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BAGKOG: ANGEL IN DISGUISE

At first glance, this metropolis of cover ten million people

appears as a bewildering melding of new and odl and

indeterminate, and of exotic and common place and

indescribable, all tossed together into a gigantic urban fuss.

If Bangkok seems to lack order, it is because it never has had

order, save for the royal core of the city, Rattanaksoin, where

the kings built their palaces. Moving outwards from this artificial

islands defined by the hao !hraya River and canals, the city

becomes increasingly less and less organi"ed.

Bangkok began as a city of canals and elephant paths, when

motor vehicles redefined urban transportation, the old paths

were simply paved over for the new wheels. haos in

construction began in earnest during the late #$%&s, and a

large part of what assaults the eye today started then' the

lofty office buildings, the air' conditioned supermarkets and

shopping centers, nearly all the broad streets and international

hotels, the endless blocks of row shops following what one critic

called the (egg'crate principle of design). Before this boom, the

now' fashionable residential streets on either side of *ukhumvit

Road and !haholyothin road were rice paddies.

+et despite the boom, large areas around the old rand !alace,

the hinese district, and across the river in -honburi now

included in the reater Bangkok Metropolitan Area/ wee, for the

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time, hardly touched by the building fever. But the pause was

momentary. 0ew construction in hinatown is replacing the

s1uat building with towering glass ones.

-oday, about one out of every eight -hais live in Bangkok and

like many cities at a similar stage of development, it in no way

represents the country as a whole. It is a distinct entity unto

itself.

Bangkok began its life on the banks of the hao !hya River, the

(River of 2ings) -hough the city is some 3&& years old, it

became the nations capital only in #456 when the royal dynasty

which now rules -hailand was established. -he first king, Rama #

#456'#5$&/ ordered a canal to be dug across the neck of

anoxbow in the river, thereby creating an island which could be

easily defended against attackers.

Bangkok7s first ma8or building was 9at !hra 2aeo, or the -emple

of the :merald Buddha, the holiest Buddha image in the realm.

9at !hra 2aeo, which ad8oins the rand !alace, is a complex of

scared buildings erected over the course of Bangkok7s first

century in a seemingly random pattern and variety of styles.

9alking through it, one7s eyes are assaulted by twinkling

pinpoints of sunlight reflected in hundreds of thousands of tiny

colored mirrors that cover every 8ewel'like surface of the

temple.

At the center of the complex is the bot or (ordination hall) that

holds the :merald Buddha. ilded garudas mythical birds/ line

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its ramparts while singhas mythical lions/ protect the stairs and

ferocious guardians carved on the doors see to it that evil spirits

do not enter. -he image they guard is rather small. *eated high

on an ## meter'tall ;< ft/ gilded alter, it is made of 8asper and

is clothed in the raiment of the season.

0orth of the bot are the Prasat Phra Thep Bidom or Royal

pantheon/ holding the ashes of past kings and important royal

personages= the library mondop/, repository for the Buddhist

scriptures= and a tall golden mosaictiled spire with a summit clad

in da""ling pure gold.

*urrounding the complex is a portico whose walls are covered

with episodes from the -hai version of the Indian epic the

Ramakien, the story of the god'king Rama which is the principal

work of -hai dance'drama, literature and puppet theater, and

whose name the present dynasty7s kings have assumed. -he

murals were originally painted during the reign of Rama III

#563'#5%&/ and have been restored several times.

-he rand !alace also evolved piecemeal, beginning in #45$ with

the Dusit aha Prasad! which sits on the west of the great

courtyard. In front of it is perhaps the most charming structure,

the 8ewel box'like Aphon Phimok pavilion where kings once

dismounted from their royal elephants.

