Travels in Thailand

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After a few days down on Ko Phan Ang, it was time to start heading back to Bangkok. My 15 hour bus and ferry combination wasn’t so bad, as I have really developed an ability to be able to sleep, at the drop of a hat. After arriving back in Bangkok I spent the day at Bangkok’s famous ‘Chatuchak Weekend Market’ something I have been looking forward to, for quite some time.
Although there are innumerable markets throughout Bangkok, Chatuchak is still pretty much the undisputed king of them all. The scale is unbelievable - it covers an area of 70 rai (35 acres), contains more than 15 000 shops and stalls, has over 200 000 visitors each day, and they spend an estimated total of 30 million baht.
The range of products on sale is even more extensive, as you can buy anything from household accessories or religious artifacts to live animals. The intense competition keeps the prices low, and bargaining is of course the norm. Chatuchak has in theory been segregated into areas depending on the types of goods sold, but it was more an amalgamated labyrinth of everything. I found it most fun to just wander through this maze of people, enjoying whatever I came across.
There was however an entire acre dedicated to all types of aquatic animals, and like a kid in a candy store, I dedicated more time than most to this area. Mesmerized by the myriad of rare and endangered species, I wandered here for hours. After spending one full day at Chatuchak, and spending one luxurious night in the ‘Bangkok Mission Hospital’ (that’s a whole other story) I am preparing for my next adventure into China and gathering my thoughts about Thailand.

I have spent a little over three weeks in this beautiful and eclectic country and barely even scratched the surface, but I have found Thailand to be one of the most intriguing travel destinations to date, satisfying just about any traveler's hunger for the exotic, the beautiful, and the thrillingly different. But most of all the hedonistic, whether it be; exotic animals, women, drugs, anything, if you are willing to pay, your imagination is your only limit in Thailand.
This in itself simultaneously promotes feelings of both exhilaration and concern. As due to this ‘anything goes’ attitude Thailand is under an ever increasing ‘anti-cultural’ barrage, and I sense that it is becoming progressively more difficult for Thailand and her people to maintain their sense of identity. I really hope that things don’t change too much as despite the considerable contrasts, or maybe because of them, Thailand really is a remarkable country.

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Photos

Terrapine, ‘Chatuchak Weekend Market’ Bangkok
Terrapine, ‘Chatuchak Weekend Market’ Bangkok