The Sleeping Dogs of Lumpini Park

Ahhhh, to be a dog in Lumpini Park.......what a relaxing life.

Temple of Dawn

I have come to the conclusion that one cannot have a favourite Temple in Thailand. There are just so many astounding Temples of different styles in so many different places in the country that it is simply impossible to choose a favourite. In Bangkok alone there are a magnitude of impressive temples.

One Temple I have visited numerous times is Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, the impressive Temple on the west bank (Thonburi side) of the Chao Phraya river. From Saphan Taksin BTS station take the pleasant riverboat to Tha Thien pier. Tha Thien pier and surroundings is a great experience in its own right....but that can wait for another post...this is about Wat Arun! Once off the river boat you turn right, walk a couple of meters and you will see the turnstile entrance for the ferry across the river to Wat Arun. The crossing as at February 2011 cost 3 baht per person and the trip is 2 minutes or so, including docking time, which seems to require a bit of skill if the river is choppy.

Turn left off the ferry and you will come first to the Ordination Hall with its two giant guardians (Yaksha) standing out front. The main temple complex is off to the left of that, hard to miss really, just look up and you'll figure it out. The striking architectural feature of the complex is the massive Khmer style Prang (tower) which stands at about 76 meters high. It is surrounded by four smaller Prangs. You can climb up steep stairs to two different levels on the main Prang. It is easy going up but, if you suffer vertigo, coming down is a whole different matter.  Those steps are really, really steep. There is a handrail - make use of it. The views from up above (though you cannot go anywhere near the top) are spectacular so it is worthwhile making the trip up and suffering gut-wrenching, bowel-loosening, naked, raw, primeval fear on the way down. That gut-wrenching fear will soon be forgotten and the views and satisfaction of having 'conquered' the heights of Wat Arun will make it all worthwhile. (Otherwise just do as I do and descend sitting down on your ass one step at a time like the giggling Japanese university students do - I did the giggling bit too, but the visual effects were not so aesthetically pleasing!)

The detail on the Prangs is magnificent.  Each are covered in bits of brightly colored porcelain and seashells. These little chaps help to hold the whole structure up.  Without their tireless efforts day in, day out, the whole thing would have come crashing down by now:

Apart from the main Prang and the four satellite Prangs there are other buildings in the complex worth seeing. Monks also live on the premises and there appears to be some sort of military base or military living quarters in the vicinity as men in uniforms were much in evidence criss-crossing the area between the Wat and the river.  There are also opportunities for visiting females (or males if you are so inclined!) to dress up in traditional Thai dress, complete with elaborate headgear and those long fingernails, and pose for photographs in front of the temple, all for the reasonable price of 100 baht. (Dog in background does not cost extra but he may want a tip).

It is called Temple of Dawn, but I confess I have never been there at dawn.  I have only been there late afternoon, towards sunset, which is, so everyone says, the time to go. For sure, that is a beautiful time to go as the sun sets behind that magnificent Khmer style masterpiece of architecture, and the view from the opposite bank of the river is awesome, but I owe it to myself to one day rise early and really see the Temple of Dawn at Dawn!

Thai Connoisseur

Turning the Tables......

In the Thailand blogosphere many discussions focus on disproportionate pricing for farangs, whether it be higher prices at tourist destinations or inflated prices at markets/shops based on the colour of one’s skin or perceived ability to pay prices far above the Thai norm.

Let me start off by saying that, in principle, I have no objection to business owners seeking to maximize revenue returns. Savvy business operators across the globe do this on a regular basis, this is certainly not a trait confined to Thais. However, where does the line cross between good business practice versus blatant contempt for customers?

In Chinatown last week I popped into an open store which sold a variety of relatively inexpensive goods. My eye was caught by Thai style purses, in various colours, with elephant motifs on the front and back of each, packaged in sets of 12. These are the sort of purses you can find at any market throughout Thailand and border town markets in neighbouring countries. You know they are cheap and will not last long but they make good, inexpensive, give-away presents. A bonus point was that the price was clearly indicated on the packaging, 180 bht for 12, making each purse a very reasonable 15 baht.  As I was examining the set, the Thai owner of the shop approached me and said ‘Very good price, for set of 12 only 1000 baht!’ I looked again at the price sticker, which clearly said 180 baht, then I looked at the shop owner, looked back again at the price sticker, returned my gaze to shop owner and asked her to repeat the price: ‘One thousand baht’ she said. ‘One thousand baht’ I repeated. She nodded her head enthusiastically, the head nodding somehow indicating this was the deal of a lifetime. My gaze returned once more to the sticker price of 180 baht. Had I somehow misread this? Was there a missing ‘1’? In that case would the price not be 1,180 baht? I picked up a similar 12 pack, comprised of smaller purses, which had a price sticker of 150 baht. How much for these I asked? ‘1,150’. Oh, very crafty..... she had now added 1000 to the sticker price instead of just rounding up the sticker price to 1000. This made the smaller purses more expensive than the larger purses. Do I look stupid? Had I got drunk the night before and had a ‘I am a stupid, dumb farang’ tattoo etched onto my forehead? I smiled and politely thanked the lady....

