Bangkok: March 2006

In the first of a three part feature about Ray and Nikki's recent experiences in Bangkok, our cultural correspondent, Po Scard, discovers that they found Bangkok a city of many contrasts.  We present some of the highlights from their visit.

Part 1: A Tale of Two Cities

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After a 22 hour overnight train ride from Penang in Malaysia, our two intrepid travellers arrived in the hot, sweaty, vibrant city that is Bangkok - the nerve centre of Thailand and a major gateway to the Far East for travellers from all over the world (see map).

"I was really excited about visiting the city" said Ray.  "I had read and heard loads about it from other travellers and had earmarked a number of things to see and do" he continued. "We had been warned that although the city was full of interesting and unusual attractions, it was also quite polluted and I was interested to find out first hand if this was the case.  By chance, we arrived amidst one of the largest public protests the country has seen for years - Prime Minister Thaksin is at the centre of it, accused of corruption and mis-management and under great pressure to step down.  This gave us the feeling of being involved with the local issues right from the word go, which was really exciting for us" said Ray.

Being strangers in a big city can be a daunting experience for many people and I asked Ray about his strategy for getting established quickly.  "There are two things I always do when I arrive in a new city" he said.  "The first is to find a really good map - in Bangkok, we acquired the legendary Nancy Chandler map (more information about Nancy Chandler maps) which was a great help.  It was so helpful that it almost took on a life of its own - we even called the map Nancy and thought of her as our own personal guide! The second thing I do is find the tallest building in the city and head straight for the top to get a good visual lookout of the city and make sense of where everything is" added Ray.

The tallest building in Bangkok is the Baiyoke Sky Hotel (pictured below).  It is Thailand’s tallest tower and is claimed to be the tallest hotel in the world, with a revolving roof deck at the top of it's 84 floors. For those of you who like facts, it is 309 meters tall – about the height of 182 people and has an inside area of 179,400m2 (about 30 football pitches). There are 1,740 window panes (equivalent to 200 townhouses). 

The Baiyoke Sky Hotel towers above the Bangkok skyline

"Ray and I headed straight for the revolving deck on Floor 84" said Nikki.  "I knew he was excited about going up there as he could not wait to get in the express lift and get up to the top - it's a boy thing I think.  Once we were up there, the views were spectacular and I could see why he was so keen for us to go" she added.

Ray and Nikki on the revolving deck, 84 floors up and loving it!

Ray and Nikki get orientated to Bangkok: There are many spectacular 360 degree views to be had from the top of the hotel (like the one pictured above)

Complete with map in hand and mental orientation complete, Ray and Nikki compiled a list of the attractions they were most interested in and fashioned a schedule to ensure they had enough time to see everything.  "Although we put a schedule together, we wanted to allow some flexibility in case anything unexpected presented itself" said Nikki. "For example, we were walking through the old city area one day when we heard about a group of Thai fortune tellers and we immediately decided to go and find them to get some 'inside information' about our future!" We both had a consultation with Mr Vivat Jaru Siri (below), which was a great experience, although neither of us have taken his predictions too seriously" Ray told us.

"So, when exactly is Ray going to propose to me?" asks Nikki

Mr Vivat Jaru Siri informs Ray that The Daily Lama is going to be voted "Best Blog of the Year" in 2006 - no wonder Ray does not take the predictions seriously!

High on the list of any traveller's itinerary in Bangkok are the Wats (temples) and Ray and Nikki were determined to get a good look at them.  Bangkok has literally hundreds of the most amazing temples in the world and more Buddha images than you can possibly imagine.  There is not enough space to show you them all, so instead, here is a small selection from the sites that Ray and Nikki visited:

The Grand Palace

This palace has an area of about 60 acres and is surrounded by walls built in 1783. For just about 150 years, Bangkok's Grand Palace was not only the home of the King and his court, but also the entire administrative seat of government. Within the crenelated walls were the country's war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace full time around the turn of the twentieth century, but the complex remains the seat of power and spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom. For more information, click here (Grand Palace Bangkok).

