7 Days in Thailand : Bangkok
Thailand has too many things to explore and seven days are just not enough!
About two weeks ago when I started to plan for my trip and was staring blankly at my computer screen that had about 15 tabs open,which were trying to tell me all the different things I could do.
About two weeks ago when I started to plan for my trip and was staring blankly at my computer screen that had about 15 tabs open,which were trying to tell me all the different things I could do.
I wanted to tailor it according to what I wanted to do.My primary focus was on having a cultural experience.My 7 day plan did not include beaches or clubs, this was a more sober , food for the soul kind of trip.
I started off
by asking friends who had been to Thailand before and soon I figured that all
of them had pretty much had a similar itinerary. Indians seem to have an insane fascination with Pattaya and Phuket,and I have no idea why! For me Thailand beaches would be for the next visit, this one was for exploring the old Lanna capital Chiang Mai!
So two main hubs that are covered : Bangkok and
Chiang mai
Again,seven days are truly less to cover even one of the two places , but I think I did a pretty good job of covering most of the bests.
Day One : Arrived Bangkok on a Saturday afternoon and
being in Bangkok on a weekend means that one cannot afford to miss the
Chatuchak Weekend Market.
I am guessing in is one of the world’s most famous markets,
with so many lanes sprawiling with shops selling anything and everything. Wore a sturdy par of sandals (because sandals would be easier to get on and off when you want to try out footwear in the market :) )
Getting here before 6pm really helped because the shops start winding
up at about 8 to 9 pm. I saw very good leather foot wear and bags, a lot of
kitsch clothing, the kind of stuff you see almost everywhere in flea markets in
south east asia and some really unique clothing botiques with indie local
designs.
Commuting in Bangkok : I have to tell you
that taking the public transport was the best and easiest way to commute
around Bangkok , I am not too sure about the traffic scene in Bangkok but ive
heard it can be pretty nasty , hence I presume that doing all the activities
that I listed here would probably be cumbersome had I taken a cab around the city.
Day Two :
Today was the first day of protests in Bangkok, locals were protesting against the goverment of Yingluck Shinawatra..These protests were actually fascinating for me to watch. The protest seemed very organized and rather peaceful.
Took the BTS and got off at Taksin station,which directly leads to the Chao Phraya river ferry boat rides.Bought the 150 Bhat ticket that allowed us to get in and
out of any pier of our choice for the whole day. All the main must-see sights were located in and around the river, so it was extremely easy to visit all the following sights in one day.
The Grand Palace :
Few minutes walk from the Tha Tien pier and we reached The Grand Palace,truly grand, spalshed with gold , exquisite murals, intricate carvings and three different styles of Chedis.
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| The gold chedi represents Srilankan Architecture, the middle one represents Thai and the last one represents Khmer architecture. |
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| As you enter the complex you see Yakshas guarding the gates. |
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| The five headed Naga |
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| Porcelain work |
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| Detailed replica of the Angkor Wat |
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| Two birds |
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| The Emerald Buddha statue from outside |
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| The golden wall made up of pure gold square bits |
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| According to our guide the smiling face in the left is Hanuman, while the right one with a tense face is a Asura, who is very stressed out carrying the weight of the temple. |
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| Ornate wall murals depicting Kambha Ramayanam |
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| Absolutely real looking Kinnara statues |
