Bangkok, Bangkok, it's a helluva town

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The retail district

Returning to Bangkok we headed to a different area. We decided to stay near Siam Square right in the middle of the modern, commercial district. There's a little side street of cheap guesthouses (and some not so cheap) nestled in the shadow of the monstrous MBK shopping mall that we've stayed in numerous times before. We got a great big room on the 5th floor of the Pranee Building with a balcony overlooking the city lights for only 400 Baht. A bargain when you consider other rooms on the street were going for over 1000 due to the addition of cable TV.

The plan during our stay was to do some shapping at the mll and have a night out in the posher (err...okay, at least more expensive) part of town (no, Kate's birthday celebrations haven't ended yet).

They say it changes when the sun goes down...

Despite living here before, wandering the streets of Bangkok remains an interesting experience. Foolishly we attempted a relaxing stroll one evening before we remembered that was largely impossible. With the footpaths cluttered with market stalls selling everything from pirate DVDs and flick knives to fried insects and t-shirts, it's only really possible to shuffle along in single file while your senses are assualted on all sides. Add to this the roar of the passing motorbikes, pick-up trucks and tuk-tuks and that relaxing stroll with polite conversation goes out of the window.

We took such a walk one evening around the Skytrain stop for Nana (pronounced Nar-Nar and not like the affectionate name for your grandmother). Stopping for a couple of pork and chicken kebabs from a street vendor I was promptly offered a tuk-tuk ride to see a "like show" by a man flashing photographs of said event before my eyes. I politely declined and was pleased to see that I hadn't lost my skill of looking totally disinterested. He took no for an answer and wandered off. Nevertheless, later I made an amateurish error. We were walking along the road when we passed by, seemingly to me, a long queue for bus made up of smiling, friendly women. It was only after I politely grinned at each one that I guessed they weren't waiting for a bus, but a customer.

This part of Bangkok is full of contrasts. It's home to many of the swankiest hotels, the poshest restaurants and the most expensive bars. But squeezed in here and there are pole-dancing bars and massage palours with questionable names. Walk down a street of expensive restaurants offering everything from Thi to Italian and German food...take a random left up a side street and you could end up surrounded by go-go bars and taxi drivers offering trips to the bizarrest of live shows. I'm not sure my nana would have liked Nana.

Civilisation at last

Anyway, we headed for a particular street of bars and restaurants. Firstly, Cheap Charlie's. Thsi is an outdoor bar right on the street, decorated from floor to ceiling in the weirdest collection of, I dunno, stuff. From a buffalo skull with red light bulbs for eyes to a selection of carved wooded goblin type things. The bar seating is directly on the street with a spray painted line on the road informing customers when they are inside or outside the premises. After thsi there was the local English pub - The Pickled Liver. Yes, 3 weeks out of England and we head for an air-conditioned English bar that serves beer in pint glasses. Well, it feels exotic when you're in Bangkok and it was the 2nd anniversary of our initial arrival in this city in 2006.

After several days soaking up the ambience of a city we once called home, we loaded onto another bus bound for another old haunt - Pattaya - Fun Town (registered trademark).

Did you know...?

The full name for Bangkok, translated into English, means...

Great city of angels, the repository of divine gems, the great land unconquerable, the grand and prominent realm, the royal and delightful capital city full of nine noble gems, the highest royal dwelling and grand palace, the divine shelter and living place of reincarnated spirits.

Well it does. In Thai and written more or less phonetically that's...

Krung thep mahanakhan bowan rattakosin mahintara ayuthagi mahadilok popnopparat ratchathani burrirom-udom ratchaniwet mahasathan-amonpimanavatnsathir sakkathatity avisnukamprasit (I didn't translate this obviously, I nicked from a novel called Bangkok Tattoo by John Burnett, but as far as I know it's accurate).

That's longer than the name of that Welsh village that I can never remember that ends in "go-go-goch" or something and there's no Bangkok in it at all.
Don't ask me where "Bangkok" comes from...look it up. I guess it's easier to fit on road signs and the front of buses though.

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Photos

Bangkok skyline
the view from our hotel room

Bangkok traffic
Don't attempt to go anywhere quickly by car...
but look at the cool pink taxis.

Traffic traffic
and can you see the EF office in the picture....we used to work for them in the UK

BTS skytrain
a great way to get around the city and avoid the traffic. And conveniently the National Stadium station was just outside our hotel room.