Bangkok, Thailand

Spent part of 1 day in Bangkok -- not nearly enough time to see the sights in this city with the Grand Palace and beautiful Buddhist temples!  Thailand, formerly called Siam, is a progressive country with 70 million people.  Compared to Indonesia and Cambodia, it is much more modern -- 4 lane divided, elevated highways; outlet shopping malls; many automobile factories.  The major exports are rice, rubber, tin and silk.  The current king is Rama X, who inherited the throne when his beloved father, Rama IX, died at the age of 88 about a year ago.  The country has been ruled by the Chakri family dynasty for the past 230 years. The prime minister is from the military, which has staged several coups over the past years.  In spite of this political turmoil, the country has managed to thrive economically.

The Grand Palace was closed due to a family ceremony, so we visited Wat Po, the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok.  It has an enormous reclining gold Buddha which measures 150 feet long by 50 feet wide.  It is almost impossible to photograph the entire statue, since it is housed in a small building.  Burial stupas at Wat Po contain the cremated remains of the previous kings (Ramas).

We took a 15 minute tuk tuk ride near Wat Po and the palace.  These motorized carts can weave in and out of traffic and provide a thrilling mode of transportation around the city.  After lunch, our last stop was at a Gem Factory, which contained rings and necklaces made from precious gems and semiprecious stones.  I bought 2 pendants: one is an owl with tiger eye, the other is a serpent head with jade.

crop fields outside Bangkok

interesting bird in tree along the highway

slum housing along the elevated highway (also seen along railway tracks)
NOT as bad as the conditions seen in Cambodia

Chinatown in Bangkok -- a shoppers delight!

markets near Chinatown

lots of food vendors along the streets

Row of Buddhas at the Wat Po

Buddha altar at Wat Po

Architecture of Wat Po 

Burial stupas for cremated remains of kings

reclining Buddha at Wat Po: 150 feet long, 50 feet wide
Feet (not seen) has inlaid mother of pearl designs

Tuk tuk ride around the center city of Bangkok

Decoration in middle of boulevard honoring the late king, Rama IX

Loha Prasat
Wat Ratchanaddaram

atop a building in the center city

Manny, a 94 year old WWII veteran from our ship,
poses with Thai soldiers that were patrolling near the
Grand Palace during a royal ceremony

a view of Bangkok;  lots of canals
the Chao Phraya River is near the Grand Palace