Now the company behind the slogan is making sure Chiang Mai folk will want to do just that, to escape an un-walkable city. Air Asia advertizing signs now appear blocking pedestrian traffic on the city’s most prominent intersections.
These include places within the main cultural heritage zone within the city moat, around the moat road and as far away as the Pucome intersection leading to the tourist Mecca of Wat Prathat Doi Suthep.
The lopsided signs have especially large footings often forcing pedestrians to walk on the road risking injury from motor cycles zipping around the corner.
Some years ago the news was full of stories of “Pu Mii Ittipon” or “People of Influence” engaging in nefarious activities such as illegal logging and drug smuggling while immune from police prosecution.
However of late the term seems to have disappeared from common use and one wonders if the people have gone away? So who could have enough influence to persuade the local government of Chiang Mai which gives permits for footpath obstructive signs for these super-sized obstacles? The airline is ostensibly Malaysian owned, but with the help of the Gnomes of Zurich there may well be a hidden influence closer to home in Chiang Mai.
So if you are influenced by traffic chaos, congestion and pollution or by the advertizing blitz you may just decide to take the advice and fly from Chiang Mai to Hangzhou. There you can enjoy the tree lined boulevards and cycle around on a public bike, pleasures denied us here in Chiang Mai.