Colonial Bangkok

"Where is the Authors' Lounge?" I asked a doorman dressed in traditional Thai clothes.

He didn't answer, but signaled somebody to approach. Without speaking to him, she asked me:

"Did you come for the afternoon tea?" Tense about my judgment, the Tourism Authority of Thailand had obviously briefed the staff about my planned visit. "Please follow me," she added without waiting for my answer. We crossed the sumptuous lobby leftwards and entered the lounge.

The Oriental

Consistently considered among the world's best hotels, the Oriental includes a not less famous spot: the Author's Lounge. Its name honors the large list of authors who visited it: Joseph Conrad, Noel Coward, Graham Greene, Frederick Forsythe, V. S. Naipul, John le Carré, Barbara Cartland, Pico Iyer, Mario Vargas Llosa and James A. Michener among others. Somerset Maugham, wrote there "The Gentleman in the Parlor."

Least, but not Last

Oriental occupies a prime location by the Chao Phraya River, near the western end of Silom Road. The Saphan Taksin Skytrain station is a few blocks away; taxi boats stop at the Tha Oriental (Tha means pier in Thai); bus 15 connects the area with Khaosan Road.

There is no need to make reservations, the service is first-come-first-serve style, but a smart casual dress code is imposed, which means wearing neither sandals nor shorts. The lounge opens daily between 11 AM and 8 PM, while the Afternoon Tea is served between noon and 6 PM. The last cost 950 baht and was subject to a 10% service charge and 7% tax.

Without going into details, the toilets were not fit of such an institution; Starbucks' Hua Hin offered better facilities.

Authors' Lounge

The oldest part of The Oriental was designed by the Italian S. Cardu and opened in 1887 as the first luxury hotel in Siam. Known as the Authors' Wing, on its ground floor is the lounge of the same name.

Recently renovated, the lounge features white-washed rattan furniture with hand-painted upholstery and Siamese umbrellas, as well as bamboo and palm trees within a typical colonial structure. It is divided into three parts: a covered patio, an inner sitting room and an office styled room attached to the last.

The Afternoon Tea is prepared under the caring supervision of chef Francois Laloue and offers a wonderful mix of English and Asian dishes. Imperial Britain mixes here with royal Thailand to give a glimpse of far gone times, in which illusions of power reigned.

We, Simple Humans

Not all of us are English dukes or waltzed a coffee in Vienna; terms as "high tea," "afternoon tea" and "Einspänner" are not known in many places. I bring here a few definitions.

Tea

Strangely enough, "tea" may refer to a meal. "High tea" is an early evening meal, while "afternoon tea" is a light meal typically eaten in the early afternoon. However, "high tea" can be used also for an elaborate afternoon tea. The meal originated in the United Kingdom, and can be found in areas that were part of the former British Empire or near them. Placed between the former colonies of Malaysia and Myanmar, Thailand's best hotels adopted this colonial treat.

Savoury

The savoury course of a traditional British meal follows the sweet pudding or dessert course and is designed to clear the palate before the Port is served; it consists of salty snacks.

Einspänner and Fiaker

Austrian coffee is of remarkable quality, and is qualified using terms a bit different from the Italian ones we have learned to love. The basic Austrian cup of coffee is called Kleiner Schwarzer (or Kleiner Mokka) and is almost identical to an Italian Espresso. It is prepared with at least 8 grams of freshly ground coffee with 40-60 ml of water steam, extracting coffee into a cup for up to 60 seconds (the longer steaming time of the Austrian is the main difference between the two coffees). A großer Schwarzer is a double Mokka and if it is topped with whipped cream, then it is called Einspänner. A Fiaker is an "Einspaenner" with a shot of rum.

The Afternoon Tea

"The inner room offers more privacy," the waitress said while I studied the lounge. The remark was strange, since except for us there were only other three Thais sharing a tea in the patio, but "privacy" was the charm for me. I entered the room and chose a rattan chair facing the patio; however, as soon as I sat down, I spotted a surveillance camera at one of the corners. Not all the renovation process was faithful to the original setup.

