Hazards of Running in Thailand

When I first got to Thailand I thought there was no way I could ever run here. Most of this was based on the heat I experienced at our orientation in Bangkok. After a week or so of getting settled in Suphanburi, I was brave and motivated enough to give running a try here (how else can I continue to justify eating so much great food!) It is definitely possible and enjoyable, but here is a list of the top 5 things that make running in Thailand a bit hazardous.

This is the best time of day to run and it definitely helps being near water!

1. Heat—This was the first thing that turned me off from running in Thailand, but it has actually cooled down a lot since we got here (70 seems cold now) which has made running much more enjoyable. However, I should probably get used to running in the heat to train for my race which will be mid hot season in Vietnam.

A standard Thai restaurant set up before it gets busy with people. 

2. Sidewalks—We are fortunate enough to live in Suphan where one of the ex prime ministers is from. This means the city got a lot of funding when that prime minister was in power and we actually have sidewalks. However, it is very rare that I see a Thai person walking to their destinations, so sidewalks are not really used for walking. What are they used for? Eating. A sidewalk is like a restaurant’s or food cart’s outdoor dining room and I almost feel guilty when I am actually walking on the sidewalk and walk through their restaurant. So I either weave my way through people, tables, and chairs, or check the street a couple times to run in the road to get around the sidewalk restaurants. Also, there are a bunch of signs and poles in the middle of sidewalks to watch out for. At my height, I can usually walk under the signs and just have to avoid poles, but Eric being so tall makes him really have to pay attention.

The guardian of the river run.

3. Stray Dogs—Thailand has a huge number of stray dogs (although not as many as India) and the streets and sidewalks are their domain. I have heard of other Thai cities where you can’t really run because of the stray dogs chasing after you. I’m not sure what makes Suphan dogs different, but they are friendly or completely ignore you for the most part. I have only been scarily barked at and followed once while running, which I think is pretty good. In that dog’s defense, it was nighttime and it was probably protecting the food it had just been given. That’s the problem with stray dogs in Thailand—the people constantly feed them so they will always be around. Not sure if this is a Buddhism thing or what. All I know is that things dogs are almost overfed at times. 

4. Cars—The hierarchy of the Thai traffic system puts pedestrians and runners at the bottom of the food chain so you always have to be on your guard. Think you are safe looking just one way when you cross a one-way street? Think again! Traffic rules are more like suggestions and I have seen some sketchy maneuvers with cars going the wrong direction on a one-way street. I still have yet to see an accident though so this makes me feel a little safer. (There is actually very little traffic in Suphan on Sunday--probably because there is no school or special Saturday class so I didn't get a picture of the traffic)

5. Burning Trash—This is sadly an incredibly common practice here (and Anna tells me people still do it in South Carolina—come on US citizens, get some sense!) and is something to be avoided unless you want to suck in the fumes from burning plastic. I almost always run after school around 5:30 when it is cooler and still light out and this coincides with the time most people burn their trash, which is always a bummer for me. However, it does make me run faster when I am near one of these trash fires!

Bonus Hazard! Children with guns.

Don't worry, just toy guns. 

As you now know, running here is not necessarily the easiest or most convenient form of exercise but a runner has to do what a runner has to do. Please make my training in these less than ideal conditions worth it by donating to my Run Vietnam for Global Literacy campaign here!