BEWITCHED BANGKOK
DISCOVER
BEWITCHED BANGKOK
T
hese days, everyone extols the virtues of ‘offbeat’ travel but the truth is when you’re in a famous city such as London, Paris or Bangkok, it’s hard to look beyond the obvious. And that’s why it’s the repeat visitor who is privy to those quirkier, shadowed portions of a city that seldom make it to travel guides.
A SECOND (OR THIRD) VISIT TO THE THAI CAPITAL OFFERS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW IT BETTER.
Travel mania / Shutterstock.com
Travel mania / Shutterstock.com
TEXT ANKITA SHREERAM
88 JetWings February 2017
JetWings February 2017 89
DISCOVER
ART IN PARADISE BANGKOK This is a one-of-a-kind interactive museum at Din Daeng. Reserve an entire afternoon for traipsing through the wonderfully realistic 3D paintings in this vast, multi-storeyed set-up. Here, you not only see a painting but can actually become a part of it! Illustrations show you how to pose so that you look like a key element of the scene being depicted, and instructions will even guide your companion on where to take the best picture from. We suggest you avoid a solo visit, because how else will you take home photographs of yourself windsurfing (with your hair perfectly in place!) and drifting down a Venetian canal in a stately gondola?! Do look out for a Thai-speaking Mona Lisa who bids you goodbye at the end of your amusing visit.
Above: Visitors posing at Art in Paradise Bangkok. Below: The Victory Monument.
Bangkok’s temples are tourist magnets but the city is also home to certain historical monuments which merit a visit. Head to Democracy Monument at Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, built by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, to commemorate the Siamese Revolution of 1932. In the evening, make your way to the Victory Monument at Ratchathewi District, built in 1941 to celebrate the country’s victory in the Franco-Thai War. After you finish inspecting the tall pillar and the military statues at its base, visit the Victory Monument Night Market for some retail therapy and a dinner of street-side boat noodles.
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JetWings February 2017
Image courtesy: Art in Paradise (Bangkok) Co., Ltd.; akekalak phatchaitong / Shutterstock, Inc.
MONUMENTS OF BANGKOK
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PAPAYA VINTAGE SHOP This unconventional vintage store is a warehouse in the suburban district of Lat Phrao in Bangkok. Don’t be fooled by its small entrance – the store houses a collection like none other. Prepare to confront forgotten toys, Darth Vader gear, a large collection of Ultraman figures, vintage design furniture and art deco chairs, desks and light fixtures among other things. There’s no saying what else you might find. The store begins with a dark room and a narrow corridor that leads to a three-storey-high space. As you ascend each floor, you will encounter everything from pinball machines and Vespas to life-size superhero characters and old trunks! The Papaya Vintage Shop is an absolute must-visit.
Top: The Papaya Vintage Shop. Above: An aircraft at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum.
Few countries remained unaffected by the consequences of World War II and Thailand was also pulled into the conflict when Japanese forces drew them into battle on December 8, 1941. These events are brought to life at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum, as are various airplanes and aviation equipment used by the Royal Thai Air Force. The museum is located in Don
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JetWings February 2017
Mueang District and was established in 1952. A visit here will acquaint you with one of only two surviving Japanese Tachikawa Ki-36 trainers, the last surviving Vought O2U Corsair, one of three surviving Curtiss BF2C Goshawks, a Spitfire, Nieuports, Breguets and other aircrafts.
Gos Eye View; Jaochainoi / Shutterstock, Inc.
ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE MUSEUM
JetWings February 2017 93
DISCOVER
SCALA CINEMA Spend a delightful afternoon watching a movie in the quaint single-screen Scala Cinema located in Siam Square. Built in 1967, it is one of the last few classic cinemas still running in Thailand. With its domed ceiling and old-world charm, it almost seems frozen in time. Don’t be taken aback when the executive rips off a ticket from a booklet and writes your seat number on it! Tickets here are priced at around 100 baht, and are much cheaper than the large multi-screen cineplex situated in the Siam Paragon mall nearby. Watch a film at Scala (with some attractively-priced popcorn, only about 30 baht!) and you’ll be taking home a piece of Siamese history with you.