Resigned, I accepted the menu handed to me. It included different set teas and special items. I chose the English Afternoon Tea, but instead of ordering one of the drinks offered with it, I combined it with an Einspaenner, which cost an extra 290 baht and arrived with a little glass of water. The offered teas featured many specially prepared blends, like the Marco Polo one, which included black tea with Chinese and Tibetan fruits and flowers. A whole page of the menu described the items included in the set meal.

Since I used the table next to me for writing, the frail waitress bravely picked up a nearby table and brought up next to me. Smiling at my obvious surprise, she brought a green lime and gin sorbet and placed it on the replaced table.

A small, three-layered round tray arrived then almost at the same time with the coffee. Having arrived hungry after having skipped lunch, I thought: "Is that all?" However, the tray was mischievous, I could barely finish it and only the curiosity to check out the next item kept me going.

The coffee was an error. Despite being excellent, topped with fresh cream and sprinkled with caramelized sugar, it was too small for such a meal.

"Are your pictures good? The scone is hot, eat it first," the waitress ordered me, while I was happily chewing on the smoked salmon finger sandwich. It was the first of her frequent visits to check everything was fine. Despite her politeness and excellent English, it became a bit of a nuisance, especially while she took away the plate with the jams and butter when she judged I had finished with them. These included strawberry preserve, Oriental pomelo marmalade, mystic rose petal jam and creamy butter.

The scones she spoke about were a plain one and a raisin one; scones are a Scottish bread, lightly resembling sweetened tall cookies. The finger sandwiches I preferred were four, and included egg and chive mayonnaise, smoked salmon, cooked ham and cheddar cheese remoulade and finally a cucumber, cream cheese and micro cress one. An additional savoury was a chicken mince turnover.

Other items included an English fruit cake, an orange butter cake, and a berries and kiwi tartlet. Potted ginger creme brulee - literally scorched cream, a rich custard topped with caramelized sugar - combined well with a berry panna cotta shot; the panna cotta was placed within an espresso cup and was covered with various berries within a thick syrup. A soft brownie, Macadamia and chocolate cookies, and cinnamon short bread were also in the tray, next to an item called opera which I could not identify properly. I avoided adding specific qualifiers for each item listed here, since all of them were excellent and created a remarkable blend of flavours and textures.

"Excellent," I answered the waitress while leaving the place. The camera kept silent.

3:20 PM

Before leaving, I looked at my watch. It was 3:20 PM. Walking vigorously, I reached the nearest Skytrain station within minutes. Trying to check the time it took me, I found my watch was gone. I had just been robbed.

"It's like selling ice in Greenland," I have heard people say while trying to define a hard sale. Selling a McDonald's meal in Thailand doesn't sound better: it contains too much meat for the Thai taste, the bread is not a local food staple and French fries were not known here.

McCafe is even a tougher sale: it is located within McDonald's branches and thus customers can buy the cheaper instant coffee sold there; the better quality offered by McCafe is of little weight for most customers. Yet, these shops are part of every shopping center in Bangkok, how did that happen?

The Business of War

Thailand become a US ally in 1954 when the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was created during the First Indochina War between the French and the Vietnamese. A few years later, the US replaced the French in this equation, and the Second Indochina War began. Faithful to the alliance, Thailand sent troops to Vietnam and Laos, as well as allowed the construction of seven American air-bases on its territory. The bases were connected with new highways to the capital Bangkok, and American troops regularly reached it for R&R; these led to a rapid modernization and Americanization of Hua Hin.

Wai-ing in

Under such circumstances it was only natural to see McDonald's make an attempt to sell ice in Greenland, after all it would have the assured support of Americans in Thailand. But that was not enough; it was just a wedge keeping the kingdom's door open. McDonald's needed to adapt to the local culture as well. Smaller burgers were adopted and from time to time rice-buns were offered instead of bread. French fries became a kind of curiosity; I have seen groups of Thais sharing a little serving while eating there.

