Bangkok is a completely and utterly mental city that never sleeps. You will never find any peace and quiet, and walking through the pollution filled streets is uncomfortable to say the least.
However, Bangkok is one of the most unforgettable places I will ever go. Most of it is good, some of it is bad, and I have noticed one very ugly thing about it. So here it is, Bangkok – the good, the bad, and the ugly
The good
It is hard to pinpoint a few good points about Bangkok. It is a crazy city – how anyone lives here I will never know. However, it is also an amazing city, and an absolute must on any trip to South East Asia.
One of my favourite parts was the river, which was the main connection to the west side of the city. The east side is connected by the metro and skytrain, however the west is stuck with a more traditional form of transfer, and I was thankful for that. The boat journeys that go along the river are an amazing way of seeing the city. Whilst taking in the sights, you can jump off and visit the spectacular Grand Palace, or many of the beautiful temples. Just sitting on a boat watching Bangkok pass by you is interesting in itself.
On our last day in Bangkok, Matt and I decided to get off at a random stop. There wasn't much there, however over a drink we noticed there were hundreds of fish right by the dock. At first we thought they were dead, but they weren't, they were just slowly swimming nowhere. The next thing we know, we heard an almighty thrashing. A girl was feeding the fish bread, and they were going mad for it. No wonder they don't bother going anywhere, they get fed ten times an hour here, and it is quite a sight!
Similarly, I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Jim Thomson's house. Jim Thompson moved six traditional Thai houses, and put them together to create his beautiful house. It is full of Thai antiques, paintings and beautiful furniture. He has a particularly interesting collection of broken Budhas, traditionally a sign of bad luck in Buddhism. Some of them date back to the 7th century, and give an interesting insight into the history of Buddhism.
Finally, I think the food is one of my favourite parts of Bangkok. It was a relief to come here and not find fish head soup signs everywhere! The best, tastiest places to eat are where the locals eat. We didn't do this one night, and the food was so bland. In Thailand they keep the places they eat immaculately clean. The tables and chairs might be plastic, but you get standard of cleanliness here you wouldn't get in the UK. The food is amazing too – fruit that is actually juicy (not chalky bananas or watery pineapple here), dishes where every mouthful is different. There is so much to try, and at £1 a dish it is easy to get a good variety.
Of course, there are plenty of other things I loved, and I am sure when I go back I will find plenty more. However, I think the above is my top three, closely followed by the people (constantly giggling), the completely politically incorrect t-shirt slogans (Mr Jihad, with a picture of a Mr Bump with a bomb attached anyone?!) and the fact it never sleeps.
The bad
As with any place, there were bad sides to Bangkok. Far fewer bad than good, but the bad tended to be really bad!
Most profound is the scammers. I have put this as worse than the sex industry for reasons I will explain later. Scammers are everywhere, and any Westerner going to Bangkok will encounter one at some point. On our way to the Grand Palace, Matt and I encountered 4. The situation goes something like this:
Scammer (S) – (at traffic lights) Hey, where you from?
Us (U) – London
S – Ah England! I teach English at University. I off today as it is Buddhist holiday.
U – (thinking, here we go) Oh really?
S – My father teaches at King's College London.
U – Oh really?
S – You going to Grand Palace? You know, it Buddhist holiday today so palace closed. I could show you other place?
U – No thank you, we will go and have a look anyway, even if it is closed.
Firstly, if that man teaches English, then I am fluent in French. This is one of a few variations on the scam – we also got told that we wouldn't get in with what we were wearing (you can hire clothes). It is the lead up the infamous gem scam, where you agree to go with the scammer on a tour. They talk to you, gain your trust, and take you to a gem shop. You end up being pushed into buying some low value gems at an inflated price, or worse, some coloured glass.
It is a shame that this happens in Bangkok, although if you know that these scammers exist, they are incredibly easy to spot. Be polite, but firm, and they will get the hint in the end.
If using a taxi, always insist on using the meter. Don't let them “forget”, and don't agree a “special” fee – it will be grossly inflated. With tuk tuks, I have no idea. I am sure Matt and I paid too much for ours, even though we haggled I am sure after six months here you might know how much to pay. At least a tuk tuk is an incredible experience – exhilarating and utterly terrifying. Oh, and don't think you are onto a good deal if they offer you a ride for 10B, they will be planning on taking you to a gem shop, much like the above.
