“We can easily burn ourselves out from overwork. But for proper incineration, give me novelty after journey after novelty.” – Old Sean
Leaving Laos
After a whirlwind tour of Laos, I’ve entered one of the most famous nations in Southeast Asia, Thailand. Once known as the powerful Kingdom of Siam, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation to wholeheartedly avoid direct colonization.
Their history is an interesting one, rapidly modernizing itself into a regional power and skillfully negotiating treaties with numerous colonial powers, namely the British and the French. Through this method, the country preserved it’s kingship, independence and culture.
As a result, the nation, from shores to interior, has a certain cultural purity that resonates clearly. Thai citizens can trace the lines of the past millennia into their history with clarity.
I ended up leaving Vientiane and heading into Thailand via the famous Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. This large structure connects Thailand and Laos over the Makong River in a straight line of international brotherly-comradery.
First Thai City
On the opposite side of the Mekong, I walked around the town of Nong Khai.
Nong Khai isn’t terribly interesting. I was mostly there waiting for my next bus. I walked around the central city area where my border-shuttle dropped me off.
My main purpose in the city was to exchange my currency before heading onwards. However, Laos currency isn’t actually widely accepted in Thailand, even near the border. I would have been better served exchanging my money in Vientiane, but I hadn’t though that far ahead.
I grew increasingly frantic while looking for a currency exchange. But fortune smiled upon me. There was a helpful man from Barcelona who bought me a coffee and patiently explained there was a currency exchange man around the corner.
The currency exchange turned out to be a man working out of a massage parlor, which was fairly sketchy. But the bills he traded me were good and the rate was surprisingly favorable.
Armed with money, I took a startlingly peaceful bus south. Soon, I would be visiting Bangkok, the nexus for all Thai transportation.
Entering the Night Districts
While first visiting Bangkok, stepping off my bus was like an almighty slap from a jet-plane engine. After so long in the quiet outskirts of Laos, I was completely unprepared for the bustle.
Everything slammed in at once: Neon lights, women hanging outside of massage parlors trying to coax tourists inside, crowds flooding mall spaces, huge shopping centers, night markets taking up entire plazas, lines wrapping around temples and royal complexes.
I had a few hours to myself where I was adrift. But the main reason I was visiting Bangkok was to see my two roommates from China, Kat and Cyril. We ended up meeting at a popular mall area called Terminal 21. This enormous mall is themed as international airport terminals with lots of little decorations depicting famous places around the world. The multi-storied building was home to a large lighthouse, a model of the Golden Gate Bridge and numerous themed shops.
Once I had met up with my roommates, I followed Cyril and Kat back to Cyril’s hotel space to drop off my stuff for the evening. Cyril had a room at an incredible hotel overlooking the remarkably twisty Chao Phraya River. Below in slightly-clouded golden sunlight, the huge Thai city stretched out below us.
Thai Lights Late Nights
Cyril had lived in Thailand before, so he took point on showing us around. Before our evening got started, Cyril brought us to a late-afternoon “night market” where we browsed trinkets and munched on skewered novelty foods. The market continued to gain awnings and patrons until the Patpong’s Night Market was in full swing. Locals and tourists alike walked through the aisles of open-air stalls, observing the strange.
Once evening fell, we joined several old friends of Cyril’s eating out at various hidden bars scattered around the city. We sampled many old fashions while gazing over the lower areas of the city. Kat, who was tired from her previous two weeks in Thailand, ended up heading back early. Meanwhile, Cyril introduced me to several of his favorite restaurants and a club near the river.
It was a chill way to spend my first midnight in Bangkok.
Hiatus
At this point, I had to call it a (relatively) early night. The following day, I was planning on joining Kat in Chiang Mai, where we would eventually head to Myanmar.
As such, my initial time visiting Bangkok was extremely brief.
However, I’m writing this back in China after finishing the entirety of my trip. Therefore, I can write about my return, once again visiting Bangkok after my entire trip through Myanmar.
So, to be clear, I had one night getting slammed by Bangkok’s neon lights and crazy atmosphere, spent two weeks away before returning for round two.
Back in Bangkok
Two weeks after my night out with Cyril, I returned, visiting Bangkok once more.
The first night I returned, I was burnt tired. Myanmar and the various activities there had wrung me out. Kat and Cyril headed back to our home in Beijing first, so I was given the chance to wander Bangkok alone.
I ended up staying at a place called the Publishing Residence, a hostel in an area near a fair number of tourist attractions. Simply by walking up and down the street, I could visiting the Golden Mount Temple (Wat Saket), the strangely-winged Democracy Monument, a seated Statue of King Rama III, Mahakan Fort Park, and the very odd and interactive Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall. The Publishing Residence is in a quieter part of the city. Because of this, it’s somewhat isolated, and the subway lines don’t extend quite that far.
I spent fourteen hours snoring loudly on a dorm bed. Whenever light or noise woke me up, I rolled deeper into my pillow, unwilling to rise
When I finally did, I started to plod through the city on foot. There was a fair amount of rain pattering down, so the crowds weren’t too bad. I more or less had the streets to myself, only sharing them with my travel umbrella.
