The Bangkok Legacies
blog keeps readers informed of
the latest content added to Tour Bangkok Legacies,
updates and changes to existing pages,
news and developments affecting historical sites,
anniversaries of momentous events in history and
cultural festivals.
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Update – Erawan Museum map
18 November 2008 - The Erawan Museum map has been updated to include a map of the general area in southern Bangkok, a detailed map of the area and a link to the satellite map of the area.
General map of the southern Bangkok area
From a view of the satellite map of the Erawan Museum area you can have an idea of the sheer immensity of Erawan from the air.
Loy Krathong 2008 – the local flavor of the festival
Loy Krathong 2008 provided the occasion to capture the atmosphere and mood of the colorful Loy Krathong festival at four different places in Bangkok on the night of 12 November.
13 November 2008 - Here’s a preview of Loy Krathong 2008 which I visited last night. As with the previous year, I tried to visit a number of places to get a flavor of the local mood. This year I went to four different places in a night.
The scene at the Sathon pier just below the Taksin Bridge was hectic. Getting there by skytrain was tough enough. The train, usually empty by the time it reaches the terminal station, was packed to the doors last night.
Getting down from the platform was equally bad with huge crowds surging up to take the train back. I stayed at the Sathon pier long enough to get in, take some shots and get out.
Scene at Sathon pier
At River City near the Si Phraya pier, things were slightly better.
River City
Next I hoped back on the skytrain to go down to Lumphini Park where I could stroll around leisurely to get these shots.
Lumphini Park
Last stop was at the Chulalongkorn University grounds where there was a huge fair by the varsity pond.
Chulalongkorn University
This is the amount of krathongs accumulated in the Chulalongkorn pond half way through the evening!
Packed with krathongs
I’ll be coming out with a full webpage with the rest of the photos in the next couple of days. Look out for it.
New launch – Thailand souvenirs, our online souvenirs shop
12 November 2008 - It’s Loy Krathong today and on this auspicious day, we launch Thailand souvenirs.
Thailand souvenirs provides a virtual shopping experience for Thai collectibles, ceramics, stamps, coin, wood and other souvenirs online from the comfort of your living room.
6 November 2008 - One more hotel has joined our list of hotels available through online bookings. This is the Astera Sathorn Hotel.
This hotel was formerly the Sathorn Villa and has undergone a complete facelift to give a spanking new image. Conveniently located at the end of Sathorn Road near the Taksin Bridge, it’s location in a way also mars the view from the rooms.
As it’s just next to the ramp up the bridge, the view, if you’re facing the bridge, will be the passing traffic moving up and down the ramp. However if this doesn’t bother you, then this hotel would do just fine.
For the rest of the budget hotels in Bangkok, please see the permalink.
1 November 2008 - This year’s Loy Krathong Festival in Bangkok will see the traditional lighted float procession along the Chao Phraya River.
From 8-12 November 2008 the floats will sail along the Chao Phraya between the King Rama IX Bridge and Krung Thon Bridge.
One way to catch a view of this procession is to go to River City near the Si Phraya pier where you can get a riverside view.
You can also get a good view at Santichaiprakarn Park next to Fort Phra Sumen during 10 – 12 November from 1830 – 2130 hours where there will be cultural performances in a local market atmostphere.
We’ll be bringing you photos of this year’s celebrations later. For last year’s Loy Krathong, please see the permalink.
27 October 2008 - Last week a visitor to Tour Bangkok Legacies e-mailed me to ask about the timings of Christmas Mass in Assumption Cathedral as she is visiting Bangkok during the festive season.
Coincidentally, I read that the same question in a local forum for expatriates in Thailand.
I called Assumption Cathedral this morning and got the details. So here they are.
Chirstmas Eve midnight Mass in Thai
Christmas Day morning Mass at 1000 hours in English
For the information of others, the telephone number of the cathedral office is +662 234 8556. The cathedral hasn’t got a website.
15 October 2008 - New hotels are continuously sprouting up in downtown Sukhumvit. Since the last few months, seven more hotels have opened for online bookings. Here they are grouped according to the nearest skytrain station for easy reference.
14 October 2008 - 14 October 1973 will be remembered as the day of great sorrow in Thai history. That day was the climax of demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of protesters around the Democracy Monument against the dictatorship of Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachon.
The day ended in tragedy when the army opened fire on demonstrators, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Today, the 14 October 1973 Memorial is the only visible reminder of the conflict that cost so many lives on that fateful day.
For the dramatic events leading to this day, please see the permalink.
7 October 2008 - We depart from our usual entries on history, culture and festivities in Bangkok today, to inform you on what has happened early this morning and most of today.
Protesters, who have occupied Government House for the past month, upped the ante and blocked access to Parliament where a session was to be held. Police used tear gas to clear the block.
Those MPs who managed to get in, couldn’t get out later as the protesters besieged the house. Electricity and water was also cut off. The Prime Minister had to climb over a fence to escape by helicopter which landed in a neighboring palace.
Police moved in to free those trapped in Parliament which gave rise to further clashes which raged on till 1700 hours.
As at 2150 hours Bangkok time, the casualty list stands at 358 injured and two dead. One of the dead, a woman was hit when a jeep blew up. Three policemen were shot; two of them are in serious condition.
In a telephone report by a journalist on the spot during a television news update at 2230 hours, I could hear explosions in the background. The reporter said that these were the sounds of tear gas being fired.
