Bangkok by the Numbers
Population = 9.7 million
32 Thai baht = 1 USD
94% = Buddhist
35ºC = un-American version of 95ºF = average temperature in Bangkok = perpetual layers of sweat
20 minutes = Time taken to devour some pad thai and get in line for coconut ice cream
65 miles = Distance walked on foot during my six days in the city
GETTING TO BANGKOK
VISA REQUIREMENT: You can stay in Thailand for up to 30 days as a tourist, visa-free.
Leaving from Phnom Penh around midnight, I took a night bus to Siem Reap. After that bus-pregaming, I boarded a new 8am bus to Bangkok. We crossed the border around noon, and aside from an hour waiting in line, the process was eerily painless. The only stressful part was finding my bus after walking across a "friendship bridge," one with flags that change from Cambodian to Thai at the midpoint. The bus dropped us in Bangkok around 6pm, which means I was full of noodles by 6:20pm.
WHERE TO STAY
My hostel of choice was more hole-in-the-wall compared to backpacker-concentrated areas on the other side of the river. The distance allowed me to feel like I was covering even more ground, taking several routes and transportation methods to get to the main attractions.
GETTING AROUND
After a few months in Phnom Penh, where sidewalk space is a rarity, Bangkok's infrastructure was a godsend. Whenever I could walk, I did.
Taxis and motos are common, and the heavy traffic shows it. There's an app with metered pricing, which I wish I had downloaded before I got grossly overcharged my first few rides.
Then there's the option to zoom above the traffic with SkyTrain system, Bangkok's elevated public transit.
Whenever it made sense, the express ferry boat was my favorite way to get around. At only 15 baht, it's both the most scenic and efficient way to travel to plenty of stops along the river.
Make sure to check out the Bangkok page under the PHOTOS tab!
WHAT TO DO IN BANGKOK
TEMPLES AND SIGHTSEEING:
1. Wat Arun, the "Temple of Dawn"
I arrived to Wat Arun around 8am and had the place to myself. The spire is iconic to Bangkok's skyline, and up close, the ceramic detailing makes it one of the city's most intricate and beautiful temples.
I then coughed up 4 Baht (10 cents) for a ferry to cross the Chao Phraya River to the hub of tourist attractions.
Most travel sites suggest starting with Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho on one side of the river, and then crossing over to Wat Arun. My backwards route worked just as well.
2. Wat Pho, the Temple of Reclining Buddha
15 meters high, 46 meters long, Wat Pho's image of the reclining Buddha is one of the largest in Thailand. This lying position represents the Buddha passing into final Nirvana. The 5-meter-long feet are detailed with 108 mother-of-pearl lakshanas, or special characteristics, of the Buddha. 108 is an auspicious number in Buddhism: a perfect three-digit multiple of three, it's three digits add up to nine, which is three threes. Across math and across religions, three represents balance and perfection. Likewise, Buddha achieved perfection through 108 attributes or actions. Parallel to this Buddha image, visitors can drop coins into a line of 108 bronze bowls, which creates a tranquil ringing sound throughout the temple.
Wat Pho goes on to house hundreds of gilded Buddha images, elaborate murals, chapels, and a courtyard of distinguished spire structures.
After wandering around Bangkok's oldest and largest temple for a few hours, it's only right to recharge with a traditional Thai massage. Wat Pho houses the original medical school where the famous massage originated. It did not disappoint, even though I have no other point of comparison. I stand by my belief that it's borderline masochistic to lose money so that strangers can manhandle my muscles.
Only a few minutes walk from Wat Pho is the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew.
3. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Wat Phra Kaew is considered the most sacred temple in Thailand. Visitors sit in worship below the elevated emerald Buddha in meditation. The buddha image was carved from a single jade around the 15th century AD. Naturally, photography is forbidden.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha sits inside the Grand Palace complex. The Grand Palace is impossible for visitors to ignore. While the King no longer lives here, the landmark commands a regal presence. The palace itself merges European and Thai architecture, and this theme of cross-cultural influences is repeated throughout the country. There are multiple royal courts and temples within the grand walls.
Note: A respectful dress code is strictly enforced at all temples and palaces. While tourists are welcome, these sites still have sacred meanings.
MUSEUMS
AKA EVERYTHING THAT MAKES BOOKS AMAZING BUT, LIKE, IN 3D
1. Museum of Siam seems to be one that many visitors skip, but was my clear favorite. It asks a single question: "What is Thai?" What customs, values, or food are marked as "Thai?" Where do they come from, and what makes one thing more Thai than the next?The exhibits focus on decoding this "Thai-ness," all centered around an interactive exploration of national identity. In one room, you can take plates off of the wall and scan a QR code on the table, which generates an animation of the origins and recipes of various dishes. As I was learning about Thai-ness, the museum struck me as the sort of place to bring your kids, which is when I realized that it appeals to me so much because I am that kid.
