Here’s what I am planning to be a recurring segment on our blog. The cool stuff I see while I am out running! For those unfamiliar, I tend to run 4-9 miles at a time and in a city like Bangkok, covered in back alleys, canals, and dead end side streets, I see some interesting things I wouldn’t ever have noticed otherwise. It’s difficult sometimes to stop and take pics (gotta get them gainz) but when I can, I do. Most of the things I see are interesting in a positive way, but sometimes you come across the occasional fish carcass or smelly grate. Running has been one of my favorite ways to bridge the gap from my old day to day life into my new existence here and experience a new city. Running in Chicago was awesome, but Bangkok is right up there alongside it.

In future posts, we’ll discuss the nitty gritty of route hunting, dealing with the sidewalks or lack thereof, and the torrential downpours that pop up. I’ll share context where I can for these images, but for now, enjoy!

These 2 pieces are part of a multipanel piece done by either a singular artist or some sort of collective. The content isn’t connected in any way, they’re just in the same area. The entire wall is covered with different stuff, I’m gonna try to take a panorama some time soon. They live along a canal I run on frequently since the sidewalk/boardwalk is a few feet wide and sparsely used. Sometimes I have to dodge scooters who don’t feel like using the roads, but there’s a fair amount of artwork to see. Most of it is tags (some tags are pretty good) but occasionally there’s artistic stuff like this.

Here’s a smattering of pieces I’ve seen on the streets. Ever seen a cat with a bowtie and duckbill? Now you have! In the upper left, you’ll notice an unfortunate part of street art culture; no talent hacks tagging their name over top of legitimate art. The chubby guy holding the chain for the skull looks like a great piece, and then some jabroni named AUT28 tags over top with zero skill. Kick rocks AUT28.

I’ve only found a few pieces that are large scale here. Frankly, Chiang Mai has a ton more big street art murals than Bangkok, which you wouldn’t expect (Chiang Mai pop. 127k, Bangkok pop. 9 MILLION.) Part of what keeps me running in new neighborhoods and roads is the hope of finding more big walls. I know they’ve gotta be out there, they’re just not as prevalent as I expect. Or just not in the places I expect.