SAWATDEE....

HELLO, BEAUTIFUL BANGKOK

by Ethel Soliven-Timbol
Bangkok known as Krun Thep, which is Thai for "City of Angels," beckons with its golden roofed temples and
spicily curried cuisine. Seven million visitors come to Thailand each year spending an average of six to seven days
because there is so much to see and to relish in this "Exotic Orient" as one enamored traveller dubbed the country.
Our agenda for the first day of our tour started with a tour of Wat Po. One of the 370 temples in Bangkok alone, it
is home to the famous Reclining Buddha, which is said to be 46 meters long. Also world–famous are the golden Buddha
at the Wat Trinig ("wat" being Thai for "temple") and the dazzling Emerald Buddha. There are 2100 temples in all of
Thailand, where 90 percent of the people are Buddhists.
Our loquacious guide regales us with the colorful history of Bangkok and how it became the imperial city 300
years ago, when the god-king Rama I moved the royal residence to this side of the Chao Phraya River. Today, a boat
excursion takes visitors on a tour of the old city, winding down the "klong" canals for a glimpse of the water dwellers and
the ancient edifices, remnants of an era when Rama I divided his city into three sections: for the Thais, the Chinese and
the Indians. The best buys of Thai silks, spices and crafts are still at the riverside markets where one can also produce
gold, jade and other precious jewelry.
Not to be missed are the Temple of the Dawn along the Chao Phraya, a showcase of Chinese porcelain mosaics,
and the Temple of the Giant Swing for some of the finest murals. Only for strong knees is the Temple of the Golden
Mount, atop a climb of 300 steps, housing one of the largest bronze buddhas in the world.
The Reclining Buddha was shipped from China by King Rama I, who also built the Wat Po Temple on a 20-
hectare compound adjacent to the Royal Palace, circa 1782, in the 2222-old Chinese section. The King had also brought
with him excellent samples of porcelain, which the court artisans used to decorate pagodas using their elaborate spires.
At the main temple, devotees buy one–inch gold leaf squares which they stick to smaller buddhas as offering to their god.
Every day, morning ceremonies are held at an adjacent temple surrounded by four magnificent monuments: the
first in red built by Rama I; the second in yellow, by Rama II; the third in green by Rama III; and the fourth in blue, by
Rama IV. Just as fascinating is the sala tree under which, according to legend, Buddha was born (although in India). Its
pink and red flowers are sweet-smelling, a contrast to the brown gourd which are the ―fruit ―of the sala tree.
To cap a hectic first day, we had dinner at the Baa Thai Restaurant while watching heavily costumed folk dancers
from the lowland and highland villages, including favorite destinations, like Chiang Mai, the second largest city up north,
from whence one can visit the winter palace of the Royal Family and the training school for working elephants.
Amazingly, Bangkok is clean, especially the day after Wednesday, which is "Clean Up Day" according to our
guide. So the sidewalk eateries are relatively sanitary, although foreign visitors are advised to stick to bottled mineral
water or soft drinks. In spite of the colossal traffic jams, no thanks to the ubiquitous "toktok" pedicabs the air smells
cleaner and less polluted than in Manila.
Voyages in Communication, p. 134-135

