Category Archives: Bangkok

Our last day in Bangkok – we leave on the sleeper to Surat Thani tonight on our way to Koh Samui. We are glad we came to Bangkok , but we won’t be hurrying back. There is definitely more we could have seen – at our slowing pace four days isn’t long enough, but paradoxically it has been more than enough. Bangkok is dirty and choked with car fumes. Streets seem to be either shuttered and deserted or encroached on by stalls which take up the pavement space and make it difficult to walk with any degree of comfort. And always there is a seedy undercurrent. There are so many western men here with Thai women and none look very happy with the situation. How many times we’ve seen these couples sitting in glum silence looking for all the world as if they would rather be anywhere else. On a more positive note, there is some superb Lanna architecture and plenty of it with wats at every turn. There are interesting pockets to explore amongst the dreary buildings and walking down the Soi can throw up some interesting sights like coming across a open-sided boxing gym where a group of westerners are being taken through warm up exercises by a Thai coach or people sitting in the street watching Thai boxing on the TV. We also discover that the network of Soi that run off Samesen Road towards the river have a very different and much more charming cafe atmosphere campared to Khao San Road only a stone’s throw away. The sleeper leaves at 7.30pm and we arrive with plenty of time to spare. We have discovered that in Thailand it’s possible to board the train up to an hour or more before it departs and arriving early makes stowing luggage and settling in much easier – unless of course others have the same idea, which they do today. As we sit on the platform waiting to board three men work their way down the train cleaning the windows and sides of the carriages; one to soap it, one to wipe it down and a third to hose it down. Oh, and a fourth who comes along afterwards with a squidgy to remove excess water from the platform. The sleeper rolling stock is by the far the oldest we have travelled in and although clean has an ingrained grimy look from many years of use. The seating and sleeping arrangements are similar to those on the Chiang Mai to Bangkok train only luggage is stowed on racks in the aisles rather than under the bottom berths. Someone has a child who is spends the hour before the train leaves repeated squealing at an ear-piercingly high pitch and the Thai lady above Andy is sharing her berth with a dog, which is considerably better behaved than the child! But as on our previous journey one the berths are made up passengers retreat behind their curtains to snatch what sleep they can. Continue reading →

Suitably dressed we visit the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Andy’s concession is to wear his zip off shorts adding the leg extensions just before we enter the complex. There is a sign at the entrance that shows, in pictogram form, inappropriate modes of dress.

All of which are quite reasonable apart from the ban on three-quarter length shorts – why these are not allowed when knee-length skirts are acceptable is somewhat puzzling. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the surrounding buildings are breathtakingly beautiful and alone make the visit to Bangkok worthwhile. The most stunning is the temple itself (Wat Pra Kaew) which houses the revered Emerald Buddha, its exterior gilded and covered in glass mosaics which gleam and sparkle in the bright sunlight. The compact complex of buildings is enclosed by cloisters decorated with 178 mural panels depicting scenes from the Ramakien epic. Six pairs of magnificent demon giants, each of differing design, guard he entrance gates to the temple. Crammed into the confines of this area are several other buildings, stupae, prangs (a tiered cylindrical spire), pavillions and mythical creatures. These include Royal Pantheon, the stunning Pra Viharn Yod decorated with porcelain floral designs and the Pra Sri Ratana Chedi, a bell-shaped pagoda covered in gold mosaic. A real feast for the eyes and senses. Within the same grounds is the Grand Palace, the former royal residence, now used by King Rama IX for ceremonial occasions, his current residence being Chitlada Palace in the north of the city. There are several magnificent building that make up the Grand Palace complex but only the interiors of Throne Hall and Dusit Maha Prasat Hall are open to the public.

After lunch in typical open-air street cafe by the ferry pier we wander along the road that runs between the Grand Palace and the river. All along this stretch there are new and second-hand goods laid out on the pavement for sale. Eventually we happen upon another ferry pier. A number of ferry lines serve the Chao Phraya River providing an efficient water-based transport system on a north-south axis to the western side of the city. We stop for refreshment in a riverside cafe before taking the cross river ferry to visit Wat Arun on the opposite site of the river. The central prang towers above the surrounding area and climbing the almost perpendicular steps up to the third level provides a panoramic view of this mainly low rise city.

Back across the river we catch a ferry up river alighting within walking distance of our hostel. The ferry is packed with people but this is definitely a more pleasant way to get around this part of the city. There is plenty of river traffic and a surprising amount of water weed floating on the surface giving the river a rather rural feel.

In the evening we take a taxi to Pat Pong Road in the heart of Bangkok’s red light district. The area is hardly buzzing and empty pole dancing bars and venues offering sex shows seem to be struggling to attract the punters. Even Khao San Road holds more interest than this!

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Our plan is to visit the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha today, two of the most important sights in the city. But on arrival we discover that Andy is not suitably dressed; sleeveless T-shirt and shorts not being acceptable. Instead we decide ride the Sky Train. There are two lines which run through the central part of the city north to south-east. We take a tut-tut to the nearest station at Victory Monument which is some way from where we are staying near the river. The Sky Train runs on an elevated track similar to the Docklands Light Railway in London, but is a considerably smoother ride We buy a ticket to the end of the line at On Nut to the south just for the experience – we aren’t going with any particular destination in mind. From the train we get quite a good view of the more modern side of the city, but we are not prepared for what awaits us at the end of the line – a massive Tesco Superstore much along the same lines as you find in the UK! Back at Victory Monument a taxi back to the hotel confirms our suspicions that the tut-tut we took earlier significantly over-charged. No more tut-tuts for us – the metered taxis are much better value, they are air conditioned and there are no choking exhaust fumes to contend with.

Bangkok is a dirty city – there are cockroaches in the streets and a glimpse of some restaurant kitchens is enough to make you wonder how people survive eating out. Our hostel, though is clean and well presented. The kitchen, interestingly, is in the reception area and is re-assuringly clean and tidy. Breakfast is a self-service affair and it’s a scramble to get a table as there are not enough for the number of guests. And unusually, guests are expected to wash up their own crockery and cutlery when they finish! A novel arrangement – presumably it keeps prices down.

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