Bangkok: A walk along Charoen Krung Road

[binjakob]

This is a walk I made along Bangkoks oldest road, through Yaowarat (Chinatown) and passing Khao San Road (the backpacker district). It took me roughly three hours. Sorry about the crappy quality, poor camera and poor cameraman.

1. Start off by taking the BTS skytrain to Saphan Taksin and walk north.



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2. Old houses with the ugly State Tower (with its famous skybar ) in the background.



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3. Chao Praya (Bangkoks mighty river) is closeby the whole walk.



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4. Take a break and resupply at the charming Jacks Bar.



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5. Standard Bangkok buildings from the 60s.



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6. Swan Hotel. One of the few surviving GI-hotels from the late 60s which was built to accomodate the many american soldiers having time off the Vietnam war.





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7. The French embassy. The architecture doesn't really fit in with the rest of the neighborhood.



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8. Old and new.



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9. The old Customs house which they want to turn into a hotel but squatters makes the process drag out.





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10. The old Post office, one of the best kept Art Deco buildings in Bangkok. Now turned in to a creative hub.



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11. Some of the many empty houses. Hopefully waiting for renovatio and not demolition, but in this town you´ll never know.



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12. A barbershop where I got my hair cut. Price was 80 baht (approx. 2€) which was a great deal, that included a parrot that sits on your shoulder.





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13. Some more old buildings.



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14. Chinatown Gate in Yaowarat.



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15. Teens of Thailand. A hipster bar at Soi Nana which has a lot of cool bars.



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16. Average Chinatown street.



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17. The subway is on its way. Expect many new developments and old neighborhoods disappearing.



18. Street art.







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18. A muddy klong (canal).



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19. Chinatown is now behind me. The Giant Swing which used to be a giant swing, not anymore.



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20. Mit Ko Yuan restaurant which serves the best Tom Yam Kung in town!





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21. Ratchadamnoen Road with its many Art Deco buildings and the Democracy Monument.







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22. The world famous backpacker-Mecca: Khao San Road. Doesnt´t look like much during the day but becomes one huge party after dark.



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23. The Pom Phra Sumen fort.



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24. Now its time to take cheap riverboat ride back to where the walk started. On the way you pass one of Bangkok mega projects, Icon Siam, which will be a huge complex including a mall, a hotell and very expensive condos.







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25. Back at Saphan Taksin sky train-station you will see a huge abandoned skyscraper called Ghost Tower.

[xzmattzx]

Very interesting! I have a friend who has been to Bangkok a couple times. I'll have to ask him about Soi Nana and Mecca Khao San Road.

[binjakob]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Very interesting! I have a friend who has been to Bangkok a couple times. I'll have to ask him about Soi Nana and Mecca Khao San Road.

If you like urban organized chaos, than Bangkok is the shit!

And btw when you talk to your friend make sure she/he doesn't confuse Soi Nana with Nana Plaza. The latter is one of the red light districts.

[mrnyc]

looks like a grittier singapore.

of course everything looks gritty vs singapore.

[homebucket]

Nice pics! I noticed the Ghost Tower too. Wondered what that was...

[binjakob]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Nice pics! I noticed the Ghost Tower too. Wondered what that was...

Thank you! Ghost Tower still stands as a testement to the Tom Yom Goong crises (1997 Asian fincencial crises). With some luck its possible to explore but that depends on the which mood the guards are in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sathorn_Unique_Tower

[Austinlee]

Nice