The former reception hall inside Dusit Palace is probably the grandest and most awe-inspiring royal museum in Bangkok. What makes Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall truly unique is its blend of Renaissance-style and neoclassical architecture, clearly reminiscent of European castles. Credit for this goes to its Italian architects Mario Tamagno, Annibale Rigotti and Ercole Manfredi. Women are not allowed to enter the museum in trousers but you can also get a free wrap-around skirt that the attendants are happy to fasten for you (the best part is you get to keep whichever skirt you choose to wear!). Photography inside the museum is prohibited so you will have to commit to memory the stunning fresco drawings and mural paintings that portray everything from kingly duties to chapters of Siamese history.
WALK AROUND THE CITY Last but not the least, ditch your itinerary and take a walk around Lumpini Park to see how the locals relax. Sample some fried banana or grilled seafood at street-side stalls. Discover little-known temples and shrines on forgotten sidewalks; sometimes they have better stories to tell than the larger wats (temples). Inspired by London’s Hyde Park, Lumpini Park serves as Bangkok’s green lung and often hosts eclectic fairs and festivals. In February, a series of free openair concerts – called Concert in the Park, hosted by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra – will be held here every Sunday from 5:30 pm for about two hours. n
QUICK FAC T S GETTING THERE
Jet Airways operates daily flights to Bangkok from Mumbai and New Delhi. ACCOMMODATION
Bangkok offers a variety of hotels, from luxury to budget. FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit www.tourismthailand.org
94
JetWings February 2017
Clockwise from top left: The Scala Cinema; A cultural parade in Lumpini Park; The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.
TEERASAK KHUNRACH / Shutterstock, Inc.; Ankita Shreeram; Illustration from Shutterstock.com
ANANTA SAMAKHOM THRONE HALL
JetWings February 2017 95
BEWITCHED BANGKOK
T
hese days, everyone extols the virtues of ‘offbeat’ travel but the truth is when you’re in a famous city such as London, Paris or Bangkok, it’s hard to look beyond the obvious. And that’s why it’s the repeat visitor who is privy to those quirkier, shadowed portions of a city that seldom make it to travel guides.
A SECOND (OR THIRD) VISIT TO THE THAI CAPITAL OFFERS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW IT BETTER.
Travel mania / Shutterstock.com
Travel mania / Shutterstock.com
TEXT ANKITA SHREERAM
88 JetWings February 2017
JetWings February 2017 89
DISCOVER
ART IN PARADISE BANGKOK This is a one-of-a-kind interactive museum at Din Daeng. Reserve an entire afternoon for traipsing through the wonderfully realistic 3D paintings in this vast, multi-storeyed set-up. Here, you not only see a painting but can actually become a part of it! Illustrations show you how to pose so that you look like a key element of the scene being depicted, and instructions will even guide your companion on where to take the best picture from. We suggest you avoid a solo visit, because how else will you take home photographs of yourself windsurfing (with your hair perfectly in place!) and drifting down a Venetian canal in a stately gondola?! Do look out for a Thai-speaking Mona Lisa who bids you goodbye at the end of your amusing visit.
Above: Visitors posing at Art in Paradise Bangkok. Below: The Victory Monument.
Bangkok’s temples are tourist magnets but the city is also home to certain historical monuments which merit a visit. Head to Democracy Monument at Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, built by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, to commemorate the Siamese Revolution of 1932. In the evening, make your way to the Victory Monument at Ratchathewi District, built in 1941 to celebrate the country’s victory in the Franco-Thai War. After you finish inspecting the tall pillar and the military statues at its base, visit the Victory Monument Night Market for some retail therapy and a dinner of street-side boat noodles.
90
JetWings February 2017
Image courtesy: Art in Paradise (Bangkok) Co., Ltd.; akekalak phatchaitong / Shutterstock, Inc.
