Our body is susceptible to change. Nothing guarantees that your health today will stay the same tomorrow. ‘Tomorrow you may become a wheelchair user like me’. Imagine yourself in a wheelchair and come across a difference in floor height of just under two inches. I am sure that would cause you trouble.

(Will be translated asap) 1. กฎกระทรวงกำหนดสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกในอาคารสำหรับผู้พิการหรือทุพพลภาพ และคนชรา (ฉบับที่ 2) 2564 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FPTHqkYUbHUGekzUYaE7sKkTauQEPtIk/ 2. กฏกระทรวง กำหนดสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกในอาคาร สำหรับผู้พิการหรือทุพพลภาพ และคนชรา พ.ศ. 2548 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mIwx0j_EL62LIvWFf44JcwQ8NnYOiiaT/

This is my first ever visit to Bang Pho district by using public transportation. To optimise the occasion, I headed for Bang Pho Pier to see what changes have taken place since my last long time. Back then, accessing and using the pier in a wheelchair was simply a struggle. My first impression of the same pier this time? JUST WOW!!, I happily rate accessibility improvements seen as highly satisfactory with one recommendation for further work:

The photo speaks for itself. Rewinding back three years: The MRT Purple Line came into operation. We provided lots of information for service improvements to MRT. One of the issues we reported, and was fixed, was the skywalk from MRT/Bangyai Station leading to the entrance of Central Westgate. Back then, we noticed curved gutter covers that were very much like the ones in the photo. We see the same problem at MRT/Taopoon Station although the station has not been in use for that long either.

While getting my lunch at Taopoon market. I took the chance to look around and here are what I found. 1. Decent width sidewalk. 2. Hawkers selling/using part of sidewalk as storage. 3. Dirty sidewalk mainly caused by hawkers.

5 Nov 2020. MRT Bang Pho station stands astride the Bang Pho intersection with one side (No. 1 and 2 on the map) connecting to closed streets lined with condominiums and access to Bang Pho pier (No. 5) and the other side (No. 3 and 4) right above the Bang Pho intersection. During the construction we saw the layout and lift locations and had concerns over the issue of their accessibility. Now the station is open, here are our findings on accessibility:

[5 Nov 2020 : Accessible survey for MRT Bangpho station] Two elevators, size and the panel are fine – all good.

Seeing these kinds of news again and again, what you feel about this? People who use the overpass are only the ones with a healthy body. However, you can not be certain that your body will be capable of taking overpass in the future.

We had strolled around the recently opened Wat Phra Sri Mahathat BTS station and found several problems that should be addressed. There are still a revamping and repairing of the footpath on both side of the Buddhavijjalaya College and the pink line monorail which is still under the construction, this what we saw:

A 360° view captured from BTS Wat Phra Sri Mahathat Station’s skywalk where part of them are stairs in case you all haven’t seen it yet. ‘The walkway only provides stairs’ issue would not had happened if there was a prior-construction discussion with the Association of People with Disabilities.