Trip to Bangkok
between past
and present
Of Camilla Rocca
Get to Bangkok for many travelers it means immediately immersing oneself in a characteristic environment. Walking through the City of Angels means diving into a tangle of streets that unravel in a mix of modernity and ancient traditions, offering glimpses of the skyline, dominated by imposing skyscrapers that soar into the sky, with excursions to the modern part where the lights dominate the nightlife and visits to the monuments of the past, evidence of the splendor of the Kingdom of Siam. Crossed by the Chao Phraya river, the city has a maze of navigable canals, which allow a characteristic visit into the soul of the metropolis, discovering little-frequented and hidden places and immersing yourself in common life, observing a cross-section of daily life.
Bangkok is not only a city of contrasts, a faithful portrait of Thai society, and a renowned destination for international tourism, but also one of the most populous and busiest cities in the world, the industrial engine of Thailand, one of the most economically powerful cities in South-East Asia .
From a small port village called Bang Makok it became the new capital in 1782, renamed Rattanakosin, meaning “city of the jewel of Indra”, a warrior deity particularly venerated in Thailand. The numerous canals were built both to imitate the configuration of the ancient capital Ayutthaya and to support the maritime traffic necessary to expand trade abroad.
In the 20th century, thanks also to the growth due to the advent of tourism, Bangkok became one of the most important cities in South-East Asia, home to important international organizations, such as the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations and some regional UN offices.
View of Bangkok and its lights
Monuments bearing witness to a past splendor
A visit to the city cannot ignore the monuments of the capital of Siam: the Great Royal Palace, built in 1785 on the artificial island of Rattanakosin, located along the Chao Phraya River, it was originally built of wood; it was subsequently built in bricks, recovered from the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. The Palace includes four main sectors: Outer Court, Central Court, Inner Court and Wat Phra Kaew. The Outer Court, which housed government offices and a theatre, is now home to the Information Centre, a small museum and the Hall Sahathai Samakhomused for receptions. The Central Court includes the main buildings of the Palace, the Siwalai Garden and three groups of “Coronation Halls” Maha Monthien, Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat Group and Maha Prasat Group. The Chacki Maha It is characterized by a European Renaissance architectural style and an elaborate roof made in Thai style. In the southern part there is the Internal Court, originally accessible only to the sovereign, as it was the accommodation of queens and concubines defended by a guardhouse of only women. Also present in the complex is the large park Thung Phra Men (current Sanam Luang), used for ceremonies.
Exterior view of the Royal Palace in Bangkok
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) is the most important religious complex in Thailand; houses the Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaew Morakot), a statue made of jadeite, 66 cm high, which is the most revered sacred image in the kingdom. Surrounded by a wall decorated with scenes from the Ramakien (epic poem inspired by the Indian Ramayana), it houses, in a Rattanakosin style building, the main Chedi, built in Singhalese style, with relics of the Buddha kept; the decorated library, containing the sacred texts of Buddhist doctrine; a miniature model of Angkor Wat and the Hermit Statue, made of black stone, dedicated to a sort of patron saint of medicine, venerated by the local population. The structure is completed by the eight Chedi, along the eastern side, which represent the eight fundamental elements of the Buddhist doctrine (Noble Eightfold Path).
Wat Phra Kaew home to the Emerald Buddha
Built as a center for teaching traditional Thai medicine, the temple Wat Phodharam, it contains statues depicting yoga positions and, on the walls, plaques with inscriptions regarding Buddhist and traditional medicine teachings. It is still home to the school of Thai massage and traditional medicine. Wat Pho also contains more than a thousand Buddha images and statues, including the Reclining Buddhawhich, with its 46 meters long and 15 meters high, is the largest in Thailand. The complex consists of two fenced areas; to the north the sacred one, which is accessed via sixteen gates guarded by stone guardians, where the temples and the massage school are located; to the south there is a monastery which also houses a school. The entrance gates are protected by a roof in the shape of a Thai royal crown, decorated with multicolored Chinese ceramics. The temple contains the statue of Buddha sitting in meditation positionat whose feet the ashes of King Rama the First are kept. The walls are completely frescoed with sacred images. In the rear part of the temple there are dozens of containers and a table with a series of urns containing coins, symbol of the Buddhist tradition of dividing alms.
The characteristic Wat Pho
The Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) is a Buddhist temple on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, featuring an 81.85 meter high Khmer-style tower (prang) decorated with Chinese porcelain pieces and four smaller towers around the larger “prang”. It is one of the iconic symbols of Bangkok and tradition reports that whoever performs an act of merit in this temple and pays homage to the main Buddha statue will have a life as glorious and splendid as the rising sun.
Wat Arun with the majestic Khmer prang
Streets, canals and markets: discovering the City of Angels
However, Bangkok does not only present monuments of past splendor but is full of tourist attractions that have made it unique in the panorama of South-East Asia.