MONUMENTS OF BANGKOK
JetWings February 2017 91
PAPAYA VINTAGE SHOP This unconventional vintage store is a warehouse in the suburban district of Lat Phrao in Bangkok. Don’t be fooled by its small entrance – the store houses a collection like none other. Prepare to confront forgotten toys, Darth Vader gear, a large collection of Ultraman figures, vintage design furniture and art deco chairs, desks and light fixtures among other things. There’s no saying what else you might find. The store begins with a dark room and a narrow corridor that leads to a three-storey-high space. As you ascend each floor, you will encounter everything from pinball machines and Vespas to life-size superhero characters and old trunks! The Papaya Vintage Shop is an absolute must-visit.
Top: The Papaya Vintage Shop. Above: An aircraft at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum.
Few countries remained unaffected by the consequences of World War II and Thailand was also pulled into the conflict when Japanese forces drew them into battle on December 8, 1941. These events are brought to life at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum, as are various airplanes and aviation equipment used by the Royal Thai Air Force. The museum is located in Don
92
JetWings February 2017
Mueang District and was established in 1952. A visit here will acquaint you with one of only two surviving Japanese Tachikawa Ki-36 trainers, the last surviving Vought O2U Corsair, one of three surviving Curtiss BF2C Goshawks, a Spitfire, Nieuports, Breguets and other aircrafts.
Gos Eye View; Jaochainoi / Shutterstock, Inc.
ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE MUSEUM
JetWings February 2017 93
DISCOVER
SCALA CINEMA Spend a delightful afternoon watching a movie in the quaint single-screen Scala Cinema located in Siam Square. Built in 1967, it is one of the last few classic cinemas still running in Thailand. With its domed ceiling and old-world charm, it almost seems frozen in time. Don’t be taken aback when the executive rips off a ticket from a booklet and writes your seat number on it! Tickets here are priced at around 100 baht, and are much cheaper than the large multi-screen cineplex situated in the Siam Paragon mall nearby. Watch a film at Scala (with some attractively-priced popcorn, only about 30 baht!) and you’ll be taking home a piece of Siamese history with you.
The former reception hall inside Dusit Palace is probably the grandest and most awe-inspiring royal museum in Bangkok. What makes Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall truly unique is its blend of Renaissance-style and neoclassical architecture, clearly reminiscent of European castles. Credit for this goes to its Italian architects Mario Tamagno, Annibale Rigotti and Ercole Manfredi. Women are not allowed to enter the museum in trousers but you can also get a free wrap-around skirt that the attendants are happy to fasten for you (the best part is you get to keep whichever skirt you choose to wear!). Photography inside the museum is prohibited so you will have to commit to memory the stunning fresco drawings and mural paintings that portray everything from kingly duties to chapters of Siamese history.
WALK AROUND THE CITY Last but not the least, ditch your itinerary and take a walk around Lumpini Park to see how the locals relax. Sample some fried banana or grilled seafood at street-side stalls. Discover little-known temples and shrines on forgotten sidewalks; sometimes they have better stories to tell than the larger wats (temples). Inspired by London’s Hyde Park, Lumpini Park serves as Bangkok’s green lung and often hosts eclectic fairs and festivals. In February, a series of free openair concerts – called Concert in the Park, hosted by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra – will be held here every Sunday from 5:30 pm for about two hours. n
QUICK FAC T S GETTING THERE
Jet Airways operates daily flights to Bangkok from Mumbai and New Delhi. ACCOMMODATION
Bangkok offers a variety of hotels, from luxury to budget. FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit www.tourismthailand.org
94
JetWings February 2017
Clockwise from top left: The Scala Cinema; A cultural parade in Lumpini Park; The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.
TEERASAK KHUNRACH / Shutterstock, Inc.; Ankita Shreeram; Illustration from Shutterstock.com
ANANTA SAMAKHOM THRONE HALL
JetWings February 2017 95