That wasn't enough. Advertising is a big part of that company sales policy; doing that in Thailand demanded creating an interface between the two cultures. Thus, Ronald McDonald was forced to "wai." Hands pressed together, fingertips pointing upwards while the head bows to the hands, is the Thai way of greeting; that's the main posture of the typical doll placed at Thai locations of the corporation.

Selling Sand in the Desert

Surprisingly, McDonald's did well and became a fixture of modern shopping malls all over the kingdom. After having proved it could sell ice in Greenland, the franchise decided to sell sand in the desert by opening McCafes at its main branches in Bangkok.

Coffee is not a traditional Thai drink, though it has been popularized in the last generations. I have described Thai coffee and Starbucks in Thailand several times; coffee in Thailand is not a surprise anymore, but opening McCafes is not just selling more coffee. The point here, is that regular McDonald restaurants already sell cheap instant coffee in paper-cups under the name "gourmet coffee." Why would a budget-concerned Thai - and all of them are - buy a more expensive coffee when the cheap brand is sold at the same place. He would seat at the same chair in any case.

This was a tough project.

Adapting the Restaurants

Yet, McCafes were opened at all McDonald's main stores in Bangkok, though in most of them very little was done to adapt the space to its new functions; on several exclusive locations, McCafe appears as a standalone. In most cases, the only concession to McCafe in the combined shops was a new counter next to the one serving the restaurant, in a few places more elaborate constructions were done; however, the coffee shop was always an addition to the burgers.

The result was to be expected. Most of the coffee counters are deserted - at least as of September 2008. Apparently, the opportunity to order a cappuccino together with French fries is not attractive enough. The successful branches are those placed next to a Starbucks one, when suddenly, McCafe becomes competitive.

Amarin Plaza

Located next to Ploen Chit and Rachadamri Road, the most important intersection in the heart of Bangkok, Amarin Plaza can be accessed directly from the Ploen Chit Skytrain station. It is a shopping mal oriented mainly toward traditional Thai products and thus of significant appeal to tourists. At its street level, Starbucks and McCafe are placed side by side.

McCafe features here its most impressive branch in town; the awesome space features extremely high ceilings and a is uncluttered by chairs and tables. Its main sitting area includes a series of low coaches arranged in a wave pattern; on the sides are a few tables.

Products and Pricing

A simple cup of "gourmet coffee" at the restaurant is sold for 25 baht, or 35 for a large one. That's much more expensive than a regular Thai cofee (10-12 baht) or an instant coffee at 7 Eleven (12 baht), but cheaper than a good coffee at Starbucks. As I recently reviewed, an Einspไnner coffee at the Oriental costs 290 baht. The specialty coffees at McCafe have a different pricing.

McCafe is priced as a "cheaper-than-Starbucks;" the drinks resemble those of that franchise, though they are served as "small," "regular" and "large" and are priced so that for the price of a specific coffee in Starbucks, the customer can get a coffee and a small pastry at McCafe.

A cappuccino or a latte cost 50, 70 and 90 baht, depending on the size. Blended drinks are served in regular and large size; a Frappe Mocha costs 85 and 100 baht respectively. Iced drink also appear in two sizes; an iced latte costs 70 and 90 baht.

Typical pastries include chocolate croissant (40 baht) and brownie cheese cake (65 baht); unfortunately, the pastries are heated with a microwave and not a traditional oven, leading to chewy results.

"M" is for McCafe

The cappuccino I ordered came in an attractive china cup and featured an "M" written with chocolate powder atop the froth; it was of good quality, similar to the one served at Starbucks. I decided to try French fries at a different opportunity.

