Thailand
The myths about Bangkok traffic came true even before I landed; the haze! The drive from the airport gave a real glimpse of the legendary traffic; However the city has done a good job of regulating traffic by constructing extensive freeways. Enjoyed talking with the travel agent who was speaking in a mix of funny English, a lot of Thai and some Hindi!
King Rama IX ( Bhumibol Adulyadej) and the Queen (Srikrit) are the most revered persons in Thailand and are treated like Gods. Every shop, every taxi, every shop, every hotel, every temple has an idol of the King & Queen. The King & Queen have done so much good for the people. The results are so much visible everywhere.
The first outing was to the magnificent Wat (temple) Phra Kaew & Grand Palace. The 945000 sq m ground encompass more than 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectural experimentation. The Wat structures are extremely colorful & ornamented with all kinds of precious jewels. There are extensive murals depicting scenes from the Indian epic Ramayana; There are several palaces each one unique in its style. There were a lot of monks and a whole lot of Thais chanting hymns; The hymns sounded like Sanskrit verses. All the Wat buildings have huge statues of Buddha. There are also a lot of Indian Gods like Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Rama, Laxman, Sita, etc. I am seeing a lot of Indian influence in the culture, food and religion of Thailand; naturally so since India is less than 1000 km away! I am overawed by this Grand Palace.
Wat Pho is the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok featuring the largest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. There are around 100 chedis (long conical Stupas). This temple is magnificent for the different forms of Buddha. The temples here are so serene, calm and beautiful.
Wat Pho is the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok featuring the largest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. There are around 100 chedis (long conical Stupas). This temple is magnificent for the different forms of Buddha. The temples here are so serene, calm and beautiful.
Chao Praya river is the lifeline of Bangkok as well as Thailand. In olden days all the streets of Bangkok were water canals and the main transportation were the boats. Even to this day the boats play an important role albeit many of the canals have been dried up to give way for roads. Bangkok has so many modes of transportation that includes mini-buses, buses, motorcycle taxi, tuk-tuk (three wheeled taxi), song thaws (modified pick-up trucks), commuter train, Sky train and now the Subway.
The highlight of the stay in Bangkok is perhaps the Thai traditional massage at Wat Pho. Everyone one of us enjoyed a whole body massage for an entire hour; our bodies were stretched and pulled in all possible ways and directions.
There is a dark side of this beautiful city too. I was solicited many times to see the "real" night life of Bangkok; I of course preferred to go to sleep and the solicitors considered me a bomb bore. I heard that this is a problem left over by American soldiers while they were in the Vietnam war in the 60's and 70's. I saw a lot of pharangs (In Thai, caucasian people or foreigners) roaming around with young Thai women.
Tuktuk ( a three wheeled taxi ) is very popular in Thailand. It was so much fun riding on it along the streets of Thailand.
The people of Bangkok are so kind & helpful. Every one looks so calm and are neatly dressed. People are very honest and very hard-working. I feel so safe in this place.
There are so many women at work. In fact I feel there are more women than men in this country. In the airport, in the hotel, on the streets, in the shops, in the temples, in the buses, in the trains, in the taxis; I see them running the show everywhere. I am told that the Thai society is matriarchal.
Thailand is a country of pick-up trucks; there are more pick-up trucks than people! It boasts to have the second largest number after the United States.
The night market at Silom Road is an unique experience. There are hundreds of vendors selling all kinds of memorabilia right in the middle of the night; the bargaining is feverish!!
The night market at Silom Road is an unique experience. There are hundreds of vendors selling all kinds of memorabilia right in the middle of the night; the bargaining is feverish!!
Next stop Authaya and Damnoen Saduak.
