A voyage through Thai history

Nightly shows at Siam Niramit Theatre offer residents and visiting tourists the opportunity of viewing Thai history and culture in a beautifully choreographed stage extravaganza. The show boasts more than 100 adroit performers dressed in traditional Thai costumes and contemporary special effects and lighting technology.

The actual show commences at 20:00. Act I travels through the four main regions of Thailand, the North, Isarn, the South Seas and the Central Plains. Scenes taken from history include ancient Lanna Kingdom royal processions and traditional Khmer inspired dances. Act II explores Thai beliefs with sets from Himapaan Mystical Forest, Blissful Heaven and Fiery Hell. The third and final act showcases customs associated with Thai festivals such as Loy Krathong. Total show time is around 90 minutes.

People wishing to make an evening out of a visit to Siam Niramit can arrive early and enjoy a sumptuous buffet as well as walk through replica rural villages. Sales outlets in the villages sell traditional handicrafts from the particular region the village is set in. The buffet begins at 17:45 and has both Thai and international specialities.

Siam Niramit’s doors open at 17:30 and complimentary shuttle buses run from the Thailand Cultural Centre underground train station Exit 1 every 15 minutes from 17:00 onwards. Some friends recently went to the show and a tour package booked at their hotel, which included the buffet dinner and premium golden seats, worked out cheaper than booking it on Siam Niramit’s website. The theatre’s website at http://www.siamniramit.com/index.php provides additional details about these unique shows.

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Yaowarat

Yaowarat is the central district of Bangkok which many ethnic Chinese residents have settled in and now call home. Yaowarat is a great location to observe the traditional customs that most Chinese Bangkokians still adhere to. Thanon Yaowarat is the main thoroughfare through the precinct and many of the shops and residences on the road will be festooned with lanterns and red Chinese calligraphy streamers this weekend to mark the coming Year of the Dragon.

The Chinese New Year is dictated by the cycles of the moon and does not fall on the same date every year. From Sunday onwards, area residents will put food outdoors as offerings to gods and departed ancestors. Usually the smoke from firecrackers taints the air as people light them to frighten off a legendary monster known as Nien. Firecrackers are also used to announce the imminent arrival of dragon dancers.

A couple of streets back from Thanon Yaowarat, Wat Leng Noei Yi is one of the most important Chinese temples in Bangkok. The temple is a unique sight as people gather at the New Year to pay homage to gods and goddesses with joss-sticks and other offerings. Although Yaowarat is the focal point of New Year festivities, many restaurants and shops in Bangkok serve traditional Chinese dishes and run special product promotions.

Visiting Bangkok’s magnificent temples

One of Bangkok’s principal attractions is its fabulous temples. There are plentiful examples of these religious edifices in all corners of the capital which are easily spotted by the high-eaved roofs of their main chapels (viharn) and the tapered spires of the pagodas (chedi). Although most of the temples are worth a quick look, the three on most tourism itineraries are Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Arun.

Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, sits on the west bank of the main city waterway, the Chao Phraya River. Wat Arun’s stunning architecture is visible for miles in either direction on the opposite bank of the river. Up close, it is no less impressive. The temple’s 70m spire is inlaid with mosaic and glass and is an arresting sight.

Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew are close to each other. The latter is contained within the Grand Palace complex and houses the noted Emerald Buddha image from which its name is derived. The image was carved from a single piece of the precious stone and is on an elevated dais in an ornate chapel. Wat Pho is across from the palace and is home to a massive 45m reclining Buddha statue and one of the most famous massage schools in Asia.

Thai temples can be visited at any time during daylight hours. They are even pleasant on a summer afternoon as lofty, old trees usually take away the worst of the heat. People planning on visiting temples should remember they are religious sites and need to dress appropriately. Males should wear T-shirts and long trousers and females need to cover upper arms and legs.

Bangkok’s haven for backpackers

Khaosan Road is Bangkok’s equivalent to London’s Earls Court or the Kings Cross district of Sydney. Khaosan Road is the focal point of a precinct where many of the Thai capital’s budget option hotels and eateries are located. The street forever immortalised in hit book and movie The Beach, is a must visit location on any Southeast Asian odyssey.