The Grand Palace is probably the most popular attraction in Bangkok, few places manage to transfer its visitors to another, magical world as it does; spires and stupas densely rise above the wall surrounding the complex in an impossible kaleidoscope of colors and shapes act as an irresistible magnet for visitors. Yet, few realize this is just a ceremonial center. Royal Bangkok is north of there, beyond Khaosan Road and at the end of the Ratchadamnoen Nok Road.

A Warning

As of September 2008, the northern end of Ratchadamnoen Nok Road is where most of the popular protests that brought to a declaration of a state of emergency in Bangkok are. Unaware of that, I crossed the area from the Royal Plaza toward Khaosan Road, and found myself within the crowd. A guard checked my belongings and many people tried to speak with me, but beyond that I felt safe. However, precaution should be the rule until the situation stabilizes.

Precautions

Just east of the sites described here is the Chitlada Palace, the king's formal residence. The palace is beyond a moat and a wall, and is not open to the public. Travelers have nothing to do or see in the area; keeping distance from the guards and cameras is recommended.

Another point to keep in mind is that taking pictures inside the palaces is not permitted. Moreover, even outside them the guards kept an eye for the the cameras; care should be taken.

Visiting royal sites means that a dressing code is imposed; long trousers, a shirt and shoes would pass the test.

The Sites

Understanding the rules of the area is essential for a successful visit to four royal attractions: the Royal Plaza, the Ananta Samakorn Throne Hall, the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall and the Vimanmek Mansion. The National Assembly Hall and the Dusit Zoo are nearby, but are not related to this entry.

Royal Plaza

The best direction of arrival to this complex is from the south. That is the route leading from the Grand Palace to the Throne Hall and thus offers the most impressive entrance, through the Royal Plaza.

Except for a statue of King Rama V riding a horse at its center and trees on its perimeter, the huge plaza is empty, offering a grand background to the Ananta Samakorn Throne Hall.

Ananta Samakorn Throne Hall

This palace was built in 1912 in a classical European style, it features a dome unusually seen in Asia and Cherubim adorn its gates. It is hard to find any Thai touches in the whole structure. After the 1932 coup which ended the absolute monarchy, it housed the Thai parliament for a while.

The palace can be visited after buying tickets at an office awkwardly placed behind it (so that the view of the palace from the plaza would not be obstructed). Beyond its splendor, and the glimpse it offers at the Thai fascination with European architecture during the early 20 century, the structure is of little interest.

Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall

Behind the former, is the single story Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall, which is an awesome example of Thai architecture, featuring carved floral motifs on panels adorning the gables and eaves.

The throne hall was completed in 1904, during the reign of King Rama V and was restored in the late 1980s. It re-opened on 20 January 1993 as a center for the SUPPORT Foundation, which attempts to preserve traditional Thai art and handicraft and to assist rural people in marketing their traditional products.

Its main hall contains Thai handicrafts, though the throne still stands at the far end under an elaborate high ceiling. The collection includes silverware with complex Thai designs as well as Krueng Thom. The last is a form of art where thin sheets of silver coated with gold are cut, bent, twisted and then molded into various shapes, following that, designs are engraved on the surface and filled with a black amalgam. Additional items include Khram floral designs, where fine pieces of gold and silver are beaten and stamped onto boxes or vases. Precious stones necklaces and brooches presented by northern hill tribes to the king during his visits to their villages are also in display.

Another room displays Thai silk in its different styles and textures, traditional northern hill tribe embroidery and vine-woven baskets. Carvings from soap and wood and Talung buffalo hides puppets used in a shadow drama from Southern Thailand are shown in other rooms.

Facing the hall are two small buildings, which were used as the royal elephants' stables. The elephants have been relocated to a northern refuge and the stables were transformed into a museum that includes photographs of the royal elephants investiture ceremonies.

Vimanmek Mansion

West of the former and across a canal, is the Vimanmek Mansion, also known as the golden teak palace of King Rama V. This palace is marketed as the world's largest teakwood building, the traditional building material of Thais. Nowadays the teak logging is forbidden and this type of structures is becoming rare.

