Dose anybody know why there is so much traffic?

fridays have their own rhythm, the outbound wave starts earlier than most people think, like 2:30, and by 4 the rama ix expressway is basically a car park. also check the thai traffic twitter accounts, @js100radio and @fm91trafficpro post the cause in real time, usually within 10 min of something happening. ton of it is just cars queueing for toll booths at din daeng too, that bottleneck alone backs up for km

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If it's around 5-7pm it could just be the rain from earlier. Even a quick shower turns Asok and the whole Sukhumvit line into a parking lot, everyone forgets how to drive. Also check if there's a protest at the Government House or around Victory Monument, those pop up and block everything without much notice.

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Bangkok's traffic isn't really about one incident, it's cumulative. The city has something like 10 million registered vehicles for roads built when the population was a third of that, so once volume crosses a threshold even a single stalled bus on Phloen Chit cascades for kilometers. Fridays are worse because the outbound exodus to Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani starts around 3pm and overlaps with the office crowd. My honest tip is to check the BTS or MRT app before you even get in a car on a Friday, because once you're on the expressway there's no exit that saves you.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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