Cupboard sized rooms with shared bathroom facilities in guest houses off the main drag go for as little as 100 Baht, while for a few hundred Baht more visitors can usually find something a little more luxurious with air-conditioning. The Viengtai Hotel on the street running parallel to Khaosan is a good place to splurge.

Dining and shopping venues are some of the best in Thailand. Besides ubiquitous Thai staples such as pad Thai noodles and kow pat fried rice, gourmands can enjoy Middle Eastern falafel and speciality Indian dishes on Khaosan Road. During the evenings, vendors set up stalls selling snacks including kebab sticks and fresh fruit.

Khaosan Road shops and stalls offer a full range of hand-crafted souvenirs, silver jewellery, colourful ethnic clothing and fake designer gear. Although most of the bars and cafés on Khaosan are streetside establishments where the principal activity seems to be people watching, there are a few more genteel venues. Gulliver’s Traveler’s Tavern and The Club disco are among the more popular venues for an evening’s entertainment.

Visiting Dream World theme park

As many Bangkokians head north to Chiang Mai or down to Thailand’s legendary beach resorts for the New Year and the streets of the capital are slowly emptying, now seems like a great opportunity to visit Thailand’s equivalent of Disneyland. Dream World is on the north side of Don Muang Airport and is easily reached by taxi, rental car or public bus. Abundant attractions in the theme park include the requisite roller coaster, Sleeping Beauty’s castle and Snow Town.

Because Thailand is a tropical country and most Thais have never seen or felt snow, Snow Town is probably the most popular single draw at Dream World. Snow Town offers an authentic northern hemisphere winter experience which starts when visitors don padded coats and Wellington boots before entering. Inside life-like penguins and a large snowman stand guard over Santa’s house and an igloo. People can make their own snowballs.

The Haunted Mansion does a great job of scaring youngsters and oldies alike, while the Thai Grand Canyon’s whitewater rapids provide a white-knuckle treat. Water dodgems are the perfect way of winding down after the thrill attractions. The Hollywood Action Show is a fine display of a SWAT team taking on terrorists. On weekends and public holidays, the Colours of the World is a parade of notable cartoon characters.

Dream World opens every day at 10:00 and closes at 17:00. It stays open until 19:00 on weekends and holidays. Dream World is currently running a promotional package which offers free hotel pick-up and drop-off in Bangkok, entry fees and buffet lunch for 1,000 Baht a person. Additional details at http://www.dreamworld-th.com/english/group.php.

Cruising the Chao Phraya on Xmas Eve

Taking a dinner cruise on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River on Christmas Eve is an excellent way of kicking off celebrations for the festive holiday. A number of companies are operating their standard evening dinner voyages, but others are catering to Western tastes and providing sumptuous feasts with Christmas drinks, desserts, party hats and accoutrements.

Vessels making evening dinner cruises on the Chao Phraya include the opulent Grand Pearl and Chao Phraya Princess cruisers, and the Tahsaneeya Nava, a heritage rice barge. The Christmas Eve cruises on offer are typically 2.5 hours long when departing from the River City Pier and include cocktails, seafood buffets and live entertainment. An English-speaking commentator gives good descriptions of passing moonlit sights such as the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun).

The refurbished Tahsaneeya Nava is serving up a ten-course candlelight meal with its own signature Christmas pudding. Guests will be able to enjoy kir royal Champagne cocktails while being serenaded by musicians playing traditional instruments including the khim. Passengers strolling on deck can watch the softly twinkling lights of the metropolis drift by. People wishing to enjoy a Christmas odyssey on the Tahsaneeya Nava can garner discounts of up to 20 per cent by pre-booking at http://www.loynava.com/christmas-bangkok.html.

A night out in Patpong

The vibrant district between Silom and Surawong roads in central Bangkok is renowned throughout the world for its exciting nightlife. Although it has mellowed over the past decade, Patpong is still a must-visit location for most Bangkok visitors. Many of the bars offer agogo entertainment with scantily clad dancers dancing around poles, but there are still a number of discos and traditional pubs to provide a modicum of variety.

Bars are focussed on what are really two lanes, Patpong 1 and Patpong 2, running between the two main roads. At the Silom end of Patpong, near Sala Daeng Skytrain Station, the Thigh Bar and O’Reilly’s Irish Pub are close geographically, yet miles apart in terms of style. The latter is an archetypal pub with draught Guinness among its offerings, while the Thigh Bar offers a central stage packed with agogo dancers.

