A small group of us from school decided to get to know our resident city by taking a night tour of Bangkok via an open-air tram. I wasn’t sure that I would be able to "see much" on this night tour but I was proven wrong. Most of the important monuments we visited were well lit, displaying them in perhaps a more spectacular way than could be viewed during the day.
The evening started with dinner at the
Sidewalk Café, one of the original restaurants in the heart of Bangkok beautifully situated with a view of the
Democracy Monument. This monument is at the figurative center of Bangkok and represents the Siamese Revolution of 1932 which led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, then known as the Kingdom of Siam.
One of the first stops was at the impressive
Ananta Samkhom Throne Hall, a former reception hall ordered by King Rama V. The domes and walls are adorned with paintings outlining the history of the Chakri Dynasty (reign of Kings I-VI).
The
Wat Ratchanaddaram temple was built to the order of King Rama III to depict the 37 virtues required toward enlightenment in the Buddhist faith.
Our tour continued to the
Grand Palace built in 1782 and residence of the Thai Kings for 150 years. Within the palace grounds are numerous buildings including a 14th century temple.
One of my favorite sites is the impressive
Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn (or
Wat Pho for short =) These pain-stakingly built ceramic tile monuments are known to exist at the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. Historic drawings aligned along on a stone wall portray basic theory of the massage technique. I was told King Rama the First is buried under this structure... quite the headstone!
These monuments on our tour, among others, certainly gave us an appreciation of the history and importance of this city in the Kingdom of Siam, now called Thailand. I would certainly recommend this tour even for those who have seen the monuments by day.