The Grand Palace
The first thing I had to see was the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace sits in the heart of Bangkok, an enormous complex filled with eye-defying intricate buildings and traditional artworks. The Palace was the official palace of the Kings of Siam (Thailand) since 1782. Though the royal government no longer lives on the palace grounds, their influences and wealth are readily apparent.
To be frank, there really aren’t good ways to describe the Grand Palace. A person could spend half an hour at a single corner of the complex and not finish describing everything in view. The main buildings are impossible, multi-tiered temple structures, grand halls or rising stupas. Some of the buildings are decorated with ornate Thai mosaics, others are gilded in holy gold, and others give rise to visit red and green hues amidst ornate, white walls. Even the simplest, stately building from a distance has complex, painstakingly rendered patterns when a visitor draws close.
For all of this, the statues of the Grand Palace were my favorite part. There are traditional stone guardians, stylized human guards standing at attention in complex armors with blazing-bright ceremonial swords, tiny banister Thai creatures from mythology, arching dragons on rooftops, many-headed nagas at pillar bases, solid supporting elephants rounding stupas and hidden dancing figures in every nook of the complex.
I recommend a minimum of three hours around the Grand Palace. Bring snacks, it’s incredible and worth skipping a meal for.
Hail the King
Interestingly, Thailand is still, strictly speaking, a Kingdom. They have a royal line, but it’s nothing like the celebrities which populate the UK. The Thai King is historically very secretive and sheltered from criticism or the spotlight. There’s a lot of drama and speculation regarding the current King. If I understand this correctly, King Vajiralongkorn has accepted the crown and holds governing power and status, but is currently in mourning for his father. As of 2018, he hasn’t taken official office yet.
Floating Along
After I finally left the Grand Palace, I spent some time eating before going to a strange event. Far away from the tourist centers, I hopped into something called a sensory deprivation tank.
This tank uses an Epsom salt and water solution to create a sensation of weightlessness. Visitors lay in the center of the wide, shallow tank and easily float in pitch darkness until all sensations of gravity disappear. Supposedly, it helps a mind enter a flow or meditative state.
It seemed to work. For no time at all, I floated alone in a technological clamshell puddle. When a small light started blinking from nowhere, I stood up. Two hours of life had vanished into even, methodic breathing.
The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782. The king, his court, and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925.
Elsewhere and Elsewhen
For the following two days, I made a point of visiting strange tourist attractions throughout the city. For example, I first saw the famous “Giant Swing.” This massive landmark was supposedly created in order to (metaphorically?) launch young men’s spirits into heaven. Looking at the swing, it was obviously crafted in order to either get young men to heaven or tempt tourists into something unwise.
I also got to visit various temples around the area, spending hours walking on foot from location to location, enjoying the motion of my boots. Whenever I reached the Chao Phraya River, I would catch a ferry across.
However, the coolest temple to visit for me was Wat Arun Ratchawararam Buddhist Temple. This temples is a distinct masterpiece overlooking the Chao Phraya River. The temple is named for Aruṇa, a Hindu god present in the radiation lines of a rising sun. It’s is incredibly steep, with a staircase ascending at a nearly impossible angle. The temple has ornate patterns across entire surface. If the temple alone wasn’t impressive enough, the complex grounds it’s built upon have several smaller, similarly stylized structures.
Beijing and Home
And then, inexorably, it was time to fly home. My time for visiting Bangkok was over. I trudged onto a final, swift flight at 5:30 the following morning. The flight back to Beijing passed in a blur. I never successfully recovered my energy, more interested in experiencing as much of Bangkok as I could before time was up.
Now, back in Beijing I’ve I promptly started living out of my still-packed backpack, prepping for work tomorrow.
For the next few weeks I’ll be in Beijing, earning back a semblance of routine. But then, I have another trip planned.
My contract for Beijing, which was only a half-year, is almost up. A new project has hired me as a photographer tour guide and writer in Europe. However, the project lead wants me to provide a demonstration in a month or so.
I’ll be allowed to pick a nearby country of my choice, research it and then plan a trip. The photos I take, the stories I write and locations I research will become the foundation of a series of Chinese children’s travel brochures.
As such, I just purchased a ticket to Mongolia, which I’m childishly excited about.
Until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Old Sean’s Notes:
The following posts will not be about my future journeys. Instead, they’ll discuss my weeks of travel in Southeast Asia. The posts will cover my substantial amount of time after visiting Bangkok the first time. My next journeys will go to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Tachileik, Inle Lake, the Hsipaw Mountains, Bagan and Yangon.
Thank you as always for reading about my many journeys. Wander forth and wander well.
-OS
First visit Bangkok, February 12th, 2018. Return to Bangkok, February 27th, 2018. Post Written in Beijing, March 1st, 2018
Read a full list of recommended places to visit in Bangkok by clicking here
Affiliate Disclosure: Leftfade Trails contains affiliate links, so using services or products through these links supports the website, at no extra cost to the user. All links are to tested services and products designed to aid travelers on their journeys. Some links specifically connect to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate this website earns from qualifying purchases.
Skog Å Kust DrySåk
When visiting Bangkok, travelers are walking into a tropical zone known for pickpockets and other scams. I highly recommend the Skog Å Kust DrySåk day-bag for this area. Totally waterproof with a roll-down top to prevent theft, this is an excellent tool for any traveler.
