I went to Bangkok for the first time in August last year. I had heard a lot about the bargains and the flesh trade but nothing prepared me for the City. The first shock is the flight itself, full of Punjabi shopkeepers of Karol Bagh ) If you travel economy class from Delhi!!). The next shock comes at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport as you reach the Que in front of the visa office. The visa on arrival can take as much as two hours on a good day !
As you get out of the airport, the city overpowers you! The heavy traffic, noise and pollution are something that is unique to Bangkok. Though the charming and courteous Thai people make up for the dirt and the grime and the very pleasant escort from the hotel educated us about the city like no other guide could have. Within 5 minutes of leaving the airport I noticed the Sky Train for the first time. It was a dramatic sight that I can still not forget. Hi fi super fast trains cruising across the skies of a centuries old city full of ancient architecture, temples and fleece markets. The express way is not only the most efficient, but also the most dramatic experience.
Another thing that struck me was that Budha in as many forms as you may imagine is omnipresent. From the hotel lobby to the streets and markets, he is every where. We were on a special mission to study the retail industry in Bangkok so we headed directly to the World Trade Tower but for tourists the must see places are the Grand palace and the Temple of the Emerald Budha. The World Trade Center is extremely modern and houses some of the best retail brands in the world. The beautiful white interiors are the most modern that I have seen in recent years. It houses Stores – ZEN and Istan which are a shopper’s heaven.
From the WTT we went to Siam Square which is the main junction of the sky train. Siam square is a busy market with a mix of small and big shops, bustling with people. What is amazing is that the majority of people that you see are young boys and girls.
In the evening we sat outside a small restaurant near World Trade Centre listening to a Live Band Play on the road as we had delicious Thai food.
We spent the next few days exploring the various markets in Bangkok and buying traditional ware, specially the Budhas. The river trip along the chaho Phraya River is a must for all first time visitors – especially on a cruise over dinner. You will see a strange mix of the old and new along the river which gives Bangkok its true identity.
Every where one goes there are innumerable massage parlors and the cabbies and the bell boys keep asking you (in case you are a man) if you need a massage. If you are a woman they leave you alone and I found the city very safe for a woman.
After refusing thousands of requests for massages we decided to get adventurous and went to a massage parlor one evening to see what it was all about for ourselves – There were girls lined up in glass cages (according to the quality of the girls and the price) and they had number cards in their hands and after watching them for a while you could chose to spend an hour with any one of them. We decided to ‘buy’ a girl and see what happens. Her name was Mai and she took us to dark dingy room and offered us beer and then offered to bath my friend. We told her that we just wanted to talk…..we found that she was divorced and had a small baby at home who she leaves with her mother….I felt nauseated but Mai looked happy with her life and saw nothing strange with it.
On the last night we went to the famous Pat Pong night Bazaar – looks worse than Delhi’s Chandni Chowk but delve deeper and you find a double of everything under the sun – from Mont Blanc to Gucci to Prada – you name it and they have it.
Further down you will find a hundred of sex shops with dancing girls. We went into one – there were 20 girls dancing on a ramp – some more beautiful than any women that I had seen in the world. We sat for a while and came away as we had a flight to catch early morning for Singapore but I carried a little bit of Thailand in me and I will go back soon again.