Wuhan Coronavirus Update #3

Previous update HERE: https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2020/02/wuhan-virus-update.html

It's been a few weeks, but the news is still ongoing. I figured that it was time to update you all on the Wuhan Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its effects on Thailand.

The virus is still spreading, but slowly. As of today, Thailand has only had 42 cases of the virus, all of whom have recovered fully. Thanks to the government's rapid response as well as the country's incredible healthcare system, Thailand has had zero deaths from the pandemic so far.

However, the country has issued quarantines for people who have recently traveled through China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and a few other heavily affected countries. Citizens and residents who have been to the aforementioned states in the past 14 days are being placed under quarantine, not by the government but by their companies. Schools and businesses are enforcing self-imposed quarantines for all employees who have recently been through several infected countries. It's doing a lot to stop the spread of the Coronavirus.

The other day I was at the shopping mall. As my girlfriend and I were walking through the mall, we saw a small mob descend upon a local pharmacy. The Japanese chain had recently received several boxes of surgical masks, which are currently at a scarcity in Thailand. Fortunately, my girlfriend's sister is a pharmacist, and she has access to resources before they are available to the general public. We still have plenty of masks at home, but due to the crazy crowd, we decided that it might be a good idea to stock up.

crowds at a local pharmacy

The store had a policy requiring each costumer only to purchase a maximum of 10 packages of masks. We each went through the line (buying a combined 20 masks), which took nearly an hour, to buy our masks. After only a quarter of an hour, the many huge boxes were already sold out. They had to close the store after just a short time!

I'm not at all worried about the virus. It doesn't seem very dangerous, especially when compared to the flu or the common cold. What I am worried about, however, is panic. A friend of mine has mentioned the panic and scarcity of resources during the Bangkok floods of 2011 (before my time).

My girlfriend's sister recently began stocking up on non-perishable supplies. She wasn't worried about us being stuck at home, but she was worried that people would panic-buy stuff off the shelves at the supermarket. In advance, she went out and bought rice, canned mackerel, canned veggies, and all sorts of medical supplies. This week, my girlfriend and I also went to the supermarket to stock up on instant oats, frozen veggies, frozen meat, and other essential supplies.

We know that we will all be safe in the event that the virus does spread, however we also want to be safe in the event of scarcity. After all, it's better to be safe than sorry! We won't touch our stocks unless things get bad. If the news settles down, then I guess we already have plenty of good food to eat in the next few months!

Anyways, there's no need to worry. Everything is A-Okay here in Thailand! I'll keep updating if there is any new news.

The good thing is that the Coronavirus seems like it doesn't like the heat or humanity, which is great for Thailand! It just isn't spreading very fast here. It's also a saving grace for India and various countries in Africa, which don't have the resources and incredible healthcare which Thailand have to fight the virus.

Bang Lamphu

For a combined celebration of my birthday and anniversary, this weekend Pinky and I went down to the old town to spend some relaxing time along the Chaophraya River.

Bangkok's riverfront

I don't spend much time down in Bang Lamphu. In fact, for the past seven years I've actively avoided this area because of the infamous Khao San Road, where backpackers congregate. It's a shame, though, and I've never really given Bang Lamphu its fair shake. Away from the backpackers, it's a charming and quiet neighborhood full of history, local culture, and incredible food.

a beautiful day on the river

Since it was my birthday, we decided to start our afternoon with an ice cold beer along the river.

After a beer by the river, we decided to visit the Banglamphu Museum, unaware of what it was about or how it would be. It ended up being a great decision, as the museum was excellent! For just 30 baht apiece, we even got a private tour in English by a university student who worked at the museum!

Bang Lamphu Museum

This old building was once a printing house for the Royal Thai Mint. Now, it is a museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Bang Lamphu neighborhood in Bangkok's old town. Different exhibits detailed the expansion of the area, the most famous historical shops and restaurants, and the unique culture that you can only find in the very heart of Bangkok.

a model of Bangkok's old cable cars

One really special feature of the museum is a historical Buddha image which is paraded throughout Bang Lamphu during the Songkran Festival in April. The golden Buddha (the tiny one on the left in the picture, not the big one) is the original, and is kept at the museum on display and for safekeeping.

an important Buddha image 

Outside, our guide led us to a small lamphu tree which was starting to bloom. It was planted in the museum's ribbon-cutting ceremony a few years ago by HRH Princess Sirindhorn herself! It's one of the very few lamphu trees (for which the neighborhood is named) left in the area.

the royal lamphu tree 

In the evening, we had some local food at the Bang Lamphu Market, then returned to sit by the river and watch the sunset. A cool breeze was blowing over the water, and it felt very peaceful to watch the barges, tugboats, public boats, and longtails zipping up and down the Chaophraya.

sunset on the river 

We ended the evening with one last drink, a "bia wun", or "snowy beer". This beer is partially frozen and when it's poured out, it forms an icy foam. It's a very Thai-style of beer (Thai beer is usually served over ice), but you can't find it everywhere.

