Monthly Archives: April 2011
New iPhone guided tour comes to Thailand
The cover page of the guided tour
For the last few months I have been lucky enough to be part of something big in the world of iPhone apps. In early January of this year, I discovered a call for writers who “know Thailand” on craigslist and, deciding that I had nothing to lose, I sent out an email expressing my wish to take the job. I didn’t expect to get a reply and so when I got an email saying that I seemed like the ideal candidate, I was a pleasantly surprised.
Even more surprising was the assignment I was given: I had to write a “historical” tour guide. Did I have to travel through time? Not quite.
Rama - an app designed by New York-based Crimson Bamboo – is available on the iPhone and puts a unique spin on the role of tour guides. The app harnesses the power of GPS, archival photographs and storytelling to create compelling tours that not only direct you to intriguing locations, but also inform and entertain you. Rama offers guided tours in a number of cities throughout the world and is looking to add new tours in the near future. This tour is the first for Thailand.
“Bangkok in the 1930s” takes you through a decade of economic crisis, coup d’états, political intrigue and the birth of a new nation. The narrative is set against the backdrop of Bangkok’s most famous temples and palaces and the tour guides you to places such as the Annanta Sammakhom Throne Hall – where the People’s Party staged a coup d’état in 1932 and ousted King Prajadhipok (Rama VII).
If you’re planning a trip to Bangkok, this guided tour offers you the perfect opportunity to discover places that you may otherwise overlook, while learning about the country’s history in a compelling and interactive way.
“Bangkok in the 1930s” is available as an in-app purchase at $1.99 on Rama, an iPhone app found on iTunes or through the developer’s website.
Chatuchak Park – Bangkok
Alongside the traffic-congested Phahonyothin Road, Chatuchak Park offers Bangkok residents quiet respite from the manic pace of urban living. With the BTS (skytrain) and MRT (underground) directly in front of the park, it’s a doddle to get there and attracts large crowds on the weekend who come to take a brief rest from their bartering bonanza in nearby Chatuchak Market.
If you’re looking for a quiet place to read a book, Chatuchak Park has plenty of shaded areas where you can escape from the sun and watch the world go by. The park’s central feature is its artificial lake, which stretches along the entire length of the park and makes for a great place to feed fish or even the occasional turtle. Peddle boats can be rented for a small price and offer the perfect opportunity to take your sweetheart on the lake and confess your undying love.
The park is frequented by an eclectic crowd and you will see Thai families sitting in the shade eating Som Tum, while tourists try their best to catch a sun burn in the baking heat. Health fanatics don their headbands and looks of steely determination, as they try to postpone the inevitable by keeping fit on the parks tarmac tracks while weightlifters congregate at the bench press to compare each others pecs.
A children’s playground is located near to the south entrance of the park and is great for keeping the little ones entertained while you do boring grown-up things, like read news papers or talk about last year’s vacation.
If you’re feeling peckish while at the park, Kampaeng Phet Road is lined with noodle stalls, where you can sit down on wee plastic chairs and eat with chopsticks in the open air. Ice cream vendors occasionally walk through the park selling ice cream with rice in it. Yes, I said rice. Actually, the ice cream rice is rather delicious. Failing all that, run to the BTS and grab some pastries from the Yamazaki bakery.
The north of the park is where you will find the beautiful flower gardens and is the best place to escape the hustle and bustle of the busy lakeside area. The numerous bridges spanning the lake offer vantage points for watching fish or taking that “here-I-am-in-Chatuchak-Park” pic to show off to your friends on Facebook.
Chatuchak Park is a great place to stop off and unwind from a frenetic day in Chatuchak Market and I highly recommend taking a visit during your time in Bangkok; you won’t regret it!
Suan Rot Fai – The Old Railway Park
Deep in the heart of Bangkok’s urban jungle, you will find a surprising contrast of greenery and wildlife in Wachirabenchathat Park – more commonly called Suan Rot Fai or Railway Park. The park grounds once belonged to the State Railway of Thailand but were procured by the government as part of a project to improve the urban landscape by providing green areas for the city’s inhabitants.
