Bangkok Sightseeing

A lot of people, particularly Americans and Europeans think of Thailand as a very spiritual country.

And it’s true. Thailand really is. There probably is not a single country in the world where Buddhism is practiced as widely and intensely among the population as in the “Land of Smiles”.

Temples everywhere, and monks wearing orange robes.

Yet, many Westerners are surprised when they see how money is being displayed in the temples.

Money? Spirituality?

That somehow doesn’t go together, right?

Well, let us ask you: why not?

After all, material well-being is a fundamental need of human life.

At our most basic level, to fulfill our most basic human needs we essentially need three things: physical health, good emotional relationships with other people and… money.

And if any of these is missing, we will more or less obsess about it.

A man who is sick will constantly think about health or medicine.

A man who is lonely will constantly think about somebody.

A man who is poor will constantly think about money, so he can buy food or afford a place to stay.

So what’s wrong with money in the temples?

Nothing. Unless it becomes excessive. (For example, there is a monk who drives around in a Rolls Royce in one of the poorest provinces of Thailand – we personally find it hard to combine spiritual practice with such material indulgence).

But you will see this again and again when you go on a Bangkok sightseeing tour. Even more popular than what you see in this picture are money trees, where worshippers attach donations to a tree with bank note leaves. For them it is just another way of making merit and accumulating good luck.

And since in Thailand there is no mandatory religious tax, I think that is a great way to support temples. Cherish and celebrate money, instead of trying to create all sorts of negative things around it. Sometimes I feel that some people take pride in showing how little they care about money – when in the end, they really do care a lot more about it than they would ever admit.

If you want to do more than just sightseeing in Bangkok, and you feel that you have an artsy itch inside of you, why not check out ShaBaShine?

It’s a small community of artisans who enjoy painting. They have a small garden and a relaxing atmosphere around there, so it’s a nice place to take a break from the bustling city life, recharge and release your creative energies.

Classes here are small, and that means you get individual attention from a teacher.

You will learn about painting on wood, glass, ceramics and other materials.

When you go to the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok (also known as the temple of the recylining Buddha) you can see these stone statues. What they do is actually depict different positions of Thai-Yoga – which is a modified version of the Indian Yoga that most people know about.

This kind of yoga was practiced by hermits who used to spend their time in deep meditation, and who often practices herbal medicine. They lived in jungles and mountains and dedicated their life to spiritual practice.

There are different Thai Yoga positions for different kinds of ailments.

Nowadays, people often refer to certain types of Thai massage as Thai yoga – and in a way, they are related, but they actually are different things.

The hermits used to be called “Ruessi Datton”, and they are still highly respected by traditional Thai massage practitioners. It’s a good idea to get a Thai massage after a long Bangkok sightseeing tour when your feet are tired. Just make sure to go to a skilled practitioner. And if you feel it’s too painful, just communicate it – Thai massage can be pretty intense, and some people don’t like that kind of intensity at all. However, many times for some reason people don’t let the massage therapist know that they want less pressure and instead just hope that the massage will end as quickly as possible – and that really shouldn’t be the purpose of a massage. It should make you feel good. Sometimes a massage can be painful during the treatment, but afterwards you feel a lot better – and then that’s fine. But if you don’t want the pain during the treatment, just say it so you get something that you can enjoy.

Well, if you’re in Bangkok – why the heck should you go to the cinema? After all, you can watch those made-in-USA Blockbuster movies all over the world. Why spend your precious Thailand time on such a canned experience?

The truth is – Bangkok can be overwhelming. And if you had it for a couple of days in a row, and you had it intensely, a little bit of cultural comforting might just be what you need to get ready for your next Bangkok sightseeing adventure.

You see, what’s nice about cinemas in Bangkok is that they have comfortable seats, cheap prices, are air-conditioned (sometimes so much so that you want to bring along a scarf or a long-sleeved shirt).

Before the movie starts, the Thai national anthem will be played – and that’s when everybody will get up from their seat and play respect to His Majesty the King. (Getting up at this point is a really good idea too – in fact, it’s mandatory, and it would be very disrespectful and rude not to do so. So better be prepared to get out of that seat just one more time before the movie starts.)

There are different cinemas for example in the Siam Paragon shopping complex. If you really want to spoil yourself, try the VIP cinema – here you get your own couch for you and your partner, with blanket, unlimited snack supplies and so much more – it’s kind of like the equivalent of flying first class, except for the flight.

Bangkok’s big birthday was in 1782. Before that, it already existed, but was really a negligible place – in 1782 though, it got turned into the new capital of the country. This was also the founding year of the Rattanakosin period under the rule of the Chakri dynasty – the same dynasty that’s on the throne till this very day.

(Today, it’s the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty who is in charge, and he is deeply beloved by the Thai people).

It was King Rama I who moved the seat of the capital from Thonburi to what is now Bangkok. He was also responsible for the construction of the Grand Palace and many other architectural and cultural feats of Bangkok.

The first King who reigned in Bangkok was also a talented poet and artist, and it was him who commissioned the murals on the walls of the Grand Palace, which depict scenes from Thailand’s national epic, the Ramakien.

murals of the Ramakien in the Grand Palace in Bangkok

This is a fascinating story – a modified version of the Indian Ramayana – and if you want to learn more about it, it’s best to book a cultural Bangkok sightseeing tour.

A myth filled with creatures from another realm, where magic powers and spells turn the story in captivating ways. It’s the story of the fight between good and evil, and the monkey warrior Hanuman, and it’s a story filled with romance and love.

One of the things that is most fascinating about Bangkok is how it has changed over the years. Where you now find modern skyscrapers, luxury hotels and congested roads there have been rice paddies and rivers not too many years ago. It is a city that has expanded and grown really quick.