Our first destination was Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon which is famous as a meditation Wat built in 1357. Wat Phanan Choeng was built before Ayuthaya became the Siamese capital. Wat Phra Mahathat dates back to the 14th century. One of the most photographed sites in Aythaya is a Buddha head around which tree roots have grown. Here we first climbed up to the top of the Chedi and then were able to climb deep down into the Chedi. On the walls deep down were murals of the Ramayana. A sad part of all these Wat's is the destruction done by the Burmese. All the statues of Buddha have their legs, hands and head chopped off!! Wat Ratburana contains the murals of the early Authaya period. Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the largest temple in Ayuthaya in its time and it was used as the royal temple/palace for several kings. Wat Chai Wattanaram is on the banks of the Chao Praya river. There are three huge Chedis (stupas); The chedis are now bat infested. Chedis are huge conical structures where the Buddhists put the ashes of their beloved ones after death.
A remarkable difference between the Wats in Ayuthaya and those in Bangkok are the style. The Wats in Ayuthaya are made of brick indicating that these are ancient. Many Wats in Bangkok are made of marble, gold, jade and other precious and semi-precious metals. Both styles are equally impressive and distinct.
This has been a great religious pilgrimage for me. Lord Buddha's temples have been a great source of inspiration.
I am amazed by the number of tourists I am seeing all over in Thailand. These are the numbers I haven't see in any place before. German, French and Japanese are flocking like birds. The tourism infrastructure is excellent.
We take the bus to Damnoen Saduak in RatChaburi Province to see the famous floating market. There are still towns here that are connected by waterways. Talaat Tonkhem is a 100 year old market while Talaat Hia Kui is where most people are. Our boat was an oar boat and was an ideal one to roam about in the waterways of Damnoen Saduak. Here there are houses of all kinds and shops of every hue. There are also boats selling all kinds of vegetables, meat, fish, snacks, souvenirs, etc. People are so relaxed and happy.
Next stop Chiangmai.
Our journey continues with an over-night train ride from Bangkok to the Northernmost town of Thailand, Chiangmai. This was a nice time for all of us to sit, chat and play all kinds of games. Chiangmai is around 700 Km north-west of Bangkok and is considered a keystone of any journey to Thailand. This is the northern town of mountains.
I am enamored by this small mountain town. The pace of life is slow; people are so nice and charming.
We go to the summit of Doi-Suthep, a 1676m peak named after a hermit near which is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. This is a splendid temple with gorgeous statues of Lord Buddha and different kinds of Bells and gongs. This temple offers excellent vistas of the Chiangmai Valley. We missed seeing the Royal Palace also called the Phra Tamnak Phu Phing; the King & Queen were in town; the security very high.
We take a dirt road to the Hmong Hill tribe village where the tribal people sell all kinds of stuff; this is the place where we got the best bargains. Monthathon Falls near this village was a disappointment as there was hardly any water. We pass through Doi Suthep & Doi Pui National Park. We got good views of the valley bellow.
After heading back to the town we see the magnificent Wat Chedi Luang whose centre piece is a very large Chedi dating back to 1441. It's now in partial ruins. The statues of Lord Buddha are impressive.
We end the day with a visit to the night market quite similar to the one in Bangkok.
All along we have been having some excellent Thai food. The Thai food being rich in spices is so tasty.
Today brings us to the star attraction of the trip, Doi Inthanon National Park. We change a couple of song thaws to get to Thailand's premier park; the king himself taking personal interest in conservation activities of the park. The park headquarters is amidst the "Royal Project" initiated by the king, Rama IX. It aims to develop year-round agricultural practices for local hill tribe people. The project incorporates the use of new agricultural technology and research about temperate vegetation. The most interesting part, however, is the less traversed path leading to the impressive Siriphum Waterfalls. A short steep hike to the falls and we are in the midst of the streams falling in parallel known as "Song-Pee-Nong".
We drive to the top of the summit of Doi Inthanon. At the top are beautiful views of the valley below, a shrine to the King & Queen, a classified military surveillance site and a beautiful nature walk, Khew-Mae-Pan Nature Trail, amidst a very rich habitat of birds, insects and thick tropical forests. This is the tallest peak in Thailand; This is where the mighty Himalayas begin.
We drive down to the magnificent stupas of Napamethaneedon and Napaponphumsini which are giant monuments to the kings & the queen built by the Thai Airforce. This is probably one of the best modern stupas I have seen in Thailand; surrounding them are the lush green thick forests.