The park is located just off Phahon Yothin Road, on Kampaeng Phet Road 3 and can be easily reached by taxi. A good alternative to taxi is the skytrain, which is air-conditioned, cheap and convenient to use. Get off the skytrain at Mochit and take a short walk along Phahon Yothin Road, through Chatuchak Park and onto Kampaeng Phet Road. If you want to save even more money, try riding the bus for anywhere between 7 and 20 baht.
With the park spread out over 60 hectares, the bike-rental service – provided near the north entrance gate – is a great choice for getting around. Bikes can be borrowed for as little as 20 baht and come fitted with passenger and baby seats. The 3 kilometre track is popular among joggers and walkers but is usually alive with the sounds of bicycle bells and children’s laughter.
Shade trees make the park a perfect place to relax with family and friends, and straw mats for sitting on can be borrowed at a small fee. If you want to spend more than a few hours at the park, take a picnic along with you or try the vendors stationed near the bike-rental sheds. There is a small cafe to the right of the entrance gate, where you can buy coffees and snacks.
Once you enter the park, there are three main paths which you can follow, with smaller interconnecting paths along the way. On the east side of the park you will find the boating lake, where you can borrow a paddle boat for 40 baht per hour. The central path passes through the most popular sitting area; to the right of this path you will see a miniature version of Rattanakosin Island with models of the Rama VIII Bridge, the Giant Swing and Golden Mount Temple. The west side of the park is a maze of pathways and the children’s playground is located about halfway down.
Map of Suan Rot Fai
Amidst Bangkok’s labyrinth of streets and concrete tower blocks, Suan Rot Fai offers a welcome oasis for wildlife. There are numerous species of birds including Tree Sparrows, Rock Pigeons, Black-naped Orioles and Yellow-rumped Flycatchers. A birdwatching fair is held at the park every year by the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand. The butterfly garden, in the southeast corner of the park, is home to around 20 species of butterflies including the Plain Tiger, Clipper and Orange Oak Leaf. The butterfly park is open Tuesday to Sunday from 08:30 a.m. to 16:30 p.m., admission is free.
Suan Rot Fai is a great alternative to the hotter and noisier Chatuchak Park. If you’re looking for something a little different, this park is the antithesis of “typical Bangkok tourist.” The park is open from 05:00 a.m. to 21:00 p.m. and welcomes families, joggers, tourists or those who just want a quiet place to read a book. If you’re living or staying in Bangkok, the question you really need to be asking is: “why haven’t I been there yet?” A fascinating day out in Bangkok on a shoestring.
The Nine Kings of the Chakri Dynasty: Rama I – The Founding Father
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Between Two Kingdoms
Burmese invasion of Ayutthaya
After the city of Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767, Siam went through an itinerant period in which the population was displaced and wealth and resources were lost. The Burmese, confident that they had subdued the Siamese forces, withdrew their main armies back to Burma, and left only a few thousand soldiers under the command of a Mon general. This was a fatal error and their occupation of Siam was to be short-lived. Six months after the Burmese had sacked Ayutthaya, a senior officer from the Ayutthayan army, led 5,000 men and more than a hundred boats to the stronghold at Thonburi. He captured and executed the general in charge then proceeded to make Thonburi his headquarters. Before long, he stood out as a strong leader and sometime in 1768 he was chosen as king by popular consent; his name was Taksin. He ruled Siam in an unorthodox fashion and gained the reputation of being impulsive and short-tempered.
King Taksin of Thonburi
During the reign of King Taksin, two brothers rose to prominence as generals in his army. These two brothers were Bunma and Thong Duang. Bunma had been a close ally of Taksin’s during his military campaigns and it was he who convinced his brother to join Taksin’s army. They both became respected generals and in 1778, Thong Duang led an army to the northeast and invaded Laos. He returned to Thonburi triumphant and brought with him the Emerald Buddha statue. This acquisition undoubtedly increased Thong Duang’s prestige and would have been taken as an auspicious sign for the kingdom. He was later promoted to the rank of Chaophraya Chakri, which would be the equivalent of a modern day Field Marshal.
