Bangkok 101

Bangkok Thailand – the name alone evokes images of a mysterious oriental cityscape of busy streets, sidewalk vendors, bustling markets, exotic entertainments, and striking Buddhist architecture. As the capital of modern Thailand and the center of its burgeoning economy Bangkok is a multifaceted city filled with myriad delights and destinations. Known as the “Venice of the East” because of its many canals and water-bourn culture (the word Bangkok means “water-flower village”), Thais themselves refer to the city as Krung Thep, City of Angels.
Bangkok’s history is relatively brief. Following the fall of Ayuthaya (Siam’s historic capital and a World Heritage site - an easy daytrip from Bangkok) to the Burmese in the late 18th century, Siamese society was fractured and prostrate. A hero emerged, Taksin, who rallied and united the Siamese people and established a new capital at Thonburi on the Chao Phraya River. The next king, Chao Phraya Chakri (Rama I, founder of the current dynasty) moved the capital across the river and founded Bangkok in 1782. Bangkok has been Siam/Thailand’s capital and primary city ever since. Rama undertook an ambitious building program including the Grand Palace complex and Wat Phra Kaew in an attempt to recapture the lost glory of Ayuthaya. Other important Wats and palaces followed in successive decades. From a western perspective, Bangkok burst into the public consciousness during the Vietnam War as American GIs flocked here on leave. The Southeast Asian economic boom of the 1980s and ‘90s fueled the explosive expansion of Bangkok into the teeming metropolis of 10 million it is today.
Bangkok’s top sights are clearly the Grand Palace complex and Wat Pho. The highlight of a Grand Palace visit is Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha. The complex is a jaw-dropping collection of spectacular buildings, monuments, and statues. The entrance is guarded by two fantastic yaksha, or mythical giants. The compound walls are lined with beautifully restored murals of the Ramakian (Thai version of the Ramayana). The grounds are punctuated by multiple stupas, with their dramatically and diversely decorated prangs (spires). Many stupas are ringed by elaborate mythical warriors. The bots (temples buildings) are decorated by colored tiles and tiny mirrors – quite dazzling. Brightly gilded mythical statues add to the fantastical, mystical ambiance.
Next door Wat Pho is Bangkok’s oldest temple. Pho is another complex of beautiful bots and stupas (more than 100) and home to Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha. The striking, 150 foot long, gilded gold statue barely fits in its bot. The soles of the feet are particularly interesting, displaying 108 auspicious laksana (characteristics of the Buddha) in mother of pearl. Thailand’s largest collection of Buddha images (almost 400) is also housed here. Lastly, Wat Pho is the national center for traditional Thai medicine, including Thai massage. There is no better place in the country for this obligatory experience. For about $10, one can experience 90 minutes of therapeutic, relaxing heaven.
Bangkok’s third signature sight is Wat Arun – the Temple of the Dawn. Its 266 foot Khmer-style prang dominates the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River. Wat Arun was founded by Taksin but the tower itself was built by Ramas II and III in the early 19th century. One of Arun’s unique and pleasing features is its creative design and decoration. The materials used are a lesson in early Asian recycling. The entire stupa is decorated with broken Chinese porcelain. Eighteenth century Chinese trading ships used tons of broken porcelain as ballast, providing inexpensive, readily available materials.
After the Big Three, Bangkok boasts dozens of additional, interesting wats and sights. Among them is Wat Saket. Located atop an artificial hill, together they are known as the Golden Mount. Panoramic views of the city, Buddhist prayer wheels and bells, and the golden wat itself reward those who brave the winding hike up the hill. Wat Benchamabophit is a stirring example of modern Thai architecture and is made of Carrara marble. Wat Traimit in Chinatown contains the impressive 10-foot, 5+ ton solid gold Buddha. Dusit Palace Park contains several worthwhile sights. A green oasis in the concrete metropolis, Dusit displays photogenic gardens, a pleasant zoo, Vimanmek Teak Mansion, Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall, the Royal Elephant Museum, and an Ancient Cloth Museum. Nearby is Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Bangkok boasts several museums as well, including the National Musuem (religious sculpture) and the Royal Barge Museum. Monuments worth a look are the Art Deco-style Democracy Monument, the Rama V Memorial (King Chulalongkorn of “The King and I” fame), and the Erawan Shrine with its attendant musicians and dancers. The Jim Thompson House rounds out a Bangkok visit nicely. American Jim Thompson was essentially the father of the Thai silk industry. An interesting character, Thompson appreciated Thai art and culture and his home is a great example of residential architecture and Thai art.