We continue down to reach the Wachirathan Waterfalls which are indeed very steep. We sat down here and had a wonderful packed lunch.
Our last visit of the day was to the Mae-Klang Waterfall, further down; also the second largest waterfall in the park.
Today we spent time visiting the little villages around Chiangmai very well known for their arts & crafts. Each village has its speciality. The first was the village of Baw Sang, the umbrella village. There were umbrellas of all sizes, shapes & colors. There were numerous artisans displaying their skills. San Kamphaeng is the silk village which displays the art of silk making. There are products of all kinds made of Thai silk. The Gems Gallery Village boasts itself to have the largest Gems gallery in the world. And indeed it is. Our eyes just went wild seeing this great variety of precious & semi-precious stones in all different types of jewelry and souvenirs. This gallery also displays the fine art of making jewelry from the stones. As an incentive, drinks are on the house in this gallery!!
We topped the day with an interesting supper at an Italian-Thai place called the Art cafe eating an interesting combination of Italian dishes served Thai style.
And finally we board the train to go back to Bangkok; I am sad to leave this town. The train journey was as good as the previous one. We continued with our talk and games. The surprising part was the forest fires that were burning all along on the outskirts of Chiangmai.
Next Stop Bangkok.
Our Grand Finale' was at the Royal Orchid Sheraton right on the banks of the mighty Chao Praya. From here we get a beautiful view of the Bangkok skyline on one side and the winding Chao Praya river with all the boats on the other side.
We start our day touring Jim Thompson's house, a premier place in Bangkok preserving Thai artifacts. Jim Thompson, an American born in Delaware, came to Asia as part of a force that planned to liberate Thailand (during World War II) from a very brief occupation of the Japanese. However, the war ended before he came. Incidentally, Thailand is the only country in Asia that has never been colonized. But Jim Thompson decided to live in Thailand permanently. He devoted himself to reviving the craft of hand weaving silk. He contributed substantially to the industry's growth and made Thai silk popular all over the world. In the process he earned great wealth and he set about
building a teak house that represented the best of traditional Thai architecture. The house and the art collection soon became such a point of interest that he decided to open it to the public with proceeds donated to Thai charities. Unfortunately, within a few years, Jim Thompson disappeared while on a visit to Malaysia in 1967.
This teak house is beautiful in its appearance; it lies on the banks of a canal and has a small pier. The paintings & idols are of great antique value.
Later in the afternoon we go into downtown to discover modern Bangkok. And I am really impressed. It has the most modern malls. An interesting feature in this country are shrines constructed outside of many buildings. The most interesting one is the shrine of Lord Brahma outside the downtown Hyatt. It is right smack in the middle of all the traffic. But here there are hordes & hordes of people worshipping in this shrine. This shrine is considered to be very holy by the Thais. It was built by Hyatt to ward off bad luck that plagued its construction project. The icing on the cake was a toast to traditional Thai dance in this open shrine. Women dressed in elaborate costume & jewelry perform this intricate art known for its hand movements. Finally, we take the Sky Train to take a look at downtown Bangkok.
We end the day with a nice cocktail at Sheraton's riverfront restaurant along with traditional Thai music with a cool breeze flowing & the boats humming in the background. This was the perfect way to cool down & remember all the good moments of the trip.
Today is the final day of our trip. We start the morning by taking the Chao Praya Express ferry which winds along north-south Bangkok. We got to see all the different parts of Bangkok, old & new; the boat ride is just spectacular.
Our final destination is the Vimanmek Mansion which is one of the many Roayl palaces. This is the palace of Thailand's most famous Kings of the 1900's, King Rama V. This is a 72 room palace with all the opulence one can imagine; very grand indeed. We were able to see a nice show of different forms of Thai dance, women dressed in all different kinds of colored costume, and also traditional Thai Boxing; which has been popular in many Hollywood movies.
Wow! What a fantastic trip. Thailand is a beautiful country with wonderful people. And above all what a great time spent with family. Such times are of course priceless.
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