-he most impressive building, the "hakri aha Prasad! was in

fact the last to be built. It sits at the center of the complex,

fronted by a garden of sculpted trees. Built as a royal residence

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and audience hall in #5$&, the lower part of it was designed by a

British architect. -he origianl blueprints called for a rather plain

roofline but, sensitive to thai aesthetic sensibilities, 2ing

chulalongkorn ordered that three spires crown it. -o the left of

the hakri Maha !rasad, a door leads to the forbidden 1uarters,

an area where the king7s many wives used to live. 0orth of the

women7s 1uarters lies Borom Phiman #$a$! to the east of the

doorway lies the Amarin %ini&hai #a$$ a former harem and

one of the palace7s few remaining original buildings. -oday, the

rand !alace is only used for state ban1uets and other royal

ceremonies.

-he grounds of the palace, open to visitors who are dressed

properly, occupy part of a larger compound that also includes the

royal chapel, the Royal ollection of 9eapons, the oin !avilion

and a small museum containing artifacts from the rand !alace.

A stroll south of the rand !alace leads to 'at Phra

"hettupon -emple of the Reclining Buddha/ or, as it is

popularly known, 'at Po( -his is the oldest and largest temple

in Bangkok and is divided into two sections by the narrow

hettuphon Road, one containing the living 1uarters of ;&&

resident monks and the other, a variety of religious buildings.

>ew statues in Bangkok are more impressive than 9at !o7s

mammoth Re&$inin) Buddha which occupies the entirety of a

long building in the north'western corner. Regarded less for its

artistic merit than its awesome si"e, the soles of the enormous

image7s feet are covered in #&5 intricate mother'of'pearl signs

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by which a living Buddha can be recogni"ed. 9at !o is also a

center of herbal and traditional medicine.

ross the street northeast of 9at !hra 2aew to Lak uan)

which houses a tall lingam dedicated to *hiva and demarcates

the official center of the city. ?ere, devotees come to make

wishes or to repay the spirits for wishes granted by hiring the

resident lakhon dance'drama troupe to perform a small piece.

'at ahathat, the Temp$e o* the Great Re$i&, although of

little note architecturally, contains the Buddhist @niversity.

0orth of the wat, the Nationa$ useum houses some of the

best sculptures and paintings the nations artists have produced

and some interesting ethnographic exhibits. Besides housing a

vast collection of anti1ues, the museum has an interesting

history of its own. -he oldest buildings were built as the palace

of the (second king), a sort of deputy ruler, a feature of the -hai

monarchy until #54&.

-he first building to the left of the entrance is the Si+amokha

Biman #a$$! which now houses a prehistoric art collection.

irectly behind the entrance is the buddhaisawan hapel, built

in the #4&&s which holds the Phra Bhddha Sihin)! the

kingdom7s second most important Buddha image. Its murals are

among the finest in -hailand.

Also in the museum compound is the Tamnak Den), or Red

?ouse which has a collection of furniture used by early royalty.

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Between 9at Mahathat and the riverbank is the Amulet Market.

-hais are great believers in the power of amulets stamped with

portraints of the Budha to protect them from harm. *ome

amulets are said to be so powerful they will stop bullets or knives

entering the wearer7s body. Although amulets are theoretically a

profanation of Buddhism, having its roots in animism, they are

very popular among thais and it is to here and at a second

amulet market next to 'at Ra,nadda that connoisseurs of

amulets flock.

Thie+es -$o.er arket, on the banks of Kh$on) La.d, is a

plant lover7s paradise. rchids, shrubs, trees, line the sidewalks,

a veritable 8ungle of exotic species. Alk a bit farther north to

'atIndra+antharnwith its colossal gilded Standin) Buddha.

-he core of 'at Ra,a/hopit, located near the Ministry of

Interior to the east of 2hlong Cawd, is a tall chedi or spire

surrounded by a circular cloister. n the northern side is a

beautiful 8ewel'box bot. -he windows and doors of the bot are

works of art and it has one of the most surprising temple

interiors in -hailand which has been rendered like a gothic

:uropean chapel.

'at Suthat was completed in the reign of 2ing Rama II #5&$'

#563/ to house a 65 ft 5 meter/ tall Buddha image brought

downriver from *ukhothai on a raft and then laboriously hauled

on a chariot through the city streets. -he doors, carved to a

depth of 6 inchres, are the creation of 2ing Rama II himself, a

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talented artist who is said to have thrown his specially designed

tools into the river so no one could duplicate his feat. -he interior

murals depict fatastic sea creatures.

