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Published: June 22nd 2005
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Is This Chicago?
Looks like any other American city at first... Bangkok is not unlike your average American large city--the glaring differences being that it is in Southeast Asia, it’s sparkly, and there are images of the king of Thailand everywhere. Unlike a lot of the rest of Thailand, you can find lots of different things and services there, and it's a bustle of activity. Lots of tall buildings, malls, bootleg items, massage parlors, eating places…about anything you can think of is there. There are a few streets where one can walk a few blocks on and think, “Am I in Chicago? New York?” until a temple comes into view. “Oh yeah, I’m in Bangkok!” Seriously—look at the pictures.
In comparison to the United States, the violent crime rate is lower, there’s a gigantic sex trade problem, and I don’t think there is a place as sparkly anywhere in the United States. Many areas of Bangkok also bare scars of the economic fall out of 1997; unfinished pieces of super highways and city buildings stand like eerie monuments to globalization. Another side effect of Thailand's economy is that everything is dirt-cheap for Westerners. So, in an American city, a filling lunch can run in price around $6 or more, while in
Oh, yeah....
...This is Bangkok! Bangkok, it can run more around 20 baht (roughly 38 baht is one American dollar). Sadly, the fact that everything is so cheap is one of the same reasons Thailand is so attractive for people who are into “naughty” things—ranging from little things like bootleg movies (I got 10 movies for 1,000 baht; around $25 USD) to prostitution.
I liked Bangkok a lot. There are some really unique things you can do and see there that you can’t anywhere else. Although I ended up liking Chiang Mai better than Bangkok, Bangkok does have its high points.
What we did in Bangkok/Things to check out if you ever go:
1. The Grand Palace: Really spectacular place! The name really speaks for itself: it’s grand, and it’s a palace. Although grand might be an understatement. Sunglasses would have been good to have here. There were a few times I thought I would go blind. The buildings and chedis (see picture) are breathtaking, and there’s a nice mix of native Thais, monks, and tourists there. If you go, make sure to see the sparkly monkeys.
2. Wat Po: One of the most beautiful temples (“wat” means temple) in Thailand.
Chedis
The spiral tower type things are chedis. It’s a pretty large place, and you can wonder around for a while. If you are lucky, you will get lost like my friend Kari and I did and see a monk meeting—be sure to take off your shoes before entering any alter areas.
3. Cabbages and Condoms: Definitely go there! C & C is a restaurant started to promote safe sex and family planning. The food is good, and if you can have a condom served to you with your food. I didn’t, but maybe I didn’t order the right thing. I didn’t get dessert either, so that might have had something to do with it. It is also in the open air, and they have a fun souvenir store with all kinds of condom products. I bought myself a Cabbages and Condoms t-shirt because you can’t get that just anywhere! Flowers made from condoms; who would of thought?
4. Jim Thompson’s House and Museum: This was interesting for the sheer fact that I didn’t know that this guy existed before going to Thailand. Not only that, but he loved Thai culture, he started the Thai silk industry, and he mysteriously disappeared in the late 60’s in
A Meeting of the Monks
It's fun getting lost. Malaysia. What more could you want? His house is really neat—it’s built raised above the ground in the traditional Thai style, and it houses antiques. My favorites were the mouse house and the kitty cat chamber pot. Why don’t we have those now?!
5. Klong Toey: Be mentally prepared to visit here, if you do. Klong Toey is the major slum area of Bangkok, and don’t take the visit too lightly. It’s a really sad place. This place is where it really sinks in that you are in a third world country. Most of the people there are stuck there from the country. They moved to Bangkok during the 90’s while the economy was improving—right before it crashed in a horrendous fireball in 1997. If anything, after seeing Klong Toey you know what poverty REALLY is, and that something more needs done about it.
6. National Museum: This is probably one of the places I would want to visit first upon arriving to Thailand. The National Museum is huge, but very informative and interesting. It covers the entire history of Thailand, dating all the way to man first settling on the land that was to become the nation
Calypso Cabaret
Every single one is a man! of Thailand up to the present king. The exhibits are nicely organized and easy to read, and there’s so much to look at. My favorites were the funeral chariots, which are parked in a huge building similar to an airplane hanger. There are also little smiling cartoonish bats on the back walls. You can’t go wrong with that.
7. China Town and Little India: Little India was kind of disappointing. It was more like a few Indians clustered together—you can almost blink and miss it. China Town was a little better, but not a whole lot. While certain parts of it here and there reminded me of China (all the red decorations), there was still too much of Thailand. China Town was mostly shops and stalls. However, both were really interesting nonetheless walking through. They are good to go to if you want to walk around Bangkok and you feel like buying stuff because there are a lot of shops. I actually walked into a Hello Kitty store and saw two Thai schoolgirls in uniform giggling. It was great.
8. Calypso Cabaret: This is one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen in my soon to be 22 years of life. Actually, it might be the greatest. My mouth was in a grin the whole time. The Calypso Cabaret is a Vegas style drag show in the Asia Hotel in Bangkok. It costs roughly $25 to get in, and it’s worth more than every penny. None of the men look like men, the acts are beyond words, and the lip-syncing is good. These people work hard at drag. I saw hula dancers, a gunman, flappers, Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, and Michael Jackson all in the same night.
Website: www.calypsocabaret.com
On to Kanchanaburi!
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jeff robinson
non-member comment
Thai Life
Just surfed your page today, I've lived in Bangkok 7 years and yours is one of the best I've seen on the net.You really hit it right on life here. Plus your visiting the leper center and the orphanages is something everyone should do to fully appreciate life here. My first visit was to mission sites in the north and really gave me insight in what real help someone can do for others.