It was Asahna Bucha Day, the start of the Rains Retreat, or Buddhist Lent, here in Thailand. As one of the major Buddhist holidays, it was a long weekend! That doesn't necessarily affect me since I work online, but it does mean that Mr. Noi, my friend and trusty guide around Bangkok, had decided to schedule a rare weekday walking tour on Tuesday morning!
We met up bright and early at the Memorial Bridge Pier along the river. The sun was beating down, and though the air was a bit cooler than usual, the bright sunlight made it feel hot. It was a sunny day, despite the rains of the monsoon season which have been plaguing us recently, and all in all, it was a perfect day to explore the brand-new Chaophraya Skypark - the very first of its kind in the world!
The project was meant to cover 98 km over three separate lines, but the project was scrapped in the 1990s during the Asian Economic Collapse. The partially-completed Skytrain bridge across the Chaophraya River lay abandoned for decades... until this year.
This year, the city opened the world's first skypark - a public park built on an artificial landmass spanning across a river. The old abandoned Skytrain bridge has been rebuilt into a beautiful public park! The Chaophraya Skypark just opened about a week and a half ago, and I had been excited to visit ever since I first read about the proposal in the Bangkok Post.
The Skypark is really a sort of proof of concept. Similar projects were proposed and scrapped in London and New York City for being impossible. Bangkok's trailblazing skypark proves that this really is the city of the future!
The city's newest public park is constructed atop the abandoned bridge, and features gardens, plants, flowers, and walking paths for pedestrians which offer amazing views along the Chaophraya River.
The plants at the skypark are all native species which love the bright sunlight and the heat.
Even if space is at a premium in downtown Bangkok, this is a surprisingly green city. There are plenty of parks and tree-lined streets, and I think a lot of people might be surprised at how green Bangkok actually is. Its reputation as a smog-choked city full of traffic and pollution may very well be unwarranted.
As a matter of fact - much to the surprise of locals and expats alike - Bangkok has even been recognized as the 13th greenest city in the WORLD!
Since it was a weekday, we were just a small group. There was Noi, myself, one South African, one New Yorker, one Sudanese guy, one Russian girl, and my fiancee.
It's always fun to go on big adventures, but sometimes it is the most fun to walk around the city with just a small group of friends.
Learn more about the Skypark at the Pattaya Mail:
and the Bangkok Post:
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