By Henrylito D. Tacio
December 19, 2010, 1:28am
Bang Pa-In (photo by Paolo R. Lim)
Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is called by several names. If the Philippines is the “Pearl of the Orient Seas,” Thailand is the “Land of Smiles.” Its people are friendly – remarkably so. The relaxed, carefree attitude is disarming, the most prominent of many charming characteristics. Thais themselves jokingly admit they “play at their work and work at their play.”
Thais, I have observed, are a tolerant people. After all, their major philosophy in life is “mai pen rai,” which simply means “don’t worry about it.”
The word “Thai” means “free.” It’s literally the “Land of the Free,” an almost boastful name for a country in Southeast Asia. You see, neighboring countries are former colonies of the British and French. Thailand has never been colonized during its 760-year history. It was the last “domino” in the so-called “domino theory” of communism advance in Southeast Asia in the 1960s. It never fell.
Today, although its borders are sometimes contested, Thailand remains an independent state, a monarchial bastion facing communist regimes to the east. Thais are resilient, seeming to bask in their rather tenuous situation.
Among travelers, Thailand has been described as “the most exotic country in Asia” – with good reason. Nowhere else in the world succeeds in blending an age-old culture and amazing natural beauty with the developments and advantages of the modern world.
This is where Bangkok comes into our mind. I have been to this city several times and each time, I am always enthralled by its beauty and charm. It casts an irresistible spell of enchantment. After all, Thais call Bangkok as “Krung Thep” or “City of Angels.”
But mind you, “Krung Thep” is just a small section of the complete name which is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the longest name in the world for a place – Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.
In English, it means: “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, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarm.”
“More than anywhere else in the country, Bangkok expresses Thailand’s uncanny ability to blend the old with the new,” an American who was beside me in the place from Manila to Bangkok said of the Orient’s most fabled city.
He’s right. Bangkok embraces modern development and presents an initial picture of thrusting office towers; of world-class hotels offering deluxe comforts; of glittering shopping plazas packed with treasures of the East such as silks and gemstones; of restaurants serving Thailand’s acclaimed spicy specialties and virtually every other national cuisine worthy of the name.
Amid this sybaritic world, Bangkok manages to preserve its cultural heritage to an amazing degree. “(Bangkok) was founded more than two centuries ago on the site now occupied by the Grand Palace, an array of temples and shrines that has been called a ‘dazzling fairy tale of dreams,’” notes the All-Asia Travel Guide. “Chakri Palace, the Royal Family’s original home, is also there, but the King now lives in the more modern Chitlada Palace nearby.”
The Grand Palace is a compound with an area of 200,000 square meters. Here, you can see a gallery on the wall depicting the “Ramakien,” the Thai version of the “Ramayana.”
But the Emerald Buddha is the main attraction both for foreigners and locals. Situated high up on an altar inside a temple where everything you touch is literally made of gold, this jade figure measures only a few feet. It is very sacred and taking of photos is strictly prohibited.
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is an amazing figure measuring 48 meters long and 15 meters high. This symbolizes the passing of Lord Buddha from this life into Nirvana. On the banks of the river is the Temple of Dawn. It is one of Bangkok’s striking landmarks.
Never miss a visit to the summer palace of Bang Pa-In. According to All-Asia Guide Travel Guide, it was in this place that an early king met and fell in love with a beautiful girl named In. The place was therefore called the village (bang) where he met (pa) In.
Buddhism pervades the Thai culture and signs of religious traditions are everywhere. Soon after dawn, Buddhist monks in robes (these may vary in color from dark saffron to bright orange) can be seen making their way across building sites, along the banks of the khlongs (canals), and down narrow streets. People wait to fill the monks’ bowls with food and provide other essentials, a practice that Buddhist teaching says will reward the giver.
For food lovers, Thailand is a treat. My friend Eliza Guliban will definitely agree with me on this. My former boss, Jeff Palmer, who used to live in Chiang Mai, won’t contest this claim. In fact, when I was in New York City some years back, I readily ate in a Thai restaurant – this was after I failed to find a restaurant that serves Filipino dishes.
In Bangkok, dining offers almost endless possibilities for discovering new tastes, rich in quality and variety. “Thai food is one of the world’s truly great cuisines,” said a Thai journalist who toured us during our first visit. “It offers an enormous range of dishes and subtle blend of flavors.”
Thai food is a blend of five distinct tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and hot. An extremely hot dish probably contains the yellow-orange phrik leung, the hottest of all chilies. “Thai food is never bland, but can be modulated to please most palates,” the Thai journalist pointed out.
The best introduction to Thai food is tom yum soup, the nearest thing to a Thai national dish. It is a thin soup of prawns (shrimps), white fish or chicken, with vegetables, made sharp and hot with lemongrass, chilies and other herbs. If you like it, you will like Thai food.
Bangkok offers an incredible selection of dining places in all price ranges. From curb-side food-stalls selling simple but good food, to smart, expensive restaurants, there is something to please everyone. If language is the barrier, just point and you will almost certainly get what you want.
Just like Metro Manila, Bangkok is considered a megacity, meaning with 10 million or more inhabitants. With this number of people, transport for traveling is not a problem. Air-conditioned taxis are plentiful and can be easily hailed wherever a visitor happens to be in the city. An alternative type of taxi is the so-called tuk-tuk, a three-wheeled vehicle taking two passengers (three or four in a squeeze). Tuk-tuks are rather noisy and are open to traffic fumes, though they are extremely popular with visitors who find them quaint.
Still another is the Skytrain. I have never ridden one yet, but here’s what Time correspondent Jason Bagliardi says of the ride: “The Skytrain opened up a world of possibilities and revealed a city of hidden beauty. Things you would rarely glimpse from the roads: The golden swoop of a temple roof, pockets of lushest green, elegantly crumbling teakwood homes.”
The main shopping centers in Bangkok are around Silom, Suriwong, Sukhumvit roads and Siam Square. The really good buys in Bangkok are traditional Thai articles in silk, cotton, silver and nielloware, lacquer and bronzeware, celadon and woodwork. The thing to avoid is rayon mixed with the silk.
How do you get there? Most visitors arrive through Suvarnabhumi Airport, also known as Bangkok International. It is connected by daily flights to Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia aboard the world’s major airlines. Designed by Helmut Jahn, it has the world’s tallest control tower (132.2 meters), and the world’s third largest single-building airport terminal (563,000 square meters).
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