Siam Sojourns
For a late riser like me, seeing any place in the early morning hours is always a novel experience. So, as a lecturer at a college in Bangkok, when I had no choice but to get up in the wee hours of morning for work, the experience was truly refreshing. Not only were my taxi rides to college a breeze on the otherwise chock-a-block arterial nerve for tourists in Bangkok called Sukhumvit road. But so also were the sights and smells, till then unfamiliar to me of a world popular `shopping and fun’ holiday destination, totally enlightening. The early morning peace and calm mixed with the sweet fragrance of joss sticks is in complete contradiction to the glitter and clamour in the evenings along the same roads. And the presence of Buddhist monks in rust and maroon coloured robes, collecting alms and offering blessings to devotees at street corners lends a special grace to the morning cityscape which is diametrically opposite to the sleazy glamour at the thronging beer parlours and go-go bars along the same by lanes which double up as `cowboy streets’ in the evenings packed with enticing bar girls and preening party `arm-candies`.
Had it not been for my early morning sojourns, I would have completely missed these remnants of Thai cultural essence on the streets of Bangkok. But well, Bangkok is not Thailand. And that can be said for most of the big cities of the world. Modern cities are not representatives of the cultural core of a country or a region. They are rather a by-product of the various processes that took place in recent history. Bangkok, for instance, is not more than 200 years old. An independent Thai capital came to be formed at Sukhothai in northern Thailand in the 13th Century, because of the disintegration of the Khmer empire in Cambodia. But within a century the kingdom at Sukhothai was overthrown by an emerging new Kingdom of Ayutthaya along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, a little further north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya grew as a trading centre, with growing contacts with traders from India, China, Arabia and the European world. But unfortunately the thriving city of Ayutthaya was burnt and ransacked by the invading Burmese army in the latter half of the 18th Century. Subsequently, the capital was moved to Thonburi, now better known as a suburb of Bangkok. The present Era of Thai history began when Bangkok was established as the official capital of Thailand by King Rama I in 1782. This also marked the beginning of the line of Kings belonging to the present reigning Chakri dynasty. It is not only the world’s oldest surviving Monarchy, but the present king is also the longest reigning Monarch.
As a teacher in Thailand, I was in for more surprises. I noticed that my students never stood straight in front of me, but bend gently from one knee. Reverence and respect to ones teacher, then be it an academic or a spiritual preacher, is indeed deeply woven into Thai life. And it is strictly adhered to in schools and junior colleges. These experiences were learning for me. For a tourist in Bangkok, it is a little difficult to imagine that such values exist. Because, what we see, moving on from the polite smiles and graceful `swadhika` greetings of the Thai airhostesses, is an ultra modern airport and city. All it takes is a walk down main Sukhumvit road, with its odd and even numbered streets, or Soi as it’s called in Thai, on either side. And that is if you enjoy jostling and paving a path through crowded sidewalks!! Forget the umpteen numbers of shops lining the streets, but even the pavements are teeming with vendors, selling anything from souvenirs to t-shirts to designer duplicates of everything under the sun.
The enormity of some of the glitzy malls is sometimes staggering even for visitors from downtown Manhattan! But the glamorous Bangkok that we see of today is a very recent transformation. It includes the sky train, the metro, and the fancy malls where one could either spend time buying a Ferrari or visit the huge `ocean world’ created in the basement of one of Asia’s largest shopping complex! And of course the ever mushrooming small and big massage parlours and exotic spas which form the chief attraction at all holiday destinations within Thailand.
I have personally witnessed these rapid developments in the past 7 years. Bangkok is on a demolition spree of all things old and quaint. Every old bungalow, pretty wooden Thai style constructions are being knocked down and replaced with skyscrapers. A few of these get converted into boutique hotels and spas; others are simply broken down for the soaring real estate value of land, especially on prime locations of Bangkok. The constant buzz of construction work is a well know soundscape of the city. It’s strange to note that even during the busiest of traffic hours the roads are quiet with no honking or brakes screeching, thanks to the polite and patient ways of the Buddhist; but the din of construction work in every street cannot be missed.
But the roots of these recent developments go back a little further. Despite the strong western trade relations and cultural influences, which in fact, led to many reforms in the 19th Century, Thailand as a country was never colonised by any western power. Historians attribute it to strong and able leadership by Thai Kings and ministers. Besides, Thailand hasn’t seen a war in the past 200 years. It wasn’t part of WWII even. In fact, Bangkok did well as a peaceful buffer zone between warring nations. Many Indians and Chinese saw this as an opportunity to set up shops selling essentials like food grains, cloth, and shoes to the armies in the neighbouring army camps. These products are the chief exports of Thailand even today. Bangkok rose not just as the business and industrial centre of an agrarian Thailand, but also the `rest and relaxation’ hub of the world; of-late complete with `holiday companions` in all shapes and gender, offering all kinds of services.
I say gender, because honestly, it’s one city which has put me at complete ease with transsexuals. Being the most happening place for all sorts of cosmetic and sex-change surgeries, Bangkok has a large community of transsexuals. Fondly called as `lady boys’, they are an accepted lot with no apparent stigma attached. Employed mostly at restaurants and shopping malls, they are a big hit as night club performers. More on them and the rest of `Amazing Thailand’ later......