Taksin became more eccentric towards the end of his reign and when he came into conflict with numerous Buddhist monks, his popularity diminished. This, among other things, planted the seeds of his demise. He was later forced to abdicate and took refuge as a Buddhist monk in Wat Chaeng. A succession struggle ensued in which Thong Duang emerged as the strongest contender for the throne. Once he had asserted his power in the capital, he recalled Taksin from Wat Chaeng and put him on trial to face charges of misconduct. Found guilty, he was beheaded on April 7, 1782.
A New Beginning
Not long after taking command, the new king, who later became Rama I or Phra Buddha Yodfa, distanced himself from the reign of Taksin by reversing a number of his decisions and stressing the dignity of the highest office. Fifteen days after been accepted as Siam’s new ruler, Rama I moved the capital from Thonburi to the east bank of the Chao Phraya River. He established the first city pillar and named the new capital Krung Thep. Only foreigners continued to use the old village name, Bangkok.
Construction of the king’s palace proceeded at a feverish pace and it was decided to model the new city on the old capital – Ayutthaya. It seems the king wanted to regain some of the grandeur of Ayutthaya and perhaps rekindle the flames of a golden age in Siamese history. Whatever the reasons, it is known that Rama I ordered ship-loads of bricks to be brought from Ayutthaya and Thonburi to use as basic building materials for the palaces, fortifications and temples. Whether this decision was made due to economic constraints or for ritual value is impossible to say.
On June 6, 1782, Rama I formally ascended the throne in a traditional ceremony in which monks chanted over a container of water for three days before using it to transform the general into a king. The king was carried by palanquin from Thonburi to Bangkok at an auspicious hour. He was then anointed in his palace and presented with a suitable array of royal names. This marked the beginning of the Chakri dynasty, which the present day monarch, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is descended from.
A Stable Siam
Two years after the king’s ascension to the throne, Bangkok was starting to look like a capital city. An audience hall, library and temple had been constructed within the palace compound and an official opening ceremony was held in which the king was anointed a second time. He developed a daily routine which included giving alms to Buddhist monks, discussing court finances and matters of general importance, and listening to sermons in the audience hall. During his daily meetings, the king would regularly request the Department of Registration to disseminate the royal edict. One of these edicts enforced a law prohibiting civil servants from gambling. In the opening preamble of the edict the state of affairs in Siam is revealed: “Nowadays there are but few amongst the populace who are truthful and who make a living in a law-abiding manner.” Gambling was big business at the time and many people made their fortunes from it. Indeed, Rama I later had to revise the law when it became apparent that State revenue was suffering. He allowed gamblers to continue borrowing money but the license-holders were instructed to lend money based on the means of individuals to avoid excessive debt burden.
Hanuman - God-king of the apes fighting with Mayura, from Ramakien
Another important reform under Rama I was the revision of the Siamese version of the Buddhist Tripitaka. When the king had been informed that many of the old texts contained mistakes, he organised a council of learned men to edit the extant versions and compile a definitive set. The revisions of the text were finished within five months and a festival was organized to commemorate the new Tripitaka. During the festivities, the roof of the library caught fire as a result of the firework display. Rama I took this as a sign that the old building had not been sufficient and ordered the construction of a sturdier edifice.
With a stable Siam now emerging, Rama I also dedicated some of his time to promoting the arts, particularly the literary arts. Many of the ‘great classics’ were re-written including one of Siam’s best-known tales, Ramakien, which is derived from the Indian Ramayana. The king supervised the rewriting of Ramakien and is believed to have written parts himself. The story of Ramakien is also told in murals on the walls of the Grand Palace.
It was this dedication to the kingdom that helped Rama I to build a strong Siam. His statecraft set the wheels in motion for future kings of Siam, but it wasn’t without opposition and the threat of Burmese invasion was as real as ever.
Conflicting Forces
In the same year that Bangkok was officially opened, King Bodawpaya of Burma, encouraged by numerous military successes, decided to launch an attack on Siam. The Burmese opened five different fronts at strategic locations including Chiang Mai, Petchaburi, the far southern provinces, the Three Pagoda Pass and the town of Tak. The Siamese responded by deploying three forces and Bodawpaya met with the army led by Siam’s uparat (deputy-king), who was none other than Bunma, the king’s brother. At first, the Burmese appeared to have the upper hand, but after food shortages and an outbreak of smallpox, the Siamese sent Bodawpaya and his troops into retreat, harassing them all the way to Burmese territory.