Vimanmek was built in together with the other palaces reviewed here. In the eighties it was transformed into museum of the important reign of King Rama V. Nowadays, more than twenty structures are included in the museum, displaying everything from ancient Thai artifacts to contemporary photographs donated by the king. However, the buildings are no less important than the goods stored in them.

Shoes are not allowed within the structures, thus a comfortable pair is recommended. The museum may close for official receptions thus it is recommended to check if it is open before reaching it.

Reaching the Wonders

The palaces are an easy ten minutes walk from Khaosan Road. If arriving from other parts of the city, I recommend reaching the Golden Mount and advancing from there by foot along the Ratchadamnoen Nok Road. Beyond being a beautiful walk, this path allows discovering the palaces in their full splendor.

In the Beginning

Yaowarat Road was built between 1892 and 1900 by King Rama V. Stretching from Ong Ang canal to Wat Traimit Witthayaram it provided Bangkok with additional 1532m of streets. Few imagined what this short stretch would become.

In the Name

Yaowarat means in Thai "Young King." While naming it, King Rama V referred to the fact he ascended to the throne at the age of fifteen. When he became later the responsible for keeping Thailand away from colonizing powers and modernizing the country, this street got a special importance as yet another testimony of his reign.

Asian Streets

Different models exist for the design of cities. Colonial and American cities stick to strict rectangular grids. My hometown uses radial avenues originating in various main plazas. Asian cities resemble trees; the main avenues are long branches with smaller streets and alleys splitting from them. Crossing from one main branch to another is difficult.

In Thailand, the main streets are called "thanon;" this may be confusing since avenues like Sukhumvit and streets like Khaosan are both called thanon. Small streets and alleys beginning from a thanon are called "soi;" usually they are numbered. The first alley along Sukhumvit would be called Sukhumvit 1, sometimes a nickname would also be given to it. A soi beginning at another soi would still be defined by the main avenue; following the former example, it could be called Sukhumvit 1/1. However, sometimes the venue is not even an alley; a very narrow soi is called a "trok;" finally, some alleys are not named or numbered at all.

Thus, I found it difficult to refer to addresses within Chinatown and decided to skip them at all, the explanation would become otherwise lengthy and cumbersome. However, finding the way within the maze is easy, since all of Chinatown spins around the wide Yaowarat Road.

Thai-Chinese

The historic migration of Thais into modern Thailand, was caused by the settlement of Han-Chinese in Yunnan, the Thai original territory. Chinese continued migrating south along the years and nowadays are a large minority in Thailand, some statistics show numbers well above 10% of the total population.

They are responsible for much of the commerce in the kingdom; for example, Chinese speaking the Swatow dialect (a dialect using eight tones) hold the monopoly in the distribution of rice. Other areas of the country featuring large Thai-Chinese populations are Hua Hin and Nakhon Sawan.

The area around Yaowarat became known as Chinatown, since it became the first - and largest for a long time - residential area of Thai-Chinese.

Reaching Chinatown

Bordering the Chao Praya River and reaching the Hualampong Railway Station, Bangkok's Chinatown is easily accessible and provides entertainment for a few hours. The Hualampong Metro Station reaches the northeastern corner of the Samphanthawong District - the formal name of the area.

A Different Kind of Chinatown

Chinatown Bangkok is different from similar areas elsewhere since Yaowarat Road is a wide avenue, creating thus a comfortable and uncluttered area for shopping. Alleys do exist; within them the archetypal image of a Chinatown can still be met.

Moreover, successful commerce transformed Yaowarat into the first high raising neighborhood in Bangkok, featuring buildings of seven and nine stories, both lucky numbers in the Chinese tradition. Many of them survived and their shops at the street level are still active. This is the only commercial quarter in Bangkok still functioning out of shops and not within modern, air-conditioned shopping malls.

