A Journey Trough Thailand, A night in Bangkok’s Chinatown
Chinatown with it’s Yaowarat road has become one of my favorite places in Bangkok. It was also the first place i stayed when first arriving in Thailand Back in November 2022. It hard to describe the feeling when arriving there. Its just so buzzing with life and exotic foods and smells. It its overwhelming on all senses. So lets take a little journey in Bangkok’s Chinatown! First up a bite to eat:
We get off the MRT train at Wat Mangkon station in Chinatown. Very close to is my absolute favorite Pork Satay street food stand. Cost 10 baht per piece, and that sauce is divine absolutely divine.
Just across the street from this place is a very famous street side restaurant serving an amazing crispy deep fried Mussel Omelette. That omelette is probably the best meal I’ve had so far in Thailand. The place is very popular, so be prepared too wait a bit for a table.
From here its just a short walk to the famous Yaowarat road, you have probably seen pictured before from this place. Famous for its street food and neon signs.
The best time to visit is in the evening, all days except Monday. All the street food stalls are closed on Mondays. The street is packed with all kinds of street-food. And I would argue that this is the best place in Bangkok for food in general. Chineese food, Thai food and lots of different fusion food can be found here:
Last but not least is the Kuan Yim Shrine. It is located at the far end of Yaowarat road, towards the Chinatown gate. Kuan Yim is the Chinese Goddess of mercy. It was hard to get a good photo here as there was always people walking by. But this is what I managed to get:
Chinese New year is coming up, so i suspect there will be another Chinatown post coming up. Lets see :) Stay tuned for next blog post.
A Journey Trough Thailand, Wat Benchamabophit in Bangkok
Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram, another gorgeous temple in Thailand located in the Dusit District of Bangkok. It is well known tourist atrraction, but interestingly I never saw big crowds here. Could be as its a bit out if the center, and not reachable with public transport. It is however very “Photogenic”. Is popularly reffed to as the “Marble Temple”
I actually ended up going 2 times here as I felt there was more possibilities for Photography there. I am sure glad i did! Love this place, and I will surely be back in the future.
The Temple was built in 1899 from Italian marble, thus the nickname “Marble Temple”. It was built at the request of King Chulalongkorn, as he had his palace nearby. It was designed by the Kings half brother, Prince Naris.
The temple is under consideration by UNESCO as a potential World Heritage Site. It is also depicted on the Thai 5 Baht coin. I don’t usually like it in front of the camera, but here is an exception:
I recommend to come a little before sunset. Its not a very big area, but during sunset and when it starts getting dark is when its most beautiful. Here is the Photo I came back the second visit for. Still not sure if I’m completely happy with it, so maybe I will go back soon :)
And lets finish off with the entrance. Not my greatest photo, but I’ll include it anyway:
A Journey Trough Thailand, trip to Chiang Rai.
Wat Rong Khun
Only spent two days in Chiang Rai, but very glad i made the trip. Obligatory is a visit to Wat Rong Khun, or White Temple. It a privately owned art exhibit that was constructed in 1997. A magnet for tourists, for obvious reasons. The light conditions wasn’t optimal with harsh sunlight and dark shadows, but what a marvelous construction this is.
The bridge in from of the main building is called the “The light conditions wasn’t optimal, with harsh sunlight and dark shadows. But what a marvelous construction this called "the cycle of rebirth". In from of the bridge is hundreds of reaching hands symbolizing unrestrained desire. The bridge proclaims that the way to happiness is by foregoing temptation, greed, and desire. (source)
Wat Rong Suea Ten
Another must visit in Chiang Rai is Wat Rong Suea Ten, or Blue Temple. This is also a very young temple designed by Putha Kabkaew, a student of the artist who built the White Temple. Also very impressive in its own right. Especially the interior of the main building was impressive. The following image is a horizontal 3 shot panorama.
Its quite a small area, so not much time is needed here. But i would definitely recommend the visit. There is also no entrance fee here, and its close to the city center.
