Throwback Trip Thursday : One Night in Bangkok 2008

"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster; The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free; You'll find a God in every golden cloister; And if you're lucky then the God's a she; I can feel an angel sliding up to me!" Six years ago, I walked the streets of Bangkok and these set of photos pretty much sum-up my stories.

The first photo was taken while I am at Baiyoke Sky, one of  Bangkok's highest towers. From the top, you can see the highway all lit-up. Bangkok at night is a beautiful sight from above.

This one is a view of Chao Phraya River which is Bangkok's principal river. You could take the river cruise and be amazed at the temples and hotels at its bank. Or you could just enjoy the view of the river at any of its riverside that runs through Bangkok. One of the best view there is the Grand Palace in its glowing glory.

I am just glad that I am not the one driving the car on the photo above because I will surely be stunned by a large elephant that is in front of me. Unlike Manila who only has one elephant, Bangkok has quite a number of this behemoth mammal that serves as another form of transport for Thais.

But very much like Manila, Bangkok has a night market too where cheap clothes, shoes, wares, vases are available for sale. Night market are shoppers' paradise where the rule of the game is to haggle, haggle and more haggle. Most Thai sellers do not speak english so you better bring your calculator or better yet talk numbers with them so both of you could understand each other. One of the best place to shop is Khao San which has almost everything from rtw to tailored suites.

Bangkok at night is a sanctuary of street food. From  'pad thai' (stir-fried rice noodles), to 'hoi todd' (oyster omelette), from sweet roti to 'moo satay (grilled pork on a stick) and loads of traditional Thai desserts. A night is not enough to explore Bangkok's gastronomical treats. Just a caution thou, Thais don't like it when you point your finger at their food. I had an experience of being slapped in the hand by an old lady when I asked what is she selling while pointing my finger at the goodies. Also, Thai sellers use their hands in picking-up your order whether its noodles or satay so don't be too squeamish when ordering one.

I like this shot I have taken while on a boat cruising the Chao Phraya River. I didn't bring any tripod with me and everything around me is moving so I didn't really have enough shots that ain't blurred. But this one, even thou kinda blurred has that nice effect. This photo was taken just when the boat passed under a an illuminated bridge and Indian woman happened to be on top of the ship. The laser like light in this photo are cables of a bridge reflecting light from a source.  

This one is also taken while I was on a boat where a lover is looking at the lit-up hotels, temples and other structures at the bank of the river. Swaying proudly is the flag of Thailand.

If you ever get tired of walking around the City of Bangkok, you could always try their Tuk-tuk. Just be cautious thou because like some taxi drivers in Manila, there are drivers of Tuk-tuk there that are opportunists moreso against tourists. My best tip there is to negotiate before you ride and be sure that the driver understand the deal before you get in. 

And so the song goes... "One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble; Not much between despair and ecstasy; One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble; Can't be too careful with your company; I can feel the Devil walking next to me!"

Six years have passed. I guess it is time to go back to Bangkok!