Bangkok – February 2007

My friend and I were three days and a half in Bangkok last February. We stayed in a hotel in Silom. Our program was a combination of visiting monuments, walking in typical areas, resting in pleasant places and going out by night.

Tom helps us and advises us during our journey…

Tom was recommended by a friend living in Paris. He speaks English, is quiet, knows the city and places to visit. He really helped us to make things happen. For three days, we gave him 50€.

Transportation, one of the stakes of your journey…

This journey was really short and we didn't want to spend too much times in transportation. Car traffic is terrible in Bangkok and you can be stuck in it any time. There are only at this moment three metro lines (two sky train lines and one underground). Walking could be a good solution for short distances (but it is hot) but you must avoid taking a taxi on rush hours. Another solution, when possible, is to take the Ferry-boat (Chao Phraya Express is the public one, it is inexpensive and tickets can be bought on board). 

Tuesday afternoon

We were tired after the trip. We walked around Silom and went to a restaurant to eat roast duck. There are few categories of restaurant:

• Restaurants on wheels are the cheapest and often good, they offer traditional food (and pleasant subject of photos),
• Open door restaurants with local food where you can sit,

More expensive restaurants are in closed rooms with conditioned air.

Before leaving, we had a drink in a trendy bar in one of those small street where western people come to met young people. Actually, nothing really special except few couples moving around. Was anything to see? We were guided by our curiosity but sincerely, it is a pity that Thailand is better known for those money minded young people than for it culture.

Wednesday

Tom was at 9am waiting for us in the hotel lobby. 

We went by boat to the Royal palace. This is a colored group of building with temples and a palace. Then, we visited just next door Wat Pho temple (with the sleeping Buddha) and across the river to see the Wat Arun (it is not essential to visit it). We wanted to know more about Buddhist practices, but it was complicated for Tom (or for us to understand) this religion so far from our logic. Then we took a taxi to the Golden Mount where we had a really nice view of the city.

We had dinner at night in a garden restaurant, close the Malaysian Hotel.

We wanted to see a gogo bar and went to one of those. The atmosphere is poor and there are young boys dancing on an altar front of seat Western boys. Those young boy looked at us with an expression odd quizzical. Then they disappeared and it started a show (where I was “invited” to participate and the drag queen tried to undress me).

We left and advised by Tom, we went to a local ground people gay pub called the DJ Station on Silon Tanon. This is a big place with many rooms, a stage where there is a show (nothing to see with the other place, much more funy); it is crowded and trendy with nice boys. We spoke with Tom’ friends and others boys that came to us. They were quite forward and sweet.

Tom taught us few Thai words as Khob-Khun (pronounced Krub, thank you), Gawaddee (sawadi, hello), La-Korn (lakon, good buy) and tee-ruk (my love).

Thursday

My friend went to work for the day.  I met tom at ten.

We took the sky train to Jim Thompson's House. Jim Thompson was fascinated by silk and rebuilt the silk Thai industry. This place is really quiet with typical old Thai houses restored and furnished with traditional furniture. The shop next the museum is really nice and I recommend to buy silk pieces which have a nice material, design and colours.

We visited Vimanmek palace. This is probably normal to get to this place with the big garden around but I didn’t find it so fascinating. The palace itself is quite big and in wood but it is a bit annoying to hear during one hour stories and explanation of the Rama dynasty about 100 years ago.

At the end of the afternoon, we went to shopping. There are tend of thousands shops with fake products. I strongly recommend you not to buy them. Next to those shops, there are boutiques with local brand product. I purchased a pair of jean and a tee shirt for less than 20 euros. Indeed, you have to bargain!

Before to come back at the hotel, I went to a small and simple hairdresser's. They still use scissors and don’t like to cut your hair too short.

Friday and last day

Thanon Mahathat street (boat Tha Chang stop) with the amulets market where you can see a monk looking with attention at small objects, taxi driver seeking a lucky charm (porte bonheur) and strange wood sculptures in shape phallic with magical calligraphy on its to prevail or solve sexual disease. As usual, a lot of shops on wheels where all kind of food are displayed. The Wat Mahathat temple access is just by the street. It is such a quiet place with monks and their nice orange dress walking.

Later, we crossed the Thammasat university and went at the National Museum. You need a full afternoon to visit it. The first rooms about Thailand history are particularly interesting. It was difficult for Tom to clarify the history of Thailand and he explained us he wanted to learn more about it in order to be able to summarize it. There is a lot of material about the current Rama dynasty. I really appreciate the Royal train offered by the Queen of England. We understood through this museum that Thai always remained independent even when the Westerns tried to dominate all Asia in the XIX century. 

We moved again by boat to the Chinese district (stop is Ratchawongse). This is a busy part of the city with a lot of publicities everywhere and old nice houses. We went to Wat Mangkon Kamalawat; a Chinese Buddhist tradition temple, really busy with a lot of novice Young monks. 

We flew back to Paris at night after a last dinner with Tom.

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