Makato and the Cowrie Shell - Thailand

Retold and translated by Supannee Khanchanathi

Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Makato. He was an orphan, for his father and mother had
died when he was very young. He had no brothers, sisters, cousins, or friends to take care of him, so he had to make a
living for himself. He did every kind of work—carrying heavy things, clearing away the forest, or feeding pigs. He never
idled over his work, and although he was paid only a small wage, he was satisfied. He knew that if he did not work he
would starve. Wherever he went his employers praised him for being sensible, hardworking, good-tempered, and cheerful.
One fine evening after he had finished chopping up a big pile of wood, he sat down for a rest and thought of all he
would like to do in the future. He wanted to try his luck in far-off strange lands for he longed for exciting adventures.
“What are you thinking about so deeply, my boy?” asked his employer.
“I would like to go on a journey for adventure,” said Makato pointing to the northeast. “I’ve heard that the land over
there is fertile and the people are kind. I wish I could see that land for myself.” His eyes sparkled with excitement.
“The land you wish to go to is called Sukhothai,” said his employer. “Tey say Pra Ruang of Sukhothai is a very
kindhearted king. You might be lucky if you could go there.”
Some time later, Makato decided to try his fortune. He left his village and
set out into the wide world. He walked along cheerfully, enjoying new sights and talking to the people he met on the way.
After a month’s journey, he reached a village on the frontier of the kingdom of Sukhothai.
“Please can I have some water to drink?” Makato asked an old woman with a big water pot on her head. “I’m so
thirsty.”
“Where did you come from? Why are you here alone? You look as if you’d come a long way,” said the old woman,
pouring cold water from her pot into a small cup and handing it to Makato.
“Thank you so much,” said the boy.
“Who are your father and mother? Haven’t you any family?” the old woman asked again.
“I have neither father nor mother. I come from the city of Mon over there,” replied Makato.
 “Good heavens! Have you really come from Mon? How is it that you are traveling alone, such a young boy as you
are?”
“I wanted to see Pra Ruang of Sukhothai,” replied Makato. “Tey say he is a very kindhearted king.”
“You are a determined boy!” said the woman. “Come along with me. Who knows, you might see Pra Ruang
someday.”
Makato was glad to go with her. If he could work for this kind woman, he would have a place to sleep, some food
to eat and, perhaps, someday he might be lucky enough to see the king.
The old woman’s husband was one of Pra Ruang’s mahouts, which meant that he helped look after the hundreds
of elephants that the king owned. Makato helped the mahout find food for the elephants and clean out the elephant sheds.
He worked hard and well and the mahout and his wife were fond of him.
One day the sky was so clear and the weather so fine that it seemed to Makato that it must be a lucky day. As he
worked in the elephant sheds, a tall young man in a splendid costume, followed by attendants, came in. It was Pra Ruang
himself. Makato bowed low at once with his hands clasped together before him.
His heart beat fast.
“Where did that boy come from?” Te king asked the old mahout, who was attending him.
“He came all the way from the city of Mon,” said the old mahout, bowing. “He heard so much about Your Majesty
that he longed to see you.”
“How old is he?”
“Twelve years old, Your Majesty.”
“A good-looking and hard-working boy,” said the king. “Take good care of him.”
As the king walked away, Makato saw a little cowrie shell lying on the ground. He ran to pick it up and held it out
to the king, but the king said with a smile: “You may keep it.”
“How wonderful!” Makato thought. “Te king has given me a cowrie shell.”
At that time the people of Sukhothai used cowrie shells as money. Although one cowrie shell had little value,
Makato wanted to make as much use of
it as possible, for it was the king’s gift. For a long time he could not
think of a way to use it so that it would earn more money for him.
One day he passed by a stall in the market where the seeds of many different plants were sold. He looked along
the stall and caught sight of a basket full of lettuce seed.
Lettuce! He could grow small plants like that. He asked the jolly-looking woman at the stall: “Can I buy some lettuce
seed?”
“Oh yes, my boy. How much do you want?” said the woman.
“I have one cowrie shell,” said Makato.
“One cowrie shell!” said the woman laughing. “Tat won’t buy anything. I can’t even measure that much.”
“Look!” said Makato eagerly. “I’ll dip my finger into a pile of seeds; then I’ll take the seeds that stick to it—that
must be about right for one cowrie shell.”
“Well, why not?” said the woman amused at his suggestion. “All right, boy. Help yourself.”
Makato paid the woman his one cowrie shell. Ten he put his finger into his mouth and dipped it into a pile of
seeds. When he pulled his wet finger out, it was covered with seeds. He carefully scraped them off his finger into the palm
of his hand and went away happily, clutching the seeds.
Now that he had seeds, Makato broke the soil and sowed them at once. He watered the seed bed every day and
soon the young plants appeared. Day by day he cleared more ground and planted more lettuce seedlings until the kitchen
garden was covered with them. He was very proud of himself because he had done so well.
“I wish I could give the king some of my fine lettuce,” he thought.
One day the king passed by the elephant sheds again. Makato waited his opportunity, then knelt down and
proudly presented his biggest bunches of lettuce to the king.
“Where did you get these?” the king asked, surprised.
“I grew them from the cowrie shell you gave me, Your Majesty,” answered
Makato with a beaming smile.
“How could you do that?” asked the puzzled king.
Makato told the king the whole story. Te king was impressed with his intelligence and industry. So much so that
later on he gave Makato a job in the palace.
As the years passed Makato grew tall and handsome. He mastered every grace and served the king well. He was
so loyal that the king trusted him absolutely. He was promoted to higher and higher positions until he was given the title of
Khun Wang, which meant that he was the most important person in the king’s court. He was also happily married to a
beautiful young daughter of the king. After that the king made him the ruler of Mon.
So it was that Makato, who had once been a poor orphan, became the king of that prosperous kingdom.