The Grand Palace is truly spectacular and it can take 2-3 days to see everything within the palace walls

Close up view of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Palace (above)

Above: Photograph (taken by Nikki) of the Grand Palace at night - the contrast of old and new brought about by the trafiic that relentlessly surrounds the grounds seven days a week

Above and below: The grounds of the palace contain a variety of amazing architectures that all form part of the Thai cultural history

Ray admires one of the many statues in the Grand Palace (below)

Wat Arun

The name of this temple literally means "Temple of the Dawn". It was restored during the Thonburi period to be the Royal Chapel of King Taksin. An important structure is the 79 meter-high pagoda or "Phra Phang" decorated with ceramic tiles and fragments of multicoloured porcelain (pictured below).

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Wat Arun, seen from the west bank of the Chao Praya River (above) and a closer view of the Pagoda (below)

Wat Trai Mit

This temple houses the largest Golden Buddha image in the world. It is made of pure gold. The image is unrivalled in beauty, measuring 12 feet 5 inches in diameter, and has a height of 15 feet 9 inches from the base to the crown. It weighs approximately 5 tonnes. Now more than 700 years old, it is a valuable treasure of Thailand and of Buddhism.

"I love the story behind the Buddha" says Nikki. "Many years ago, it was completely covered with plaster to conceal it from an invading enemy of Thailand and was installed as the principal Buddha image in the main temple buildings of Wat Phrayakrai. When this temple was deserted in about 1931, the East Asiatic Company, with official permission, moved this golden Buddha image to the Traimit Witthayaram Temple where it now remains, discovering in 1955 that it was made of pure gold!  Apparently, once they had finished the building that was made to house the Buddha and started to move the image, the covering plaster was partly broken. Only then did the people realize that it was a golden Buddha image" said a very well informed Nikki. Thus, it has been treasured for its historical, artistic and cultural values to this day.

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The Buddha at Wat Trai Mit (above) is the largest Golden Buddha in the world!

Wat Suthat

Wat Suthat was constructed in 1807 after the 27th anniversary of the founding of Bangkok by King Rama I. The main Buddha image, is larger and older than any other bronze cast Buddha image in Thailand. The base of the image is 6.25 metres wide and has a height of 8 metres.

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Wat Suthat (above) is home to the largest and oldest Bronze Buddha image in the Thailand. The ordination Hall (or ubosot) is said to be one of the most beautiful in Thailand and very large in size. The 72 metre high structure is supported by 68 pillars

Nikki prepares to enter the hall at Wat Suthat where the huge bronze Buddha image is kept

The beautiful courtyard at Wat Suthat provides an oasis of peace and tranquility within a very chaotic, noisy city

The cloister at Wat Suthat - many of the temples in Bangkok have literally hundreds of Buddha images like the example shown (above)

Wat Po

This temple is best known for being home to a gigantic bronze image of the Reclining Buddha - the second largest in Thailand. It is 46 metres long (150 feet) and 15 metres (50 feet) high, and enitrely covered with gold leaf. It depicts the dying Buddha entering nirvana.  

The gigantic bronze reclining Buddha image at Wat Po (above)

Vimanmek Royal Mansion

The first permanent residence in the Dusit Garden was Vimanmek Mansion, built in 1900 by royal command of King Rama V. The King had the Munthaturattanaroj Residence in Chuthathujrachathan at Koh Sri Chang, Chonburi, dismantled and rebuilt in the Dusit Garden under the supervision of HRH Prince Narissaranuwaddhiwongse. The celebrationforthecompletionofVimanme Mansion was held on March 27th 1901.

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The world's largest building made out of golden teakwood (above) can be found in Dusit Park in Bangkok

The Golden Mount

This 80 metre tall, artificial hill, also known as Phu Khao Thong, features an impressive golden chedi at its summit and is part of Wat Saket. The hill was formed when a chedi being constructed by King Rama III collapsed. The concrete cap was built during WW II to keep the artificial hill from eroding. "Walking the 318 stairs to the top is arduous, but the scent from the surrounding frangipanis helps, and you are rewarded with an awesome panorama of Bangkok" said Nikki.

