The Beguiling Boroughs of Bangkok

I spent the weekend in Bangkok, and it turned out to be kind of a reunion weekend for most of the teachers on my program.

I began my Friday evening with a drink in a traditional English pub with our British co-workers, who gave us some pointers when it comes to understanding Thai culture and English language teaching. They were both self-diagnosed addicts of Thailand, and neither of them would ever consider moving back home. I’ve already spoken with several ex-pats whose lives are similarly entrenched, and it fascinates me to speak with someone who has seemingly left the entire world they know behind in favor of a new life. Could I do that?

I roomed with several other teachers in a cavernous hostel I discovered called Suk 11, which had the decor of an Indiana Jones adventure ride. It ended up being the main destination for most other teachers visiting for the weekend, and was thankfully close to a lot of activity.


We went out around Sukhumvit road that night, to several quirky bars including the Pickled Liver, the Hilary Bar, and Bangkok Beat, which featured a live band. I had a great time, although every bar was crawling with shady old British men looking for young Thai women to hire or liquor up. My guy friends were literally the only young men I saw in Bangkok Beat, the rest of the male population consisted of old, awkward white men looking to score.

The next morning I dragged some friends to Chatachuk market, off the Mo Chit BTS stop. Chatachuk is a never-ending maze of small stores, selling everything from leather shoes to art. The animal section was by far the most surprising portion; birds, kittens, puppies, marsupials of all varieties were displayed in an endless series of boxes and cages, many of them covered in cheesy bows and flowers. I ended up wandering for an hour or two, and was quite happy to simply weave through endless hallways of colorful stores and savory-smelling food nooks.


I enjoyed a delicious Lebanese lunch with my cousin Steve and his girlfriend Anastasia, who lived only a block or two from my hostel, and Steve went over the basics of scuba gear—I’ve just begun my Open Water Diver course, and will be doing my training dives with him.

Afterwards I went with Tim, another teacher on my program, to a film screened as part of the Bangkok International Film Festival called “Diamonds.” It was about women in the Asia/Pacific region with HIV, and one of the women featured in the film was in the theatre. She was an Indian woman who contracted HIV from her husband, who her father pressured her to marry through an arranged marriage (her father then stigmatized her for being HIV positive, go figure). Tim and I got up to leave after the Q&A session, but were stopped by a man that informed us another film was screening and gestured for us to sit down. The film was supposed to be about a Filipino written language that was almost lost after the Spanish colonization… I think. The film was almost an hour long, and felt like a drug trip gone sour.

Another thing that caught me off guard was before the movie began, when everyone stood up for a cinematic tribute to the King. That night I also took a few seconds to notice that no one in the busy sky train station was walking, and realized that it was because the national anthem was playing.

That evening was kicked off with a satisfying meal of Mexican food at a joint called Charlie Brown’s, where the owner informed me that cheese was their steepest expense (seriously, what’s with this country’s lack of cheese). We also had some margaritas, which for me is a taste of home. Afterwards, my friends and I all went out to a huge club called RCA or Route 66. I literally ran into half the members of my teaching program there, and was pretty blown away by the series of rooms: one played dance/hip-hop music, one featured some sort of techno, and another had a Thai pop rock performance complete with back-up dancers. The bathroom, a certifiable house of mirrors, had a massive foyer with modern-looking sofas and crazy statues of animals.

By Sunday morning I was running out of steam—carrying my backpack, walking and riding trains everywhere on little sleep… I need to get my traveler stamina back. A few friends and I had breakfast at one of Bangkok’s massive malls (Siam Paragon and Central World are some of the most sprawling malls I’ve ever been to), and slowly began to part ways. I’m really happy to be back and showered, but I’m already looking forward to our next weekend adventure. I’ve also decided I really like Bangkok, in spite of the smog and muggy heat; I love the winding alleys, chaotic traffic, hidden restaurants and markets, lanterns and sizzling food, and all with great public transportation. It’s dirty, messy and awesome.