with a number of hotels, restaurants and some prominent nightclubs (Bed SUpperclub and Q Bar) offering great music and performances of international DJs





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Some less lavish lifestyle just next door






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Beggars are a common sight but mainly in busy areas frequented by those who have no shortages of $





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Overhead power cables. Bangkok in many senses is a modern and progressive city yet overhead wires often ruin the view creating a very different feeling. It's quite an attribute of the city though: they are wherever you go





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Pink is a common color of taxi cars most of which are Toyota Corolla. One taxi driver mentioned me that many people care about the taxi car they are taking and that especially local youth would always prefer a newer Corolla (like the one in this photo) over the older ones (which still dominate the streets). I personally don't care much about that






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New city buses





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There are lots of dogs on the streets. All they seem to do is sleep be it day or night





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BMW is advertising as the 'Best selling luxury diesel in Thailand'. However diesels don't seem to be overwhelmingly popular in Thailand and Lexus doesn't even seem to have any diesel engines (except one for its IS model) while I haven't seen any Audi cars in Bkk. This basically means that BMW is selling more diesels than MB which is... quite a desperate measure for a luxury car maker I would say. It seems Mercedes rules when it comes to luxury cars in Thailand (if we exclude 'semi-luxuries' such as Toyota Camry and the likes)






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Central World - largest shopping mall in Bangkok with GFA of 550,000 sq.m





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Rathchadamri-Sukhumvit intersection






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Inside Central World





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There's never too much concrete





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There was quite a bit of brutal planning done in Bangkok during the last few decades. A city of this size could not cope with increasing numbers of cars which lead to extraordinary measures - a vast network of elevated freeways all over the city as well as some new means of public transport like the elevated BTS SKytrain line on the left/top. This ruined the view and lanscape many would say but it seems this did help to counter the fundamentals of traffic congestion which seems to have stabilized for now.






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Contrary to 1997-1998 construction works still go on... 24/7





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Silom Road, another busy shopping area some distance away from Sukhumvit





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Seen from Silom Rd., skyscrapers in Sathorn road which could be called the main CBD of Bangkok





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A lovely European style street just off Silom Road





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Charoen Krung street, next to Chao Phraya river, one of the oldest streets in the city





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Sathorn street





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Could anyone explain why anyone would ever want to sit on a bench next to a 8-10 lane wide street crossed by an elevated motorway overhead and an elevated skytrain bridge also overhead... unless you love roads and concrete (i.e. me), it's hard to imagine that anyone would enjoy sitting there







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Sathorn street seen from a BTS station






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Phaya Thai BTS station which will also be the terminus of the new railway line connecting central Bangkok with Suvarnabhumi airport. The new line will also serve as a commuter service between intermediate stops.





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Current train line underneath looks like that. I think it doesn't look that amazing to be very honest





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An elevated motorway in a distance






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The building that looks like elephant





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Norhtern terminus of BTS Sukhumvit line (Mo Chit station) which is next to Chatuchak weekend market often described as the largest in the world.






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Chatuchak park





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If traffic is too unbearable there is one solution - more roads. If that doesn't help - build even more roads. And finally if none of that helps there remains only one solution - building even more roads.





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Somebody was a little unlucky





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Some less lavish residential areas






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Bangkok-Chon Buri motorway which provides access to Suvarnabhumi airport






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Suvarnabhumi airport once again





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World's tallest air traffic control tower





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The hotel I have stayed in in Sukhumvit Soi 11, highly recommended for those who are not after 5* luxury but want a very decent, modern, cool and chic place to stay





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Asok junction






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