"bia wun" or "snowy beer" 

The Underwater Greenland Trail in Nakhon Nayok

This past weekend I did something new that I had never done before. I joined a hiking group and went trekking through the Thai jungle! Several months ago I went on a haunted Bangkok ghost tour with a local guide named Bow. She is the leader of the Bangkok hiking meetup group. Finally, I had a weekend off, and decided to join her group on one of the out-of-town excursions. A group of 30 adventurous expats met up early on Sunday morning, boarded a trio of more or less identical white vans, and were soon on our way to Nakhon Nayok Province, about two and a half hours northeast of Bangkok,

stopping for a lunch break with our three vans

Nakhon Nayok is a province in the central region of Thailand; a relatively easy day trip from Bangkok. We arrived at a wilderness preserve attached to a dam and reservoir which butted up to the southernmost portion of Khao Yai National Park (the oldest and most famous national park in Thailand).

our boat heading to pick us up at the reservoir

After briefing us on the three hikes upon which we were about to embark, Bow led us down a steep set of stairs to the water, where a pair of old wooden longtail boats were waiting to carry us upriver and on into the Thai jungle.

boarding our two longtail boats

We alighted from the boats at our first destination, a small inlet which led to a muddy and rocky beach. It was a steep climb up the muddy slope, and immediately I had a feeling that the hike was going to be a bit harder than I had anticipated!

beautiful Thai jungle

As we climbed up into the hills on our first hike of the day, we were suddenly hit by a strong and familiar smell... mint! It turned out that the hill we were climbing was covered in wild mint!

trekking through a field of wild mint

The climb grew increasingly more difficult, and the oppressive heat and humidity of the tropical afternoon didn't help! At times, we had to use ropes to pull ourselves up over muddy inclines and mossy boulders. I began worrying that maybe I didn't have the right shoes on. I was wearing my Chaco sandals, which are meant for hiking, but almost everyone else seemed more prepared than I was. This was a bit more intense than my regular weekend walks in the city!

At times, the hike was a bit more challenging than I anticipated!

Eventually we arrived at the top of the hill we were trekking, to where a waterfall had run dry in the dry season. Because the water was low, we were able to get all the way to the top, where we reclined on huge boulders to catch our breath and cool off. While resting, we discovered a huge mostly intact snakeskin curled up on one of the rocks.

a snakeskin we found at the waterfall

The day's adventures would cover three hikes. None of the hikes would be super far, but all of them would be moderately difficult and involve quite a bit of climbing up and over boulders and steep rocky hills. A couple with two young kids appeared to be much more experienced hikers than I was. Though the kids seemed to be really good at hiking, I figured that if a 9 year-old kid could trek this trail with apparent ease, than so could I!

resting at the top of the first hike

We trekked back down to the boats, and made our way across the muddy green water to the second bank from where we would begin the next hike.

the starting point of the second hike

The second hike took place over a dry riverbed. This trail is underwater for eight months of the year, and is only rarely accessible to hikers!

trekking through "Greenland"

This was the "Greenland Trail", a stretch of Thai countryside that looked much more like Greenland than Southeast Asia! It was also one of the greenest spots I've ever seen in my life. Though the river was dry, the ground was richly verdant and blooming in wild grasses.

beautiful scenery on the underwater trail

Though it was a difficult hike, I felt extremely lucky to be there. Not many people get the chance to see this rough and untamed stretch of wilderness on the far southern border of Khao Yai National Park each year.

hiking in Thailand

Moving on along the trail, we were reminded how deep in the wilderness we actually were. Along the way we passed some piles of elephant poop! The city felt very, very far away. Bow told us that wild elephants often come down from the mountains of Khao Yai National Park during this time to lick the minerals off of the rocks which spend most of the year underwater. Since the elephants are herbivores, they need to get many of their nutrients from minerals which naturally occur around here.

trekking

The landscape here didn't look anything like I would have thought possible in Thailand.

so green!

It's no wonder that people claim that Nakhon Nayok is the "greenest province in the kingdom!"

this part of the trail is underwater for most of the year

The second trail led us up to a second waterfall, which had also run dry during the past few months, allowing us access to the normally flooded secret trail.

the trail kept growing steeper and steeper

After resting again at the top of the trail, we trekked (more tired and sweaty than before!) back down to the boats. It's amazing how good it felt to be this tired, though! Although the day was hot, there was a nice breeze which did its part to keep us relatively comfortable throughout the day.