A close up view of the impressive golden chedi at the summit of the Golden Mount (above) and seen from a distance (below)

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"Standing at the top of the Golden Mount and looking out over Bangkok, I started to get a sense of it being like two cities merged into one, with a strong contrast between the old historic buildings, showing where the city has come from, and the modern skyscrapers which are a big part of Bangkok's present and future" said Nikki. "It really interests me to see how they have been integrated together" she added.

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An example of the contrast of old and new - Ray stands on top of the Temple of the Golden Mount looking out at some of Bangkok's skyscrapers

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Another example of the contrast between old and new and how they sit together is the Erawan Shrine. "There is a fascinating story behind this" said Ray. "It was created as a spirit house connected to the original Erawan Hotel, which has now made way for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The forces of the typical Thai spirit house didn't seem to be effective enough during the building of the hotel, as many unlucky incidents kept taking place during construction and it's opening period.

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After consulting spiritual advisers, the hotel owners agreed to build a new shrine, which has since become famous for bringing good fortune and is the one you see today.

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"People regularly come to offer colourful flower garlands, lotus, incense and candles. Often, if a wish has been granted, people thank the spirits by donating teak elephants or commissioning the classical Thai dancers and live orchestra" Ray told me.

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The famous Erawan Shrine, outside the Burberry Store in Bangkok - an example of how traditional worship vies with the worship of the new God - materialism

People making their offerrings at the Shrine

I asked Ray and Nikki what there favourite attractions were. "Its very difficult to choose but mine would have to be M.R. Kukrit's House" said Nikki.  "M.R. Kukrit Pramoj was an interesting man who was born into an influential Thai family in 1911. He was a businessman, a University lecturer, author, poet, and the Prime Minister of Thailand for two years. He was also a film actor, appearing with Marlon Brando in The Ugly American" explained Nikki.

The beautiful waterfall pond in front of M R Kukrits house in Bangkok

Beginning in 1960, Mr. Kukrit purchased several traditional 19th century Thai homes and moved them to Bangkok, where he set them up to make a grand residence for himself and his family. Mr. Kukrit died in 1995 at the age of 84. Today his stunning wooden house bears witness to a life lived simply but smartly. Brim-full of fine art treasures, the house features an interesting library and bonsai trees in the well-tended garden. "I just love the way it sits nestled quitely in between all of those tall buildings and the noise and chaos of the city - I would love a house like it someday!" said Nikki. 

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The contrast of old and new - M R Kukrits house sits in front of and is overshadowed by the Citibank building

And what about Ray? "For me, the outstanding choice is the Bridge on the River Kwai" he told me. "I had always wanted to see it since I was a kid.  My uncle was a big fan of the film and I just knew there would be a special atmosphere there and I was not disappointed" he said.

Ray's favourite attraction was the Bridge on the River Kwai - you can read all about it in detail in our special supplement (see below).

Ray gave me so much information about his visit to the bridge, I have created a separate supplement about it.  For those of you that have the time and are interested to get a detailed report on his visit, click here (River Kwai Supplement).

So, what are the other contrasts that Ray and Nikki noticed as they got to know the city? "There is a huge difference between day and night for a start" said Ray. "Take the Khao San Road as an example. During the day, it is lazy, quiet, and hot, with people shopping, buying tickets, walking from shop to shop, agency to agency looking for a good deal. But at night, Khao San transforms itself into an entertainment centre popular with both travellers and local Thais" said Ray.

By day: Nikki confronts the madness of the Khao San Road - a favourite hangout for backpackers from all over the world

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By night: Khao San Road is a mecca for cheep food, beer and rip off goods and is always buzzing!

Ray and Nikki were amused to see that at the end of the street of Art and Culture off the Khao San Road is a (guess what?).... a Starbucks coffee shop! You can see the logo if you look really closely.  What is the world coming to?