Sad, but the month of October has really returned to haunt Thailand again.
Today in history – 6 October
6 October 2008 - Thirty-two years ago today, right wing groups entered Thammasat University and brutally killed the left wing students who were protesting the return to Thailand of Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachorn, who was deposed off three years earlier.
The pogrom put an abrupt end to the wave of change brought about by the uprising in 1976. Driven into frenzy, the mob committed unspeakable atrocies. “It isn’t a sin to kill Communists!”
The civilian government that took over after this massacre was even more draconian than their military predecessors. The students were literally hounded to the hills to join the Communists, as this was the only option with a chance of survival.
What drove people to this madness? Why was it allowed to happen? We may never know the reasons.
The tragedy was then pushed aside from the collective memory with no official recognition of its occurrence. There is no official public monument for those who perished on that unfortunate day, except for the one in Thammasat, unlike other crack downs.
Why society chose to forget this, is something we will never know. Perhaps those who do choose to remain silent.
For the build up of events leading to that tragic day, please see the permalink.
6 October 2008 - Apirak Kosayodhin, running on the Democrat Party ticket, is re-elected as Bangkok governor, with a convincing 991,018 votes (45.93%). The elections were held yesterday.
At a distant second under the ruling People’s Power Party banner is Prapas Chongsa-nguan with 543,488 votes (or 25.19%). Prapas was the former Governor of the Mass Rapid Transit (Bangkok subway).
Chuwit Kamolvisit, an independent candidate, ranks third with 340,616 votes (15.79%). Dr Kriangsak Charoenwongsak, another independent, comes in fourth, with 260,051 votes (12.05%).
Out of 4.1m eligible voters in the capital, 2.2 m (54.18%) cast their votes. From this we can have an idea of the population of Bangkok. Based on these figures, the people with their addresses registered in Bangkok amount to 7.5 m.
This does not take into account those below voting age and people from other provinces who reside and work in Bangkok but aren’t in the electoral rolls.
So the total population of Bangkok at any time could possibly be around 12m.
A Jewel
Congratulations!! Wonderful website, with perhaps the most researched, interesting and detailed coverage of the REAL Bangkok about which many tourists
4 October 2008 - Since the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport in September 2006, the hotels around the airport have been gaining popularity with visitors.
Bookings for Suvarnabhumi Airport hotels have gradually overtaken hotels in Don Mueang.
I’d like to thank those visitors for their support. In keeping with the interest in airport hotels, here’s an update on the hotels in the Suvarnabhumi Airport area. There’re three new hotels added to the list.
29 September 2008 - On a Sunday afternoon, the plan was to visit an art exhibition in the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre. From the National Stadium skytrain station, there’s a skywalk linking right to the third level of the centre.
As I passed the entrance, I noticed a huge board showing the various train lines in Bangkok, apparently the proposed expansion of the mass rapid transit system for the city and its suburbs.
Being a frequent traveler on the skytrain and subway, I told myself that I must take a closer look this on my way out. This turned out to be sooner than I thought.
The art exhibition was a disappointment to me. I just can’t appreciate abstract art. So it was back to studying the train plans. It was indeed a comprehensive master plan for public transport.
Proposed mass rapid system for Bangkok
The complex network of train tracks was like a web over the entire Bangkok and its suburbs, reaching out to almost every corner in the outskirts.
To the south-east, Suvarnabhumi International Airport
To the south, to Paknam, the Chao Phraya estuary
To the north-east, Bangkapi and the Ramkhamhaeng University area
To the north, Don Mueang Airport and Kasetsart University
To the north-west, Nonthaburi
To the west and south-west, Taling Chan, Bang Kae and Ekachai on the Thonburi bank
This would be like a dream come true for Bangkok residents. The present train coverage is about 22 km for the skytrain and another 22 km for the subway, a total of 44 km.
The new network would increase the coverage by at least ten fold. If we join all the tracks, we would reach Sukhothai which is about 400 km to the north!
Then I noticed the logo at the top left corner of the map.
Looks like I was taken for a long ride. At the least the “artist” had a sense of humor. What’s more, that was the only piece of work I enjoyed at the entire exhibition! So the trip wasn’t wasted after all.
26 September 2008 - The Museum Siam map is a Bangkok street map that serves as a self-help city guide for the independent visitor to find his way to this museum in Sanam Chai Road in the old city.
Here's a general Bangkok map of the area to give you an idea of the location.
General Bangkok map of the area
In addition, there is detailed street map of the museum location as well as links to an interactive satellite version.
Museum Siam – opening hours
Please see the permalink for the details on how to get there.
23 September 2008 - Museum Siam, a new Bangkok attraction, presents a few thousand years of Thai history in an innovative style that enhances a visitor’s museum experience in Bangkok.
Housed in the former Ministry of Commerce building in Sanam Chai Road in the old city, the museum has 16 rooms of exhibits spread over three floors.
Museum Siam
This museum presents 2,000 years of Thai history in a captivating way. Here are some displays of prehistoric tools in the Museum Siam found in Lopburi province, 150 km north of Bangkok.
Bronze Age spearhead (left) and hoe (right)
But that’s not all. Here is where Museum Siam differs from the traditional museums. This old 18th C Ayutthaya cannon fires more than these traditional cannonballs.
It has been upgraded to fire non-destructive “unconventional munitions”!
Find out more about this interactive museum at the permalink.
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