The third hike was further across the water still, to a secret and isolated cove deep in the jungle.

the dry riverbed

The third trail led us farther than we had gone before to a secret pool fed by a still-running waterfall. I didn't bring a change of clothes, so I didn't plan to swim, but many of our adventurers were excited for the chance to cool off at the end of the hike.

heading out on the third and final hike

This trail also followed along a dry riverbed, though this one was rockier and more difficult than the previous one. At points, makeshift bamboo bridges had been constructed to span small gaps and chasms over the rocks.

a makeshift bamboo bridge spanning a small chasm

I felt a little nervous about crossing some of these bridges, which creaked, bent, and swayed as we stepped over them, but bamboo is remarkably strong, and they seemed to have been well-built.

a rickety bridge added to the sense of adventure

In the end, the bridges served their purposes, and we made it safely to our destination. The spring was pristine, fed by a natural waterfall. It was surrounded by wild Thai jungle which chirped and buzzed with life. Besides our hiking group, there was nobody else around to be seen. It was beautiful!

deep in the Thai wilderness

We rested for around half an hour at the waterfall. The mountains around us cast a shadow over where we were waiting, and the air grew a lot cooler. It ended up being a super nice place to catch our breath and cool off. I chatted with the other adventurers while some people took a dip in the natural pool.

exhausted and taking a rest at the third and final waterfall

When we finally returned to the boats, it was with a victorious feeling! Unfortunately, we realized that we still had to climb the steep steps back to the top of the dam where our vans would be waiting. By the time we made it to the top, my legs were shaking! Still, it was a wonderful feeling, and I felt so great to get out of the city for a real adventure.

I do admit that the trek was difficult for me, but I had a blast. I hope that I can join this group again sometime in the future. I know that Bow plans several camping trips throughout the year in addition to day hikes. I've always loved camping, but have never tried it in Thailand. I think that would be a fun adventure to look forward to in the future.

tired, hot, and thirsty... but victorious at the end of the day!

Nang Loeng and Northern Rattanakosin Island

This weekend, my walking adventure took me back to the old town to the northern part of Rattanakosin Island, the royal island in the Chaophraya River where the Grand Palace and many of the oldest temples are located. As usual, my tour group met up at Saphan Taksin Station, then boarded the orange-flag public boat up the river to the old town.

cruising past the famous Mandarin Oriental Hotel

This neighborhood is called Bang Lamphu. "Bang" means "village", and "lamphu" is a type of tree (called "mangrove apple" in English). This area backs up against the (in)famous Khao San Road, a backpacker's paradise which is way too grungy for my taste. I generally avoid this part of town, which is a shame, because away from the backpack travelers, it's actually a really nice, quiet traditional neighborhood.

lamphu tree growing in the public park

We alighted at Santichaiprakarn Park, a small but lovely green space right along the river. It was a quiet morning, and there weren't too many people out and about. The park offers pretty views of the river, and is home to a royal pavilion built to celebrate the late king's birthday.

a sala, or traditional Thai-style pavilion, in Santichaiprakarn Park near the river

The park is also home to Phra Sume Fort, one of the two remaining fortresses which once guarded Bangkok's city walls and protected the capital from invasion. The other fort that remains standing is located not too far away near the Golden Mount Temple.

one of the old forts which once defended the city

The forts were built in the late 1700s, and gradually fell into disrepair as the city expanded and river invasion was no longer a concern. All of the forts had collapsed by the late 19th century, but two were rebuilt to be preserved in 1981 for the celebration of Bangkok's bicentennial celebration.

You can't go up into the fort, but you can get up close to it. It's amazing to see how thick the old city wall once was. Though it's not practical to build the city inside the wall anymore, parts of Bangkok's old wall can still be seen throughout the old town area.

