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TRAVEL IN BANKOK

Aug 30 2007  | Views 236 |  Comments  (1)
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There are two things that strike the Indian tourist the moment he steps off the flight at Bangkok International airport and walks out of the airport terminal. The first is the cultural similarities between the Thai and Indian cultures. Where else would you find a place named Ayutthya (the old capital of the country; the name derives from Ayodhya) and the names of kings like Rama? Even the new airport, named Suvarnabhumi (or the Golden Land, which is the traditional name for the Indo-Chinese Thailand-Cambodia-Laos-Burma region) , exhibits strong Hindu and Buddhist influence-there are panels depicting the avatars of Lord Vishnu in the terminal building. And the similarities dont just stop there- step outside and you will come face to face with Thailands autorickshaws, called by the enigmatic name of tuk-tuks (Delhiites will immediately recall their phat-phattis!)

Missing the namaste greeting back home? Thailand has its own version! The traditional Thai greeting, the wai, is offered first by the younger of the two people meeting, with his hands pressed together, fingertips pointing upwards as the head is bowed to touch the face to the hands, usually coinciding with the spoken expression "Sawat-dii khrap" for male speakers, and "Sawat-dii ka" for females. The older person then reciprocates the greeting.


The other similarity which will make Mumbai-wallahs feel at home are the massive traffic jams that the Thai capital experiences. Well, did you think you would so easily escape from the noise and bustle by coming here? Youre not so lucky, after all! But Indians would do well to note some important differences: the taxis in Bangkok are the modern and sleek Toyota Camrys not the lumbering elephant-like Ambassador and more importantly, cars travel within their lanes (at least in cities), and so there is less chaos.. Another form of transport are the motorcycle taxis ( motosai ) found in some areas of the city, where you can pillion ride behind the driver. Something that will catch on in India in a bigger way soon?

Indians are attracted by several things in Thailand. There is the shopping, one of the primary excuses for people to visit the country. Shopping here is indeed fruitful-you have enough variety to choose from, and goods are inexpensive and of decent quality. Then there is the food-whether you like Thai noodles or seafood or rice, you will get plenty of opportunities to sample the local cuisine. Prices in five-star hotels are lower than those in India; but for a true flavour of the city, stop by any of the road side shops for a quick meal of fried Thai noodles, preferably while contemplating the shores of the Chao Praya river. Next come the beaches-Phuket and Pattaya are an all time favourites, tsunami or not. Also a big attraction is the architecture of the temples-there are several dozens in Bangkok with their gold leaf coverings and use of porcelain. And finally, there is the night life..what more could you want on a visit?

First on the itinerary for any visitor to Bangkok is the GrandPalace, a complex with several magnificent royal houses, temples and museums. The Palacewas built in the late 18th century by King Rama I who established Bangkok as Thailands new capital. The palace complex was intended to be bigger and more grandiose than the earlier palaces constructed in the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya eras, to underline the might of the new king and his decision to establish a new capital for his lineage. The result was a palace housing much gold and jewels and possessing a magnificence never seen before in the country. The complex today provides a good introduction to Thai architecture and its use of gold leaf and ceramics for decorative work. The sloping roofs of all the temples (or wats, as they are called in Thailand) are simply overflowing with such decorations! Multi-coloured, ornate and pointed, these roofs are visible for miles and left me marveling at the use of these fairly simple materials to create structures of such beauty!

Perhaps the most famous structure inside the palace complex is the Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The temple is justly famous for its gigantic gold plated reclining figure of the Buddha which is almost 46 metres long and 15 metres high. Notice the soles of the Buddhas feet-they are beautifully inlaid with mother of pearl. The temple is also regarded as the first centre of public education in the country and is sometimes called Thailand's first university.
Not far from the GrandPalace and its temple is the Chao Praya river. Before crossing its banks, I stopped for a plate of steaming hot noodles by the rivers side. A brochure conveniently placed on my table provided me a brief background to the noodles before I placed an order and explained the different varieties available. Evidently, the most common kind by far is rice noodles, served in angel-hair (yes I noted the name correctly!), small, large and giant varieties, but egg noodles, Chinese-type stuffed wonton ravioli and glass noodles made from mung beans are also consumed. Chopsticks are usually used to eat noodles, but less skilful people such as me were allowed to use forks. I chose to sample a noodle dish called the Phat thai literally (fried Thai), comprising thin rice noodles fried in a tamarind-based sauce. Fish sauce was provided along with the dish. In fact, vegetarians beware-this condiment is added to many meals, even if they are supposed to be vegetarian ones, so you have to inform your chef not to do so!

Well, after the tasty meal, the temple of Wat Arunbeckoned me from across the river. Using a ferry is the best way to cross and services are extremely cheap and frequent. Bangkok is also famous as the city of canals in Asia, with several people subsisting on the river and the livelihood it provides them in more ways than one. Providing tourists with boat and ferry services is certainly one of them; and the river was full of boats of different shapes, sizes and types. Perhaps the most recognizable and distinctively Thai one is the reua hang yao , (or the long-tailed boat, which is a long, thin wooden boat with the propeller at the end of a long 'tail' extending from the boat. Even the boats had a distinctive Thai style and seemed to mirror the pointed roofs of the ubiquitous temples in Bangkok!

The Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun) lay a short ride away. As usual, its soaring spire, 70 metres in height and ornately decorated with coloured glass and Chinese porcelain stood out like a sentinel, beckoning me to come closer.

As I approached the temple, I realized that there were actually four symmetrical smaller spires complementing the larger one. Construction of the spires was started by King Rama II in the early part of the 19th century, and completed by his successor Rama III. The temple itself, however, is considerably older. A guide patiently explained how the prang or spire had been constructed. Over the brick base, plaster was applied and then decorated with bits of Chinese porcelain and glazed ceramic tiles. Think that proved to be expensive? Not so, for in the early days of Bangkok, Chinese trading ships that sailed to the Siamese capital used hundreds of tons of porcelain as ballast. The secret was out as to how the city actually seemed to have so much of porcelain and ceramic material available in that day and age!

Those interested in religious symbology will be interested to hear that the central prang was built to signify MountMeru, and the four smaller ones by its side represent the four winds blowing from all directions. Look carefully at the top of the four smaller towers, and tell me what you see said the guide. We looked up and the saw a seated figure on a horse. The guide explained that they were statues of the wind God on his horse.
Like in India, the stages of Buddhas life- birth, meditation, preaching and enlightenment were depicted in the temple, that seemed to represent a remarkable fusion of Hindu and Buddhist design and philosophy.
The sun was setting on my first day in Bangkok and my limbs were growing weary. I returned to my hotel and before turning in for the night, decided to have a traditional Thai meal. Thai cuisine is primarily rice-based (so much so that the word for eating in the Thai language, kin khao, literally means eat rice!) Lemon grass and rice and fresh coriander gives Thai food its distinctive taste. Like noodles, you are offered several options for rice in most restaurants in the city. Khao suai or beautiful rice is simple plain white steamed rice, a base for the meal. Khao phat contains some pork or chicken mixed in, while Khao nio or sticky rice is somewhat glutinous as the name suggests, and is usually eaten dry, and some non vegetarian additives such as chicken. Before your meal, you could also try the quintessential Tom yam kung, a sour soup with prawns, lemongrass and galangal. Traditionally quite spicy, toned-down versions are usually available.
In fact, most Thai food does have a reputation for being spicy, and contains little torpedo-shaped chillies that are called phrik khii nuu, Can you guess what that means? I thought the waiter was joking when he said that it translated into mouse shit chillies, but he wasnt.appetising, huh? Well, the meal certainly was-I was tired and the rice was well cooked. I didnt east the chillies though.
The next day was shopping day for me! You are spoilt for choice in the city. Clothes, electronics, jewelry, silks etc-all are readily available for good prices. Look for some attractive bronze and silver ware as well. Modern and traditional outlets jostle for space in the city-look for bargains before blowing your baht! Most vendors and staff at stores speak decent enough English. The most well known malls in Bangkok are the older ones such as the MBK and the Siam Centre, and now the newer malls such as the Siam Paragon, famous for its luxury goods (you can even by a Ferrari here, say some tourism brochures) and the newly opened Central World Shopping Mall on Rajadamri Road, that has over 550,000 square metres of shopping space and is said to be currently the largest lifestyle mall in the whole of South East Asia.

If you do not wish to shop in the hot summer afternoons, you can check out the night markets of the city. Imitation Rolex watches and many other brands are available in the Patpong Night Market, also known for its slightly sleazy nightclubs. More modest visitors can visit the Suan Luam night bazaar, quite an experience!

If you are interested in a souvenir, check out wickerwork products. These are typically south-east Asian; and are utilised in almost every aspect of daily life in Thailand. Furniture, baskets, hats, mats, even the walls of rural homes are made from this locally abundant ethnic material.I visited GaysornPlaza's ThaiCraftMuseum to do my souvenir shopping; a place that stocks several examples of ethnic Thai designs.
However, your shopping visit cannot be said to be complete till you partake of a Bangkok specialty-the floating markets. These Talaat Naam as they are locally called, sees people pack their wares onto small boats on the citys canals and compete vociferously with each other for the attention of buyers alongside canals. As I gaze down the canal, I am reminded of the sabzi mandis back home. The canal is so choc-a-bloc with the boats that you can hardly see the water! I did however glimpse something to hold my attention-Thai women sellers here paddle along the canal in distinctive blue shirts and flat-topped hats.

Well, the day was ending and I was leaving early the next day. I had really enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds of the city. India certainly seemed to have exerted a fair degree of influence on this neighbouring country; its soft power paying dividends to this day. A lesson for latter day would-be imperialists, perhaps?

© bsiddharth-2001., all rights reserved.

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