Our round the world trip (4): last day in Bangkok
After a late lunch and some chilling back at the hotel, for our last evening in Bangkok we decided to do something a little different and, following a recommendation from the hotel, had dinner at a restaurant called the “Naj Exquisite Thai Cuisine”. It was a pleasant ambience since it is located in a century-old house which once belonged to an aristocratic family.
We began with cocktails: “Bangkok sunrise” (coconut rum, lemongrass & lime juice) for Roger and “Naj mohito” (rum, soda, lime & mint leaves) for Vee. The service was slow but the food good: from a choice of main courses running to around 140, Roger had pan-fried roasted duck and minced prawn topped with plum sauce, while Vee had stir-fried crispy soft-shell crab with yellow curry powder.
We were there about two and a half hours and, in that time, on four occasions we were entertained by a young woman dressed in various traditional Thai costumes performing Thai dances which involved bending her fingers back at ridiculous angles. It was not quite the “show” we had been led to expect but a relaxed and enjoyable evening. It cost just over 2,000 Baht (about £44 – cheap by British standards).
For our last day in Bangkok – Day 6 (Saturday) of our trip – we wanted to see something other than wats and, as usual, Roger had a plan. Unlike yesterday morning when the first taxi driver was a cheat, this morning our taxi driver was just incompetent. He simply did not understand where he was taking us. First, he tried to drop us at the Royal Hotel, but we refused to leave the vehicle. Then he dropped us a what we believed was the right location until he drove away and we found that we were at the Grand Palace which we had already seen.
Our guide book warned of a trick we had come across in other Asian countries: one is advised by a local that the place one wishes to visit is closed and offered an alternative venture which is costly to the tourist and lucrative to the family or friend of the local in question. So, when we asked for directions to the National Museum, we were told that it was closed to foreigners for the morning. Before an alternative offer could be made, we stormed off with only a vague idea of how to reach our desired location.
Once away from the Grand Palace, we found that nobody spoke English or even read local place names in English script, but lots of pointing at maps and various gesticulations enabled us eventually to find the Pipitaphan or National Museum – and of course it was open to all.
It was a fascinating location and the first hall provided an interesting review of the history of Thailand from earliest times to the modern day. It seems that nobody really knows for sure where the Thais came from and an early display panel offered five possible explanations. What is clear, however, is that the current dynasty called the Chakri Kings – dating from 1782 – has had nine Rama monarchs and the current one has been on the throne since 1946, overseeing fluctuating efforts to establish a stable democracy.
The rest of the museum of around three dozen rooms contains a wide variety of Thai art and architecture, ranging from early images of Buddha to a collection of royal funeral chariots.
Another taxi ride had us at our other destination of the day which was in fact just walking distance from our hotel. It was Jim Thompson’s House which is not a single building but a cafe (where we had some lunch), a shop, delightful gardens with pools of turtles and fish, and six original teak buildings (which we toured with an English-speaking guide), all situated by a narrow but busy canal. Thompson was an amazing character: an American born in 1906 who was a practising architect before the Second World War, served with the OSS during the war, relocated to Thailand after the war, and revived the traditional industry of hand weaving of silk, before going for a walk in 1967 and disappearing for ever.
So we have now finished our time in Bangkok and we are currently waiting at the airport for our flight to Australia.
March 10th, 2013 at 7:20 am
Hi Roger and Vera, Well welcome to Australia, have enjoyed reading your stories about Bangkok, I hope we are a little better here and you do not have people trying to rip you off. Sorry the weather is very hot in Melbourne but it is better than here. Enjoy Moomba while you are there and looking forward to your next exciting entry. Love Trish & Gavin