Fortunately I was not alone in Chinatown that day. My dear friend, the irrepressibly happy Miss Pla, (who I am pleased to say neither looks nor smells like a fish) was eagerly inspecting counterfeit bags in a shop a few doors down. I explained the situation to her and pointed out the  offending shop. She, being a savvy shopper herself, laughed in outrage at the 1000 bht price tag I was quoted and happily trotted off to conduct counter espionage tactics on my behalf. She came back out of the shop a minute later and told me she had been quoted the Thai price of 180 baht. Ok, close the deal, I said (in my best Gordon Gekko accent), buy for 180 baht. Back into the  shop she went while I hovered outside, just out of sight of the shop owner. As soon as she handed over the money and had the purchase in her hand I walked up to the counter, took the bag from Pla’s hand, inspected the merchandise and said ‘Wow, you got a good deal for 180 baht’. The shop owner looked at me, then looked at Pla and said, in English, ‘You buy for him?’ ‘Yes’ said Pla, unable to avoid a cheeky grin creeping across her face. All credit to the shopkeeper, she maintained a stoically dignified expression and graciously thanked me and Pla. Presumably she was not out of pocket otherwise she would not be able to sell at that price, she just lost out on the extremely lucrative (500+%) “farang tax”. Pla thought the whole thing to be incredibly funny and could not believe I was quoted 1000 baht. She doubled up in laughter once outside the shop and for the next few hours constantly chuckled to herself repeating the phrase ‘1000 baht’ while shaking her head in disbelief.

This is all part of what makes travelling in Thailand so much fun.  Keep your wits about you, keep smiling, stay polite, never get offended, it’s just business, not personal. Mai pen rai.

The controversially priced purses!

Symmetrically snoozing cats at Wat Benchamabophit

Symmetrically snoozing cats in the heat of lunchtime at Wat Benchamabophit (The Marble Temple) in Bangkok.

And a close up:

Thai Connoisseur

Cat Breeds Originating in Thailand: Siamese, Burmese, Thai, Korat, Khao Manee

Unusual signpost

Wandering around the Rattanakosin area of Bangkok I came across the fascinating signpost shown above.

Phra Mae Thorani Twisting Her Hair! What is that all about? Following the sign led me to a statue of a woman twisting her incredibly long hair. It occurred to me that I had seen many similar such representations of the same statue in my travels around Thailand but I had not paid too much attention.

Research led me to discover that Mae Thorani is a Thai and Laotian Buddhist Goddess. To paraphrase Wikipedia: She is recognized as The Goddess of the Earth who is often shown wringing the cool waters of detachment out of her hair. The water drowns the forces of temptation sent by the demon Mara to distract the Buddha as he meditated under the Bohdi tree.

Apparently this bodaciously evil dude sent his three daughters, whose Anglicized names translate into the delightfully named Thirst, Desire and Delight, to seduce the Buddha and stop him from attaining enlightenment. They failed and, rumour has it, all three are now working in the bars of Patpong.

Wikipedia goes on to say: ' A statue of Mae Thorani protecting Buddha will be found in every Thai and Lao temple, sometimes beside or in front of the main Buddha image on the altar, or outside the viharn.' I have certainly seen many such statues, but I do not recollect seeing them in every temple in Thailand and Laos and I have visited scores of them. However I am not always the most observant person when it comes to noticing the smaller details, so can anyone verify the veracity of that statement?

Thai Connoisseur

Suan Luang King Rama IX Royal Park, Bangkok

In my blog post My Top 5 Green Spots in Bangkok, I briefly mentioned Suan Luang King Rama IX Royal Park, and felt it deserved a fuller blog post of its own. It rarely gets a mention in the better known guide books, whether that is because it is a bit outside the tourist area of Bangkok, or because it is not considered a tourist attraction, I do not know. Certainly it is a rather Thai-oriented place, but there is absolutely no reason why tourists or resident expats should not go there. I enjoyed my visit there, despite visiting on a brutally hot day in late March.