The second bad part of Bangkok is the sex industry. I don't think this is as bad as scamming for two reasons. Firstly, it is in very particular areas, so easy to avoid. Secondly, the sex industry in Bangkok helps uneducated women support themselves. No, it isn't nice, but most of them are not drug addicts or being forced into it like in the UK. Uneducated women can earn a decent wage this way, although we can all wish it didn't have to be like this.
On our first night in Bangkok, we decided to go for a drink and accidentally stumbled across the most infamous red light district, Patpong. Other than scantily clad women everywhere, I suffered very little. Matt, however, was accosted by people offering him all manner of services. I don't think he is quite over the experience, and we will be avoiding Patpong on our next trip!
My final bad point of Bangkok is the river. I know I put this in the good, but the bad is one particular thing. As with many rivers in South East Asia, the water is a horrific brown colour. It is akin to an open sewer, and knowing that makes it a bad experience when you get splashed. There are entire islands of rubbish floating down the river, and the thought of falling in is utterly nauseating.
The ugly
The thing I found ugly about Bangkok has actually very little to do with Bangkok, Thailand, or Thai people. It was the Westerners.
I get the impression that South East Asian citizens have a somewhat love/hate relationship with Westerners. They know that they need them to visit, as they are good for the economy and provide small businesses with a lot more money than they would earn from locals. However, I think there is a very fine line between the love of the money Westerners bring, and the impact they have on the country.
So far, Matt and I have only been to big cities; Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. In these places, the locals are a lot more open, and you will not find yourself stared at, or even particularly welcomed by the locals. They are used to Westerners.
However, whilst sitting and observing everything around me, I noticed that Westerners bring with them a very ugly ambience to South East Asia.
I would not say I have done lots of reading about South East Asia. I have my copy of the Lonely Planet's South East Asia on a Shoestring, and yesterday Matt and I bought their book on Thailand. Other than this though, I have done no reading on the culture, or what I can expect from my experience.
The Lonely Planet provided me with a good insight on a number of things though – how to dress where, how to behave in certain situations, a bit on the etiquette of each country etc. I would argue that the majority of people around me have not done the same.
I saw two very good examples of this at the Grand Palace. As with any building related to Buddhism, you are expected to wear clothes that cover your entire body, with the exception of your arms (not your shoulders) and your face. In some places, this meant that they hired sarongs, trousers, and baggy shirts.
Did Westerners respect these rules? Of course they didn't. Most Westerners put on the clothes to gain entry, then soon took them off. One woman, in front of the biggest temple, saw it appropriate to remove her shirt and sarong, revealing her tight, strapless mini dress, so her boyfriend could take a photo. This caused obvious outrage amongst the Thais there, who shouted (and Thais NEVER shout) at her for being so blatantly disrespectful.
The second example happened inside the temple. In Buddhism, it is considered incredibly dishonourable to point the soles of your feet at another person, or worse, at an image of Budha. I witnessed one woman lounging with her feet pointed directly at the large statue of Budha. Outraged, the guards told her off. But how did she not know this? Ten minutes in the Lonely Planet and she would have done.
Both of these situations were incredibly painful and embarrassing to watch. I simply cannot understand how two people who are visiting a culture so different to their own did absolutely no reading before they went. Their acts of disrespect and stupidity reflect badly on all of us, and means that we all get tarred by the same brush.
Please – anyone going to Thailand, just spare ten minutes to read up on the dos and don'ts. Respect for basic Thai principles will gain us all a lot of respect in the long run, and will provide you with a fascinating insight to a culture so profoundly different to your own. It is probably best not to get me started on the Western women who stand next to monks, and I will leave my rant here.
Overall, I have really enjoyed my time in Bangkok. After three days here, I am absolutely exhausted, and my lungs need a break from all the pollution. I look forward to returning here though in the middle of November, before our trip to Hong Kong. For now, bring on the paradise beaches on Phuket and Ko Phi Phi!
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