Thailand!!! Finally we meet again! It’s been a while since I visited Bangkok. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular place to visit in Southeast Asia (and loved by my friends from Western countries!). Not gonna lie, but Bangkok has a certain kind of charm sans the crazy traffic jam. How locals would greet you “Sawadee ka” is so calming and you will definitely feel their respect for you. Anyhoo, I was able to visit Thailand again, this time for an academic paper presentation at Srinakarinwirot University. I had a short but sweet 24 hours to explore the city before the big day, and taking another red eye flight did not stop me from doing so. I took a GrabBike to beat the notorious Bangkok traffic, and passing by Soi Nana on a GrabBike is such a beautiful experience because a lot of mixes of Thai and Chinese cultural heritage can be seen. Yes, I took all of these photos with my Samsung Galaxy S8 phone while on a GrabBike en route to a temple. Enjoy!
GRAND CHINA HOTEL FACADE. Everywhere you look, you will see an evidence of the grand heritage of the Chinese culture in Bangkok. Grand China’s hotel facade is so elegant but I hope these electrical lines will be fixed sometime in the future to pave the way for a better view of the hotel’s facade.
A COLORFUL TUKTUK. Tuktuks are a common local public transportation in Thailand, and if you’re a tourist in Thailand, experiencing to ride a tuktuk is a must. It really defines the local culture of Thailand. Plus, who doesn’t love an open air strolling experience around the streets of Bangkok?
SHADES OF YELLOW. This photo could have been taken in a better composition, but since I am on a GrabBike, I can only do so much for this photo’s composition. I love how the shade of yellow of the building met with the taxi’s different shade of yellow.
SAWADEE KA, SOI NANA! Look at this!!! This was my favorite photo of Soi Nana because it looks so vintage-y! These LED signs resembles the ones in Hong Kong, and I would love to see this light up at night time next time!
AN ‘OCCUPIED’ PEDESTRIAN LANE. At some point in our (driving) lives, we have accidentally occupied a pedestrian lane on a red light. I don’t know about you, but photos like this just depict the real life and energy there is in a place.
BANGKOK STREET FOOD. I love love the Bangkok street food scene! And I don’t mean those touristy stalls along Khao San Road or something, but a random street food stall on any neighborhood or street would do! For one, the price is not touristy, and second, I believe it’s a more authentic experience to eat in a street food stall not built for tourists but for locals. Anthony Bourdain once mentioned that if you want to have an authentic foodie experience in a place, ask the locals about their favorite place to eat, not “Where should I eat?”.
THE THING ABOUT MOTORCYCLES IN BANGKOK. LIke in traffic-congested areas like Manila and Jakarta, you can win over the traffic jam in Bangkok by taking a motorcycle. When I say the traffic in Bangkok is crazy, believe me.
MEGA PLAZA MALL. Mega Plaza is one of the department stores in Chinatown area, and is located in a very vibrant neighborhood. I just love the post-processing I did for this photo because of the vintage-y colors.
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