ABSTRACT
Stuck in a traffic jam on Sukhumvit Road, one wonders if Marquise de Sade is the patron saint of Bangkok’s urban planners (O’Connor 1990: 61). In fact, little was actually planned when the Sukhumvit area expanded. Developers simply followed the existing pattern of rice fields, irrigation canals and pathways. At the time, no one anticipated today’s density of economic activity, population and vehicles. More surprising is that today’s expansion still largely follows the same approach.