Club Electric Blue is one of the numerous other agogo bars and is on Patpong 2. On a recent night out, the stage at this venue was full of beautiful ladies, while punters ranged from young men to middle-aged couples. Bobby’s Arms is nearby and another relaxing tavern to take in a few drinks and some traditional pub fare. Lucifer Disko is a great place for party animals and those not wishing to retire to bed early. As its name implies, the club is themed on hell, a fact evident in staff uniforms and décor. Music genres vary considerably and typically include trance and pop.

Getting wardrobes tailor made in Bangkok

For many overseas visitors having clothes tailor-made in Bangkok is an integral part of their holidays. Advertisements in the windows of ladies and gents clothiers claim that suits and other items of clothing can be made in no time at all and at a fraction of the cost of having similar products made in Western countries. Judging by the amount of satisfied customers leaving the kingdom with new outfits of clothes the ads are not false claims.

Tailor’s shops can be found in all the main tourist districts on Sukhumvit Road as well as on Silom and Surawong roads either side of Patpong. There is also a small grouping near the Oriental and Royal Orchid hotels on the riverside. Tailors make clothing from the finest quality cottons, linens, wools and Thai silks. Suits, tuxedoes, sports jackets, trousers and shirts can be custom made for men, while for women formal suits, skirts, dresses, evening gowns, blouses and even wedding dresses can be knocked up to specific designs.

There are countless tailor shops in Bangkok and it would be an impossible task to list them all. Ones that have been recommended by happy punters over the years include Excelsior Custom Tailor in Patpong, Tailor On Ten on Soi 8 off Sukhumvit Road and the aptly named Savile Row Tailors in Patpong’s Rose Hotel.

Visitors planning on having clothes made to a particular model can bring photographs of their desired product which will help the tailor. When choosing a tailor it is a good idea to inspect clothes they have already made and ensure stitching, hems and lining as well as the fabrics are up to standard.

Betting on the horses in Bangkok

In Thailand there are only two legal forms of gambling, the National Lottery and horse-racing. The National Lottery is drawn twice a month, on the 1^st and the 16^th, and horse-racing meets are held over the weekends in major Thai cities, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Any other form of gambling requires a trip across the border to casinos in Cambodia or Myanmar.

In Bangkok horse-racing events are usually held on Sundays. The venue alternates each week from the Royal Turf Club to the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. I have been to the latter several times, as it is one of the only ways to gain entrance to one of the Thai capital’s most exclusive clubs. Visitors need to dress up a little for the occasion as flip-flops, shorts and men’s collarless shirts are not allowed.

Racing begins just after midday and there are normally 10 races, which run at 30-minute intervals. Earlier this year, entrance fees were 100 Baht per person and an extra 100 Baht for a race programme with English text. Minimum bets were 50 Baht and possible bets include ‘win’, ‘place’, ‘quinella’ and ‘trifecta’. Binoculars can be rented which is a great option for those wishing to cheer on their chosen horses.

Major races on Bangkok’s calendar include the Queen’s Cup in August and April’s Chakri Cup. People planning to attend a meet at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club can check the timetable at http://www.rbsc.org/RacingFixtures.aspx.

Escaping the hustle and bustle in Lumphini

Took a trip to Lumphini Park this week and it is still a relaxing location and haven of tranquillity in the heart of Bangkok. The verdant trees and lawns, and people leisurely strolling around provide a pleasant contrast to the skyscrapers on the horizon and the blaring honks of traffic on the roads surrounding it. Walking across from the Silom MRT station to the park I passed the King Rama VI statue which stands as a sentinel at the entrance.

Once inside the gates I joined other walkers and joggers circumnavigating the park on the path that runs close to the inner perimeter wall. Various elderly people were practicing tai-chi and relaxation exercises. After a couple of laps in Bangkok’s humidity it was time for a rest, so I bought a bottle of mineral water from a vendor near King Rama and found some shade beside the boating lake.

It was a real pleasure to cool down and watch boaters pedalling their craft in the heat, while the odd monitor lizard dove into the water and swam sleekly through it. There are also well-equipped children’s playgrounds, a colourful Chinese pavilion and shower facilities in the park. Silom Station is at the Rama IV-Ratchadamri road intersection.