Another contrast is where nature and urban development come together.  Nikki found this giant Iguana living quite happily outside a shop off the Khao San Road

Despite all of it's modernity, ordinary Bangkok folk do not hesitate to take an old fashioned bath on the pavement to counter the unbearable heat, as this man demonstrates

The Chao Praya river in Bangkok provides a vital transportation channel and we shall be looking at this more closely in Part 2 of our three part feature, which will be published soon.  In the meantime, I asked our travelling duo to share some of their observations with me from the numerous trips they made by boat during their stay.

"The theme of contrast stayed with me" said Nikki. In some parts of the river are grand hotels and fancy apartments and condominiums, whilst in others, run down sheds reflecting great poverty and very bad conditions for their inhabitants" she informed me.

On the Chao Praya river; some areas are in very bad shape (above) and sit adjacent to other areas which are very affluent.  The expensive BKK Condominium Tower (below) is a good example

"The river also provides a cheap and effective way of getting around the city" said Ray.  We wanted to see some of Bangkok's many markets and our guest house was very close to a boat stop, so it was great for us as we could hop on and off as we pleased and most trips cost us around 10 pence each" he added.

Ray strolls through one of Bangkok's many markets

Bangkok's Chinatown - packed with people, very noisy and home to flower and vegetable markets and loads of gold shops

Some people have a very hard time in Bangkok - this market stall trader in Chinatown carries on his business despite his injuries

Ray and Nikki told me that they took time to meander off the main river and explore some of the many smaller waterways that permeate Bangkok's many suburbs.  Again, they were startled by the contrast in housing and general quality of life of the different parts of the places they visited.

A view of waterside housing for the average Bangkok family - very run down, cramped and lacking in good quality facilities when compared with our Western standards

Above and below; people seem to live in very poor conditions but still come across as very content despite this

Above and below; in some areas, we found very beautiful homes and surroundings - Bangkok's growing wealth is definitely helping some people improve their quality of life

Ray and Nikki made time to take a break from seeing all of the sights to hang out in Lumpini Park. Named after the Buddha's birthplace in Nepal, Lumpini Park is one of Bangkok's largest and most popular parks. It was originally the private property of King Rama 6. He donated it to the nation in 1925. "It was not as big as it looked on the map" said Ray.  "It's a shame there are not more parks in the city as it is in bad need of more green areas.  However, it is a lovely park and provides some respite to the people who live here" he told me.

Lumpini park in all it's glory - one of the few green places in Bangkok

And finally, whilst on the theme of contrast's, Bangkok may be famous for it's temples but it is also famous for it's sex industry and Ray and Nikki decided they would pay a visit to Pat Pong - the world famous red light area - to see what it was all about.  "We wanted to see everything Bangkok had to offer and could not leave out a visit to Pat Pong" said Ray.

Ray outside the Super Pussy Bar in Bangkok's Pat Pong

"These days, it has become more of a tourist attraction and there are many middle aged couples having a look around" said Nikki. "We were happy to just look from the outside and decided against going in to see any of the shows on offer.  I think we were more interested in getting something to eat" she told me.

Ray outside one of Pat Pong's many and varied show venues - they cater for a wide variety of tastes as this establishment demonstrates (above)

A tale of two cities, or a sale of two titties?  Nikki drinks her beer in a bar in the middle of Pat Pong and wonders what life must be like for the working girls pictured behind her

I hope you enjoy reading the first part of our three part feature about Ray and Nikki's experiences in Bangkok.  In part 2, due for publication shortly, we will look more closely at how they got around in the city and what kind of entertainment is on offer. And the third part of our feature will be a "Funny Thing is... Bangkok Special" with more hilarious images for you.  We will also announce the winners of our last caption competition so look out for the forthcoming announcements via email.

Editors Note: Watch out for a technological breakthrough in Part 2 - we hope to bring you video footage of Ray and Nikki having fun in Bangkok!   MOZZIE BYTE

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