A Tale of Two (Thai) Cities (Part 3): The Royal Splendor of Bangkok

- May 24-27, 2016, Tuesday to Friday.

- Directly taking off from Part 2 (click here) of my Thailand blog series, my best bud Ken and I have just returned to Bangkok from a two-day trip to Thailand's ancient capital, Ayutthaya. We were tired from the 1.5-hour train trip from Ayutthaya to Bangkok; we were in the third-class compartment with hard seats an no-airconditioning. It was fine at first when we were still in the countryside, but it got a bit bothersome as we arrived in the city. From Bangkok's Hua Lamphong Station we had to ride a long metro train ride with transfers (at least air-conditioned) back to Surasak BTS Station, and finally, back to our awesome hostel, Saphaipae Hostel.

- After settling down again in our hostel and resting ourselves, we decided to have dinner in Baan Chiang restaurant beside our hotel (no photos available, sorry.) We had a bowl of duck curry (size for sharing) but what sparked my curiosity was our appetizer: raw de-shelled shrimp with sweet-chili vinegar sauce. It seemed like a deconstructed shrimp ceviche (or kilawin in the Philippines) since the vinegar wasn't mixed with the meat. It could also be seen as shrimp sashimi. Anyway, it was our first time to eat raw shrimp, and we loved it; the sauce made the raw shrimp less awkward to eat. Apart from the food, Baan Chiang also has a very homey feel, with its decor and ambiance seemingly bringing back diners to 19th/early-20th-century Bangkok.

- We quickly finished our simple dinner and walked several blocks (around a 20-20 minute walk) along Silom Road to Patpong Night Market. On the way to Patpong, rows and rows of stores spanning several blocks have begun to open for the night, making the sidewalk a bit crowded. Finally, Ken and I were able to reach Patpong Night Market, which wasn't a very big night market at all. However, not all people go to Patpong to shop; Patpong is mainly known for being one of Bangkok's red-light districts. Just beside/around the night market are rows of bars that provide special shows for the open-minded people, and some bar employees would be out in the streets inviting people to watch "ping pong" shows (if you don't know what a "ping pong show" is, just google it, and no it doesn't refer to table tennis) and other creative sexual shows. To be clear, Ken and I did not go to any of these bars, and we were just interested in looking for more souvenirs in the night market and the rows of stalls leading to the night market. Because the night market was small, it didn't take us much time before we left and strolled back home.

Entrance to the night market.

The short and colorful street market.

- The following day was the main highlight of our Bangkok trip. I had scheduled all the main must-sees of Bangkok in one day. To start, we had an early visit to the Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace in Rattanakosin. Rattanakosin District, where all the main tourist spots are, is hard to access as there are no metro stations that stop in Rattanakosin District. The best way would be to take the BTS to Saphan Taksin (one station away from Surasak) and take the water taxi from Saphan Taksin to Tha Thien pier, which is near Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha.) However, upon arrival at Saphan Taksin we found out that the boats that go to Tha Thien would only start around 9:00AM or so, which is quite late for us considering how many things we wanted to do during the day. Instead, we took a cab tha whizzed by the streets of Bangkok all the way to the Grand Palace. We arrived around 8:30AM, when the palace just opened. In reality, before seeing the Grand Palace, visitors would enter the complex through the Wat Phra Kaew. This is a temple complex in honor of the Emerald Buddha, which is the most important Buddhist symbol of Thailand; this makes the temple the most important "wat" in the whole of Thailand. Wat Phra Kaew was built in the 1700s though the Emerald Buddha and its legacy had started earlier on.

- Entrance tickets to the palace is a hefty 500 Baht. However, visitors can maximize this 500-Baht entrance ticket by visiting the Vimanmek Mansion (scroll down to see) and other surrounding exhibition halls in Vimanmek Mansion, just like the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Because of this, it is strongly advised that tourists visit the Grand Palace first (and Rattanakosin District in general) before visiting Dusit District up north. If the ticket to the Grand Palace is lost, separate entrance fees would be needed to enter the Vimanmek Mansion and the other buildings around the Mansion.

Taking note of the dress code so my mishap from Bang Pa-In Palace in Ayutthaya won't be repeated. At least the grand palace allows traditional costumes.

