Thailand Part III: Bangkok

In addition to travelling in the north and south of Thailand, we also spent a few days in the capital city Bangkok. We visited Bangkok for a day and a half at the beginning of our vacation and then another day and a half at the end.

Our first night:
Chelsea's college roommates, sisters (Jennifer and Tracy) who are from Thailand, happened to be visiting their parents the day we arrived. They picked us up from the airport and took us out to dinner at a very nice Thai restaurant. They and were able to give us some useful insight into the Thai culture and recommended a few good places to visit. It was really a great way to start the trip!

After checking into our hotel, we walked around the streets outside our hotel. We were a little overwhelmed by the city. Bangkok is very large and is very developed, but it is also very poverty stricken. We often felt like we were in a third-world country as we walked through the streets near our hotel. There were many vendors selling meats and fruits and trash was everywhere. At the same time, though, there were many upscale malls and restaurants throughout the city.

Boat Ride

One morning we went on an hour boat ride on the river in Bangkok. We were able to see many houses and temples along the way. A few women on small row boats came up to us and sold us some souvenirs.

The Grand Palace

We really enjoyed walking around the Grand Palace, which also contains the Wat Pho. It took a few hours to see everything and was very crowded. Once inside the thick, white walls of the palace, we were really impressed with the beauty and intricacy of the buildings and statues.

The Royal Family

The Thai people have a very strong devotion to their King and Queen. Pictures of the Royal Family are seen everywhere around the country; their faces appear in almost every restaurant, business, and along the streets. After visiting a museum about the Royal Family's history and talking with the people we met there, we became very impressed and envious of the unity the country feels toward their leader. The first picture below is at our hotel in Bangkok, in the background you can see huge pictures of the king and queen displayed. The next picture is at the airport. The kings picture was displayed on each terminal.

The 2 weeks we spent in Thailand is an experience we will never forget. We feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit this great country.