SAMUT PRAKAN: An old, worn-out bus seat found to have mushrooms growing on it has finally been replaced by a new one, according to staff at the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) depot on Si Khuan Khan road in Phra Pradaeng district.
A commuter took a photo of the seat and the mushrooms and posted it on Facebook - and it went viral. That seat was on a No.82 bus on the Tha Nam Phra Pradaeng - Phahurat route.
The poster wrote on his Facebook page that the mushrooms might be good for a curry, or even be eaten by passengers when the bus was inevitably stuck in traffic.
The photo came to the attention of the Land Transport Department, and officials visited the No.82 bus depot to check it out on Tuesday.
They found most of the buses there had been in use for about 30 years and some were in very bad condition, many with seats that were very old and worn.
They told BMTA staff at the depot to keep the buses better maintained and make sure they were in a serviceable condition.
Sarat Sirivech, 43, a bus dispatcher, said he had learned about the bus seat and the mushrooms on it from social media.
He said that bus had previously been kept at the depot for three to four days for repairs. There was persistent rain over that time and the already worn-out seat might have soaked up the moisture - and mushrooms grew on it.
Mr Sarat said the staff at the depot tried to keep all the buses clean. The mushroom covered seat had been removed and replaced with a new one, he said.
Bus driver Teerayut Duangklin said most of the buses on the route had been in use for at least 10 years. He also thought the heavy rain and moisture had caused the mushrooms to sprout up.
An official inspects a No.82 bus Nafter an old seat with mushrooms growing on tit has been replaced. (Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)