a waiter at greyhound cafe in bangkok

With my human rights summer internship hat on...is making him wear that shirt as a uniform a human rights violation? =)

monks in the modern world

At an internet cafe in Luang Prabang


Shopping for mobile phones in MBK (Bangkok)

en route to khao san

“Are you wearing heels? No? Good. When the boat pulls up, grab the rope and jump in as quickly as possible, otherwise you might fall into the canal.” Thus warned, I prepared myself for my first klong (canal) waterbus experience.

It was 5:00 p.m. on a Friday and I wanted to get to Khao San Road from Sukhumvit Soi 49 in under an hour. Though Khao San Road is the backpacker ghetto, it is not accessible by either the BTS or the MRT. I knew a taxi ride would lead to an hour of frustration at the very least, so I turned to my colleagues for advice. They suggested I first take the Klong Saen Saep waterbus taxi from the Muslim neighbourhood behind our office and then switch to a motorcycle taxi at Phan Fa. (Estimated travel time: 40 minutes, Waterbus Tax: 12B, Motorcycle Taxi: 30B)

The waterbus is not for the fussy or uncoordinated. The four “conductors” hang onto the sides of the boat and wear crash helmets (!) Some things to know before you decide to take this form of public transportation:

- The boat does not dock at the piers! It slows down close to the platform and you literally have to jump on and off. You can balance yourself by hanging on to the ropes on the sides of the boat. Don’t feel bad if you see women in high heels and short skirts doing this move with ease and grace. They do it everyday.

- You’re travelling through a canal so the smell is none too pleasant.

- But! The views are great. Old teak houses line the canal conjuring up the Bangkok of yesteryear. Then beyond the teak houses, skyscrapers soar. The juxtaposition is stark.

- Make sure someone in your boat is operating the plastic splashguards! There are ropes on either side of the boat which passengers must pull down to ensure that everyone doesn’t leave the boat wet and smelly.

- If you easily get seasick, this is not for you. Because the canal is narrow and boats going both directions stop on the left and right banks, there’s a lot of engine cutting and bouncing around in the water.

Anyway, I jumped off the boat at Phan Fa and then rode behind the motorcycle man to Khao San. I quickly discovered that jumping on and off the waterbus taxi was not half as dangerous as the motor man. The guy weaved in and out of traffic like there was no traffic. We were literally one inch away from vehicles on either side. I wore the stale helmet he provided and clung to him for dear life.

But I finally made it in approximately forty-five minutes. It might have been the fastest and cheapest route but I would have to say that it definitely wasn’t the safest.

arabian night

Like any international city, Bangkok has multiple ethnic neighbourhoods. Once you cross some invisible line, you are suddenly transported to another world --- a market in Jaipur, a busy street in Guangzhou, a small Malay village. Two nights ago I went to the Arab quarter (off the Nana BTS on Sukhumvit Soi 3/1) for dinner with a friend and I was instantly teleported to Cairo.

We had dinner at Shahrazad and I could’ve sworn I wasn’t in Bangkok. We were the only non-Arab patrons in the restaurant. All the waitresses wore uniform chadors. The shish kabob and baba ghanoush were excellent. The restaurant didn’t serve hot drinks, such as tea or coffee, after 1:00 p.m. because (or so the waitress claimed) it was summer in the Arab world and they were following the custom over there. Perhaps their kettle was broken?!

After dinner we moved on to Nefertiti, an open-air shisha café populated by men sitting alone, smoking their hookahs and drinking mint tea (a hot drink!). The café was all mirrors, silver kitsch and heavy copper jars. I ordered a Turkish coffee and my friend and I had an apple shisha to share. Like all the other patrons in the café, we sat and watched the world go by as the Arab version of MTV blasted dance tunes from a TV set in the corner.

We went home slightly buzzed and ready to go to bed.

what chicks really do when they go to the restroom

At Route 66, a club on the RCA (Royal City Avenue) strip, chicks can do their thing, fix their hair and make-up, read a magazine, and yes, enjoy a live performance in the privacy of the restroom. I have to admit, J and I sat in the couch area for at least half an hour to escape the chaos of the hip-hop / house / live Thai band multi-room club…

what you give to a fertility goddess...

You’ve been to Bangkok a few times. You don’t want to go see the Palace Museum again. You’re sick of JJ market. What to do?

Head out to the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel. Go there for a fabulous Sunday brunch spread with live music and free flow mojitos. After a sumptuous meal, walk around the beautifully landscaped gardens. Then venture out to a hidden corner within the grounds, somewhere between the service area and the parking lot. There you will find a shrine dedicated to Chao Mae Tuptim, a spirit residing in the ten foot tall Ficus tree behind the spirit house.

Chao Mae Tuptim is said to be a female fertility spirit, which explains the preponderance of phalluses around the shrine. This spirit house is not for shy prudes. There are hundreds of phalluses in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Some are meant to look realistic and some are stylized. Some have feet and others have (cannon) balls.



Women from all over Bangkok visit the shrine when they are trying to conceive. If they get pregnant, they return to the shrine and add a phallus to the phalanx in thanks. Many also come to offer Jasmine flowers, incense sticks and pink and white lotus buds. Apparently, she has a pretty good success rate!

So if you’re looking for something to do on a lazy Sunday before catching your flight out, think about making this part of your itinerary.

in jim's footsteps

I finally visited Jim Thompson's House over the weekend. The guy had style. He brought six traditional Thai-style teak houses from Ayutthaya to Bangkok and put together a magical home decorated with beautiful pieces from Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Italy, etc. While the house still stands in all its glory, Jim Thompson is nowhere to be found. He disappeared in 1967 while vacationing with his friends in Cameroon Highlands in Malaysia.

All tourists are required to dispose of their footwear at the entrance. According to our guide, Thais remove their shoes when they enter a home because they used to prepare and eat food on the floor. Definitely worth a look if you are in Bangkok.

yellow mondays

It’s just another yellow Monday in Krung Thep.

In Thailand, different colors are associated with different days of the week. It is said that if you wear the “correct” color for the day, fortune will smile upon you. Yellow is for Monday. Yellow also happens to be the day the current beloved King of Thailand, Rama IX, was born. Thus yellow is the King’s color.

Last year, the King marked his 60th anniversary on the throne, making him the longest-serving monarch in the world. As a sign of respect for the King (and also to attract Lady Luck), people started wearing the same yellow collared shirt emblazoned with the King’s coat of arms on Mondays.

One year on, the trend continues. On Mondays, the entire capital is in uniform.

For those who seek to stand out in the yellow sea, the same shirts are available with special patches like the sax and the beach scene in the photos...

bangkok 101

Maybe it’s because I was born in Asia but I’ve always known that Bangkok is located in Thailand. I met an American friend last week who told me a sad, sad tale. He had asked his boss for leave to come to Bangkok and in response his boss asked, “Where is Bangkok? In the Philippines?” In the Philippines my foot! Then again, looking at the bright side, at least he knows that the Philippines exists! So, just for fun…

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand.

Bangkok has a population of approximately 10 million.

Bangkok is located at 13°45′N 100°31′E (bet you didn’t know this one…)

Bangkok is in the Guinness Book of Records! It has the world’s longest place name. Yes indeed. It’s transliterated name is Krungthep Mahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathani Burirom-udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit.

In English: "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abtounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam".

What’s in a name? In this case, plenty.

I’ll be here for eight weeks more…I do hope Bangkok lives up to its record-breaking name.