The iconic three differently-styled stupas in Wat Phra Kaew.

Temple guardian.

Golden Garudas with nagas.

The Emerald Buddha (no photos allowed inside the main temple, so I took this photo from the outside. Heehee. Many people do this by the way.)

Sri Lankan style, Thai style, and Cambodian style stupas.

This golden Sri-Lankan style stupa looks like a painting.

A model of the Angkor Wat in the premises of Wat Phra Kaew.

Nice hall entrance. The walls look like brocaded fabric.

Phra Viharn Yod.

Giant Hanuman from the long Ramayana/Ramakien mural inside Wat Phra Kaew.

Giant Hanuman with everyone in his mouth.

Golden chedi/mountain with rakshasas carrying  it; Thotsakan's/Ravana's heart is said to be hidden there.

Time to be touristy.

My turn.

Such a Thai photo.

Kinnara protecting the golden chedi. I swear these Thai people loooooooove their gold.

Phra Mondop.

Bellfry.

Roofs galore!!

- After going around the premises of Wat Phra Kaew, a doorway conveniently leads to the premises of the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace was built by King Rama 1 (King Chakri) after he moved the main seat of the government from Thonburi to Rattanakosin (i.e. just across the river.) This palace used to be the residence of the king and the royal family before moving to the newer Chitralada Palace in Dusit District north of Rattanakosin; the current Thai king, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the first king to live in Chitralada Palace. (King Chulalongkorn, however, was also another king who moved from the Grand Palace to live in other palaces until he passed on.) Today, the halls of the Grand Palace are now used for official royal functions like coronations.      

In front of the Chakri Mahaprasat Hall (main hall.)

My turn!! (Yes, I'm wearing a costume that semi-resembles the royal/formal Thai costume.)

The guard can't move.

Golden roofs here and there.

Dusti Mahaprasat Hall.

Borom Phiman Mansion; sorry no entry. Just took this photo from the other side of the gate. See the European-style architecture?

Guards about to change.

Chakri and Dusit halls.

- It took a while for Ken and me to go around the grand palace complex because there were just too many tourists. We would've spent more time there, but too bad some portions were being renovated, just like many other tourist sites all across Thailand.

Weaver inside the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textile.

Goodbye Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew.

Happy tourists.

- From Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, we had to go all around the block to see the neighboring Wat Pho. The Grand Palace and Wat Pho are right beside each other with one small street separating the two compounds, but because the doors of both compounds are located opposite each other (and not right in front of each other,) and extra 10-minute walk would be needed to go around the big block of the Grand Palace before reaching Wat Pho. It was around noon and so we decided to have lunch before entering Wat Pho.

- Wat Pho was built around the 1600s, before Bangkok became Thailand's capital. The current Wat Pho was restored and improved on by King Rama I, after he moved the capital to Bangkok and started the Chakri Dynasty (the dynasty of the royal family up until today.) For tourists, Wat Pho is well-known for its enormous golden reclining Buddha. Apart from the reclining Buddha, multi-colored stupas, some decorated with shards of painted Chinese ceramics, are some eye-catchers in the temple complex.

Inside the hall of the reclining Buddha.

Didn't include the feet since they were under renovation (the feet have the 108 markings of the Buddha painted/carved on them.)

Sawasdee khrap.

I told Ken to do the same. 

Look at that peaceful expression.

Stupas outside.

Think of all the hours spent on making these stupas look nice.

Golden Buddhas dispelling fear.

Men hired to restore plenty of items. From pieces of furniture, to statues, everything!!

Decorated with Chinese ceramics.

More golden Buddhas.

One of the viharns.

Different Thai roofs and chedi/stupa spires.

- After visiting Wat Pho, we went to the pier to take a 3-Baht ride to go across the river. We were about to visit Wat Arun. From a distance, my big smile turned into a frown when I saw that the entire main prang of Wat Arun was being restored. Wat Arun, or "Temple of Dawn," was built in the 1600s and used to house the Emerald Buddha before being transferred to the current Wat Phra Kaew across the river in Rattanakosin. This temple's main feature is its design: the Khmer-style (corn-shaped) prang is decorated from pieces of Chinese painted porcelain and seashells from the bottom up!!

