Traffic Jam in 1950′s Bangkok

January 2, 2009
By | Posted in Old Photos of Thailand

These old black and white photos of Bangkok in 1950 were taken by Dmitri Kessel for Life magazine. This one is labelled as “traffic jam in Bangkok”. It is interesting to look at these old photos. I think it helps you to understand Thai culture better if you can see what life was like for them in the past.

The rickshaws in these pictures are still around today. However, you will no longer see them in Bangkok. The samlors have been taken over by the motorized tuk tuks. Apparently samlors cause traffic jams and so you only see them these days in provincial towns. We have them still in Samut Prakan.

The way these guys are dressed, they are probably “Chinese coolies”. This is the poor man’s version of a samlor as they are pulled by hand. You don’t see these any more. I don’t know if they are still there, but I did ride one once in Calcutta in India.


6 Responses to Traffic Jam in 1950′s Bangkok

  1. Nokky on January 2, 2009 at 11:07 pm

    Please keep going your good-quality weblog,sharing very interesting life experiences,doing noteworthy quality work,and giving something away kha.

  2. Emerald on January 13, 2009 at 1:35 am

    this blog is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

  3. Jackie on January 13, 2009 at 8:19 am

    I will second that. It is good to have a blog about Thailand that doesn’t resort to writing about bar girls or night clubs. We are not all sex tourists!

  4. Tim on June 16, 2009 at 2:05 am

    awesome pictures! do you have more?

  5. i will support you on July 17, 2009 at 9:05 pm

    its a good idea to intoduce the thailand in 1950.

  6. Find Bangkok Hotels on September 7, 2009 at 11:51 am

    Must say ” Bangkok is the center for a wide range of tourism: culture, boat travel, shopping, food,entertainment by day & by night. Bangkok is an enchanting colorful city that attracts many tourists. Each year many travelers from all over the world head to Bangkok for business and travel, especially in November through April which is the high season in Thailand.”

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Richard Barrow is a prolific writer and ardent photographer. He first came to Thailand in the early 1990's. For 15 years he worked at a primary school in Samut Prakan. Now, he is the managing director of his own company.

Stephen Cleary has been a resident of Thailand for many years. He has done every job possible from acting in Thai soap operas to working undercover for the Thai police. Steve is now a freelance travel writer and translator. He lives with his wife in Suphanburi province.

Panrit "Gor" Daoruang was, in his youth, Thailand's most famous Internet teenager. He is still well-known around the world as he has been blogging about his life since the age of twelve. He now has a daughter called Nong Grace who already has her own website.






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