Yesterday, we went to Wat Traimit in central Bangkok, which is home to the Golden Buddha. The statue has a long and interesting history, dating back to the Sukhothai period (13th-14th century). The most interesting part of its story is, at some point, this 3 m/10 ft tall statue was covered in plaster, and in the 19th century moved to Bangkok. The original temple it was installed in fell into disrepair, and Wat Traimit was built in the 1950s. When the Buddha was moved into position at the wat, the rope broke and some of the plaster fell off, revealing a 5.5 ton gold statue underneath.
Today, it is a popular tourist destination, especially for the Chinese.
After visiting the wat, we took a quick ride around Chinatown on a tuk-tuk. What is a tuk-tuk? It is an alternate means of travel in Bangkok that is a three-wheeled vehicle - the front looks a bit like a motorcycle and the back has seating for 2-4 people (depending on how you squish). It's an experience... just make sure you keep your arms in at all times. :D
In the afternoon, Tang and I went to Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the largest weekend markets in the world. There's something like 15,000 vendors at this place, selling clothes, souvenirs pets, food, literally anything you can imagine. It is a popular place for tourists, and yesterday was no exception. I only took one picture, and it doesn't really show the vast maze that this place is nor how crowded it was. But it was super fun.
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| Wat Traimit |
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| 5.5 tons, 10 ft high Golden Buddha |
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| Tuk-tuk, essential Bangkok tourist experience |
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| Lunch - noodle soup with pork balls, red pork, crab, wontons and veggies |
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| Kanom Chan - a Thai sweet made from pandan juice. A very subtle flavor and very tasty |
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| Map of Chatuchak - 27 acres |
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| One of the quieter alleys of the market |
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