Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said yesterday that they have relocated the tree that had been blocking the bottom of an overpass on Phloen Chit Road — for years.
The misplaced flora seemingly didn’t get much attention from City Hall until someone posted a photo of the tree online last week, causing netizens to start understandably start questioning their government’s common sense.
The bridge — and the Burma padauk — had been around for at least six years, according to the snaps on Google Street View, and locals have been zig-zagging around the tree all this time without any complaints.
That, however, changed last week.
Author Kitichai Taechangamlert, known for his investment book “How I made THB500 million from THB1 million,” shared a photo of the bridge on his Facebook page last Tuesday with the sarcastic caption: “Whoever approved the construction of this bridge, along [with] the company that built it, should win People of the Year.”
The post quickly received more than 2,500 shares and began that age-old discussion among netizens: Which came first, the bridge or the tree?
“They built the bridge for the tree goddess,” one netizen wrote sarcastically.
Another popular comment, however, suggested that officials really had no options and condemned the author, “You’re not a part of this project. You don’t know the limitation of the construction, and yet you posted this just to be sarcastic. That’s not cool. I think the BMA has thought this through. Besides, the tree is not so close to the bridge that people cannot use it.”
A generous appraisal of the situation but yes, technically, it still works.
“As a person who uses this bridge everyday, it never occurs that the tree is in my way. There’s enough space for you to walk around it,” another user helpfully pointed out.
And then the tree disappeared. On Tuesday, another Facebook page shared a snap of the bridge, without a sight of Burma padauk. The post has also upset some people who thought that the BMA cut a perfectly good tree.
To end the online drama once and for all, BMA responded that the tree was moved to Henri-Dunant Road, which they said has a more suitable space for it to grow.
“The relocation of the tree was handled by agricultural academics. After the Burma padauk was moved, Pathumwan District officials have been closely following up on it,” the statement said.
In case you don’t trust the government, BMA also posted photos of the tree at its new home. Case closed.
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