When Bangkok Cabbies Plant Veggies Instead of Road Trips
Picture this: hundreds of pink and orange taxis parked in Bangkok, their metal bodies now covered in leafy greens and vibrant herbs. The twist? The drivers who once whirled in a rush to get fares are now pulling onions off the roof of their own cars. It’s a quirky, eco‑friendly twist to a city’s trucking crisis, and it’s making headlines far beyond the usual traffic jams.
Why the Cars Are Marked “Out of Service”
- COVID‑19 lockdowns turned Bangkok’s taxi boom into a freeze‑frame.
- Economic slowdown means many drivers can’t pay the lease on their sleek rides.
- Over a year of parking has left the taxis “just metal” and basically redundant.
“We had to decide on something productive – grow something to eat,” says Thapakorn Asawalertkul, the business consultant pulling the idea together.
From Bumper to Green: The Planting Plan
Using simple black plastic sheeting piled with bamboo or wooden poles, the Ratchapruek Taxi Cooperative has turned 300 cars into mini vertical farms. The roadside burgeoning includes:
- Spicy chilies diced for stir‑fry
- Plump eggplants for thai curries
- Tasty cucumbers for salads
- Fragrant basil for that fresh kick in noodles
It’s not just a novelty—it feeds the drivers, their families, and anyone who can get a share, turning a crisis into a community garden.
The Current Mood
Kamolporn Boonnitiyong, an administrator at the collective, notes that the gardens help to keep spirits high but are a temporary band‑aid. “It makes life a little easier, but we’re still in a slump that needs a bigger fix,” she says. She hopes the government will pitch in more robustly to lift drivers out of the rut.
What It Means for Thailand
With Thailand battling over 1.5 million coronavirus cases and only 21 % of the population fully vaccinated, creative solutions like this car‑cooking yard show resilience in the face of uncertainty. It’s not just about veggies; it’s about turning fallback into a fresh start.
Read more about creative community responses in Bangkok: Thai monks bring grocery stores to the needy as the pandemic continues to crunch incomes. Feel free to share and sprout this story—after all, who knew taxis have a green side?