No discussion of Thailand’s capital is complete with mentioning its tremendous shopping opportunities. First on any Bangkok shopping list should be clothing and textiles. Inexpensive clothing, both local fashions and designer knock-offs are ubiquitous. Thai silk is famous the world over and Bangkok tailors are a real bargain. Handicrafts are equally plentiful and varied. Teak carvings, masks, ceramics, baskets, wall hangings, pottery, handbags, table linens, and even stuffed animals are just the beginning. Gems and jewelry are also a great value. The shopping experience itself can be a recreational endeavor here. Markets abound. The most famous are the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Chatuchak Weekend Market, Sampeng Lane, Nakhon Kasem (electronics), and Phahurat (textiles). Additionally, almost every neighborhood boasts a food market and there are several flower and/or plant markets. Although it has become primarily a tourist attraction, the Damnoen Saduak floating market is a famous daytrip.
Bangkok is one of Asia’s great entertainment capitals. As the center of the country’s music industry, the city offers many live music venues, both traditional and western. For those interested, dance clubs and movie theaters are everywhere. For traditional performing arts Chalermkung Royal Theater offers performances of khohn (masked dance-drama). Natayasala presents the ancient art of Thai puppetry. Classical Thai dance can be enjoyed at the National Theater, the Thailand Cultural Center, and Dusit Palace Park. Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing, is an exciting mix of boxing, ultimate fighting, and martial arts (but much of the show is in the stands). While there are venues all over the city the best boxers fight at Lumphini and Ratchadamnoen Stadiums.
In addition to the sights everyone wants to see, we at Imprint Tours are always on the lookout for off-the-beaten-track, out-of-the-way places to get a taste of real cultural life. Bangkok offers several options for the savvy traveler as well as some very unusual activities.
Our favorite way to escape the crush of urban Bangkok is to take a klong (canal) tour of the Thonburi district. Thonburi retains the feel of village Thailand despite being surrounded by ultra-urban Bangkok. Once you leave the river in your longtail boat you enter a different world – one of real, workaday Thai life. The visitor experiences the true waterborne nature of Bangkok life. One sees children playing, swimming, and bathing; people fishing, doing laundry, cooking and/or eating a meal – all on the water. Beautiful teak mansions sit side by side with ramshackle hovels. Temple compounds and schools provide public areas for community gathering. Extremely poor people smile and wave with no apparent envy of our western affluence. On our Tantalizing Thailand tour we organize a dusk klong tour, a great time for quiet people watching and photographing. Another way to get even deeper into “village Bangkok” is on a bicycle. Several tour operators feature half-day cycling trips to the Bang Bua Thong or Bang Kra Jao neighborhoods where visitors are exposed to real Thai village life.
Another urban excursion that exposes travelers to rural life is Ko Kred. This artificial island is like a time capsule. With no roads, the island is traversed only by walkways. The island is famous for its fruit and its terracotta pottery. The island is mostly populated by ethnic Mon villagers. Traditional Mon life is on display with their traditional wooden stilt houses interspersed among the orchards. Some pleasant riverside wats are worth a look, especially Wat Paramaiyikawat (or Wat Poramai).
Lastly, Bangkok is famous for its night life. Much of it is seedy and driven by the sex industry. But even straight-laced visitors can get a “sanitized” glimpse of late-night Bangkok at the Kathoey cabarets. Several venues are tourist friendly and one can see choreographed stage shows of Broadway hits and lip-synched hits performed by kathoeys transvestite “lady boy”) in lavish, sequined costumes. Alternative Bangkok also includes the Forensic Medicine Museum with its preserved cadavers, body parts, and clothing from famous Thai murders. There is also a Museum of Counterfeit Goods, a Corrections Museum, and a snake farm.
Whatever one’s tastes or interests Bangkok offers much to engage the traveler. Access is easy via a brand new international airport and good, inexpensive public transportation makes getting around a breeze. And like all of Southeast Asia, compared to western destination cities, Bangkok continues to be a tremendous travel value.

