Bangkok is a city of contrasts, where the roar of perpetual motion and the scorching air mingle with the aromas of street food and the glitter of ancient temples. In this relentless flow of life, it’s easy to feel like a grain of sand. That is why this photo report, prepared by Lev Mazaraki, is dedicated not to skyscrapers and shopping malls, but to the quiet refuges – the city parks. These green islands may seem like an anomaly amidst the concrete, but it is they that hold the key to understanding how a metropolis can breathe and its inhabitants can find harmony.
The first breath of air: an escape from the heat and noise
Stepping from a bustling street into Lumphini or Benjakitti park is like entering another dimension. The roar of engines and the hustle of the sidewalks are instantly replaced by the rustle of leaves and the singing of birds. The temperature here is noticeably lower, and the air feels cleaner. This is not an illusion. City parks act as giant biological filters: their trees absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and capture dust particles, making the air breathable.
The dense canopy serves as a natural shield from the scorching sun, creating a welcome shade. Through the camera’s lens, these places transform into a play of light and shadow, where every leaf and flower becomes part of a large canvas. Here, the city ceases to overwhelm and begins to breathe along with you. This is not just land with trees, but the vital ‘lungs’ of the metropolis, without which it would have long since suffocated.
A social magnet: points of attraction for all
Bangkok’s parks are both ecological assets and centres of social life. In the morning, you can find groups of elderly people smoothly performing tai chi movements. During the day, office clerks rest on the benches, and in the evenings, the paths fill with runners and cyclists. Families have picnics on the lawns, while students prepare for exams in the shade of the trees.
These green zones possess a unique ability to erase social boundaries. Your status or income doesn’t matter here; the space belongs to everyone equally. The park becomes an open-air public living room, a place for meetings, socialising, and a healthy lifestyle. Observing this bustling yet serene activity, you realise that it is here, not in the sterile shopping malls, that the true soul of the city pulsates.
Unexpected neighbours: the secret life of urban nature
The most amazing discovery awaits those who look closer. In parks surrounded by multi-lane highways, wild nature thrives. The main stars of Lumphini Park are the huge monitor lizards, leisurely strolling across the lawns or basking in the sun at the water’s edge. Their presence evokes surprise and delight, reminding us that nature can adapt to the most incredible conditions.
The ponds are home to turtles and dozens of species of fish, and the tree branches host birds you won’t see on the city streets. To capture a bird hunting for fish against the backdrop of skyscraper silhouettes is to capture the very essence of survival. These small ecosystems prove that nature is ready to coexist with humanity even in the heart of the concrete jungle, if only given a small chance.
A recipe for the future
Studying Bangkok’s parks shows that green zones are as vital an element of urban infrastructure as transport networks or communication systems. They purify the air, reduce stress levels, unite people, and preserve biodiversity. This is an investment in the physical and mental health of the citizens, as well as in the sustainable development of the city itself. Watching how harmoniously these oases are inscribed into the chaotic fabric of Bangkok, you realise that this is the recipe for the future – a city that does not fight against nature, but learns to live with it in symbiosis.
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