Tha Thien Pier. It looks scary but it's not.

One of the nice-looking boats in the river.

Approaching (the still being renovated) Wat Arun.

We were sad because it was being renovated, and we couldn't see its full beauty.

Scaffolding everywhere.

I still managed to have a little photoshoot. Boy, the stairs were steep!!

One of the four mini prangs that surround the main prang (these mini prangs look like miniature Wat Aruns.)

Normally, people could go up these steeper stairs.

Ken was scared to go down the steep stairs.

A kinnari.

Holding it up with the rakshasas (?) at the back.

Ken with a guardian lion.

Let's pretend this mini-prang is the main prang.

- Before leaving Wat Arun, Ken and I had the opportunity to try on some Thai warrior costumes and took some photos. We paid 300 Baht (total), which includes the costume rental and unlimited photos. The women's costumes looked even more elaborate, with taller crowns!! Apart from the costume rental stalls, some souvenir stalls are also open for those interested in buying more regular souvenirs.

View of the Grand Palace from across the Chao Phraya River.

I should've done a fierce face too.

Probably one of my favorite photos. Too bad Ken can't fold his tight jeans up. It would've looked more convincing.

One of my personal favorites.

Bros in action.

Ken wanted this photo.

On the boat back to the other side. Bye bye Wat Arun!! See you when you not being renovated anymore!!

- Ken and I tried our best to beat the National Museum's closing time, but we arrived just after the museum finished selling tickets for the day. The National Museum is located to the north of the Grand Palace, around a 10-minute walk, passing by Wat Mahathat (yes it has the same name as one of the temples in Ayutthaya) and Thammasat University (the university is directly beside the museum.) Instead, we decided to go back the next day.

We'll be back ---- tomorrow!!

- Our next agenda was to get a cab to drive us to the nearest BTS/MRT station. Since it was rush hour, and probably because the taxis knew that they were the most convenient option to go from one place to another (as the nearest Metro Stations are quite far by walking.) most of them would refuse to use the meter and give a price instead. Ken and I had to go through different taxi drivers who kicked us out of their cabs for varying reasons: it was rush hour and traffic was bad, they didn't know where we wanted to go (even when I wanted to show them my map), we wouldn't let them rip us off, etc. Finally, a cab was willing to take us to the National Stadium BTS (in front of MBK Mall) for 200 Baht. 150 would have been a good price to be honest, including traffic (Ken and I tried it with a metered cab the following day on the way back to the National Museum), but since we both were in a hurry to catch an evening cultural show in Siam Niramit, we had to take that cab. We arrived at the station, paid, and rode all the way to the Thailand Cultural Centre MRT station. In front of the station are free shuttle vans provided by Siam Niramit. These free shuttle vans go to and from Siam Niramit and the MRT Station. They do this around 5:30PM, just when Sian Niramit opens, until 7:30PM, right before the show starts at 8:00PM. The vans will bring people from Siam Niramit to the MRT from 9:30-10:00PM, right after the show ends.

- Siam Niramit is the world's tallest theater, according to the Guinness Book of Records, and provides a nightly cultural show showcasing three acts: Thailand's history and tradition, Thai mythology (hell, Himmapan forest, and blissful heaven), and Thailand's festivals. This show has been the same since it opened, and it hasn't changed since I saw it in 2011. Despite this, my jaw still dropped at the world-class and larger-than-life props and the intricately-detailed costumes that the production used. I purchased the tickets for me and Ken beforehand. Tickets can be regular or golden, with the golden tickets having better seats. Knowing that Siam Niramit is a favorite of many big tour groups (particularly from mainland China,) I opted to get a golden ticket despite the slightly more expensive price just to make sure that we'd have good sure seats. Add-ons may be purchased as well, such as the buffet dinner that comes before the show, which I also did, to make sure that Ken and I would be at the venue right before the show, and that we'd have a more relaxed time eating our dinner. The dinner is buffet-style, so there are many choices for us (Chinese, Thai, Indian, continental, etc.).