During these battles, the uparat came into conflict with his brother over a request to execute a number of ministers who had failed to fulfill their duties. Because these ministers were close friends of the king, he denied the uparat’s request but gave him permission to punish them. The guilty ministers were stripped of their ranks and their heads were partly shaved before being marched around the camp.
Rama I and his brother were frequently at odds during his reign and feelings of rivalry existed between them. The king had consistently used his power to undermine his brother’s position and towards the end of his life the uparat planned a coup d’état to overthrow Rama I and place his son on the throne. However, he became ill and died before he could carry out his plan. A number of co-conspirators were discovered and executed.
The Legacy
Rama I
Rama I was born Thong Duang March 20, 1737 to a high-ranking government officer and his Chinese wife. Though he wasn’t born of royal blood, he rose through the ranks and became king of Siam by virtue of his steadfast character, decisive actions and leadership skills. His rise to the throne also fitted the Buddhist belief of karma and his legitimacy depended not on his bloodline but on ties of incarnation. He claimed to be a Bodhisatta, who had attained good karma through merit making in previous lives, and would become a Buddha in his next life.
Rama I was a conservative king, quite the opposite of the eccentric Taksin, and he held the pride of the kingdom above all. Through his numerous reforms, Siam started a new chapter in its history which, though veiled in the guise of orthodoxy, was in fact a time of innovation and would eventually lead to westernization and the fall of the absolute monarchy. He died aged 72 on September 7, 1809. He was the father of some 42 children to 28 mothers; divorce lawyers would have loved this guy.
On his death bed Rama I prophesised that his dynasty would last but 150 years. To find out how that prophecy did (at least in part) come true, stay tuned to this blog as we follow the lives of the Nine Kings of the Chakri Dynasty.
What’s In a Name? That which we call Bangkok by any other name would smell as putrid.
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To adoring farangs the world over, Thailand’s sin city is known simply as “Bangkok.” But what is the meaning of the name? And would Bangkok smell any better if was called something else? In the following passages I will attempt to unravel the mystery of the name and reveal a few misconceptions, too.
The Birth of an Angel
Rama I - The founding father of Bangkok
When Phra Buddha Yodfa (Rama I) moved Thailand’s capital from Thonburi in 1782, he wanted to build a city worthy of the previous kingdom of Ayutthaya. He set about driving piles into the marsh-ridden ground and began the construction of the Grand Palace. The plot of land that Bangkok was built on was then known as Bang Kok, which means “The Village of Plum Trees.” Over time, this name was forgotten by the locals but survived in the international appellation Bangkok. In fact, the Thai people don’t usually call their capital city “Bangkok” at all.
To Thai people, Bangkok is known as Krung Thep. But that’s not the end of it. The Thai name for Bangkok is the longest name for a capital city in the world and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Below is the full, ceremonial name of Thailand’s capital:
“Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.”
Long, isn’t it. If that doesn’t mean much to you, here’s the translation:
“The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarma.”
This ceremonial name is derived from two ancient Indian languages, Pāli and Sanskrit. The only Thai word in the name is the initial Krung which means “capital”. It is still taught in schools, though nowadays, most of the younger generation do not understand the meaning of the archaic words. The older generation may remember the name thanks to a popular song, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (1989) by Asanee-Wasan Chotikul. If you ask a Thai person about this song, you may be lucky enough for them to give you a rendition. If you can’t get that, click on the name of the song above and listen to it on YouTube.
The common misconception that most farangs have is that “Bangkok” means “The city of angels.” So, next time you hear two farangs arguing over the meaning of “Bangkok,” you can amaze and perhaps perplex them, by revealing that Bangkok does in fact mean “The Village of Plum Trees.”
Whatever we call this concrete jungle, it will always smell like warm dog vomit mixed with chilli sauce; my favourite dish on the soi.
Bangkok - The City of Angels
