Bangkok: The Original Tourist Ghetto

  Bangkok, Thailand
Sunday, January 21, 2007

The first thing we noticed when we stepped of the plane in Bangkok was the overwhelming heat. After so many months on cold and temperate climates it was really a shock to the system. We managed to find a bus to town without much trouble. Like every other budget traveler coming to the city we booked a hotel off of Khao San Road. As we walked into the neighborhood we realized where all the backpackers have been the last five months. They are all here. We saw enough dreadlocks and piercings to fill Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center. Apparently there was a contest going on called "Who can wear the least amount of clothes". We have seen a fair share of revealing summerwear in the last few years but even I was stunned at the length of the skirts that some of the party girls were wearing. Lets just say you could see their underwear without them bending over. Women larger than me were wearing low ride shorts and shirts that showed off a belly button ring. Rolls of skin were hanging out all over the place. It was wrong on so many levels I will just end it there.

          The sheer variety of tourists also amazed us. There were people with very young children, infants even, and there were also backpackers much older than our parents. We were impressed. Who brings an infant to Thailand on holiday? It is not exactly Hawaii.
Anyway, one thing we looked forward to in Thailand was the cheaper prices and that was definitely what we found when we arrived. Despite the mass of tourists and the stabilization of their economy, Thailand is still a relatively inexpensive place to visit. If you eat at the Phad Thai carts, you can have a dinner for two for about $1.50. Beer, soda and fruit smoothies are all less than a dollar. Taxis are cheap if you can get them to use their meter. We lived it up by eating three meals a day instead of two (even though we paid for breakfast). We felt like we were really living high on the hog. And of course the food was delicious. Who doesn't love Thai food?

       When we arrived we walked around a bit and had to make the obligatory visit to Khao San Road itself, the first and greatest backpacker ghetto. Street vendors selling Fake IDs and diplomas, others selling pirated DVDs of movies that weren't even out on DVD yet. I even managed to find the first six episodes of Lost - Season 3. Foolish girls were getting long skinny braids in their hair so that their scalp will burn and blister the next time they get into the sun. Loads of people sitting about, drinking beer and taking it all in. It was a little too much for us but our street a few blocks away was just perfect, enough food and clothing vendors but a much more laid back scene.

       In Bangkok, like other tropical countries, winter is the high season. This would explain why there are so many people here. Hotels and trains were booked up days in advance. It made us appreciate traveling in the off season up until now. So many tourists can get overwhelming.

      We were lucky to come to Bangkok over a weekend so we could peruse their fabulous weekend market. It was full of locals and tourists and had hundreds of stalls of everything you could imagine. Sections of clothes, knockoff everything, silks, antiques, food. It takes forever to walk through so we had to refresh with fruit smoothies and water to keep from keeling over in the heat. I bought some summer clothes and a silk purse. Julius bought a knockoff Chelsea jersey and shorts.

Bangkok Street Food

We had lunch at a place that seemed to have food getting from grill to plate the fastest and shared a table with a group of Thai guys. One was in Seattle last year when he took a cruise to Alaska. He said "Thai food is too expensive in Seattle." Amen to that, Brother, amen to that.

      We tried to fit in all the experiences our guidebook says to try, visiting the Grand Palace complex, the Reclining Buddha, Temple Mount, river cruise and others. The grand palace was grand indeed. They decorate the outside of the temples so much you don't even care when the inside rooms are closed to visitors.

Monk Taking Photo

It was truly a site that lived up to the hype. Temple Mount had the best views of the city, albeit a bit smoggy in the evening. We even went to the large and chaotic Chinatown to prepare us for our jump to China in a few weeks.
        Julius was very pleased to see that Asians are crazy about English Premiere League like he is (not to mention the hoards of British tourists here) so all the important games could be watched easily at the bars. We had one favorite and became regulars there. It was a busy week for English club football. Chelsea lost badly which bummed us out but the next night Manchester United (Chelsea's main rival) lost in an upset. The Thais and Koreans weren't happy. Many Asians root for Manchester United because a lot of the best Asian players are there. While Julius watched football matches I also managed to fit in a session of waxing and a pedicure at one of the ridiculously cheap salons that are all over the city.

       Sunday morning meant mass at another church. This cathedral in Bangkok was stunning on the inside, rivaling many churches in Europe. The makeup of the congregation was very different. Since Thailand is more of an ex-pat destination (a place where westerners retire or hold jobs with NGOs) than an immigrant-looking-for-work destination, the worshipers were mostly white residents, white and Korean tourists and some Thai's or Vietnamese who want to worship in English. It was still a pretty strong turnout. We had a visiting Maryknoll priest who I loved. He had a joyful attitude through the whole mass and gave one of those upbeat left-wing messages that the Maryknolls are so good at.
    
         As we spent more days in Bangkok we began to notice a fashion trend among the Thai people - these yellow collared shirts with the royal crest on the pocket. These were worn by about 10-20% of the population on a given day. One day when we were taking a cab into the city center we saw that a good 80% of the people on the street were wearing the shirts. The cab driver was one of the rare ones who spoke some English so we asked him what the occasion was. He replied that it was the King's birthday. We were totally impressed - Wow! The king's birthday! That is a big deal. No, he corrected us. Today is Monday and the king was born on a Monday. So everyone wears their royal yellow shirts on Monday. So, the moral of this story is - Thai people are crazy about their king. If the shirt weren't enough, there are also huge billboards, posters and shrines all over the country with the King's picture on it. Ataturk has nothing on this guy. Even in the guidebook they warn you that though Thai people are very nice and try to be patient with all the tourist nonsense they encounter you must never, under any circumstances, say anything that might be interpreted as negative against the King. Not only is it illegal, it will quickly anger any Thai person within earshot. If any of you wondered, as we did, why the Thai people seemed so nonchalant about the overthrowing of their elected government by the military this past fall; this is why. Governments come and go in Thailand in rapid succession, but the King has been the anchor throughout for 60 years now. He approved of the coup so people went along with it. When he has criticized Prime Ministers in the past they have immediately stepped down in shame. Whatever works and this seems to work for the Thai people.

       Overall we liked Bangkok with all its craziness. There are always hassles but travelers are nice to warn you about different scams that will be coming your way. That way when they start up you can think Ohhhh! He is going to try this scam! The taxis that say their meter is broken, the tuk tuks drivers who want to take you to tailors to make a commission, the guy that stands outside the obviously open monuments and tells you that, regretfully, the temple is closed today but he can take you to a better temple or a "Lucky Buddha". But it made you appreciate the honest people that much more. Thai people are incredibly helpful and friendly and as we made our way around the country we learned that lesson again and again.

   Check out all our photos of Bangkok on our Smugmug Page!