- When the doors open at 5:30PM, pre-show activities can be enjoyed by visitors. Ken had long requested for an elephant ride during any point in our trip, and I told him that he'd get his chance to do so at Siam Niramit. One big elephant and one small elephant are accompanied by their mahouts in the open area, and those who want to ride on the elephant would have to pay 200 Baht; the mahout would just guide the elephant around the open area once and that was it. Still, Ken looked like the happiest little kid the whole time he was on the big elephant, and even after he finished his ride.

Ken the happiest boy alive.

I, on the other hand, took photos like a stage daddy.

A smile from ear to ear.

Yep, even until he got off.

- There was also an opportunity to take a photo with some of the performers before the performance. a little tip is greatly appreciated after taking photos with them, of course.

Welcome to Siam Niramit!!

Yes, Ken.

Just like one of them.

Sorry Ken, you can't do it the way I do.

- Apart from the elephant, there is also a traditional Thai village with replica traditional houses from different parts of Thailand. These houses are usually manned by Thai people doing something that represents the origin of the house (ex. a man playing Isaan/Northeastern Thai songs on a traditional guitar is manning the Isaan-style traditional house.)

Hill-tribe costumes. If only I could take everything home.

With the Isaan guitar player.

Isaan mask.

Southern-Thai shadow puppets (like those in Malaysia and Indonesia.)

When not behind the curtains.

- Ken and I had a quick dinner at the buffet and caught the start of the pre-show performance. The pre-show performances are a series of traditional dances that would serve as a teaser to the main performance to be done inside the giant theater. It was a good treat for everyone!

Musicians playing their instruments just before sunset.

After dinner dance. Isaan style.

Yes, those are really big heads.

Bamboo pole dance. Make sure your feet don't get stuck!!

Nora/Nohra dance.

- The show lasted around an hour and a half (sorry no photographs allowed in the theater.) Ken was greatly impressed, and so was I. After the show there was an opportunity to take photos with another set of performers, and so we did, and took the shuttle back to the MRT Station. It was a long train ride home, but it was definitely one of the best nights that we had in our week in Thailand.

I would love to take home their crowns.

Sawasdee khrap!!

- The following morning was yet another bright day to go around Bangkok. Our agenda for the morning was to visit the Dusit District to the north of Rattanakosin. Just like Rattanakosin, it is not possible to reach this place by train; the nearest train station is the National Stadium BTS Station, and from there, a taxi can be hailed to go to the Dusit area.

- The main tourist spot is the Vimanmek Mansion or the Vimanmek Palace. As mentioned above, those who visited the Grand Palace can use their ticket to enter the Vimanmek Mansion within 7 days after visiting the Grand Palace. As it is a palace too, the usual dress code is observed.

- The Vimanmek Mansion was built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and is the world's largest golden teakwood mansion to date. It was made in the European-style architecture, as King Chulalongkorn had greatly traveled to Europe before he came back to Thailand in the late 1890s. The king and his family stayed in this mansion for five years before moving to the Amphorn Satham Hall near Vimanmek. The current king's (King Bhumibol's) wife, Queen Sirikit, was responsible in restoring the mansion and turning it into a museum. This lovely museum truly lets people step back in time through the numerous photographs, pieces of furniture, and other memorabilia that are exhibited in this mansion. Out of the 72 rooms, however, only half of the palace is accessible to the visitors' eyes. Also, no photography is allowed inside the mansion.

It was a cozy mansion.

The only place where photography is allowed.

Geometric.

- Around the mansion are several smaller cottages and houses currently contain various exhibits, from photographs and personal things owned by the royal family, to archaeological findings and textiles. Most of these places do not allow photography, but I can assure that these exhibits are worth seeing. After all, the Grand Palace ticket can still be used to enter these places, so why not make the most out of the 500-Baht ticket, right?

Here are some of the exhibition halls around Vimanmek Mansion.

All these exhibition halls are not to be missed!!

The "Newlyweds Mansion" for one of the princes and his wife.

One of Ken's favorites.

The only museum where photography is allowed inside.

One of my favorites.

- A second highlight of the Dusit District would be the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. This was also built by King Chulalongkorn, initially as a reception hall. It was made in the Italian Renaissance and neoclassical styles. Today, this serves as a huge exhibition hall for the numerous (some larger than life) gifts to the royal family by different artisans around Thailand during different occasions (anniversary of the king's ascension to the throne, the king's birthday, etc.) No photography is allowed inside, although the facade of the throne hall is a jaw-dropper by itself.

