Leaders’ decisions may be a far-off sight, but the APEC has at least given us a few nice things. Roads, especially to and from the Queen Sirikit Center where the summit is taking place, have been newly asphalted. Communication poles in front of the convention site have also been taken down, and more bushes and flowers have been planted here and there.
But the most noticeable change is probably the newly-painted zebra crossings framed by giant red borders found at several intersections, from Chidlom to Asok to as far as Phra Khanong. Drivers should be able to see these red crossings from afar, even at night—ideal for a city like Bangkok where cars are not really too kind to pedestrians.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt told local media that these vividly colored crossings have nothing to do with the APEC, but were part of plans to improve the city’s infrastructure. There are more plans to upgrade around 100 pedestrian crossings across Bangkok to this red theme.