A Quiet Sunday.
At the center of the eastern wall is Tha Phae Gate, easily identified by the HUGE billboard dedicated to King Bhumibol and Queen Sikrit. This is where the sunday market is held, and also a daily tourist market. When I walk by the gate on my morning walk to ITM, many vendors are already set up at 8:15 AM. This view is from the third floor of the Tha Phae Gate Starbucks. (so farang *foreigner* of me, but they do have the best view for people watching, and the most comfortable arm chairs).
A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy.... ... read more 
