ÿþ<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> <title> eldan.co.uk - photos from Bangkok, Thailand </title> <meta http-equiv="Content type" content='text/html; charset="UTF-8"' /> <meta http-equiv="Page-Exit" content="revealTrans(Transition=12,Duration=1.000)" /> <meta http-equiv="Site-Exit" content="revealTrans(Transition=12,Duration=1.500)" /> <meta name="MSSmartTagsPreventParsing" content="TRUE" /> <meta name="keywords" content="Eldan, Eldan Goldenberg, Goldenberg, photos, photographer, photography, travel photography, travel, Eldon, Elden, Goldenburg, Goldburg, Goldberg, Bangkok, Thailand, Siam, Wat Po, Krungthep" /> <meta name="description" content="eldan.co.uk - photos from Bangkok, Thailand" /> <meta name="robots" content="index, follow" /> <meta name="copyright" content="Eldan Goldenberg 2003" /> <meta name="author" content="Eldan Goldenberg" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../styles/photos.css" title="default style" /> <link rel="alternate stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../styles/standard.css" title="main alternate" /> <link rel="alternate stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../styles/plainest.css" title="plainest alternate" /> <link rel="alternate stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../styles/stark.css" title="previous design" /> <link rel="alternate stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../styles/webdev.css" title="to match the web development section" /> <link rel="alternate stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../styles/repairs.css" title="to match the computer repairs section" /> <link rel="alternate stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../styles/teaching.css" title="to match the teaching section" /> </head> <body class="journal"> <a name="top" id="top"></a> <table class="main_container" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <th colspan="3" class="top"> <a href="http://eldan.co.uk/" target="_top"> <img src="../../pix/eldlogotrans.gif" alt="eldan.co.uk" title="eldan.co.uk" class="noborder" /></a> </th> </tr> <tr> <td class="left_col"> <table class="right_side" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="a11"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a22"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a34"> </td> </tr> <tr> <th> sections </th> </tr> <tr> <td class="content"> <a href="http://eldan.co.uk/photos/" target="_top">photo index</a> <br /> <!--a href="http://eldan.co.uk/diary/" target="_top" title="unmarked nuclear warheads travel these roads"-->journeys (forthcoming)</a> <br /> <!--a href="http://eldan.co.uk/diary/" target="_top" title="unmarked nuclear warheads travel these roads"-->moments (forthcoming)</a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a34"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a22"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a11"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="mid_col"> <table class="main" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="a11"> </td> <td class="a12"> </td> <td class="a13"> </td> <td class="a12"> </td> <td class="a11"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a21"> </td> <td class="a22"> </td> <td class="a23"> </td> <td class="a22"> </td> <td class="a21"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a31"> </td> <td class="a32"> </td> <td class="a34"> </td> <td class="a32"> </td> <td class="a31"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a41"> </td> <td class="a42"> </td> <th> <h1> Bangkok </h1> <img src="wat.jpg" alt="A typically Thai temple" title="Bangkok" height="343" width="400" class="w_border" lowsrc="../Bangkok_icon.jpg" /> <p> Bangkok is overcrowded, poorly planned, unpleasantly hot and humid, and horribly polluted. And apparently it has improved a lot over the decade before my visit (in December 2002). I spent almost a week there, longer than intended, and it's certainly not my favourite part of Thailand, but it does have its charms. Among the urban sprawl are beautiful temples which still manage to serve as oases of calm, and then the King's birthday was something quite out of the ordinary. </p> </th> <td class="a42"> </td> <td class="a41"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a41"> </td> <td class="a42"> </td> <td class="content"> <p> All of these images are copyright &copy; 2003 Eldan Goldenberg, and are provided free for non-profit use only. If you are interested in commercial licencing please <a href="mailto:eldan@myrealbox.com?subject=commercial exploitation of your photos">contact me</a> to negotiate terms. </p> </td> <td class="a42"> </td> <td class="a41"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a41"> </td> <td class="a42"> </td> <td class="content"> <h3> lucky day </h3> <a href="2002_12_05_KingsBirthday/" target="_top"><img src="KingsBirthday_icon.jpg" width="200" height="150" class="noborder" alt="A stage bedecked with royal portraits in honour of the King's birthday" title="King Bhumbibol's 75th birthday" /></a> <h4> <a href="2002_12_05_KingsBirthday/" target="_top">King Bhumbibol's 75<sup>th</sup> birthday</a> </h4> </td> <td class="a42"> </td> <td class="a41"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a41"> </td> <td class="a42"> </td> <td class="photos"> <h3> ordinary days </h3> <img src="temple.jpg" width="298" height="400" class="w_border" alt="The side of a temple" /><br /> I can't even remember the name of this temple, there were so many like it dotted around the city <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="panels.jpg" width="244" height="400" class="noborder" alt="Painted wooden panels" /><br /> A detail from the inside of the same temple <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="altar.jpg" width="400" height="331" class="w_border" alt="The altar" /><br /> The altar, still from the same temple. It's actually one of the less ornate ones, and doesn't charge money for tourists to visit. I was invited inside by a very friendly monk <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="traffic.jpg" width="400" height="300" class="w_border" alt="Traffic" /><br /> Bangkok's endless traffic. The Skytrain (that elevated concrete thing) is a real boon, but I couldn't quite work out what the engineers had in mind with this section <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="national_stadium.jpg" width="289" height="400" class="w_border" alt="A