Khlong Ong Ang is one of the oldest waterways in Bangkok, dating back to 1783 in the reign of King Rama 1
For over 30 years Saphan Lek (or Metal Bridge) on the banks of Klong Ong Ang was the go to market in Bangkok for computer games and toys imported from Japan, Europe and the US. And we’re not talking just simple playthings peddled to children. Serious collectors seeking sound investments regularly found valuable items available to buy here. And business was booming.
That all came to an end last October, however, when the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was directed to clear the area and remove the stalls. Turns out that for the past three decades the sellers (around 700 vendors in total) had actually been operating illegally and, according to the BMA, their stalls had affected water management in the area. Oh dear.
So the vendors dispersed, the market was torn down, and the area’s toy industry was left in tatters. Game over.
https://www.thebigchilli.com/news/secret-bangkok-mega-plaza-saphan-lek
#bangkok #walkingtour #thailand
Flâneur is a walking channel. Let’s explore together our beaiful planet and visit the best cities in 2022. New York. Tokyo. Rome. Paris. Istanbul. Bangkok. Florence. London. Mexico City. Porto. Chicago. Bodrum. Etc. Walk with me around the world.
Flâneur derives from the Old Norse verb flana, ‘to wander with no purpose’.
Flâneur (/flæˈnjʊər/; French: [flɑˈnœʁ]) is a French noun referring to a person, literally meaning “stroller”, “lounger”, “saunterer”, or “loafer”, but with some nuanced additional meanings (including as a loanword into English). Flânerie is the act of strolling, with all of its accompanying associations. A near-synonym of the noun is boulevardier. Traditionally depicted as male, a flâneur is an ambivalent figure of urban affluence and modernity, representing the ability to wander detached from society with no other purpose than to be an acute observer of industrialized, contemporary life.
Everyday Life in the 21st Century City. A series of snapshots, a picture of the lives of ordinary people and the rules and rituals that govern their daily existence. Collection of pieces about life in contemporary world.