At first glance, anyone would take Threedow Aphaiwongs for another woman who doesn't play sports at all. Or maybe just a little indoors exercise, to stay in shape. Don't be fooled by the flawless business attire, high heels, light make-up and hair-do that she's been wearing all day.
Threedow is one of the most enthusiastic and active cyclists in town. On Friday evenings, she swaps her business attire for a casual cycling outfit right after work, and zigzags her roadbike into the backstreets of the capital with the cycling gang until midnight.
"I'd always been the cycling gang leader in my neighbourhood," said Threedow. She appeared even more active after changing into a pink polo shirt and donning a cycling helmet as she posed next to an Alex Moulton bike for a photo session.
An avid rider at a young age, Threedow was forced to leave her hobby aside while she studied at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts and worked as a drama lecturer there after graduation.
The 37-year-old has now returned to the cycling fold, though not as a gang leader or casual rider, but to help make Bangkok a more bicycle-friendly city, with an infrastructure facilitating cycling.
After being appointed advisor to Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra and spokesperson for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) two months ago, she is determined to change Bangkok commuters' perception of bicycles and to improve the capital's cycling infrastructure.
"Bicycles will have to be the vehicle for short routes in the inner city," she said.
The BMA introduced the "Pun Pun Bike Share" scheme last November to make cycling a transport option between intersections in central areas of Bangkok. Currently, there are 12 stations scattered around intersections in Phaya Thai, Ratchadamri, Pathumwan and Sam Yan, with eight bikes each for rent.
Threedow recalled how she enjoyed numerous trips into orchards hidden inside communities near Phra Nangklao Bridge with all the boys in the neighbourhood before her university years. She only had a chance to return to cycling with her husband, Pong Sukhum, only six years ago. Back then bicycles weren't as popular as they are now, but she and her small group of friends would be seen riding their BMX bikes - the one with the naughty-boy look seen on the ET film poster - around town, and jumping on and off footpaths along the way.
"Improving cycling infrastructure was my agenda when I was approached to take the job," said Threedow. It was during those BMX jaunts that she experienced Bangkok's uneven footpaths and bumpy roads.
For many, Threedow may be a new face on the political scene, but the drama lecturer-turned-BMA spokesperson - who shares the family name with former prime minister and Democrat Party founder Kuang Aphaiwong - has always been interested in politics. A few years ago, she took part in the pink shirt demonstrations, and later hosted a morning show with Abhisit Vejjajiva on a cable TV channel.
Her main duty as the spokesperson is to communicate with the public and media about the BMA's current plans and projects. Her other job is to help MR Sukhumbhand implement his planned infrastructure, especially for cyclists, as campaigned during the election.
One of her first missions was to promote cycling as an alternative mode of transport for the capital, to alleviate the increasingly congested traffic; and to improve other aspects of infrastructure, including smoothening road surfaces as well as adding 39 more bike lanes to Bangkok's 31 routes, covering 230km citywide.
The construction of five bike routes, beginning next year, will cover 16km on Phetkasem, Ramkhamhaeng, Charan Sanitwong, Pracha Uthit and Rama VI roads. These bike lanes aim to link public transport between bus, skytrain and subway stations.
Bike lanes in each area will differ depending on the environment and community. Cyclists may have to share the road with motorists since roads in old neighbourhoods are too narrow to add a bike lane. But if the street is wide enough, a bike lane can be physically separated from the main road.
Backstreets in communities will be promoted as alternative cycling routes to avoid traffic on main roads. Backstreets are often notorious for criminal activities, while bicycles are more likely to encounter accidents on main roads. These new routes will be equipped with surveillance cameras and better lighting for better visibility and to reduce risks.
"Isn't it great that we can have new practical routes for cyclists and areas with fewer criminal risks?" said Threedow. She also helped get information on ways to improve Bangkok's roads and footpaths, including uneven surfaces and vertical irrigation.
In order to get in-depth and practical information on ways to improve bike lanes in Bangkok, Threedow communicates with different groups of cyclists in the city. Her Facebook wall is often filled with updates from cyclists who want road surfaces to be improved by the BMA.
Threedow also wants to see public bicycle parks where cyclists can leave their two-wheelers, the way motorists leave their vehicles at a paid parking lot. Safe parking spaces will assure cyclists that their bicycles will always be there when they are ready to get home at the end of the day.
"It's not about the price of the bicycle, but that their beloved vehicle is well taken care of," she said. "And that will encourage more people to commute by bike."
PHOTOS: PORNPROM SATRABHAYA
