Thursday, September 17, 2020

The Swing

Unlike many expats in Bangkok, I have no trouble taking the bus! As a matter of fact, I took the Bangkok bus system many, many times in my first several years in the city. It's not so hard once you figure it out!


I decided to hop on a #8 bus. I knew that it went to the Old Town, but I had never taken it that far. It was an adventure! Eventually, I ended up in front of Wat Suthat, the Temple of the Giant Swing.


The Old Town, or Rattanakosin Island, is an artificial island carved from the Chaophraya river back in the 1700s. The island is home to the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, and most of Thailand's most important temples.


Wat Suthat is a royal-grade temple located just down the road from the Golden Mount and the Iron Castle. It's one of Bangkok's most famous sites; the Giant Swing appears on most of the city's marketing, although not too many people know the history of this odd monument.



The Giant Swing was once a vital part of one of Thailand's most important Brahmin ceremonies. Now, it stands empty, but it still sits outside of the kingdom's Royal Brahmin HQ. 




Wat Suthat is one of ten first-class royal temples in Bangkok, and is one of the city's most iconic landmarks. 


While the swing out front might be famous, the temple itself tends to be overlooked in favor of other nearby sites like the Golden Mount. 


It's worth visiting, however, as Wat Suthat is a beautiful temple which displays a very classic Rattanakosin-style temple architecture.


It's rare to see this popular temple nearly empty, but with the continuing travel restrictions, there are still no tourists in Thailand. That means it's the perfect time to visit the places that are normally too crowded to be able to fully enjoy.


Maybe I'll have to make a visit to the Grand Palace before the country opens back up again...


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