Officially, there are now 9 million people living in Bangkok – but 12 million is a much more realistic number if you count for all the people who migrated here from the countryside without officially registering in Bangkok.

Now there really is no lack of shopping malls in Bangkok. And they are building new ones all the time.

Right now for example, they are about to build Central Embassy. A 37 floor  shopping mall / hotel complex that is going to open end of 2013 in the Ploenchit area. 7 stories will be for shopping, and the remaining 30 stories will be for a luxury hotel tower (6 star hotel).

The land was acquired from the British embassy a couple of years ago, and the architects who designed this building are Amanda Levete.

The design merges the distinct features of a podium and tower into a sinuous and continuously twisting coil. The form wraps around two vertical light wells in the retail podium and at the same time encloses and exposes a series of exterior courtyards and roof gardens for the hotel. Internal spaces break apart to reveal stepped terraces and vertical gardens.

‘Our design for this project has been underpinned by two strands of parallel research. We carried out extensive studies in Thailand exploring and documenting traditional patterns, materials and fabrication methods. In tandem, we’ve experimented with the application of advanced digital design techniques such as scripting and parametric modeling as a means of abstracting our hands-on research to create an innovative synthesis of technology and heritage that is specific to the context of Bangkok.’ – Alvin Huang, Project Director, Amanda Levete Architects

Drawing on motifs and patterns found in traditional Thai architecture, the facade of the building is composed of a dynamic and fluid three-dimensional array of ceramic tiles. Changes in gradient, rotation and spacing break the long spans of continuous frontage into a rich pattern.

On regarding the facade, this design element will draw attention to the building’s coiling form and give varied impressions of the depth, shape and color of its skin with each step taken. Conceived with the intention of reinterpreting Thai heritage and culture in a modern context, the project is a unique opportunity to merge traditional craftsmanship with contemporary digital design.

(from Archicentral)

You can see some of the designs here.

If you’re in the Silom area, Sushi Tsukiji is a nice place to stop by for Sashimi. It belongs to the Fuji brand, which is a Japanese chain store (or franchise?), but this one is a more upscale version of it, with better ingredients.

It’s named after the famous Tsukiji fishmarket in Tokyo.

They have counter seating (where you sit in front of the kitchen counter and get to see how everything is prepared in front of your eyes, which I recommend) and private rooms upstairs.

If you’re going for Japanese food in general, I’m not too fond of this place. Only if you want Sushi or Sashimi.

The guests here are mainly Japanese, particularly Japanese businessmen who work in the area it seems.

One piece of advice – when you go here, order the “Special Sushi Set” – it’s something that is not actually on the menu. It’s the sushi selection of the sushi chefs – and it’s probably the greatest value you can get for your money. Sometimes the waitress will pretend as if she doesn’t know what you’re talking about – just repeat (friendly) that you want the Special Sushi Set, and eventually she’ll give in and recognize what you’re talking about.

The picture doesn’t look so yummy – which has more to do with my faulty photographer skills than the presentation of the food. If you see it with your own eyes, you’ll love it though.

Sashimi at Sushi Tsukiji

Address:
62/19-20 Soi Thaniya
Silom
Bangkok 10500
Phone: 02 233 9698
Fax: 02 238 4146
BTS: Sala Daeng station
MRT: Silom station

And this is what it looks like from the outside – quite easy to recognize. When you’re walking Soi Thaniya down from Silom road, it’s located on the right side.

If you want to go shopping in Bangkok, the best times are usually in the afternoon. Most shops don’t open before 10 or 11AM, and then they close around 9 or 10PM.

Of course, there always the 7eleven refuge, opened 24 hours on 356 days a year for the simple necessities of life.

Remember that it’s very hot in Thailand – but shopping malls are always well-equipped with air conditioning systems. That’s why if you plan to check out a lot of shopping malls, it might be a good idea to bring an extra shirt or thin jacket for the malls. This way, the temperature difference between the outside world and the acclimatized shopping mall world isn’t so harsh on you. Lots of people who aren’t used to that can catch a cold because of the steep temperature differences.

It’s the little things that make Bangkok into a great city. For example: pomegranat juicejuice. Or more precisely: the widespread availability of freshly squeezed, 100% pomegranate juice.

Not only is this probably the most delicious drink on planet earth (and I suppose the whole milky way has nothing better to offer), it’s also superhealthy.

It’s true – this city can wear you down. But it will lift you up too if you know how to treat it. And that’s what this pomegranate juice is for. When you’re on a long Bangkok sightseeing tour, this stuff can get you going again.

By the way – did you know that pomegranate juice acts like a natural viagra? There was a study that showed that 47% of impotent men reported improvements in erectile function after drinking pomegranate juice daily.

Pomegranate juice is full of antioxidants – about three times more antioxidants than red wine or green tea. These antioxidants  raise levels of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a substance that relaxes blood vessel walls, and also helps to prevent heart diseases.

It’s also a blood thinner and promotes the blood flow to the heart,and it can raise the levels of good cholesterol while simultaneously lowering the levels of bad cholesterol. Plus, it reduces plaque in your arteries.

And a glass of pomegranate juice contains about 40% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C you should be taking in. And vitamins that come out of the fresh fruit are much better for your body than the synthesized ones.

And if all of that isn’t good enough for you – well, then just drink it for the awesome taste and the beautiful ruby-red color.

In Bangkok, it’s kind of a luxury drink. A small bottle costs around 50 Baht (a little less than $2) – which is rather expensive for a bottle of fruit juice by Thai standards. But given the fact that this is the real stuff, it’s still a steal and well worth it 🙂

Plus, you support a micro-entrepreneur with it, rather than some big corporation like you do when you buy a juice from a supermarket. This way, the money goes directly to the guy who does the work, and who actually creates a really good product.