We’re Going Back to Bangkok: Part 1

We arrived in Bangkok, one of our most favorite and interesting big cities. It's called the 'City of Angels' due to the ever-present temples, wats, and shrines that dot this metropolis. Look anywhere, and you'll find one stretching to the sky in all its ornate glory or a small one right around the corner, crammed into its own space. It's a reminder of the importance of Buddhism and Thailand's spiritual history, which are fundamental to its people.

Wat Arjun. Famous, often visited Shrine near our hotel. 

Small shrine just outside the gate to the pier where we go to Chinatown.  

According to several travel sites, Bangkok is the most visited city in the world. The population is around 11 million people. Thailand's Tourism Ministry estimates that there have been 24.5 million visitor visits as of November 25th of this year. To be fair, a portion of those are here on business, but most are tourists. The majority of those tourists visit between November and February. It's bursting at the seams with everyone wanting to buy a pair of light cotton pants with an elephant design all over them or anything with 'The North Face' logo on it. It's like joining the throngs of people trying to get a scone on the last day of the Puyallup Fair, only it's that way day after day. Phew! But, hey, that's part of the charm. 

The Chao Phraya river jammed with water taxis, tour boats, long tails and hotel taxis jockeying for position, trying to get first dibs on letting their riders off or getting their riders onto their boats. Pretty much a zoo on the water, but fun to watch. 

Chinatown market. If this looks crowed, it is. We only walked down 4 or 5 blocks through this skinny hallway and it was just like this for another 4 or 5 blocks. The vendors are yelling at potential customers to buy their stuff. Overstimulation for me. They have everything from underwear to hammers to Christmas supplies to dishes to whatever you want, it’s here. 

The main street in Chinatown hosts various goods but primarily features restaurants and food stalls offering out-of-this-world tasting Asian and international food. Additionally, there are gem and jewelry shops along this street. Pandemonium would be a good way to describe Chinatown, but in an exciting way.

As an aside, Hong Kong consistently held the position as the number one visited country in the world until China unceremoniously wrestled it to the mat in a headlock until the count of three. Before anyone knew it, Hong Kong was no longer under the 'one country, two systems policy'—the deal they made with Britain back in the '90s to allow Hong Kong to remain a 'free enterprise zone.' However, China keeps its promises until they don't, so Hong Kong dropped way down the list of most visited countries. I guess the world's travelers are reluctant to visit a country whose government beats on its citizens and crushes any opposing views, (see Tiananmen Square). 

The Chao Phraya River runs right through the middle of Bangkok and is a major working river. We sat each morning with our cup of coffee and watched the traffic move up and down the river. If it floats and has some sort of engine to move it through the water it’s probably here somewhere, every kind of watercraft imaginable. To name a few: water taxis of every description, some as long as 100 feet; dinner barges, oil barges, barges filled with sand, rice, rock; tug boats, runabouts, skiffs, long tails; police boats and military boats. There are many more but that gives an idea of the variety we saw on the river. 

Tourist boat. Ticket sellers attempt to sell unsuspecting tourists 30 baht (or about a dollar) for this boat knowing that a local Thai, aware of the water taxi schedule, can take another boat to the same destination for 16 baht. 

Hard to see but the barges in the foreground are full of sand and the barges behind are unloaded and float high in the water. 

A long tail taxi has a long shaft with a propeller at the end usually driven by an old tractor or truck engine. The shaft is 10-12 feet long. 

Tugs and a tour boat. 

Multicolored tug boat helping steer multiple barges.

 

Waiting in a long tail boat to lock down into the klongs or canals that surround Bangkok and southern Thailand. 

One of the most interesting water craft are the barges. Usually 3 or 4 barges are roped together with a tugboat pulling out in front and a tugboat behind that pushes the back one way or another to help with steering. On each barge is a small house, usually with laundry hanging off one side and, occasionally, there is a deckhand mulling about doing various tasks. If the ships are loaded they sink down into the water and generally move slowly. If unloaded, they look almost like a bobber they float so high on the river. Barges heading north are usually carrying sand, gravel or rock for building and construction. Barges heading south are usually carrying agricultural good. 

We most often took water taxis, tourist boats or long tails boats. The water taxis were the most convenient way to get from one place to another, then on to a subway, train or taxi. Getting on and off the water taxi was like being in a fun house at an amusement park where the floor shifts in different directions and trying to navigate from one end to the other is the challenge. Here, everyone stands and attempts to keep their balance on a dock that’s moving to and fro and up and down from the wishy washy water conditions. The approaching taxi bumps or slams into the dock, both boat and dock moving in their own direction that creates a gap that keeps opening and closing while everyone attempts to jumps on or off the boat. All the while the deckhand is yelling at everyone to hurry…”go, go, go!!!” Watching some of the older Thai ladies elbowing their way onto the boat to get down the stairs and into a seat so they don’t have to stand on the moving boat is hilarious. Even so, I still got to the seat first. Ha!

Every big city has its problems, and Bangkok has its share. The Chao Phraya River is the most polluted river in Thailand, laden with bacterial and nutrient pollutants, heavy metals, and an abundance of plastic waste. The government is addressing this through various means, such as subcontracting with companies like 'The Ocean Cleanup.' Their technologies trap, sort, and repurpose the plastic for non-single-use products, while also incinerating it to generate energy. Let's hope these efforts prove effective.

Another critical issue is Bangkok sinking due to its foundation on clay instead of bedrock. The extensive use of concrete in construction adds weight, and the clay is more malleable than rock. Compounding this, global warming and rising sea levels present a challenge. As the lower part of Thailand is a vast delta, problems due to increased flooding are emerging. Bangkok sits only about 5 feet above sea level, highlighting the vulnerability of this environment.

Presently, the city uses pumps during the rainy season to divert water into the Chao Phraya River and out to the ocean. However, during normal times, like our current visit, I noticed water being pumped into the river during high tide. I hope they can effectively manage these challenges. Ultimately, I hope we collectively address our global warming issues successfully.

Ending on a more positive note, here are a couple of pictures of the nightly light show on one of the bridges that we enjoyed every night. 

Rama VIII Bridge. The bridge was an engineering marvel which has an asymmetrical design with a single pylon on one side of the water and inverted Y cables stretched across the bridge holding it up. 

Hope all is well with you.

Ed out. 

 1``