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As Thailand continues to suffer the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, taxi drivers in the nation’s capital Bangkok are using an imaginative way to protest government restrictions while helping the local community meet some of the needs of daily life.
Over the past year, Bangkok’s taxi drivers have found themselves in dire straits as the number of tourists – one of the country’s main economic stimulators – has declined.
Speaking to media, some taxi drivers claimed they only get five fares on a good day, while bad days will earn only one ride, if any.
Unsurprisingly, the decline in demand for taxi rides in the city has forced many taxi drivers to leave the city and return to their original rural villages, leaving many unused taxis abandoned in so-called “graveyards. taxis “.
Sensing the opportunity of a beacon of hope, one of the capital’s taxi companies – Ratchaphruek Taxi Cooperative – turned the roofs of unused taxis into mini vegetable gardens, which they hope can become a source. food for work-hungry drivers and company employees. .
Make the most of a bad situation.
A BBC report explained the process as quite simple but ingenious. By stretching black bin liners over frames constructed of bamboo and covering the surface with soil, small patches of fertile land could be created to grow crops.
So far, crops such as chili peppers, basil, cucumbers, zucchini and spring onions have been grown on these makeshift farms, and the company has hoped the produce can also go beyond the simple food of families, but also end up being sold locally. markets.
“This is our last option,†said Thapakorn Assawalertkun, one of the owners of the company. “Growing vegetables on rooftops won’t damage taxis since most of them are already beyond repair. The engines are broken, the tires are flat. There is nothing to do.
As the situation in Thailand continues to worsen, many groups are rising up to demand that the current Thai head of state, Prayut Chan-o-cha, resign from his post.
More recently, Bangkok has seen violent street protests by large numbers of angry individuals who are fed up with the growing number of COVID-19 infections, while the slow pace of vaccinations has caused the domino effect of many. business sectors forced to stay. firm.
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Cover image from the BBC.
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