The Sights

At first glance, it is difficult to difference this area from other neighborhoods in the city, however, the Chinese letters announcing gold shops, gewgaws, hole-in-the-wall shops, rice dishes, noodles soup, dim sum, bird's nest soup, and Chinese traditional medicine and food ingredients tell the secret even to the most distracted traveler.

The best place to begin an exploration of Chinatown is from the Hualampong Station. Crossing the bridge at its west leads to Wat Trimit, a temple were a three meters height Buddha made of 18 karats gold and weighing five and half tones can be appreciated. As a protection from the Burmese invader, the statue was covered with plaster; its golden interior was discovered only in 1954. Sitting in the Mara position, it is typical of the Sukhothai Kingdom and thus it is dated to be around 800 years old. It is open daily between 8am and 5pm.

Half a long block southwest from the temple is the impressive Chinese Gate, announcing the entrance to the Yaowarat Road and to Chinatown heart; it is placed on the Odeon Circle. Note that the gate does not look into Yaowarat Road, the last is on the gate's side. If entering the Chinatown through the gate, some of the most attractive alleys are reached, but then missing the area north of Yaowarat is easy. The best tactic would be advancing along Yaowarat while performing short incursions into the alleys on its both sides.

Expectedly, the area features Chinese temples as well; after entering Yaowarat Road, the Thien Fah Foundation is the first one to appear at the left side of the road. Created in 1902, it was also the first Chinese foundation in Thailand. It was established by Chinese communities speaking five different dialects in order to provide medical care to the deprived, using modern and traditional Chinese medicine. A Kuan Yim shrine can be appreciated in its interior, the statue was brought from China in 1958. Written also Guan Yin, this is the Buddhists' Compassion Bodhisattva, depicted usually as a woman. The Ah Nia Geng Shrine shares a similar nature and is located roughly midway along the street.

Near it is the Guan Yu Shrine, a temple honoring a general of that name under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the Han Dynasty collapse and the establishment of the Kingdom of Shu. Slightly north of there is the Leng Buai Ia Temple, which is the oldest shrine in the area.

Deeper into Yaowarat, the area becomes exclusively commercial with shops specializing in gold, housewares, restaurants, fresh food and food ingredients and hotels. Traditionally, Thai-Chinese hold a big part of the hotels industry in Thailand; almost all the hotels next to railway and bus stations - which are almost exact copies of each other - belong to this community. Chinatown is a destination favored by travelers and displays an amazing amount of hotels; the most distinctive one is the China Town Hotel, mainly due to the two dragons atop it.

A Tops Supermarket hiding among a plethora of gold and red signs adds a modern touch to the area; nearby is a fish market that in concept dates back to immemorial times. Shark fins soup, birds nest soup and seafood are the best culinary attractions of the area

The neighborhood features even one of the oldest Catholic churches in the city. The Holy Rosary Church - Wat Mae Phra Luk Prakham or Wat Kalawar - is near the Chao Praya River at the very southern tip of the neighborhood. It was built in 1787, just after Bangkok's foundation, though the actual building dates back to 1890. Its history is fascinating; the Portuguese founded the Calvary Church in the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, and almost succeeded in evangelizing Thailand. Later, the church moved here together with the kingdom's capital. The Portuguese "Calvario" became along the time distorted into "Kalawar." Near it is the River City; an arts and antiques shopping centre which is not directly related to Chinatown. Another interesting church in the area is the Maitrichit Chinese Baptist Church, featuring an impressive black tower.

The area is also known for the several small and specialized markets it hosts. Saphan Lek is the bridge crossing Khlong Ong Ang canal on Charoen Krung Road, features many small shops selling goods, especially game consoles. Nearby is Woeng Nakhon Kasem, Bangkok's Thieves Market. The Khlong Thom Market (in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, bordering Chinatown to the north) is a famous market for low cost electronics. During Saturdays nights, the stalls operate until dawn.