huge portrait of the King" /><br /> The Thais really do revere and love their King in a way that is quite incomprehensible to someone who grew up in Britain <br /><br /> There's a separate page for his <a href="2002_12_05_KingsBirthday/" target="_top">birthday celebrations</a> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="long_live_the_king.jpg" width="400" height="240" class="noborder" alt="The side of a hotel, with LONG LIVE THE KING in enormous glowing letters" /><br /> As I was saying... <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="kings_portrait.jpg" width="244" height="400" class="noborder" alt="A close-up of that portrait" /><br /> Is it just me, or does he look a little uncomfortable in all his finery? <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="roses.jpg" width="400" height="261" class="w_border" alt="Roses being delivered in vast numbers" /><br /> Part of the preparations for his <a href="2002_12_05_KingsBirthday/" target="_top">birthday</a> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="royal_palace.jpg" width="400" height="187" class="noborder" alt="The royal palace" /><br /> And this is where he lives <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="chedi.jpg" width="300" height="400" class="w_border" alt="A forest of chedi, in which the ashes of deceased lamas are interred" /><br /> And this (above and below) is from Wat Pho, nearby <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="chedi_2.jpg" width="302" height="400" class="w_border" alt="A closeup of a single chedi" /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="reclining_buddha.jpg" width="400" height="268" class="noborder" alt="An absolutely massive statue of the Buddha reclining" /><br /> Wat Pho is also home to the world's largest reclining Buddha statue. Asia has an awful lot of places that claim to have the <q>world's largest ... Buddha statue</q>, but at least in this case the <q>...</q> isn't absurdly specific, and the statue is mighty impressive <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="row_of_statues.jpg" width="208" height="400" class="noborder" alt="A row of golden statues" /><br /> These statues don't hold any sort of record <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="jim_thompsons_house.jpg" width="400" height="300" class="w_border" alt="Jim Thompson's House" /><br /> This is where Jim Thompson lived. He was an American who pretty much went native, and is much loved by Thais for his services to the silk export industry, by popularising Thai silk back home <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="skyline.jpg" width="400" height="242" class="noborder" alt="a messy skyline" /><br /> Bangkok's skyline is not its greatest attraction <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="skyline_2.jpg" width="400" height="207" class="noborder" alt="a messy skyline" /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="2.jpg" width="400" height="228" class="w_border" alt="a more modern skyline" /><br /> Though there are better parts <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="1.jpg" width="375" height="400" class="noborder" alt="a modern building, through trees" /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="khlong.jpg" width="400" height="246" class="w_border" alt="a canal" /><br /> Another saving grace of the city is its canal network, which provides a little peace between the crowded streets <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="river_taxi.jpg" width="300" height="400" class="w_border" alt="A river taxi" /><br /> Not to mention the most pleasant way to get around <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="snooker.jpg" width="400" height="278" class="w_border" alt="snooker" /><br /> And space for the kids to play, safely away from traffic <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="crowded_soi.jpg" width="400" height="273" class="noborder" alt="A crowd" /><br /> There's also a very lively Chinatown, though that presents its own challenges - it took a very long time to walk down this street <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="chinese_temple.jpg" width="400" height="277" class="noborder" alt="A Chinese temple" /><br /> Wherever the Chinese congregate there are beautiful temples <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="chinese_trinkets.jpg" width="400" height="347" class="w_border" alt="Chinese tat for sale" /><br /> Red and gold tat for sale <br /><br /><br /><br /> <img src="3.jpg" width="400" height="300" class="noborder" alt="your guess is as good as mine" /><br /> And... mysterious cardboard objects... <br /><br /> </td> <td class="a42"> </td> <td class="a41"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a31"> </td> <td class="a32"> </td> <td class="a34"> </td> <td class="a32"> </td> <td class="a31"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a21"> </td> <td class="a22"> </td> <td class="a23"> </td> <td class="a22"> </td> <td class="a21"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a11"> </td> <td class="a12"> </td> <td class="a13"> </td> <td class="a12"> </td> <td class="a11"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="right_col"> <table class="right_side" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="a11"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a22"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a34"> </td> </tr> <tr> <th> ...make contact </th> </tr> <tr> <td class="content"> <a href="mailto:eldan@myrealbox.com?your photos" target="_top" title="tell me how wonderful I am.">write to me</a> <br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/wishlist/3FTIOS138YAPB/ref%3Dwl%5Fem%5Fto/026-7532618-4491629" target="_blank" title="buy me stuff. Go on, you know you want to.">donations accepted</a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a34"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a22"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="a11"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <!-- this paragraph will only display in browsers which are not CSS compliant --> <p class="nodisplay"> Your browser does not comply with current <a href="http://www.webstandards.org/upgrade/" title="Download a browser that complies with Web standards.">web standards</a>. If you upgrade to a newer browser this page (and much of the Web) will look far better </p> </body> </html>