Tag Bangkok

Wat Saket – Bangkok’s Golden Mount.

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Wat Saket – or ‘The Golden Mount’ – is a little out-of-the-way from the regular tourist routes in Bangkok. There are no train stations nearby, so to get there it’s either a half-hour walk from the Grand Palace precinct, or a short tuk-tuk ride – whichever you prefer.

I was in Thailand back in January and made the decision to visit this place – doing so on foot via a conveniently-placed McDonald’s on the way – and it was certainly worth the effort.

There was a small entrance charge (for foreigners) of one-hundred Thai Baht, or around five dollars Australian. It’s no big deal as not only is the spectacle worth the price of entry, but the money is contributing to a good cause. I should also point out that most of the major temples around Bangkok sting tourists a similar admission fee.

The only way to the top is via a winding staircase that makes its way past misty waterfalls, and then onto a number of different landings. The first level features a large gong and an arrangement of bells, before the steps continue upward toward the temple itself.

Situated at the end of the steep uphill slog is the entrance and ground floor of the temple, featuring an assortment of statues, artwork and other religious symbols. There is plenty to look at here, but the real attraction is waiting for you beyond the next flight of stairs. Of course, I’m talking about the spectacular rooftop.

Wat Saket was built atop the only hill in Bangkok, and as a result the panoramic view of the city is impressive. There’s usually a bit of smog about, but the river, modern skyline and surrounding temples and palaces can all be seen clearly.

But amidst the constant chanting of the monks, golden statues and breathtaking views, I did observe a few quirky and unusual things about this place – see below for some examples.

These modern wonders stood inside the temple and were only a few feet away from some sacred shrines and ancient displays – quite the juxtaposition. To be honest, I think it’s a great fundraiser for the monks to sell ice-cold drinks, as many tourists would be thirsty after walking up to the summit in the heat and humidity. Open the fridge door, grab your icy beverage, and pay the old man in robes sitting at the counter. It’s a little unusual, but I’m all for it!

Near the base of the hill is a rather morbid depiction of vultures eating dead bodies. The birds are pecking away at victims of the many Cholera outbreaks that Bangkok suffered throughout the nineteenth century. Apparently, thousands of people were cremated at Wat Saket during these times, but it was impossible to keep up with demand, so corpses would begin to pile up everywhere. Of course, this is where the vultures enter the story – as seen in the display.

Next to the gruesome vulture statues is a small white pagoda, and within is something known as ‘Buddha’s footprint’. I had never seen anything like this before, and it was fascinating to learn that it is of great spiritual significance.

I was intrigued by this sign outside the temple, for although the instructions are clear, a lot of people ended up taking off their shoes. Could it be that the colour should have been green instead of red? I think this is what tricked most folks.

Wat Saket is a great place to visit when in Bangkok, especially as a ‘side mission’ away from the hectic crowds around the popular tourist hot spots. I did take some video footage while I was there and uploaded it to YouTube. It didn’t get anywhere near as many views as some of my other Thailand clips, but I’ll put the link below anyway.

A night out at Port FC – Bangkok, Thailand.

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When I was in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago, I studied the schedule for the Thai Premier League and discovered that a game was being played only two train stops away from my hotel.

Needless to say I went and checked it out.

My destination was PAT Stadium, which is a compact venue that holds far less than 10,000 spectators – possibly closer to 5,000 – so it doesn’t take much to fill the place up and create a loud and vibrant atmosphere.

The local team here is Port FC, based in Bangkok’s port district, who are a reasonably successful side and currently sit around 3rd or 4th place on the league table.

Outside the venue there were dozens of food vendors set up, and the beer sellers were doing a roaring trade. In fact, I observed that hundreds of people were in no hurry to catch the kick-off, as they were still sitting around outside the ground enjoying their drinks well after the game had commenced.

I also noted that even more folks left their seats just before half-time to resume their drinking session outside, which was a shame because in doing so they missed their team score a goal.

There was a great merchandise shop at the ground as well, and it was obvious that the club jerseys were a highly-sought-after item as almost everyone was wearing one.

The game itself was an entertaining affair, with Port FC fighting back from 3-1 down against Ratchaburi to salvage a 3-3 draw.

In my honest opinion, the standard of the competition is well below that of the A-League here in Australia (recent results in the Asian Champions League might suggest otherwise), but there was enough speed and individual skill on show to satisfy any football fan. The VAR was a real mess however, and was constantly stopping the game and taking ages to come up with a decision – not helped by the linesman (assistant referee) nearest to where I was sitting who didn’t have the best of games.

If I had to give my experience a score out of ten, it would be no lower than 9. This was an enjoyable night out; the crowd and atmosphere were brilliant, the fans were friendly and welcoming, and there was a ton of well-priced food and beverages available.

In fact, I liked it so much that I will make an effort to come back and watch another game next time I am in Bangkok.

“A feast of football!” as the late, great Les Murray would say.

I did create a short video of my experience – the link is below.

The amazing Mega Plaza in Bangkok.

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I first heard about this place through YouTube videos, and as a result the Mega Plaza ended up high on my list of things-to-do when planning my trip to Thailand.

There is nothing like it in Australia – nor in most other countries – for this is an entire shopping mall dedicated to toys, collectibles and video games (both current and retro).

I would have taken a lot more photos and videos, but some of the vendors aren’t too keen on tourists snapping away and have large signs on display stating exactly that. As a result, I respected their wishes (for the most part).

I found plenty of ‘Star Wars’ action figures and merchandise – some authentic and very expensive – and others perhaps not so much…

The gaming stalls were quite impressive and covered almost every system and game title released over the past few decades. In other words, there is a good chance you will find whatever retro game or console you are looking for, but it all boils down to how much you are prepared to pay. To give you an example, I did take a couple of ‘forbidden’ photos of what these guys are selling – just to show you how far back they go.

The size of this place is outrageous – six levels featuring hundreds of shops and stalls crammed from one end to the other – with a decent food court on the top floor and a McDonald’s restaurant down at street level.

I could go on and on, but instead I will wrap things up by posting a few more photos.

The Mega Plaza is located in Bangkok’s Chinatown district – at the western end of Yaowarat Road to be precise – with the nearest train station being Sam Yot (Blue line) only a couple of blocks away.