When you get to the streets of Krung Thep, one of the things you first notice is the insane traffic density. The interstitial spaces between cars and buses is filled with pedestrians, tuk tuks, and scooters. The sidewalks are crammed with tables and displays of every imaginable consumer good. At street level, overhead doors are open and shops filled to the brim with stuff of all discription- lawn mowers (where is the grass??), clothing, plastic flotsam, industrial pumps & valves, … everything. In the evening, the shop owners throw a mattress on the floor between the stacks of merchandise and light up the TV. A pot of soup is on the heat and folks begin winding down for the night.
Like a lot of tourists, we found ourselves stuffed in a noisy tuk tuk careening down the streets of Bangkok being hustled to a well known temple, but with a few stops at the lapidary, clothing story, and jewelry store. It is a well known scam advanced by obnoxious confidence men and women who feign interest in your well being.
It all began when we arrived at the Grand Palace at closing time and were immediately “greeted” by official looking characters. They took the initiative without delay and directed us to the tuk tuk driver along the curb. Careful to ask our nationality and the nature of our business, these overseers directed our attention to the identification badges worn by the drivers. Thirty baht for the ride to the Golden Mountain Temple. This was a bargain, we thought.
A tuk tuk is an open air three wheeled vehicle with a sheet metal roof and lots of colorful decoration meant to dazzle tourists into indulging in the local color.
The driver starts the two-stroke engine and we lurch into traffic. Driving in Bangkok consists of an extended series of lunges for position in the heavy traffic. It’s not at all obvious what is forbidden in traffic, other than running over someone. The tuk tuk driver pulls into oncoming traffic for a few tens of meters gain, then overtakes a car as it turns into a narrow street. Pedestrians jump out of the way.
In the states, one or two discourtesies that are ordinary here would likely provoke a murderous episode of road rage. No big deal in Krung Thep.
It became apparent that taking us to the temple was a ruse. The real itinerary was a tour of pre-arranged shops whose proprietors would reward the drivers with a cut of the action. Of course, this is nothing new or novel. It is a form of industry common to many ports of call.
After we visited 3 shops, we convinced our young driver that we were finished and he left us at one of the many gold-leaf festooned temples in the core of the city. Numerous drivers approached with offers of carriage, but we were determined to walk to the Standing Buddha. And walk we did.
Eventually we made our way to a backpack hotel near the river where we enjoyed some liquid refreshment. Using a tourist map meant for advertising, not navigation, we finally found the standing Buddha at sundown. From there we made a circuitous path to a water taxi on the Chao Phraya river and made excellent time back across the city for 30 cents US.
I’m left with some grudging admiration of our Calvinistic traffic system back in the states.
Photo Credit: Th’ Gaussling 2007. All Rights Reserved.
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