Europe? No, it's Thailand baby.

- After visiting Dusit District, we hailed a (metered) cab to the National Stadium BTS Station. Before leaving, we had lunch inside MBK mall first. Afterwards we took another metered cab from MBK back to Rattanakosin to visit the National Museum. The Bangkok National Museum used to be a "front palace" until it was turned into a museum by King Chulalongkorn. Today, it is a well-organized museum, and supposedly one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in Southeast Asia. Since around 1/3 of the museum was under renovation, and because the galleries are located in separate buildings, I wasn't able to feel the museum's size. However, the 2/3 that was open had well-presented exhibits from prehistoric Thailand until early 20th-century Thailand. My favorite exhibits are those from ancient to medieval Thailand (Khmer, Sukothai, Lanna, Majapahit, Ayutthaya, etc.).

We're back.

Vishnu.

Shiva.

Buddha's head. 

A kinnara.

A Hanuman khon mask. 

Different galleries in different buildings.

Emoting Ken.

A statue of King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) riding an elephant statue.

A head monk's podium. 

A very very thin kinnaree.

Majapahit-era statues.

Evolution of man, with Ken volunteering to be the very ancestor of mankind.

Vajrayana-style deity.

Ken in front of a golden-leafed panel.

Thai theater costumes.

Some galleries.

Royal carriages. Boy were they huge!!

Plenty of nagas.

- Ken and I left the museum at around closing time (around 4:00PM.) We took another cab to MBK and rode the BTS back to our hostel. We rested until we had to go to Siam Station to meet my friends at Siam One for dinner. I met Ping, Montida, and Vinita at White Flower Factory for some not-so-usual Thai food. I got to know them during my short ASEAN-India exchange to India in 2012 (click here, here, here and here) as part of the Philippine delegation. The other nine ASEAN countries sent delegations as well. After 2012, I have met some of my co-delegates from the other ASEAN countries by visiting them, such as those from Brunei in 2013 (click here), and more recently during this year's Holy Week, those from Malaysia including an Indonesian delegate based in Malaysia (click here). It was almost a last-minute meeting and not a lot of the Thai delegate were able to make it to dinner. Ken was quite nervous about meeting them at first but I knew that with his outgoing personality, he wouldn't have a problem. True enough, Ken kept talking during dinner while enjoying his not-so-usual Thai food. I think my friends were quite amused with Ken's vibrant personality too, especially his puns. If only we had more time in Bangkok, I would have contacted some of my other Thai friends I've met from other youth fora as well. (Thank you friends for treating us to dinner and dessert!!)

Ping, Vinita, Montida, Ken, and me.

- My favorite part of the night was dessert. After Ping had to go home (since he lived far away,) Montida and Vinita took me and Ken to eat at MK Restaurant in Platirum Mall (right across Siam One) to try "bua loy nam king." It seems like a simple dessert at first, but it is a burst of subtle and strong flavors. The subtle flavor comes from the sesame-filled mochi, while the strong flavor comes from the sweet ginger soup where the sesame mochi balls swim. This is one of the most recommended Thai desserts.

Bua loy nam king - the "king" of Thai desserts. At least, for me.

- From Siam BTS Station, Ken and I rode the BTS back home. We prepared our bags since we were to check out the following morning, and we prepared ourselves for our last full day in Bangkok.

- On our final morning, Ken and I rode the BTS to the National Stadium (where MBK is) and walked to Jim Thompson's house. When I told Ken we were going to Jim Thompson's house, he thought I had a friend named Jim. When we arrived at the house, that's when he found out that Jim Thompson was an American businessman/designer who settled in Bangkok in the 50s. His house was built with a modernized traditional Thai-style architecture filled with antiques that Jim Thompson collected himself from his weekend antique-shopping trips within Bangkok, or when he traveled overseas. Jim Thompson was well-loved by the Thais, including the royal family, because he revived the silk industry of Thailand. It's a shame that he disappeared in the jungles of Malaysia, and until today, no one has any idea how or why Jim disappeared. His house, however, was converted to a museum, and a shop with silk from the Jim Thompson's Foundation with the support of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. No photography is allowed inside the house, and people can only enter the house via guided tours.

