Bangkok & Phuket

Our two days in Bangkok were full of lovely adventures, but as you may hear from others that have spent time there, two days was about all we needed. :-)

On arrival, we had our first experience with AirBnB. This lovely couple has three apartments they rent out, so for $45/night we got a modern little studio in a highrise, which had a great pool, fitness area and coffee shop. Although it was a bit outside the city, it turned out to be a great home base and the hosts were very kind.

That's my head popping out of the infinity pool

The Grand Palace

The Thai people are serious about this Buddhism thing. They can't get enough statues of Him. It took more than a day just to see the more popular ones. The Grand Palace is the most expansive, stretching over 2.3m square feet. From the late 18th century to 1925, the kings of Thailand (called Siam early on) lived here.

It lives up to all the hype. There's a lot of bling, a lot of Buddhas (the most sacred being one made of emerald) and a lot of intricate decor. The grounds are very well kept and we enjoyed taking it all in.

Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail

Wat Pho

Next up was Wat Pho, home of the Reclining Buddha. This massive statue is 50 feet high by 141 feet long. It is a beast and well worth checking out.

Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail

Wat Arun

The third and final temple we saw is Wat Arun, the only one you can actually climb. Built in the 19th century, this 260+ foot tower has a great view of the city once you climb up the steep stairs. The intricate porcelain decorations on the tower also make it quite stunning to look at.

Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail

Jim Thompson House

The highlight of Bangkok for me was undoubtedly Jim Thompson's home. A craftsman with impeccable taste, he graduated from Princeton and studied architecture at Penn before moving to Thailand and reviving the Thai silk industry. His company's silks first appeared in the movie The King and I, and he quickly became famous for beautiful silk.

In the 1950's, Thompson designed and built one of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen. The layout is modern, airy and evocative, yet fitting for it's location and embracing of Thai culture. It showcases his large art collection and the home remains in pristine shape today. The attention to detail is incredible. You can tell he thought long and hard about every texture, every square foot, every piece of furniture.

They don't allow photos in the home, but I was able to commemorate the trip with a beautiful scarf from his store. If you ever make it to Bangkok, this home is worth a half-day of your time.

Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail

Cooking Class in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai has a number of outstanding Thai cooking schools. We spent an afternoon learning to make some signature dishes and really enjoyed it.

Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail

Phuket

Pronounced "poo-ket", Phuket is a beachy area in Southern Thailand. We had no plans for a few days, just to sit back and enjoy the beach. Phuket is a very well known island, full of several great beaches. It's even where the movie The Beach was filmed, along with scenes of the James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun.

The oldest and most popular area of Phuket is called Patong, but we headed a little further south to an area called Karon, which has a place called Kata Beach. The beach itself is brilliant. The water is picturesque, sand is pristine and crowds not at all overwhelming (even during the Chinese New Year). We got to spend a couple of days hanging there and enjoyed it. I also found a street cart with incredible pad thai, so was very happy.

Aside from Kata Beach and the second hotel, I've got to say Phuket was less than impressive. Street merchants are aggressive (something we didn't see elsewhere in Thailand) in hawking their massages, custom-made suits and souvenirs. And how else can I say it ... the place smelled like there was a sewage problem every other block.

To me Phuket has unlimited potential, but Thailand hasn't taken good care of it. I'm sure there are economic challenges, but in the future we'll opt for a place that's cleaner and a bit more serene. All the more reason to get a great hotel, because you can escape the bad stuff.

Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail Thumbnail