The past two weeks have been very busy!
My mom came to Bangkok for a long-awaited visit; the first time someone has been able to visit me since COVID! She's heading back to the US now, and I've finally got some time to catch up on my blog and write about all of the fun adventures we went on over the past two weeks.
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| curbside pickup at BKK Airport |
My wife and I picked Mom up bright and early at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Bangkok has changed a lot over the past few years, and instead of riding the train into the city or taking a regular taxi, we booked one of the city's new luxury CABBs into town! Looking like a Londo cab, Bangkok's CABBs are a little more expensive than a regular taxi, but they are much nicer and far more comfortable.
It was still early enough to catch breakfast at the hotel after Mom checked in. To beat jet lag, we decided to start with a busy day in the city at the Museum Siam, a museum dedicated to Thai contemporary and pop culture.
Our real adventures began the next day. After breakfast at the hotel, I took Mom to the quiet Talad Noi neighborhood, one of the oldest parts of the city, to lead her on the tour I had planned earlier this year with the National Museum Neighborhood Walks program.
* I've done a writeup on my blog about the Neighborhood Walks before. You can read some of my posts below, or click on the links throughout this post if you want to learn more about some of the places we visited on our walk:
We took a taxi to the Grand Postal Building, from where our walk would commence! The old headquarters of the Thai Post was built in 1940.
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| The Grand Postal Building |
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| walking through a quiet Bangkok neighborhood |
Holy Rosary, or Kalawar Church (a Thai version of the Portuguese word " Calvario", meaning "Calvary") was founded in 1767 by a group of Portuguese merchants and diplomats following the Fall of Ayutthaya. The Portuguese were the earliest European country to establish diplomatic relations with Siam, with contact going back to 1511.
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Talad Noi literally means "little market". Back in the 18th century, this area was home to Bangkok's early Chinatown and foreign districts. Today, you can still find lots of embassies in this area, as well as a vibrant Thai-Chinese culture.
One of the most iconic symbols of this culture is the street art statue of a Chinese dragon made out of cooking instruments.
Next, we came to the headquarters of the Siam Commercial Bank, which is built in a beautiful colonial-style building along the banks of the Chaophraya River.
This was approximately the halfway point of the walk, and a fantastic location for a short break. We placed our order, then had a look at the amazing and eclectic collection of decorations at the cafe.
The second half of the self-guided walking tour took us down Samphaeng Lane towards Bangkok's historic Chinatown neighborhood.
Today, it's a wholesale market where shopkeepers and business owners can find just about anything they need in bulk.
Amazingly, Mom still wasn't tired! She wasn't quite ready to head back to her hotel yet, so we caught a cab to the riverside. I wanted to take her to visit IconSiam, Bangkok's grandest, newest shopping mall.
It was just a few days before the Loy Krathong Festival, and the mall was decorated in floating lanterns. Loy Krathong is one of my favorite Thai festivals, and it was one of the reasons Mom had planned her trip in early November (more on that later)!
Siam Commercial Bank was founded by Prince Jayanta Mongkon, a brother of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1904. The bank was established as an experimental organization to see if having its
own banking system rather than relying on foreign banks could boost Siam’s economy.
Originally cryptically called the “Book Club” in order to keep the project a secret, the experiment was seen as a success, and the bank was granted a commercial license under royal approval in 1907. The headquarters in Talad Noi were opened in 1910, and King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) granted SCB approval to display a royal Garuda as a symbol of its royal warrant in 1911.
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| SCB is the oldest bank in Thailand, the only bank which operates under a royal warrant. |
The streets in the Talad Noi area are filled with small cafes built in historic homes and winding streets painted with colorful murals. It's one of the oldest parts of the city, but Talad Noi remains mostly unknown to tourists.
The bright red Hong Wong Kung Shrine is located in a large courtyard on the banks of the
Further on is the 230 year-old Sol Heng Tai Mansion, the ancestral home of the Sol Clan, a wealthy Thai-Chinese family of silk merchants. Today, the descendants of the original family still live in the mansion, a very traditional Chinese courtyard-style home.
To help support the family and preserve the mansion, the entrepreneurial family has converted the property for a variety of clever uses. It's primarily a coffee shop, with plenty of atmospheric spots to sit and enjoy your iced mocha in the shade, but not long ago the family installed a large pool. Now, it's one of the premier diving schools in Bangkok.
The area's history as Bangkok's original Chinatown neighborhood is still clearly evident in the Chinese-style shophouses, temples, and shrines - each of which was originally built to accommodate the social and spiritual needs of different communities of Chinese merchants, traders, and diplomats who set up shop along the banks of the Chaophraya.
Chaophraya River. The shrine is a testament to the Hakka architectural style. In the interior house
you can find the statue of Hong Wong Kung, the first emperor of the Han dynasty of China (206 BC-220 AD).
To help support the family and preserve the mansion, the entrepreneurial family has converted the property for a variety of clever uses. It's primarily a coffee shop, with plenty of atmospheric spots to sit and enjoy your iced mocha in the shade, but not long ago the family installed a large pool. Now, it's one of the premier diving schools in Bangkok.
One of the most iconic landmarks in the winding back streets of Talad Noi is the rusting body of an old Fiat 500. As you walk through the neighborhood, you will notice mountains of scrap metal, car parts, and old machinery piled up inside and outside of the small local shops. This area does a vibrant trade in
used metal. While some shops buy and sell any and all automobile and machine parts, most shops
specialize - one shop might be dedicated to car breaks; another might be dedicated to engine parts.