The park is divided into 6 main sections:

i) Homage to His Majesty
In my earlier post I referred to this section as the Commemoration Hall, which is technically incorrect as the Commemoration Hall is only the main structural edifice of the area referred to as ‘Homage to His Majesty’. The Commemoration Hall is a large nine-sided structure which is home to an exhibition detailing the life and projects of the King, such as his various economic and social infrastructure projects, and touching on such things as his musical and photographic prowess. Surrounding gardens also form part of this area.

ii) The Sanan Rasdra
This is a large open area ( a field really) where concerts, performances, sporting events and recreational activities are held. 


iii) The Botanical Garden
This is a really pleasant aspect of the park. There are numerous little areas representing gardens and flora from different areas of the world, including a very pleasant recreation of a British garden which provided a shady retreat from the steamy heat. We also came across a greenhouse housing spectacular looking Cacti plants, but it was so hot I could only last about two minutes there.

iv)   Rommaniya Garden
This is the section dedicated to Thailand’s regions and is landscaped accordingly, to reflect the mountains, waterfalls, forests and other landscapes of Thailand. Native plants  showcase the diversity of Thailand flora.

v) The Water Garden
The Water Garden is a charmingly lush area of shallow canals and semi forest abundant with aquatic plants, fish, ducks and other birds. 

vi) The Reservoir
This is an artificial lake also known as  Prapang Kaew Keb Nam. It serves more than a recreational purpose as it is also designed as a catchment area to hold water back before releasing it into the Chao  Phraya river. This helps to lessen the flood risks in Bangkok’s eastern suburbs. I did not investigate the recreational facilities on the lake when I was there, but, as far as I know, small boats and paddle boats can be rented.
Tip: I went on a weekday morning when the park was very quiet. For some that is ideal, but on my next visit I will go on the weekend in the late afternoon to catch more of the atmosphere of Thai families enjoying a day out and to experience the park as dusk falls.

Location: Sukhumvit Road 103 (Udomsuk) Nongbon Pravej, Bangkok, 10260.
To get there by public transport I would suggest a taxi, or, BTS to On Nut and a taxi from there. Buses do run there, but as I have conflicting information over specific bus routes, I will not post that info.
Have a good time there......

Thai Connoisseur

Explore the Rattanakosin Era

A new high-tech, interactive museum called Nitas Rattanakosin has opened in Bangkok, according to  CNNgo


As the name implies, it explores the Rattanakosin period which lasted from 1782 to 1932. It looks like an interesting visit. 


Location: 100 Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, on Rattanakosin Island.


Thai Connoisseur

My Top 5 Green spots in Bangkok

Amidst the madness, surrealism and chaos of teeming, steamy, exciting Bangkok, lie jewels of greenery, some small, some large, but all offer a place of peace, quiet, reflection and a chance to sit in the shade under a tree. I have listed my top 5 favourite spots. The first four are all conveniently reached on the BTS or metro, the 5th one requires a bus or taxi ride, but, believe me, it is worth the effort.

1. Lumphini Park

Despite recent events, which turned Lumphini Park into a battleground, this large green oasis is once more a haven of tranquility. It serves multiple roles; the lungs of Bangkok, a large inner-city refuge and a social meeting point for Bangkokians from all walks of life. Early morning and evening are the best times to go when the park is alive with joggers, walkers, mass aerobics classes, and groups of people gathering together to enjoy the open air and to do what groups of Thais do best, eat! Sometimes you can catch a free concert at the bandstand. I, by chance, came across a great classical music concert there last February which was well appreciated by the largely Thai audience. There is a large artificial lake where you can hire small paddle or row boats. Often you can catch a glimpse of the huge Water Monitor Lizards that call the park home. I love seeing those guys. The park is named after Buddha’s birthplace in Nepal, according to a plaque you can find at the northern end of the park.
Skytrain: Sala Daeng, subway: Lumphini

2. Benjasiri Park

This small, pleasant park lies right on Sukhumvit Road, next to the Emporium shopping center, and right by the Phrong Phom BTS station. It was built in the 1990’s to commemorate the 60th birthday of Queen Sirikit. There is an ornamental lake as the focal point of the park. For me, the main attraction of the park, apart from its convenient location on hustling Sukhumvit Road, are the Thai sculptures that dot the park. In front of the park there is a lively community of street food vendors.  