No, Jim isn't my friend, Ken. 

A lovely house in the middle of Bangkok. Yes, this house is in the middle of the city!!

Jim Thompson's living room.

Spirit house, yes, for the nature spirits.

I am lost in Jim Thompson's mini-mini forest. (It's not that big, seriously.)

Window ornament made of flowers.

Staff showing people how to make silk strands from silkworm cocoons.

- After visiting the museum-like-house that was turned into an actual museum, Ken and I walked back to MBK but decided to pay a short visit to the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre (BACC). It is mainly an art gallery for contemporary art, but it also has some shops for artsy stuff (like recycled bags and jewelry, specially-designed watches and shirts, etc.) and books on art, and cafes. Entrance is free.

Hello BACC.

The higher floors.

From across the circle.

Hi Ken.

- At around noon, we crossed the walkway to have lunch in MBK. We decided to have lunch at Shabushi, an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu buffet. Inclusive in the buffet are various kinds of tempura, sushi, drinks, and ice cream for dessert.

We love Thai food so much, but our lunch at Shabushi was a good alternative to Thai food.

Conveyor belt for raw ingredients to be placed in our individual hotpots with soup.

- After lunch we rode the train to Chit Lom and shopped the whole afternoon at Pratunam once again (we first went there in Part 1, click here to see.) Just when we thought we've bought everything we needed, we (well, more on I) decided to buy a "few" more things to take home.        

Outside CentralWorld.

Ronald McDonald and his minion outside Platinum Mall.

Pratunam Market.

- We went back to our hostel to fix our things, and had dinner at Baan Somtam, which is also near our hostel. It was our last Thai meal for the trip, and so we tried to eat some Thai food that we haven't tried yet. My favorite was the blue crab salad for our appetizer. This ceviche-like salad had pieces of raw blue crab, vegetables, and a sweet-sour-spicy vinegar dressing. It was like crab sashimi.

Blue crab salad.

Last Thai meal. Sob.

- At around 8:00PM, we had our longest, heaviest (literally too, since our bags were heavier especially mine) train ride to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. We checked in our bags, and roamed around the airport. Suvarnabhumi is one of my favorite airports because it had a lot of character, that is, it had a strong Thai influence, as can be seen in the numerous statues and artworks in the airport.

Plenty of these by the check-in counters. This particular one is Sahassa Deja.

The scene from Hinduism's "Churning of the Ocean" after the immigration.

Shiva at the center.

Vishnu's naga being pulled by rakshasas on one end (and the devas on the other.)

- Ken and I passed out during most of the flight back home. We left at 1:30AM of Saturday, May 28th, which was actually an hour delayed from our supposed departure time. We slept almost the whole flight. We couldn't believe that our week in Thailand was over in just a snap; to think, a ton of experiences in just a short time!! Apart from that, I am thankful that the heavens decided NOT to shower rain on us despite the awful stormy weather forecasts. Thailand was slightly colder than Manila because Thailand's weather is slowly changing to the rainy season; we had sunn/fair/slightly cloudy skies with minimal rain. It only rained twice when we were in Bangkok; both were short light drizzles - a perfect way to cool off.

I'm sorry Ken this is just way too funny. HAHAHAHA. We're still best buds, right?

An artsy silhouette photo of sleeping Ken. (Thank goodness I woke up earlier than he did?)

Yes, he sleeps with his mouth open.

- Traveling alone is fun since I get to do things at my own time, and I almost traveled alone in this trip too. However, it was a blessing that I had mentioned this trip to my best bud Ken and let him come with me on one of my crazy cultural adventures. I was happy to know that Ken isn't only just my best bud, but he is an awesome travel buddy as well. Truly, sharing the experience with another crazy person who has the same brainwaves as I do is something unforgettable. I hope I'd get to travel with Ken again in the future, and speaking of travel buddies, I hope to have the opportunity to travel with my other awesome travel buddies as well!! (Please don't forget to see Part 1 here and Part 2 here of my Thailand adventure.)