Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [66]
DUSIT ZOO
Map
0 2281 2000; www.zoothailand.org; Th Ratchawithi; adult/child 100/50B; 8am-6pm; air-con 515, ordinary 18 & 28
Originally a private botanic garden for Rama V, Dusit Zoo (Suan Sat Dusit or kǒw din) was opened in 1938 and is now one of the premier zoological facilities in Southeast Asia. That, however, doesn’t mean all the animal enclosures are up to modern zoological standards, with one endlessly pacing tiger being particularly heart-rending. Squeezed into the 19 hectares are more than 300 mammals, 200 reptiles and 800 birds, including relatively rare indigenous species. The shady grounds feature trees labelled in English plus a lake in the centre with paddle boats for rent. There’s also an interesting WWII air raid shelter, a small children’s playground and, on the far side of the lake where the exotic birds are kept, a theme-park atmosphere that assumes said birds enjoy Thai pop and, on the day we visited, the beating drums of a Kenyan dance troupe.
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IT’S FREE
The value of the Thai baht in international currencies might turn misers into spendthrifts, but there are still plenty of cheap and even free thrills in Bangkok.
Hotel river boats Take a free hotel ferry from Central Pier or River City to the plush hotel of your choice; whether you fork out for a drink when you get there is up to you.
Markets Whether it’s the wet-market chaos of Khlong Toey, the flowers of Pak Khlong or anything you can imagine at Chatuchak, Bangkok’s vast outdoor markets are thoroughly memorable and free. And, of course, the more money you do spend, the more you save.
Erawan Shrine See traditional Thai dancing, paid for by a Bangkokian making merit.
Lumphini Park Sweat in synchrony at the free evening aerobics classes in Lumphini Park.
Victory Monument Skytrain station (Map) Observe breakdancers practising their moves, young couples flirting, fashion trendies exhibiting themselves, and illegal markets on the elevated walkway leading to this station.
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If nothing else, the zoo is a nice place to get away from the noise of the city and observe how Thais amuse themselves – mainly by eating. There are a few lakeside restaurants that serve good, inexpensive Thai food.
Wat Benchamabophit
Map
0 2282 7413; cnr Th Si Ayuthaya & Th Phra Ram V; admission 20B; 8.30am-5pm; air con 23, 72, 503 & 509, ordinary 16 & 72
Inside and out, this temple is one of the most unusual, and most extravagent, in the kingdom. Built at the turn of the century on the orders of Rama V, the bòht is made of white Carrara marble (hence its alternative name, ‘Marble Temple’) imported from Italy especially for the job.
The large cruciform bòht is a prime example of modern Thai temple architecture. And the interior design is too, melding Thai motifs with European influences. The red carpets, the way the gold-on-white motifs are painted repetitively on the walls, the walls painted like stained glass windows and the royal blue wall behind the central Buddha image are strongly reminiscent of a European palace. Which is not all that surprising when you consider how enamoured Rama V (whose ashes are in the base of said Buddha image) was with Europe – just walk across the street to Dusit Park for further evidence.
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THE ORIGINAL WHITE ELEPHANTS
Think ‘white elephant’ and things like Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose wooden plane and the Millennium Dome (O2 Arena) in London come to mind. But why is it that these and other supposedly valuable but hugely expensive and basically useless items are known as white elephants? The answer lies in the sacred status given to albino elephants by the kings of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Burma.
The tradition derives from the story in which the Buddha’s mother is said to have dreamed of a white elephant presenting her with a lotus flower – a symbol of purity and wisdom – just before she gave birth. Extrapolating from this, a monarch possessing a white elephant was regarded as a just and benign ruler. Across the region any genuinely albino elephant automatically became crown property;