Located not far from the Royal Palace and easily reachable by tuk-tuk, is the Pak Khlong Talad, the largest wholesale flower, fruit and vegetable market, open all year round. Flowers from the numerous provinces of the country are on display day and night, including orchids of many types and chromatic shades. Among the stalls there is no shortage of stands where you can buy the jasmine garlands used as offerings for the Buddha statues in the temples. Exotic smells and scents and the daily life of the capital offer a glimpse of life, far from the classic circuits. Entering the covered part you also reach the food section with the thousand spices and many ingredients that make the richness of Thai gastronomy.
Not just flowers, the city has another important market: the Ban Phe Fresh Marketfish market and hub of a ferry to various islands including Koh Samet. The market is well known to the local population and tourists for purchasing typical dishes, fresh fish, dried foods, snacks and other local souvenirs. There is a pier where fishermen can sell seafood to local traders and a shop selling local products. From dawn the fishing boats begin to arrive, with fresh fish to supply the hundreds of nearby restaurants, locals and tourists.
The Bangkok Fish Market
Destination for street food lovers, la Khao San Rdis the street that, among thousands of bright signs and strong smells, features hundreds of stalls offering Thai gastronomic specialties and restaurants and clubs offering live music.
Or characteristic is the opportunity to sip sui cocktails Rooftop Barbars located on the top floors of skyscrapers, from which you can admire a splendid view. The tallest in Bangkok is the Baiyoke Tower with a revolving terrace on the 84th floor that allows for panoramic views of the city.
And to immerse yourself in what was the Bangkok of the past, known as the “Venice of the East”, you cannot miss the Khlong Tourthe tour of the channels of the Chao Phraya River, once used for transport and trade. Today most have been converted into roads, the only surviving canals are found in the western part and navigating them allows you to observe a cross-section of daily life, between old teak houses, modern houses, dilapidated shacks, houses on stilts and small boats of the locals who sail the river for economic activities and travel. The smaller and hidden canals have narrow passages and can only be reached with traditional long tails.
Don’t miss a visit to the house of Jim Thompsona complex composed of several ancient Thai housing structures created by the American merchant to collect his collection of statues, paintings and porcelains from Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos. The complex is located inside a park and is made up of six ancient 19th century Thai houses, coming from Ayutthaya, the former capital of the kingdom of Thailand. After Thompson’s mysterious disappearance in 1967, the house was opened to the public and is today administered by the James H. W. Thompson Foundation under the patronage of Princess Sirindhorn. The property also houses a Thai cuisine restaurant (https://jimthompsonrestaurant.com/restaurant/a-thai-restaurant/).
The Jim Thompson House
Thailand: the Far East ever closer
Thailand is increasingly closer to Italy, thanks to the non-stop flights, with daily frequency, between Milan-Malpensa Airport and Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport by the Thai Airways International Company (https://www. thaiairways.com/it_IT/index.page ).Air routes equipped with all comforts, entertainment services and Thai hospitality, which allow a convenient connection between the two cities, meeting the growing demand for both tourist and business flows . Flights that offer passengers easy access to all destinations in the Thai network, with convenient connections to continue the journey to numerous final destinations between South-East Asia and the Far East, including Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, South Korea , Malaysia and Australia.
Unforgettable experiences: dinner at Gaggan and stay on Koh Samet
For the Western world, Thailand is the most scenic, smiling and gastronomically interesting face of Asia, with the best restaurant in the world in the 50 Best ranking, Gaggan Anand (https://gaggan.com/). The restaurant under the guidance of the histrionic chef offers customers an interactive and immersive experience in progressive Indian cuisine, a guided journey through dishes and flavors using Indian and Thai ingredients. And from November a new location opens in collaboration with the Maison Louis Vuitton, the brand’s first gastronomic collaboration in Asia.
Gaggan Anand
In an exclusive location, just three hours’ drive from Bangkok; The Paradee Resort (https://www.paradeethesixthheaven.com) is located on the island of Koh Samet, an uncontaminated landscape in the Gulf of Thailand. The structure consists of villas with thatched roofs, fine floors, teak decorations and an architecture that blends elements of Moroccan and Balinese style give life to an environment that is ideal for an escape from the rest of the world. The forty villas are divided between those immersed in the garden, with or without swimming pool, those facing the beach and those positioned in the most secluded and wild area, all with a view of both the tropical gardens and the beaches. Paradee offers excellent Thai and international cuisine in the restaurant and cocktails in the Pool Bar, facing the infinity pool, and in the Sunset Bar, where you can watch the sunset. In the resort there is a SPA with exclusive massages, fitness gyms and there is the possibility of practicing water sports from snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking and diving.
The idyllic Paradee resort on Ko Samet