Our round the world trip (2): Bangkok’s Grand Palace
This is our first visit to Thailand, although we have been to adjacent and nearby countries Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The country has the longest-reigning monarch in the world: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) – who is now aged 85 – has been on the throne for 66 years. He rules over a nation with a very similarly-sized population to that of the UK: 66M compared to 62M.
Like some other Asian languages, Thai is a tonal language and the same syllable can be pronounced in five tones, each of which conveys a different meaning. The classic example of this is the syllable “mai” which in different tones can mean “new”, “wood”, “burned”, “not?” and “not” and the five tones said one after another can mean: “new wood doesn’t burn, does it?” (which was a phrase we found we could use in all sorts of situations – not).
Thailand’s current capital of Bangkok is only two centuries old. It was the general Thong Duang (Rama I), who sized power in 1782, who built a new capital for Thailand which he called Krung Thep (City of Angels), today known as Bangkok. This bustling metropolis is home to some 8M souls (the same as London) but there are another 6M in the wider metropolitan area.
Day 3 (Thursday) and the sightseeing begins. Our taxi ride immediately brought home how Thailand is a country of contrasts.
On the one hand, it is a modern nation connected to world and our taxi driver, once he knew we were from Britain, proudly announced his support for the Manchester United football team. On the other hand, it is still a deeply traditional nation and we saw portrait after portrait of the revered King especially in the wide streets around the Democracy Monument. The art deco monument, constructed in 1932 to commemorate the transition from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy, has four wings 78 feet (24 m) tall representing 24 June when the constitution was signed. The location is frequently the site of protests against the anti-democratic nature of the country.
Our destination was the Grand Palace which is not so much a building as a collection of structures set in a park – a bit like Beijing’s Forbidden City but smaller and smarter – established in 1782. Admission was 500 Baht (about £11) each.
The jewel in this complex is undoubtedly the Wat Phra Kaeo or Temple of the Emerald Buddha which is the holiest of all Thai wats. The eponymous Buddha – located in the Chapel Royal (admission to which requires removal of shoes) – is the most sacred image in Thailand, but it is merely a small (26 in or 66 cm) green jade figure set high on a golden altar (photographs are not permitted).
The whole area around the chapel is stupendous: temples, murals, gilded golden angels, gilded half-human figures, with all walls decorated with multicoloured mosaics and bits of glass reflecting the bright sunshine. Two abiding images are the giant (16 feet or 5 metres) fierce-faced figures who appear to guard the area and the repeated half man, half bird figures standing on a three-headed snake holding aloft its two bodies. It is a photographers’s dream and Roger ran around taking 35 pictures.
But, after more than three hours at the complex, poor Vee – who hardly sleeps on an aircraft and slept badly in the hotel – was wilting in the heat (33C or 91F), so we took a taxi back to the hotel. Even during the day, the traffic – cars, taxis, tuk-tuks, light motorcycles – is horrendous and we were frequently reduced to a standstill, but amazingly nobody sounds their horn.
We had a late and light lunch at the hotel before spending time back in our room sleeping and reading. For dinner, we decided to leave the hotel and take a local stroll. In the direction in which we took, we could find no decent restaurants but there were lots of pavement stalls selling hot food of indeterminate identity.
We played safe and ate at a place called “MK Restaurant” on the ground floor of a giant Tesco store. Each table had a hot plate set into it, so that one could cook food where one sat – Vee had crab and Roger had pork. On the hour, a song was broadcast (“MK Suki”) and all the staff lined up for a little dance – cheerful.