Thai BLING

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Bling...you can Google for it... and you'll find whilst originating in Rap culture, its use as a term for anything flashy , jewellry etc , is now wide-spread. Certainly in the car and motorcycle accessory area the term is widely used especially for decorative personalising accessories.
It seems the Thais have a natural flair for bling....in fact they probably invented it and some Gangsta stole it off them.
When you look closely at Thai temples they usually have lots of coloured mirrored glass (not to mention gold!) - classic bling.
From Temples to tooth-braces....everything can be blinged in Thailand. I just wish I'd asked the girl with jewels in her teeth braces to let me take a picture!
Even the birds have bling....
Now I'll just let some pictures tell the story...

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Photos

Blinged up scooter - front view
Even small bikes can be blinged

Blinged up scooter - side view
Even small bikes can have performance add-ons

A typical Chinese style temple
This one is for the spirit of Koh Chang

Temple ornamentation
A phoenix

More ornamentation
A stylised lion perhaps?

Lion Dance
The Lions get bling too...but these are a bit moth-eaten

A worked over and blinged Yamaha SRX500
A rare beast on Koh Chang

A contrast
No prizes for guessing which one I thought better...or for which one I was forced to hire!

Temple Guardian
Note the mirror glass teeth, and the green metallic paint on the sea-shells which make up the breast plate

Temple Front
Mural of scenes from Buddha's life

Buddha
Well decorated!

Peacock in Dusit Zoo, Bangkok
Is there a blingier bird?

Hornbill, Dusit Zoo
This one has blinged its head!

The King
Even the King doesn't escape bling...and you certainly can't escape the king..pictures everywhere!

Pigeon, Dusit Zoo
Neck-feather bling

Temple roof ornamentation
Highly decorative

Untouched
Here Buddha is surrounded by ornamentation, but is untouched.

Comments

[pam]

great photos
James I have sent you a private email via this blog, hope it arrives ok. Fantastic to see you travelling and feeel quite jealous. Your photos are great, bring back lots of memories..there is a real sense of being there with you. Hope the bike went ok. Magic that we can be there too so keep enjoying for all of us..all that glitters is gold?? love pam