Day 1, Part 2 - 7th September - Royal Palace
I saw a lot of ang mohs (white people) but there were even more CJKs (Chinese, Japanese and Koreans). What was especially interesting was that there were more Js in the CJK mix than in any trip I could recall (Japan doesn't count).
There were many resplendent buildings, but most of them were closed.
The Royal Palace had no plaques with information on the place at all. In this respect it was the worst major tourist attraction I'd ever seen - doubtless to create opportunities for tour guides to earn money.
Golden Man
Tourists striking a dumb pose
Even more people striking the same dumb pose
Note the girls in the Thai school uniforms. They were talking in lightly PRC-accented Mandarin. I enquired (even though I asked in Mandarin, twice the girl slipped into Thai replying to me) and it turns out they were PRCs who were studying in a Thai university (in Thailand one must wear a uniform at the university level, sadly). From what I understood the PRCs were at the Palace together as the Thai students were at some Thai nationals-only event.
Bearing a great weight
Another golden thing
Prasat Phra Thep Bidon
"Information and recieve complaints center"
Booth of Relics
Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Weird hair net
Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Statue of Goddess Kun Iam
Temple of the Emerald Buddha (it was closed for chanting)
A novel way to beat the heat: hair-wetting with a flower
Buddha with golden foil. According to a guide I overheard, you stuck your foil to the part of the body corresponding to the blessing you wanted.
Hor Phra K
Occidentalism
I think I took this because the top attraction is not labelled in English
Belfry
Mural
Guy in Blue
Another mural
"On the palace ground no weapon allowed (soldier and police please do not show your weapon"
I'm having trouble imagining how one would hide a rifle in one's pants.
Barom Piman Hall
According to a nearby guide it was built by Italians. The long building below was built by the British. I could tell.
Guards for Barom Piman Hall
Built by the British
Cheap drinks.
Spirulina flavoured chips???
"Water Drink". What other ingredients were inside, I wondered.
I tried the tamarind which was quite refreshing. I had grave doubts that it was really 80% tamarind juice, though. That would probably make it undrinkable, being too concentrated.
Statues were not the sole Chinese influence - note the step
Phra Maha M Group
Temple Lintel
Weapons Museum. No wonder Siam escaped colonisation.
Weapons Museum (aka Chakri Maha Prasad). It turned out it was only two room - one with firearms and another with non-firearms.
Weapons Museum Guard. He seemed a lot more well-disposed to Thai tourists than foreign ones (in other words, he had poor discipline and reacted to the girls and women taking pictures with him, as opposed to just blinking when the Indian guy did the same thing)
Rajakaranya Sapha Hall
The face in white plaster was like Bayon
Chinese Pot
Chinese Pot 2
Novel monetisation idea: this could be the most exciting theme park ride in Thailand
Dusit Maha Prasat Hall
Drinks left outside Dusit Maha Prasat Hall
Presumably the white pouches on their backs contained ammo. Superbly impractical.
Neocolonialism - note how "Thailand's best fruity icecream" has been sidelined by Häagen-Dazs
