BKK Misconception #1: Bangkok is a Dirty City
The way some people talk about Bangkok, you would think that walking through it would be like walking through trash at an uncovered landfill. These criticisms are way overblown.
Sure, parts of Bangkok are in fact dirty and you would be ill advised to go swimming in the Chao Phraya River or any of the city’s canals which are heavily polluted from industrial and residential waste. Other parts are just old, which is not the same thing as dirty. Still other parts of Bangkok, like its new age mega-malls, MRT subways, and parks, are pristine.
Bangkok is not a dirty city; it is just a city. The overwhelming majority of cities of comparable size have a mix of very clean areas and areas that are not so clean. The same is true for Bangkok. To simply characterize it as a “dirty city” paints an inaccurate portrayal and unfairly undercuts all the wonderful aspects of Thailand’s capital city.
I think the best way to sum it up is with a few photos.
THIS is Bangkok:
Side of road in Thong Lor Area, Bangkok
THIS is Also Bangkok:
The Commons, Thong Lo Area, Bangkok
THIS is Bangkok:
China Town, Bangkok.
THIS is Also Bangkok:
BTS Skytrain Station around 10PM. Representative example of public transportation cleanliness in Bangkok.