Chanasongkhram Ratchaworamahawiharn is a monastery in Bangkok that was built before the foundation of the city in 1782; its original name was Wat Klang Na (Temple in the Paddy Field). Following Bangkok's foundation, the viceroy during the reign of the King Rama I (the first of the modern Chakri Dynasty and in Bangkok) granted the monastery to the Mon people, which were the original owners, and gave it a new name Tong Pu. The last is a town in Myanmar - where most of the Mon people live - and was the name of Mon temples in Ayutthaya and Lopburi.

Soon afterwards, between 1785 and 1787, there were three wars with the Burmese. Mon soldiers joined the Thais, who won the wars; in recognition, the temple was awarded royal status and renamed Chanasongkhram, which means "War-Victory."

The place became a center of study until present days; the Mon people are long gone from it, but their interpretation of Buddhism was central in the creation of the modern Thai identity.

Mon

The Mon are indigenous people from territories now within Thailand and Myanmar. In the last they live mainly in the Mon State, along the southern Thai-Burmese border, though traditionally they occupied much of Southern Myanmar. In Thailand they have been largely absorbed by the Thais, while in Myanmar they still keep their own language and cultural identity to some extent. Their most distinctive dressing item is a head cover featuring a big knot at one side.

They were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in these countries and made substantial contributions to both cultures; the city of Bago (or Pegu) and the historic Kingdom of Hongsawatoi were founded by them. Later, they were instrumental in freeing Burma from its colonial oppressor.

In 1947, the Mon National Day was created to celebrate the ancient founding of the Hanthawady Kingdom in Bagu; in Myanmar is celebrated after the full moon on the Mon lunar calendar's 11th month, while in Thailand, it is celebrated together with the Thai Songkran Festival.

Mon Monastery

Sadly, the Mon culture cannot be seen in modern Bangkok, but the Mon monastery is still active and houses a lively community of Thai monks. It is open daily and offers a saffron opportunity to witness such an institution at work; even the living quarters are open, though entering the monks houses is not allowed.

Least, though not Last

The monastery is on Chanasongkhram Road, on the west end of Khaosan Road and not far from the Grand Palace; thus it is easily accessed while visiting the area. It is open between 6 AM and 6 PM.

Footprints

If entering from its main entrance, which faces Khaosan Road, the visitor meets first a small shrine which is popular with denizens. Incense and flower offerings are put there in front of a golden statue housed within the shrine. Behind it is the temple, where lessons given to saffron-dressed monks can be witnessed; the structure is rather typical of Thai temples, but unique in the access it offers to the monastic studies. On its southern side there is a group of stalls managed by white-dressed nuns and a study room where younger monks study.

Another shrine featuring what is known as a "Buddha Footprint," a footprint with five equal toes measuring about three meters long and carved in stone, is behind the temple. North of the temple is a colorful Chinese temple which is not related to the monastery.

Behind the central structure and the footprint shrine is a gate located within a stupa-shaped structure that leads into a big inner yard. Surrounding it are the living quarters; narrow alleys lead into that area. The clean quarters are alive with trees and small gardens, monks quietly walk around. At the other end of the yard is an exit leading to Soi Rambuttri; the last - and the adjacent alleys - are a de facto continuation of Khaosan Road. Travel Agencies, restaurants, hotels, internet kiosks, food stalls and knickknacks vendors clutter the area.

The last have permeated into the temple's yard. While the temple is open, the main road connecting the footprint shrine with the back door operates as a market. The most attractive option here is an open restaurant serving traditional Thai food in a lush and quiet environment, much more attractive than noisy Khaosan. Other stalls sell English books and clothes; even a fortune teller operates there.

Buddhist temples are a bit hard to comprehend; their inherently nihilist philosophy can be quite disturbing if closely looked. However, we can relate to other humans everywhere if we look into the small touches of care and love they display. Here, within the backyard and next to the exit is a big banyan tree, which are traditionally revered by locals, its trunk has been wrapped with colorful strips of cloth to show respect. In these days of global warming and massive tree logging everywhere, this is an attitude to keep in mind.