3. Chatuchak Park

Anyone who has ever been to the world famous Chatuchak weekend market will undoubtedly have seen, passed through, or spent a bit of time in the adjoining Chatuchak Park, next to the Mo Chit BTS 

station. After the steambath of the market, a respite in the park with an ice cold bottle of water is just what the doctor ordered. Having said that, depending on the time of the day, shady spots can be hard to come by. Nontheless, the park is very popular with families and groups of friends, who rent mats from the numerous mat vendors, sit on the grass and, surprise, surprise, eat!

4. Chuvit Park

This tiny little park has a rather controversial history connected with the sometimes murky world of Bangkok politics. It is located near Soi 8 Sukhumvit, close to Nana BTS station. I have only given this place a rather cursory inspection, attracted primarily by its convenient location. If you are in the vicinity it is a place to sit down, catch your breath and chill. I will have to give it a fuller inspection to discover if there is something more to the place than just a quiet spot to sit.

5. Suang Luang King Rama IX Park

This park is a little further outside the central area of Bangkok than the 4 mentioned above, and a taxi may be necessary if you don’t have your own transport. This is the only park of the 5 mentioned which charges an entrance fee, but this is very low, I think 20 bht for non-Thais and 10 bht for Thais. The park was built for the present King Rama IX upon his 60th birthday in 1987.   It is divided into 6 main areas: the Commemoration Hall, the Botanical Gardens, the Resevoir, Rommaniya Garden, the Sanan Rasdara and the Water Garden. This one probably deserves its own blog post so I will write more about this at a later date. RJZS2RUXW6PK

Longer Skytrains

This is good news: The BTS Skytrain is to take delivery of twelve new trains with, I gather, four carriages instead of three. I have often wondered why Skytrains only have three carriages when the platforms are clearly designed for much longer trains. The service really is full to capacity during peak hours, and, even in off peak it is often standing room only depending on where you get on.

I am a big fan of the Skytrain and use it as much as I can. I look forward to the day when all Skytrains will utilize all platform space.

From the Bangkok Post: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/182628/new-trains-to-help-bts

Thai Connoisseur

Fish Heads

In western Europe / North America, we are not so used to seeing our fish served at the table with the head still attached. In Thailand, and most of Asia, this is perfectly normal. I remember one of my first nights in Thailand, a few years back, I was at a riverside restaurant in Bangkok, and, naturally, fish was special of the day, which we ordered.  I do not remember what type of fish it was but it was served with the head still attached, small, wide, bulging eyes open. For just a minute or two I found this disconcerting, but then my Thai companion happily plucked a fork into the eye, pulled it out, and ate it. I laughed to myself, remembered I was in Thailand, and reasoned that if I had a problem seeing a fish head on my plate I should probably leave Thailand and never return. The fish itself was delicious.



A few years on I would now find it disconcerting if my fish was not served with head attached. Mind you, I still do not actually eat the fish head or the eyeballs, but the local soi cats are happy about that as they tend to be the beneficiaries.


This little fellow lives around the Sukhumvit Soi 6/8 passageway and was the happy recipient of my discarded fish head a few months ago.

Thai Connoisseur

A return to normality?

Thailand's problems are by no means over, but there is a certain reassurance in seeing thousands of Bangkok residents getting together yesterday, in a spirit of mutual cooperation, to clean up the parts of Bangkok affected by the recent strife. Many gathered, some with their own brooms, to sweep the streets of the debris left in the aftermath of the chaos. Others wiped off, or painted over, graffiti left on brickwork. A few western faces were spotted assisting with the cleanup.

Further to my post of yesterday the  Bangkok Skytrain has announced it will return to normal operating hours as of May 25. I had thought the curfew had been extended for a few more days, so I am not sure if that can be right. The situation seems to be fluid at the moment.

In more good news, Siam Paragon announced its reopening on May 25. I must admit it is an impressive shopping mall and I have enjoyed the food court of Siam Paragon on a few occasions, and, occasionally made use of the internet center on the ground floor. I also got excellent service from the Kasikorn bank branch located on the ground floor, which is where I opened my first Thai bank account a couple of years ago. The staff there could not have been more polite or helpful. That said, I don't think I have ever bought anything other than food there, being more of a Chatuchak market person myself. Nonetheless, it is an important social center and meeting place for many Bangkokians and its reopening will be an important signal that life is returning to a semblance of  normality in the City of Angels.

