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Latest : We will remove this page soon. Because the Blue Anaconda of Sukhumvit is no more. It probably will reappear at another location soon. The stretch between Asoke Road and near to the Emporium Shopping Complex has now been covered with plain concrete. It looks rather awful, but there are a few stretches of the footpath where you can actually walk for a while in a normal way, without having to dodge obstacles or holes in the pavement.
Latest (again) : As of september 2007, there is a cycle lane between Sukhumvit Soi 49 and Sukhumvit Soi 3 (this is as far as we attempted to track it). To outsiders, nothing special about this statement, we guess. But for those knowing Bangkok, a most interesting development. We are one of the few who actually use a bicycle in Bangkok, though realizing the danger usually not on the main roads. Anyway, we almost accidentally used this cycle lane when having to run some errands along Sukhumvit Road. It could be more appropriately described as an obstacle course. Pedestrians abound, vendors have installed their stalls right on the cycling track (2 parallel white lines, about 1 meter apart, delineate the cycling lane). Most dangerously, shops are advertising themselves by all kinds of banners and placards along the road. Somehow, we never perceived this as a problem when simply walking, the obstacles are at eye level, and humans seem to be well wired to avoid them. However, it is a different matter on a bicycle. Speed is higher at times, while manoeuvering around the pedestrians. One really has to duck below the overhead (above the cycling lane) obstacles. A bit of distraction, and one could end up with a broken skull!
Stating that this cycling path reaches soi 3 is stating the obvious. The whole stretch of Sukhumvit Road between Soi 19 and Soi 3 is occupied by vendors up to after midnight. It is almost impossible to even walk that stretch at normal speed. The idea of bicycle lanes is certainly most welcome, however it should be accompanied by implementing policies to have them free of obstacles.
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What has been called the Blue Anaconda of Sukhumvit, decorates the footpath along Sukhumvit Road from Asoke Road to somewhere around Emporium Shopping Complex. |
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An interesting 'attraction' on Sukhumvit Road, is an enormous more than one km long construction feat. It is located between Asoke Road and Emporium, on the side of Sukhumvit Road that has the uneven soi numbers. Constructed in 2006, what has been named by someone else (in an article to the Nation newspaper, if we recall it well) as the Blue Anaconda of Sukhumvit, offers a more than average obstacle course for Bangkok pedestrians.
The purpose of this long blue pipe is not quite clear, though an inscription on it, refers to it being a water pipe. We guess also other liquids may be transported by this engineering marvel.
The pipe is clearly located above the footpath and even street level, so there is no possibility of it being covered. We can only speculate as to who is responsible for this eyesore. In any case, we hope that the administrators and/or engineers in charge of this development, will soon be promoted out of office and put on inactive duty. We may also hope that they keep a sufficient salary, so that they do not get any new ideas of further development to enrich mankind.
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Motorcycles face some difficulties, but are not deterred from using the footpath for their convenience. |
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Interestingly, the Blue Anaconda is mostly covered with what is called BMM in international engineering circles. BMM stands for Bangkok Metropolitan Mixture and is a composition of some cement, more sand, and small stones. While in the process of being patented, this mixture has the most favorable characteristics. It initially appears quite supporting, but is guaranteed to decompose within the next few months. It is commonly used when the footpaths are 'redone' with new tiles. When put underneath the tiles, sinkholes are bound to develop very soon. This is most convenient for the city engineers, who need easy access to the many waterpipes and other cables underneath. When put on top of our Blue Anaconda, it also decomposes ever further, and more and more of the blue beast is getting exposed by the day.
While a lot of investigation is going on at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport regarding the construction work there, maybe one investigator could also travel down to Sukhumvit to have a look at this elongated marvel of Bangkok engineering.
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The inscription tells us that the Blue Anaconda is supposed to be a water pipe. |
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P.S. : The Author who coined the name 'Blue Anaconda' can always contact us, and claim recognition.
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