Chinatown in Bangkok

New Year celebration in Chinatown

After two days in the Siam Square area of Bangkok, we decided to move to Chinatown.  Great idea, except we couldn't get a cab to take us there!  Two cabs just straight out refused to take us (unless we paid a high flat fee, no using the meter), so when the third cab stopped we gave in and negotiated a fee to go there, much higher than using the meter would have been. Chinatown is so congested with traffic and has so many one-way roads that no one likes to drive there.  They were right, it was a mess! 

Speaking of traffic, it has been crazy every where we’ve been so far in Thailand!  The painted lane lines are just guidelines, no one uses them.  There are so many cars and taxis and tuk tuks and scooters, all trying to get to where they’re going – plus pedestrians are crossing the roads too!  Crossing the street as a pedestrian is like taking your life into your hands.  Whenever we need to cross we tag along behind a local who is doing it – and I’ve noticed their strategy is to cross slowly, so all the vehicles can see them and go around.  The whole thing is like an intricate dance that everyone is a part of.  All the drivers are very aware of what’s going on around them, and are driving defensively, even though sometimes it seems the opposite.  We have yet to see an accident (and hopefully we won’t).  Strangely, not one of the taxis we’ve been in so far has had seat belts in it, except for the front seat.  Also, we were surprised to notice that they drive on the left hand side here, just like in Australia and New Zealand. 

Daron and his Buddha buddies

We were in Chinatown during the Chinese New Year. It is a very big holiday not only in Chinatown, but across Thailand.  Fourteen percent of Thailand’s population is descended from Chinese immigrants who came to Thailand in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  Chinese and Thais have intermarried freely and there is no anti-Chinese bias in Thailand.  I don’t quite understand how it all works, but I think the New Year is celebrated over many days.  All I know is we’re now in the year of the Rabbit.  All the Chinese shops were selling red New Year paraphernalia – décor, paper products, textiles, you name it.  The other thing I noticed while in Chinatown is that the Chinese will eat anything!  Tons of places were selling shark fin soup and bird’s nest soup.  It was awful to see tons of shark fins in storefronts, to entice customers to come in.  We also passed markets selling barrels full of dried fish (SO smelly!).  One thing we noticed while in Chinatown is that many of the employees there were Thai, and not Chinese.  It seemed strange since in other Chinatowns we’ve been to the workers are all Chinese.

Daron and the Reclining Buddha

One of the sights we saw while in Chinatown was the Golden Buddha.  It was found by accident in the 1950s, when a crane that was transporting the ten foot stucco figure snapped and the statue fell to the ground.  The stucco covering cracked open, revealing the gold Buddha beneath.  It is thought that the gold figure dates from the 13^th century and was encased in stucco during a later period to hide it from Burmese invaders.  It was a beautiful Buddha and is obviously very revered.  We accidentally got locked in the building, having visited it right before it closed.  A young monk let us out and we chatted with him briefly.  When we told him we were from the U.S., he was surprised, thinking we sounded British instead.  Go figure! 

View from Wat Arun over Bangkok

We spent one day during our time in Chinatown exploring the Chayo Phraya River that runs through downtown Bangkok.  We rode the water taxis upriver and downriver, trying not to get splashed by the water which was very polluted.  We got off the taxi at various wats (temples) to see the sights (lots and lots of Buddha statues – I’ll bet we’ve seen hundreds of Buddha statues so far!).  We were impressed with the very large reclining Buddha, who is 150 feet long and 50 feet high.  The soles of his feet are inlaid with mother of pearl designs, illustrating the 108 auspicious signs for recognizing Buddha.  There are also 108 bowls lining the walls surrounding the statue – a coin in each one is supposed to bring good luck.  On the grounds is a tree said to be grown from a cutting of the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment.  We also visited the very old looking Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn.  We climbed up the steep steps to get a bird’s eye view of Bangkok.  Always love a good view!