After an overnight layover in Manila (never again), I arrived in Bangkok (1) mid-morning and hopped the train downtown. Walking to the hotel, a man started chatting with me: "You're not Thai, you're too tall" (2). He seemed genuinely proud to tell me of the wonderful things to see and do in Bangkok.
I wandered from the hotel (near Hua Lamphong station) through the warren of streets that appeared to be the metal-working part of town. There was a dock with a ferry approaching; I hopped on. The ticket seller jangled a metal canister of coins, while the deckhand in back blew his whistle (3). The boat headed north, affording fine views of the old city to the west and the new city to the east.
At one bridge, I noticed the metro high above. An elevated metro is another good way to see the city; off the boat and onto the metro going down the west side of the river (4), seeing the other side of many of the buildings and temples on the river.
A local bike company offers a night tour of the city. I joined two Americans on vacation from the US consulate in Almaty, Kazakhstan (5). We rode on streets, on sidewalks, down alleyways too narrow for bikes, and through a market. We were either in danger or endangering others. After passing through the woodworking and basket weaving part of town, we crossed the river by ferry. The tour finally stopped at the Wat Arun (Dawn Temple) to hear some of the city's history. before stopping (at a 7-11) to get drinks and sample some street food (6) at the night flower market. The trip ended by circling the Royal Palace on car-free streets.
(1) "Bangkok" means place for olive trees, although the city's official name has too many syllabus to count: "Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit."
(2) My B.S. radar detected no danger. As an older man travelling alone, I am ocassionally approached by people trying to scam me, or to "find me a girl."
(3) The deckhand's whistle pattern sermed to be:
1. approaching a stop:
a. one short whistle: no need to stop, nobody getting off
b. multiple short whistles: stop requested
2. at a stop:
one long whistle: the boat is cast off & ready to go.
(4) For a metro without a flat fare, Bangkok's is very visitor friendly. Hit the station you want to go to on the screen and it tells you the fare; deposit the fare and you're good to go. Or, you can just tap your credit card at the entrance and exit gates with no thought needed (a).
(a) Unlike the train from the International arrivals hall, which does not take credit cards, only local currency (but not the dominations dispensed at the adjacent ATMs). They obviously did not think this through.
(5) The guide was pleased I came; I was the first walk-in they've had in 3 years (most of which they were closed due to Covid).
(6) I had already pointed at random meat on a stick on Bangkok's sidewalks a few times today. It which worked out well (usually for me, occasionally for the stray dogs which are common in the city).
View of Wat Arun from the river
Wat Arun at night
Detail of Wat Arun, made of porcelain
In the Wat Arun complex
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