MRT to a Coffee shop, Prison and a Temple

It's the start of a brand new year today as I post this, so here's to a good one for you all from us!

Bangkok, Day 39

The plan for today is to visit an old coffee shop over in the Phra Nakhon district.

We get the MTR (underground) from Lumpini Park to the Sam Yot station. This was the first time that we had used the MRT, and it was very easy. You just get your ticket (a plastic disc) from the ticket machines, which have instructions in English. You put in which station, you are going to, and it tells you how much it costs, and you can just pay in notes with cash or coins. You need the plastic disc to open the entry barriers, and you need to deposit it once you reach the exit barriers once you reach your destination station.

From the train station, we started to make our way to the coffee shop as we knew it closed at 12 midday, so we were on a bit of a mission. The walk was about 25-30 minutes from the station but there were a few interesting things to see on the way and we had to try and not get distracted or else we'd probably miss the coffee shop!

We passed a few interesting market type places near to klong areas but again we didn't want to stop at this point and felt we'd have more time on our way back again to look properly. We also came across the giant red swing.

The Giant Swing is an iconic historical landmark. It was constructed in 1784 during the reign of King Rama I, and was originally designed for the annual Brahmin Swing Ceremony, which honoured the Hindu god Shiva. This sacred observance involved participants swinging to great heights to grab a bag of silver coins with their teeth, symbolising the mythical churning of the ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality. Although the ceremony was discontinued in the 1930s due to safety concerns (the Safety Police again!), the Giant Swing remains a focal point of religious and cultural activities, drawing visitors from around the world.

The structure, is made of teak wood and stands at an impressive height of 21.15 meters. It has undergone several renovations to preserve its grandeur.

Democracy Monument

We passed the Democracy Monument on the way. This is a public monument in Bangkok. It occupies a traffic circle on the wide east–west Ratchadamnoen Avenue, at the intersection of Dinso Road.

The monument was commissioned in 1939 to commemorate the 1932 Siamese coup d'état (also called "Siamese Revolution of 1932" or just "1932 Revolution") which led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in what was then the Kingdom of Siam.

The focal point of the monument is a carved representation of a palm-leaf manuscript box holding the Thai Constitution of 1932, on top of two golden offering bowls above a round turret. The constitution is symbolically guarded by four wing-like structures, representing the four branches of the Thai armed forces—army, navy, air force and police—which carried out the 1932 coup.

It's quite impressive looking, but as it sits in the middle of a busy roundabout area, I'm not sure it's easily accessible, but it looks great, even from a distance.

Hia Tai Kee - Old Coffee Shop

Hai Tai Kee is an old fashioned coffee shop that has been around for generations. It is a step back in time with and sits right on the corner of a road with with world passing it by. The decor and furniture all around tell part of its story and history and I can't help but wonder about all of the people in the past that have passed through its doors.

It's probably a far cry from the hordes of "Instagrammer generation" that come to visit it these days. I realise that probably makes me sound like a grumpy old woman, and that I may be but the difference is that we read of this place, which is a little out of the way but it was the history part that made us want to visit - not so we could buy a few drinks, hog the table for ages and take a load of photos for like on social media (she says putting her stuff into a blog - but very few will see or ever read this and that is the difference). Ok rant over....

We had planned on having a late breakfast here, and although the breakfast itself was ok, the buttered and sugared toast was to die for! We loved looking at all the artefacts around the little shop, and it was a very popular place. The restaurant is a self-service one, so you go up and order what you want, and I think they normally call you, but we got our plates and drinks delivered to our table. A step back in time, but we loved it and it was worth the trip.

Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan

After the coffee shop, we made our way to the beautiful Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan.

This temple is located on Maha Chai Road and was constructed in 1846. It was built towards the end of the reign of King Rama III to honour the royal granddaughter (later she was the first consort of King Rama IV the Great and was known as Queen Sommanat Wattanawadi).

Therefore, the King bestowed the name Wat Ratchanaddaram, which is a third-class royal temple of the Worawihan class and was registered as a historical site in 1951.

The temple was absolutely gorgoeus and so ornate. We loved just walking around it and it wasn't very busy.

Wat Saket

Aftetward, we headed over to the Wat Saket Ratchawora Mahawihan (usually shortened to Wat Saket), which is a Buddhist temple dating back to the Ayutthaya era, when it was known as Wat Sakae. When Bangkok became the capital, King Rama I (1737–1809) renovated the temple and gave it its present name.

Phu Khao Thong (“Golden Mountain”) is a steep artificial hill inside the Wat Saket compound.

Rama I's grandson, King Rama III (1788–1851), decided to build a chedi of huge dimensions inside Wat Saket, but the chedi collapsed during construction because the soft soil of Bangkok could not support the weight. Over the next few decades, the abandoned mud-and-brick structure acquired the shape of a natural hill and was overgrown with weeds. The locals called it the phu khao ('mountain'), as if it were a natural feature. During that time, it also functioned as a lookout tower for soldiers concerned about the arrival of enemy armies.

The heat was not quite as hot as the last few days but we didn't have either the energy or the inclination to climb the mountain - although I can imagine the views would have been spectacular from the top. This areas was a lot busier and had more of a tourist attracting theme about it. There were lots of food stalls and Tuk Tuk drivers around. It was quite spectacular looking even from the ground and that was fine with us.

During the reign of King Rama IV, construction began of a small chedi on the hill. It was completed early in the reign of his son, King Rama V (1853–1910) and sanctified by being covered in a layer of gold. A relic of the Buddha was brought from Sri Lanka by Prince Pritsadang and placed in the chedi. The surrounding concrete walls were added in the 1940s to stop the hill from eroding. The modern Wat Saket was built in the early 20th century using Carrara marble.

Phu Khao Thong is now a popular Bangkok tourist attraction and has become a symbol of the city.

Rommani Nat Park

Then we stopped of at a public park of about 11 acres. The interesting thing about this park is that it is located on the former site of Klong Prem Prison, built on the royal initiative of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1890, modelled after HM Prison Brixton in London Borough of Lambeth, United Kingdom.

The prison had changed names several times, most recently in 1972 renamed to Bangkok Remand Prison. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn (later King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X)) presided over the official opening of Rommaninat Park and Corrections Museum on August 17, 1999. It was a nice little rest stop and place to take a couple of photos right beside the old guard towers. We also spotted a cheeky monitor lizard in the pond area.

Finally we started to make our way back home and stopped off at a grocery store for the evenings dinner. Another thing that was really, really weird was that this area had LOADS of shops selling guns and ammunition. Not quite sure who buys these items as I think the crime rate in Thailand is quite low compared to other places but it was just really odd. At least it's a little bit away from all the jewellery and gem shops....

Once home, Neko was happy to see us and he spent the evening lying on my seat pillow, demanding head and neck scratches - he's just like a wee baby!

Our rough route plan for today.

Bangkok, Thailand

28 December 2024