Bangkok in 12 pictures

I took 2,500 photos in Bangkok this spring break, so sorting them out and deciding which ones to use, has been, to say the least, time-consuming. 7 days in Bangkok were not enough, to even begin to capture it all. Next time I visit Thailand, I’m going to Chiang Mai and surrounding areas.

But the experience was amazing. Despite the simmering heat, which stripped me of my energy, I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. My only complaint was the terrible heat. California is hot, but thankfully dry as well, so the heat doesn’t feel so instense. I am now thoroughly tan from my time there.

I arrived in Bangkok at 2 in the morning, because of flight delays, but I was surprised at how blatant prostitution was in the wee hours. By the freeway, in alleyways and on major streets, there were huge throngs of prostitutes soliciting men for services. I’ve never seen so many women, obviously and openly doing this for a living. The taxi driver, as he took my family to the hotel, sighed as he muttered “night ladies.” Dishonorable, perhaps, but as long as there’s demand, people will continue supplying and fueling the industry. Las Vegas is nothing in comparison to Bangkok in this respect.

I also did the usual tourist things, like ride elephants, pet tigers and visit the Grand Palace. The elephant mahout, to my surprise, was Burmese (from Burma, but had no citizenship in either Thailand or Burma). He was a Karen who made 3,000 baht ($85 USD) a month for his work and told us that there were at least 10 others from Burma working at the park. There’s an Economist article about Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, published 2 weeks ago that demonstrates how difficult it is for Burmese people there. While the taxi driver was quick to admit that Burmese laborers did work hard without complaint, he quickly followed it with a bleak criticism: “When they find out where the boss’s money is, they kill them and take off with the money.” A sentiment shared by many Thais, I presume, but it didn’t help that while on the trip, a British tourist was murdered by 3 suspected Burmese fishermen in Thailand.

Anyway, here are my 12:

Believe it or not, there was a traffic jam at 2 in the morning, from Suvarnabhumi airport to the hotel in Bangkok's Sukhumwit district.

A musician rocking his heart out at Chatuchak weekend market. It was my personal favorite place to shop, because of the deals and variety.

Dusit district's Government House, home to the PM's office. Luckily, I visited a few days before the 40,000 Red Shirts protested there.

Bangkok's Yaowarat is rough, grimy, vibrant and everything a Chinatown should be. And the markets are simply brimming with people.

A Thai-Chinese family selling Thai curries in Chinatown. It took about 3 shots to get the scene, because of passersby who kept on obstructing the view.

A Buddhist monk cremation on the outskirts of Bangkok. The King of Thailand had come earlier to ignite the remains in a traditional monk cremation.

An adorable little boy playing the xylophone underneath a BTS station in Silom. He won my sympathy. There are even school girls who play the recorder and high schoolers who play the violin for spare change.

Noodle vendors at the Suan Lum night market. I disliked the shopping there because it was overrated and overpriced, but the food was excellent.

A view of Bangkok from our apartment in Bang Rak (near Silom).

The King of Thailand is everywhere. On billboards, streets, shrines, hotels, cars.

The brand-new Suvarnabhumi airport. It looks sleek, but it suffers from some strange problems. On the return flight, passengers had to line up on the stairwell to check in.