Thai Connoisseur

The Bangkok Skytrain

Good news for all Bangkok residents and tourists. Both the BTS Skytrain and the MRT Subway have resumed service.

The BTS Skytrain runs today from 08:00 to 21:00.  On Monday May 24, 2010, the hours will be 06:00 to 21:00. Both Sukhumvit and Silom lines are running. Rajdamri station remains closed.

http://www.bts.co.th/en/news/news_detail.asp?id=169

The MRT subway has the same hours. All stations appear to be open.

http://www.bangkokmetro.co.th/nap.aspx?Lang=En&Content=920&Menu=19

It really is a good reminder just how much Bangkok has come to rely on its two fast, efficient modes of transport over the last 10 years. I never knew Bangkok in the pre-Skytrain years, but can only imagine how much more difficult travel around the city must have been.

Thai Connoisseur

Sad Day for Bangkok

This is not a political blog in any way, shape or form. However it is likely that the events of yesterday, Wednesday May 19, 2010, will be burnt into the psyche of Thais for many years to come. It was an undeniably sad day. People were killed and injured, and many buildings were ravaged and burnt, including the gigantic Central World Mall, the second largest mall in Asia. Palls of smoke hang over Bangkok, soldiers and shadowy militiamen fight gun battles on the street. Many ordinary Bangkok residents have lost their jobs due to the  ongoing strife, with shops, banks and other businesses completely closed down. Many people are hurting: financially, physically and mentally.      

Hang in there Bangkok and Thailand.

In a Bangkok Taxi

I decide I want to see Bangkok at night from up on high. I pick up my friend Tuk and tell her we are going to the Baiyoke Tower, the tallest building in Bangkok and somewhat of a landmark in the great Metropolis of Bangkok.

We jump into a taxi. 'The Baiyoke Tower please' I say to the driver. He looks at me in the rearview mirror, clearly uncomprehending. I repeat the destination and then add, for good measure, it is where the Sky Baiyoke Hotel is. Pause. 'What street?' he asks.

Ummmm.....I have no idea what street it is on, all I know is it is the tallest building in Bangkok!

So, I say: 'sorry I do not know which street it is on'.

Long pause..... distant stars exploded and new galaxies were born....this was a really long pause...

Eventually:  

Driver: 'You have map?'

Me: 'No sorry, I have no map'.

Tuk: 'why you no have map honey?'

Me: 'Well honey', I say with a fixed smile over my by now gritted teeth, 'I thought a taxi driver in Bangkok would know where the Baiyoke Tower is, after all it is the tallest building in Bangkok.'

A light bulb magically appears above my head! Maybe that is the solution I think to myself. Instead of saying the Sky Baiyoke I should say 'I would like to go to the tallest building in Bangkok please' and that is precisely what I do.

More distant stars die and new galaxies form as this information is digested.........

There then follows a bit of back and forth in Thai between Tuk and the driver. Tuk again turns to me and says: 'Honey, where is it near?'.

Now Tuk, a dusky beauty from Issan, is a Bangkok resident of at least three years standing, and had professed to having been to that very same building once before and it was not unreasonable of me to think that between the two of them they could have figured out where it was I wanted to go, bearing in mind it is not only the tallest building in Bangkok, but the tallest building anywhere in the whole Kingdom!  But never mind, this is Thailand, and this is all part of the rich tapestry that makes Thailand such an exciting place. So, I needed to be a bit more creative. Where was it near? Well, the day before I remember walking past the Big C department store and observing that the 'tallest building in Bangkok' was very close by.

So, I said: 'Its near Big C'.

Driver: 'You want to go Big C?

Pause.

Me: Yes, yes I do, thanks.

Driver: 'Big C closed now'.

Me: Ok, but can we drive past it anyway?

Ok, so off we go. A minute or two later I remembered reading in a guide book that the Pratunam market was right by the 'tallest building in Bangkok', so I say to the driver 'Pratunam market!'. Tuk turns to me and says 'you want go Pratunam market?' 'Yes, honey I do!' A minute later and I can see the 'tallest building in Bangkok'. 'Look T', I exclaim loudly and excitedly, 'see that big building? That is the tallest building in all of Thailand. That is where we are going'. She looks at me: 'I know, I go there before, but I thought we go market?'

Thailand, you gotta love it.