Images of Bangkok 4

In this week's blog we look at some of the mysteries that are Bangkok.

Mystery #1: What you can do with a motorbike. The first photo must be the garbage collector. The second shows man with his shop. The third is just amazing - don't know how this guy can see where he is going on Bangkok's busiest street.

Mystery #2 Why the motorbike driver must wear a helmet but your children don't need to. The police are very tough on drivers not wearing helmets but apparently the kids are ok.

Mystery #3 How the electricity works with the mass of wires running overhead. The street sellers seem to be able to tap into the wires as well to power their businesses.

Mystery #4 How such a conservative society has places like Soi Cowboy. This is one of the girly bar areas that Bangkok is infamous for, although in the day it is quiet.

Mystery #5 How one city can have so many 7-Eleven stores. There is one at the end of my soi which is very handy and another 2 minutes further along the road. I have actually seen two 7-Eleven stores with only one shop between them. I would pass 100 (no kidding) on the trip from home to school.

Mystery #8 How construction never stops even though so many people have been scared away from Bangkok after the demonstrations.

Mystery #9 Why there are so many phone boxes when even the most poor Thai has a fancy mobile phone. I have actually never seen anybody in a phone box in Thailand.

Images of Bangkok 3

It is not easy to negotiate the footpath in Bangkok...

Most of the sidewalks are pretty uneven anyway but add to that all the shops and stalls and the odd motorbike and you need to keep your wits about you. The Thai girls like to dress up and how they survive in their high heels is one of those Bangkok mysteries.

The street food in Bangkok is fantastic. It is tasty, filling and dirt cheap. You can take away or grab a seat at one of the plastic chairs and tables they provide.

There are also hundreds of mobile food stalls. Petite Thai ladies wheel them to their apparently reserved locations each morning and wheel them back home at night.

There are also the tourist stalls that appear around the middle of the day and stay open until late at night in the 'Farang' areas of town. Here you can buy cheap clothes that will last a dozen washes or the latest DVD's that have somehow appeared on the streets of Bangkok before being available anywhere else in the world.

No sidewalk at all? No worries! - although the spot below is perhaps not the most relaxing place to have a meal as you hope two trucks do not appear at the same time going in opposite directions.

We have a little saying that goes "You know you have been living in Bangkok for a while when..." -this last photo is one of those - "...you don't flinch when a motorbike speeds past you on the footpath"

 

Images of Bangkok 2

There are many different ways to get around Bangkok, although the traffic jams make some choices better than others. Every second car seems to be one of the colourful taxis - in yellow, blue, green, orange and pink.

Soi Ekkamai is one of the worst streets in the city. The fastest way to get through the cars and buses is on a motorbike as they weave their way around it all. You can see the BTS in the distance. Fortunately I am walking distance to catch the skytrain.

Getting above the traffic is a smart idea. The BTS or skytrain is Bangkok's modern mass transit system and it works well with good coverage in the city. The new Airport Line opened recently and has been a great addition and the plan is to add more lines in the future.

There are lots of buses all over the city and they are very very cheap. Most have been converted to Natural Gas which is great but it is a very slow way to get around. The Pink 133 is quite a sight!

You will find motorbike taxi drivers at strategic points all over the city. It can be a bit of a hair raising journey but they are a very popular way to cover shorter distances quickly.

Most of the women ride side saddle. Not sure how they stay on!

The Tuk Tuk is a bit of a Bangkok institution but it is mainly a tourist attraction. They are very noisy and you get to breath in all of the vehicle emissions.

After you have lived in an area for a while you discover a network of little back streets that avoid the traffic jams. My taxi driver, Khun Tuck, uses them each day to get from my condo to the main road that takes me to school. They are very narrow with blind corners but do save plenty of time.

You may even stumble upon a classic like the old VW below!

Images of Bangkok 1

I had one of those moments last night where I realised how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to live and work in another country and enjoy all the richness of culture, food and new experiences that it offers.

I have been taking my camera along as I wander through Bangkok and over the upcoming weeks I will share with you a variety of different images of life in Bangkok.

There are two huge influences on Thai culture; devotion to the King and practice of Buddhist rituals. Pictures of the King are found throughout the city and he is adored by his people. He is the world's longest serving monarch and has done great things for Thailand.

Alongside the red, white and blue Thailand flag flies the yellow flag of the King. 

There are a variety of Buddhist shrines and monuments - in fact most homes have their own little shrine somewhere in the yard. The one below is one of the more unusual that I have seen. It is actually located in the grounds of my local pub!

Erawin Shrine is one of the most visited landmarks with its location in the heart of the city.

This colourful shrine is located not far from my place in the grounds of Sukhumvit Hospital.

The other thing to understand about the Thai is their love of shopping, gadgets and things western. Maccas is not so good for their diet but I do love Ronald McDonald doing the traditional Thai greeting (called a wai) as you enter the store. I have avoided eating it - the street food is considerably cheaper and better for you!

There are many very upmarket shopping centres in Bangkok. Three of the best are Emporium at Phrom Phong and Siam Paragon and Central World in the city centre.

 

 

There are a number of different supermarkets, all well stocked with food including plenty of items from Australia. Big C is where I do most of my shopping.

One of my favourite places to spend a few moments relaxing is Starbucks. Although not anywhere near as good as the coffee back home it is comfortably familiar and a nice spot to have my skinny latte, maybe a muffin and catch up with the news in the Bangkok Post.