Shortly, we stopped for coffee at Hong Sieng Kong Cafe. Built in a refurbished 19th century Chinese merchant's house, the owner of the cafe is an arts and antiques trader, and the cafe is decorated in amazing art, statues, and artifacts from all across Asia.
This was approximately the halfway point of the walk, and a fantastic location for a short break. We placed our order, then had a look at the amazing and eclectic collection of decorations at the cafe.
The second half of the self-guided walking tour took us down Samphaeng Lane towards Bangkok's historic Chinatown neighborhood.
When King Rama I (1782-1809) moved the settlement of Chinese merchants and workers from the land
around a small fishing village called Bang Kok when he needed to build the new capital after the fall of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, he offered them land further to the southeast, beyond the second moat and the new city wall.
China was essentially the only trading partner at this time. The Chinese junk trade grew very
quickly after Bangkok was founded, the ships moored along the middle of the river and small boats
transporting goods to and from the warehouses on shore (now Songwat road).
Samphaeng Lane therefore grew as a thoroughfare parallel to the river, with narrow lanes running
down to the water’s edge on one side, and out to the muddy limits of the settlement on the other,
beyond which was a waterlogged area that marked the beginning of the Sea of Mud, a large stretch
of estuary country that formed an effective eastern defense for the city.
Passing through Samphaeng Lane, we came to Chinatown proper, the biggest Chinatown neighborhood in the world.
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| Bangkok's Chinatown |
Our walk took us through the dark and winding alleyways of a local market, where spices, teas, and Chinese herbal medicine can be bought by the kilo.
The shrine is considered to be the oldest Chinese shrine in Thailand, based on a plaque contained inside with a Chinese inscription stating that it was built in 1658, during the Ayutthaya period. Thought to have originally been a Teochew-style shrine, it would have been used by Chinese businessmen aiming to improve the prosperity of their businesses and to establish social connections.
Next, we arrived at Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat, the largest and most important Chinese temple in Bangkok, and the center of Thai-Chinese culture. While the vast majority of temples in Thailand are of the Theravada school of Buddhism, Wat Mangkorn is one of the very few Mahayana temples in the country.
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| a local duck restaurant within the market |
Leng Buai Ia Shrine is a Chinese shrine, in the Samphanthawong district of Bangkok's Chinatown. It is located in a courtyard among a network of narrow alleys off Charoen Krung Road.
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| Leng Buai Ia |
The shrine is considered to be the oldest Chinese shrine in Thailand, based on a plaque contained inside with a Chinese inscription stating that it was built in 1658, during the Ayutthaya period. Thought to have originally been a Teochew-style shrine, it would have been used by Chinese businessmen aiming to improve the prosperity of their businesses and to establish social connections.
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| the interior of the Teochew shrine |
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| a sleepy temple cat |
Next, we arrived at Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat, the largest and most important Chinese temple in Bangkok, and the center of Thai-Chinese culture. While the vast majority of temples in Thailand are of the Theravada school of Buddhism, Wat Mangkorn is one of the very few Mahayana temples in the country.
The Blog of Michael Desrosiers: Chinese New Year on Yaowarat Road
Wat Mangkorn, also known as Wat Leng Noei Yi, is the largest and most important Chinese Buddhist
temple in Bangkok. Founded in 1871, it hosts celebrations of a number of year-round events, including Chinese New Year and the annual Chinese vegetarian festival.
Wat Leng Noei Yi. It was later given its current name, Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat, meaning "Dragon
Lotus Temple", by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
The Poh Teck Tung Foundation (also known by its Chinese name, Huáqiáo Bàodé Shàntáng) is one of many Thai-Chinese charity foundations located throughout Bangkok. Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes enlightenment through works, and incorporate the belief in bodhisattvas - enlightened beings who remain on earth in order to help others.
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| the Poh Teck Tung Foundation shrine |
Dating back to the 1930s, this particular foundation provides emergency assistance and disaster relief, and collects and properly handles unclaimed bodies following road accidents. When visiting the shrine, you are welcome to make a donation - as small or as large as you like - which goes directly to funding the foundation's activities and helping those in need.
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| someone making a donation to the foundation |
The main shrine is dedicated to Tai Hong Kong, the patron saint of the foundation. Born in 797, Tai Hong Kong was a brilliant young man. He earned his imperial diploma and subsequently served as a civil servant and a Buddhist monk. He was well known across China for his social welfare projects which benefited the common people.
Amazingly, Mom still wasn't tired! She wasn't quite ready to head back to her hotel yet, so we caught a cab to the riverside. I wanted to take her to visit IconSiam, Bangkok's grandest, newest shopping mall.
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| the boat to Icon Siam |
IconSiam is a luxury development on the banks of the Chaophrya. It can be reached via the brand-new Gold Line Monorail, but the more fun way to get there is to take the free shuttle boat from Central Pier.
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| a skyscraper along the river |
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| arriving at IconSiam |
It was just a few days before the Loy Krathong Festival, and the mall was decorated in floating lanterns. Loy Krathong is one of my favorite Thai festivals, and it was one of the reasons Mom had planned her trip in early November (more on that later)!
Finally, it was time to go back (though, to be honest, I think I ran out of steam before Mom did!). It's important to be busy on your first day in a new country to beat jet lag, and I think we certainly did a good job of that.
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