In front of 9at *uthat is one of the city7s most famous

landmarks, the Giant S.in) or the Sao "hin) "haa. -he tall

structure was once the site for a ceremony, now discontinued,

to honor the god *hiva. n a special day a team of four athletic

men would sit on a seat suspended from long ropes and attempt

to swing high enough to snatch a bag of gold set atop a long

pole.

n the boundary of the original city is 'at Saket whose fame

stems from the artificial mountain which rises beside it. -he Phu

Kae. -hong or olden Mount, once the city7s tallest structure,

provides a superb panorama of the city for those visitors with

stamina to climb its many stairs.

'at Trimitr near the #ua$ampon) Rai$.a0 Station is famed

for its Buddha image. 9hen moving the huge plaster image in

#$%4, a sing broke, cracking the plaster and revealing a second

image hidden inside. 9hen the plaster was carefully stripped

away, the inter image was found to be made of sold gold %.%

tons of it.

-he area north of the rand !alace, beyond 2long !hading

became the fulcrum of -hailand7s government at the turn of the

6&th century. Ra8adamnern Aventure leads straight into the

s1uare in front of the imposing Nationa$ assem/$0

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1Par$iament2, a white marble monolith with a huge cupola in

the neoclassical style that was built by 2ing hulalongkorn in

#$&4 a shis throne room. It became the seat of -hailand7s first

parliament and can be viewed by appointment only. Dust behind

is the Eimarn Mek billed as the world7s largest teakwood building.

It was built by hulalongkorn as a rural residence for his family

in, what was in #$&&, the suburbs of Bangkok. -he #&& room

palace is filled with crystal. >aberage 8ewelry and other

:uropean ob8ects. -he spacious Ampron ardens, still the venue

for many royal social functions, lies west of the 0ational

Assembly. Dust across the streets is the usit Foo, one of the

most popular places in Bangkok for family outings.

Also facing onto the s1uare in front of the 0ational Assembly is

'at Ben&hama/hopit! also called the marble -emple. It was

built in #$ and was the last lively night market selling

cheapclothes, take watches and prated tapes.

0ot a five minute walk from !atpong are the tran1uil confines of

Cumpini !ark. 0ot far from the park entrance is the pasteur

Institute or the *nake >arm where live cobras are milked each

morning at ## am. -he extract is used to produce anti'venom

serums.

0orth of the park is the Ro0a$ Ban)kok Sports "$u/ horse'

racing on *aturday afternoon during the dry season/. Across the

road stands the temple like buildings of "hu$a$on)korn

Uni+ersit0! the country7s oldest and most prestigious

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institutions of higher learning. -he campus extends from ?enri

unants to !haya -hai road and holds #3 faculties. -he

university was built by 2ing Ramaa EI and named after his

father, 2ing hulalongkorn.

Beyond lies a thriving retail hub centered along Ratchadamri

Avenue, Ramal Road and !olenchit Road. At the intersection of

the three is the famous :rawan *hrine where, in a strange

example of religious fusion, -hai Budhists make offerings to

?indu god Brahma in order to improve their luck. riginally

erected by the :rawan ?otel, now the rand ?yatt, to counter a

space of bad luck, the shrine is redlent with incense smoke and

8asmine.

Ratchadamri Avenue boasts chic shopping centers like the

Peninsu$a P$a3a near the Regent ?otel. own Rama # Road is

the Intercontinental ?otel, with its expansive gardens and Siam

"enter!a huge air G conditioned shopping center that caters to

tourists. Dust across the street is *iam *1uare, a warren of shops

cafes and movie houses that caters mostly to -hais. -here are

also many anti1ue shops and :nglish language book shops in this

area. n either side of !loenchit Road are the massive entral

epartment *tore the (macy7s of Bangkok)/ and Amrin !la"a,

with enough American fast'food outlets to keep you fed for days.

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