Bangkok’s Chinatown paved with flowers as new sidewalk blooms
Yaowarat invites tourists to tread city’s most stunning pavement
Bangkok’s most beautiful sidewalk has been unveiled in Chinatown (Yaowarat) as part of a four-year plan to improve the city’s notoriously perilous pavements while attracting more Chinese tourists.
The dark-red tiled sidewalk features a pattern of peony flowers and replaces the previous dragon-scale design, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesman Aekvarunyoo Amrapala said on Tuesday.
Chinese people consider peonies the “king of flowers”, representing abundance, affluence, and success in romance.
The peony pattern was proposed by Pinit Kanjanachusak, Bangkok councillor for Samphanthawong district where Yaowarat is situated.
The new pattern refreshes the sidewalk’s look while lending a unique charm to the tourism landmark, said Anuphab Sathiraphant, marketing director of Siam Cement Group (SCG), which designed and manufactured the tiles.
Rather than painted, the tiles were shot-blasted to create the pattern and colours. The result is a rough texture that prevents slipperiness and is easy to clean, he said.
The busiest Chinatown sidewalks have also been expanded and strengthened for the convenience of locals and visitors, with disabled access in mind.
Bangkok’s Chinatown has been in the global spotlight for the past week after Thailand’s K-pop princess Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban released “Rockstar”, which was shot on the streets of Yaowarat.
The music video is currently ranked No 1 on YouTube after attracting over 66 million views as of Wednesday.
The BMA said it has renovated 785 kilometres of sidewalks during the past two years under governor Chadchart Sittipunt. This does not include repairs requested by the public via the city’s Traffy Fondue complaints platform.
City residents have long complained about uneven, broken pavements and an obstacle course of street furniture, vendors, and motorbike riders that pose hazards to pedestrians.