Phra Sumen Fort

As we moved on past the park, Noi (our guide) led us onward to a famous old Thai music school which teaches traditional instruments and classical dance. When we poked our heads in, some young students were learning how to dance in the classical style to old Thai music. Music and dance is a huge part of Thai culture, and is seen not only as an art form, but also as a sort of sacred ritual.

a famous classical Thai dance school

We left the main stretch of Bang Lamphu, and headed deep into the twisting alleyways of northern Rattanakosin. We ventured deeper and deeper into the neighborhoods, to alleyways and sois too narrow for cars to drive down, where people still preserve a fairly traditional and quiet Bangkok lifestyle.

street art depicting Buddha

A local woman was stuffing leaves with rice and skewering them onto a stick to be boiled into a tasty Thai dessert. The snack, Noi told us, would be a sort of sticky rice custard to be served with fresh jackfruit.

a local woman making a snack of rice wrapped in leaves, which she will steam and serve with jackfruit

Further on, we passed the imposing structure of the Bank of Thailand headquarters. Once, this land belonged to Bang Khun Phrom Palace, one of Bangkok's several royal palaces. During a coup in the 1930s, the land was seized by the People's Party. The coup was the catalyst for the evolution of the Thai monarchy into a constitutional monarchy, and led to the introduction of democracy in Thailand. The original palace still stands, and is built in a German Art Nouveau style, and now is home to the Bank of Thailand Museum, which I have yet to visit.

the Bank of Thailand HQ

It was mid-morning, and we were feeling a little bit tired after walking so far in the heat. Time for a snack! We stopped at a local convenience store for a cold drink, then took a break for coffee and roasted bananas from a lady with a cart set up on the sidewalk.

grilled bananas

The woman served two types of skewered bananas, which she roasted over charcoal. These bananas are one of my favorite Thai desserts! Thailand has a ton of different types of bananas... way more varieties than I ever knew existed!

We walked on, past the United Nations building to an area that I'm actually kind of familiar with! We walked into the Dusit district near Chitralada Palace, and stopped in at Wat Makut.

Wat Makut Temple

I've actually been to this royal temple for two funerals in the past several years, but never had the chance to look around and explore.

https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2015/07/farewell-ajarn-my-first-thai-funeral.html

https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2019/10/royal-fire-700th-post.html

the main Buddha image inside the temple hall

The temple was constructed by HM King Rama IV as his personal royal temple, and is situated along the city's canal in a custom dating back to the Ayutthaya Period. The interior of the temple's prayer hall is stunning; the walls and pillars are covered in detailed murals depicting life and stories from the early days of Bangkok's Rattanakosin Period.

Just down the road is another royal temple, Wat Sumanat Wihan. King Rama IV built this temple to honor his wife who sadly died quite young. Today, this temple is maintained by the Thai Army, and is used for army funerals and cremations.

a temple built for the queen

The most remarkable feature of this royal temple is its huge and impressive copper-colored chedi (reliquary) which towers above the temple, pointing towards the sky.

a towering golden chedi

The chedi is situated away from the main temple buildings and is surrounded by its own wall, the interior of which is lined in dozens of golden Buddha images, each in a different symbolic posture.

dozens of golden Buddha images inside the temple

As we passed through the gate in the chedi's wall and removed our shoes, we had to be silent. A sign asked all visitors not to speak inside.

I climbed the stone steps leading up to the chedi, and followed the walkway which encircled the towering structure.

walking around the golden chedi

The walled courtyard with the huge chedi reminded me a bit of Wat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, although the layout isn't uncommon for larger temples in Thailand.

https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2017/03/doi-suthep.html

By then, it was just about lunchtime. As usual, Mr. Noi knew just the place to lead us! Nang Loeng Market is one of Bangkok's oldest and most famous, dating back to the year 1900. It's famous for its delicious food!

noodles with red pork

I ordered a bowl of rice noodles with barbecued red pork and sprinkled a little bit of hot chili on top. I'm getting so much better at eating spicy food these days.

Nang Loeng Market

After lunch we were nearing the end of our walk, but we still had a few sights to see. Just outside of the market we passed a 100 year-old cinema, one of the very first in the country. It's closed now, but there are plans to restore it.

one of the oldest cinemas in Thailand

We would end our walk near the Golden Mount Temple. On the way through the quiet neighborhoods on Rattanakosin Island, we passed some of Bangkok's more atmospheric neighborhoods. These old houses show a glimpse of what Bangkok once looked like before the shopping malls and metro lines crossed the city. Rattanakosin, though the heart of the city, still manages to keep its old town charm.

walking through some neighborhoods in Bangkok's old town

We ended our tour at the Rama VII Museum, which is dedicated to the life of the monarch as well as to the democracy movement which flourished during his reign (1925-1935). HM King Rama VII was the last absolute monarch of Siam, and his abdication in favor of his nephew led to the institution of the constitutional monarchy, which is celebrated by the nearby Democracy Monument.

King Rama VII Museum

The walk ended near the Golden Mount Temple, one of my favorite spots in Bangkok. I could have taken a taxi or a bus back to my neighborhood, but I decided to go by canal boat. It may take a bit longer, but it's a lot more fun to get across the city that way.

the Golden Mount

visiting the royal temple