Elephants in Thailand

Whether traveling independently or on a tour, an elephant encounter is almost certainly a part of a trip to Thailand. Modern Thais recognize our western fascination with the massive pachyderms and camps, shows, and trekking have proliferated with the advance of tourism. But the historical role of elephants in Thai society has been much more than entertainment for tourists. Elephants have long been an important element of Thai spiritual, cultural, and economic life.
As a significant presence in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology elephants hold a place of profound spiritual significance. The Hindu deity Ganesh, with his elephant’s head, is the god of knowledge and remover of obstacles and is depicted on temples throughout the country. Another Hindu deity, Indra is often shown with his three-headed elephant mount Erawan. In Buddhist lore the future Buddha’s mother was only able to conceive after dreaming of a white elephant. The legend is the source of the elephant’s sacred/royal status in Thailand. Throughout Thai history rare white elephants were considered sacred and, by law, belonged only to the king. The 13th century King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai furthered the special status by adopting the white elephant as a symbol of greatness and divinity. The current Thai king owns twelve.
Official white elephant status is conferred only after passing a battery of rigorous physical and behavioral tests. A successful candidate is presented to the king in an elaborate ceremony which includes a parade and anointing with holy water. Our expression “white elephant” probably has its origins in the legend that Thai kings once presented enemies with actual white elephants. Elephants were and are expensive to maintain. Since white elephants were sacred they could not be used for labor, thus making an undue burden for those having received them.
Beyond their symbolic role Thai elephants have long provided a practical benefit. Elephants were valuable resources for warfare, providing formidable physical and psychological advantages. Nineteenth century king Rama IV (of “The King and I” fame) really did offer Abraham Lincoln elephants to use in the Civil War. Elephants have also been tremendous beasts of burden, helping to move massive stones, clear forests, and carry timber. Domesticated elephants are assigned their own mahout (trainer, keeper, and driver). Training begins at age 4 and progresses very gradually, slowly building trust, over a dozen years. In that time the elephant learns about 40 commands. At age 16 the elephant is ready to labor for the next 35 to 45 years.
Recent events have made the plight of Thailand’s elephants precarious. Ironically, the timber industry has proved to be a negative factor. Mechanized logging has rapidly destroyed elephant habitat and overuse has led to a commercial logging ban in 1989. The wild elephant population has been reduced to under 2000 while the domestic population, around 3000 (from a total population of 15,000 in 1984), has been made largely redundant. Unemployment has forced many mahouts to turn their animals loose. The freed beasts become nuisances and are frequently hunted and killed. Ecotourism appears to be one of the only sustainable sources of elephant employment remaining in Thailand.
As part of our commitment to responsible travel, Imprint Tours’ Tantalizing Thailand visits the Thai Elephant Conservation Center near Lampang. Originally established as Thailand’s first elephant training center, the ECC has emphasized elephant conservation since opening their current center in 1992. Entrance proceeds help finance the elephant hospital which cares for sick, abused, and abandoned elephants. We arrive to see the elephants bathing in the river, then enjoy the elephant show (transporting logs, demonstrating skills, painting, and even making music), and enjoy a jungle ride. The ECC also offers a unique home-stay program where participants spend up to three days learning to be temporary mahouts. www.changthai.com

Balinese Cremations

The accessibility of Bali’s traditional culture sets it apart as a travel destination. Visitors are not only welcomed but encouraged to attend temple festivals. Balinese dance-drama, perhaps the island’s most famous attribute, remains an authentic part of Balinese religious and social life yet is still performed with enthusiasm for tourists. Of all the cultural events available to travelers the greatest spectacle is a cremation. Although it may seem strange to westerners, Balinese cremations are very celebratory and public occasions. Think more wake than funeral and prepare to be engaged by the “more the merrier” attitude of the local participants.
A cremation day is characterized more by fun and laughter than mourning – they are liberating the soul of the departed, freeing them to reincarnate. According to Bali’s unique form of Hinduism, the body is only a shell; the vessel of the soul. After death the soul lingers near the body until being liberated by fire. Therefore the ceremony is a big send off. The Balinese look forward to it, often make provision for it during life, and an ostentatious event gains prestige for the family. Expenses are often enormous with priest’s fees, costly structures, offerings, and food and entertainment provided for guests. Often a family of limited means must wait, sometimes for years, to save enough money.
Upon death, elaborate religious and purification rites are observed, lasting several days. The body is then taken to a cemetery and buried. Once the family has marshaled enough resources a priest determines an auspicious day for the cremation and the body is exhumed. An effigy is made to contain the soul and it is cared for until the cremation. On the eve of cremation the effigy is presented to a priest for final blessing.
The next day the body is placed in an elaborately designed and decorated tower for transport. As many as 75 men are required to carry it. When all the preparations are ready and guests have been feasted, a grand procession starts toward the cremation grounds. Attended by music, dancers, revelers, and women carrying effigies, the tower is turned, spun, and whirled to confuse the spirit and prevent it from reentering the body. Upon arrival at the grounds the body is brought down a ramp from the tower and placed in an animal-shaped sarcophagus which in turn is placed on a pyre under a pavilion. Family come forward to honor the deceased, a priest recites prayers, holy water is poured over the sarcophagus, offerings and tributes are added to the pyre, the soul effigy is added, and after a final blessing all is set ablaze. Throughout the entire affair there is no hysteria and, by western standards, little reverence. Since the body is merely a vessel the ceremony is attended by much joking, laughing, and even talking to the corpse. Much later, when all is consumed, the ashes are placed in an urn, a new procession is formed, and the family and attendees march to the sea. There the ashes are dumped and the family bathes in the water for ritual cleansing.
As suggested above, perhaps the most remarkable feature of a Balinese cremation and Balinese culture in general is the way travelers are encouraged to participate. All western sensibilities of voyeurism must be suspended. There is no feeling of intrusion. While one cannot plan long range for a cremation, on Imprint’s Beautiful Bali tour we have deliberately structured our itinerary to allow maximum flexibility for attending a cremation as an included tour activity. A few weeks before the tour we will consult the Balinese calendar. It is very likely that at least one cremation will take place during the fortnight of the tour. With the exception of days 3-5 (when we fly to Jogjakarta on neighboring Java), we will be able to accommodate a cremation excursion on any day of the tour.*

*Provided the cremation is within reasonable driving distance.