2. Jim Thompson’s House takes you through the home and life of Mr. Jim Thompson, American spy/architect. (Northeastern has yet to get back to me yet about letting me co-op as "spy/architect"). Jim Thompson: OSS operative during World War II. Credited with saving the Thai silk industry. From my hometown in Delaware. Mysteriously vanished in Malaysian mountains. His legacy is highlighted by an innovative merging of Thai and American architecture, the ingenious integration of his antique collection, and topped off with the intrigue of his unsolved disappearance.
3. Siriraj Medical Museum makes it on my list as a sucker for somewhat grotesque spectacles. The Siriraj Hospital is the oldest and largest in the city, and the museum exhibits are divided into five collections: pathological, anatomical, forensic, parasitic, and evolution. Nicknamed the "Death Museum," I'm sparing my readers the pictures of birth anomalies, trauma victims, and even the preserved body of a convicted Thai serial killer/cannibal. ("Serial killer/cannibal," another option for my next co-op!)
4. Bangkok Arts and Culture Center boasts five floors of photography, modern art, and bookstore cafés. It's focus on displaying Thai culture makes it a stand-out amongst the countless contemporary art exhibits throughout Bangkok.
AREAS TO EXPLORE
KhaoSan Road: This famed street is a sort of backpacker headquarters. It's the social scene bursting with bars, street food, and souvenir shopping.
Chinatown: While most major cities have a chinatown, the liveliness of Bangkok's packs a special punch. Once you enter the markets, the crowd splits into two claustrophobia-inducing lines that move in two directions, so you have little chance of escape until the people pressing on all sides of you filter out. The pace of this single-file shuffle meant that by the time I finished trying one snack, I was stationed in front of a new tantalizing stall, ready to try another. Not one of the five senses is safe from the onslaught. For the smells and tastes and sights and the whole effect, Bangkok's Chinatown earns its reputation as a daunting must-see.
Ekkamai: For the hipsters out there. Crunchy coffee shops, organic wifi, all that.
Lumphini Park: A break from the city. It hit me that this park was the first open area of soul-restorative green that I'd seen since coming to this part of the world.
Patpong night market: Compared to the bounty of markets in the city, Patpong is known as the more risqué option (pardon my French). You can see women dancing on bars, and men outside hounding you to watch a show of "pussy ping pong." No clarification given, no clarification requested. I spent about five minutes here, and walked home with some light-hearted contemplations on the exploitation of women. Fun night!
Chatchuchak Weekend Market: Thailand's largest market! As the name suggests, it's only open from Friday evening until Sunday. I'm not much of a haggler, so I spent more time wandering around the adjacent park, where I found a dope butterfly garden. The juxtaposition of shouting market sellers to butterflies, quiet creatures that were totally indifferent to me, was pretty refreshing.
DAY TRIP
A two-hour train ride outside of the city takes you to the ancient city of Ayutthaya. Bikes are available to rent for the day, and then you're set to explore the ruins of the old city.
Travelers speak guiltily of "travel fatigue," a syndrome induced by visiting so many sacred sites until all the initial sense of awe starts to blur and shrink. Luckily, I didn't fall victim to this affliction while roaming around Ayutthaya. The remains of the temples and palaces must offer only a glimpse of how impressive the city must have been.
GET SOAKED DURING SONGKRAN
Songkran, or the traditional Thai New Year, has evolved to look like a national water war to the tourist's eye. On April 13th, my first hit of the day came before my first sip of coffee. I was sitting down in a chair outside my hostel when a little kid unloaded his plastic water gun.
"Songkran" originates from a Sanskrit word for "passing" or "approaching," and traditionally corresponded to shifting seasons and the sun moving into a different astrological house. It's a significant holiday on the Buddhist calendar, and the water is symbolic of washing away impurities. In the days leading up to and during April 13-15, Thai families visit the temples and wash the Buddha out of respect.
While many Thai people flood out of the city to visit family, foreigners flood in for the water festival traditions.
My plans were adjusted to the reality that most attractions were closed, and that nowhere would be safe from getting splashed. A group of women might seem to be talking in a circle, only to turn out to the crowds and begin dumping buckets of water. Water guns, waterproof bags, and refill stations are stationed down the streets. At night, Khao San Road was transformed into a soaking wet mosh pit. The whole city gets washed into the new year.
I wish I could sum up Bangkok with a good conclusion sentence. Bangkok, however, didn't leave me with a way to wrap it up. I tried to match Bangkok's nonstop energy. I came at Bangkok with long days, each one packed with tourist attractions, new foods, people-watching, and productive wandering around. But I left the city knowing there was so much more to see.
It's a similar feeling to binge-watching an amazing new show, only to have it end in a cliffhanger. Bangkok is sort of like LOST: it has diversity and intrigue that appeals to a wide audience, but the end is never totally satisfying. (I know, timely example with LOST. I couldn't think of a better show. Comment or message me with better ideas).
Next, I flew off to Hanoi, northern Vietnam, for some coffee and communism.
Comments