July 23, 2019

Making Bangkok Accessible for All: Khun Saba Keeps Fighting [Season 3, Episode 69]

Making Bangkok Accessible for All: Khun Saba Keeps Fighting [Season 3, Episode 69]

First - don’t forget our meetup on 27 July at Smalls. . And also don’t forget that both Greg AND Ed will be speaking at Bombyx on 26 July. . Okay, on this episode Greg interviews Khun Saba, a disabled rights activist in Bangkok. It’s a topic...

First - don’t forget our meetup on 27 July at Smalls. Get more info here. And also don’t forget that both Greg AND Ed will be speaking at Bombyx on 26 July. Get more info here.

Okay, on this episode Greg interviews Khun Saba, a disabled rights activist in Bangkok. It’s a topic near and dear to the Bangkok Podcast, because we want everyone to enjoy Bangkok, which is very hard to do if you don’t have full mobility.

Khun Saba explains that he became aware of the difficulty of moving around Thai cities, especially Bangkok, after he became disabled, and notes that while physical and structural issues are important, the key issue is really awareness. Simply put, if people blindly accept all the problems with transportation in Bangkok, then of course they will never be solved. 

Greg asks Khun Saba about a notorious incident in which he broke a pane of glass when he couldn’t use the elevator at Asoke BTS Station. The circumstances were unusual and need to be fully listened to to be understood, but the incident highlights the daily frustration of disabled people in Bangkok. 

Khun Saba also makes clear that his organization fights for the rights of all Bangkokians to safe and convenient access to transportation in the city and not just the rights of people who are actually physically disabled. He describes his dream of making Bangkok a city of truly international standards where all citizens are equal in terms of their access to the city. We urge you to like the page of Accessibility is Freedom - you’ll get some great insight into Bangkok from a whole different point of view.

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