BAGKOG: ANGEL IN DISGUISE

At first glance, this metropolis of cover appears as a bewildering and of melding and of ten million new and people odl and and

indeterminate,

exotic

common

place

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 construction began in for the new wheels. haos in a

earnest during the late #$%&s, and the eye today started

large part of what assaults

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

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 years old, it

(River of 2ings) -hough the city is some 3&&

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 temple. At the center of the complex is the bot or (ordination hall) that holds the :merald Buddha. ,ilded garudas .mythical birds/ line mirrors that cover every 8ewel'like surface of the

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 .#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 of Rama III

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 fact the aha Prasad! was in

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

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

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 "hettupon .-emple of the Reclining Buddha/ or, 'at Phra 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

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 0orth of the wat, the Nationa$

the Buddhist @niversity. some of the

useum houses

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. hapel, built

Airectly behind the entrance is the buddhaisawan

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.

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. Brchids, shrubs, trees, line the sidewalks, a veritable 8ungle of exotic species. Alk a bit farther north to

'at Indra+antharn with 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. Bn 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

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. Bn 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. Bn 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

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 Ausit 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 "$u/ .horse' racing on *aturday afternoon during the dry season/. Across the road stands the the temple country7s like buildings and of "hu$a$on)korn prestigious

Uni+ersit0!

oldest

most

institutions of higher learning. -he campus extends from ?enri Aunants 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. Briginally 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. Aown 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. Bn either side of !loenchit Road are the massive entral

Aepartment *tore .the (macy7s of Bangkok)/ and Amrin !la"a, with enough American fast'food outlets to keep you fed for days.