The final stop – Bangkok. A fiery urban hive of eight million residents. With this official number, it is the 22nd largest city in the world. However, as is often the case with such large cities, due to the vast number of unregistered permanent migrants from northern Thailand and many other Asian countries (as well as those who daily reside in Bangkok for work), the population is estimated to be around 15 million. Therefore, the population is increasingly heterogeneous, melting into a growing mix of Westerners, Indians, and Chinese. If you happen to get stuck on some quiz, it is good to know that Bangkok holds a sort of record – the longest name of any city. Its full name is: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. Believe it or not, quite a few Westerners have memorized it. Kudos to them.
Like in any other major city in Southeast Asia, traffic is eye-catching. Dense at any time of day (yes, even on weekends), say Sunday evening, when Zagreb seems like a ghost town, Bangkok dazzles with lights, music, people, tuk-tuks, and the noise of life. And while Zagreb is still squinting for solutions, Bangkok is bustling with them – the vast area is connected by the subway, sky train, buses, taxis of all shapes (minivan, car, motorcycle), and the famous tuk-tuks. Like in Vietnam, traffic lights are generally respected, but if there is no danger from opposite and side directions, they will easily run a red light. The experience of riding a motorcycle through peak traffic, while cars on both the left and right brush against my knee (speeds reaching about 60 kilometers per hour), all while I try to hold on with my nails dug into the seat, is a story for a long coffee – with gesticulation and onomatopoeia, it cannot be described in text.
Ferry for 13 Cents
Although it may seem from the map that Bangkok is by the sea, it is about 30 kilometers away. However, what makes it touristically recognizable is the vast Chao Phraya River, one of the main tourist attractions. Ordinary and luxury boats cruise daily with thousands of tourists, offering them an experience they will not forget quickly. Just like the mayors of Zagreb, they did not bother to build numerous bridges to connect the city as a whole. However, unlike Zagreb, they devised a ‘glue’ for the river – ferries. For instance, while visiting one of the ‘must-see’ temples, Wat Arun, I had to take a ferry.
However, it took only five or six minutes to reach the other shore. By the way, Wat Arun is one of the oldest and most famous landmarks in Bangkok, architecturally depicting Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. And there, as expected, it is crowded, partly because vendors in the vicinity compete by offering traditional attire for rent. Again, as expected, most tourists consumed this offer. On the other side of the river is Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), which features a massive golden statue of the reclining Buddha, 15 meters high and 46 meters long. However, what attracts everyone’s eye is less the Buddha and much more the spectacular architecture that captivates with every detail.
By the way, I paid a symbolic 13 cents for the ferry ride. Everything is affordable, quick, organized, and, despite the crowds, somehow not crowded. The same applies to day trips that very few tourists miss, such as the floating market and train street. Tens of thousands of foreigners daily navigate the narrow tracks waiting for the train that passes through four times a day. Organizers strive to provide them with a mutual experience – a view of the crowd from the train and a view of the approaching train, with a visit to the market where the main actors are rich seafood. The relatively nearby organized floating market is now a tourist attraction, but its history dates back deep into the 14th century, during the Ayutthaya period (14th – 18th century) when canals were used for transport, and villages developed around waterways, making them central trading places. Markets flourished even after that, during the Chakri dynasty (since 1782), especially in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. Kings like Rama IV and Rama V encouraged the construction of new canals, which expanded trade routes and facilitated their growth. Industrialization somewhat extinguished them. Fortunately, as tourism is one of the main sources of income for the country (around 60 billion dollars annually – GDP is about 530 billion), they have been preserved as one of the magnets for tourist visits.
