Back in BKK

I lived in Bangkok right after college, in 1989-90, and I loved it.  Sure, it was polluted, traffic-choked and a bit seedy in parts, but there was a lot to do, it was exotic and cheap, and I was able to get around easily as I spoke pretty good Thai at the time.  The life of a young expat in a developing capital was intoxicating; my memories are of debilitating heat and humidity, incredible food, and awful traffic.

Apart from a visit with Yo on our last around-the-world trip in 1991, I haven’t been back.  That’s 23 years during which basically every single person I know has been to Thailand, but me.  Most people pass through Bangkok only briefly on their way north (to the hills) or south (to the beaches), but I was really looking forward to seeing how the city itself had changed in the two decades since my last visit. 

I was expecting great changes, and a barely recognizable city, but what really surprised me was this:  Things didn’t look that different. 

Night markets still look the same.  Good cheap food, florescent lights, diesel exhaust.

You can still get delicious food in unappetizing places

The biggest change had been the construction of the Skytrain, which provided a fast and comfortable way to skip over some of the city’s most trafficky arteries.  It has had a Blade Runner-like effect on the streetscapes below, by adding a third dimension to the sprawl and activity.  I was surprised to see that the Skytrain passed right by my apartment on the grounds of Bangkok Christian College on Sathorn Rd.  (Well…the building I lived in has since been demolished, but if it hadn’t been, we would have been face-to-face with the train).

4 p.m. near my old place, looking down from Skytrain

Apart from that, the city looked very much like it did in the early 90s.  Office towers and apartment blocks converging on shop houses and food vendors.  Chaos at street level, bad traffic, constant construction.  The city looked and felt more or less the same; but there was just a lot more of it.  And it was even hotter than I remembered.

In the two days we had there, we didn’t cover that much ground – the big tourist sights, the Chao Phrya River, a crazy big mall or two, and my old ‘hood.  But it was enough to get a taste, and it was great to be back, even if just for a short visit.