From Bangkok, With Love : Bangkok Jam and Porn

I'VE just checked into the Baan Amphawa Resort and Spa in Maeklong, Thailand, and really, it's been a long day. All thanks to our really sweet but also over-ambitious tour guide who was very insistent on visiting 'just another beautiful place' before the next destination. With that, we've managed to squeeze in the Maeklong Market tour which includes watching the train pass through the market and visiting the community temple, Siam Cultural Park, a visit to another temple before shopping at the famous Amphawa floating market by the Maeklong River, dinner and a one-hour boat ride along a canal to see twinkling fire-flies. That was my day four of a six-day work tour to some tourist attractions in Thailand in an effort to promote the Northern neighbour after the November flood disaster.

The railway market is along the track
and it's amazing how the traders
very quickly make way
for the train which passes through
 them 8 times a day.

The train is passing through the market

The floating market by the Maeklong
 river where traders are on the river
and by the bank.

My room for a night at Amphawa

The first three (and very packed) days were spent in the Bangkok city centre where we put up at LIT Bangkok and travelled out to a couple of Northern provinces including Ayutthya that was badly hit by the flood. The water had receded of course but the paddy fields were still very much submerged and you could imagine the damage extend based on the water mark left on some of the buildings and signages. But it's refreshing to note that things are picking up fast and the people are moving on. We also experienced the legendary Bangkok traffic in full bladders. Almost four hours of traveling in a van to cover a distance of just over a 100km was insane. It's like all roads leading into the city had become stagnant with vehicles very much like the flood waters covering the rice fields. And in full bladders, it was one of the most torturous hours of my life.

A tuk tuk is stopping opposite a
giant reclining Buddha in
Ayutthaya

We also visited Madame Tussauds, Bangkok. Having been only to the one in London, I can't compare much but some figures were very much well done here in comparison. I thought Lady Diana and Mahatma Gandhi looked really good here. Kate Winslet and Elizabeth Taylor seemed so real it was spooky. I had an urge to touch and kiss Leonardo Dicaprio the moment I recognized him and I wish they had captured Johnny Depp and Beyonce better though. But I saw no signs of Marilyn Monroe in her famous white dress. And I was happy to finally meet Thai forensic expert Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan while it was strangely exciting to see a smiling Tun Dr Mahathir in that museum. 

My childhood sweetheart
Will Smith and I

Lady Diana

Dr Pornthip

By the way. Have you ever wondered what porn means in Thai considering half the population's name either starts or ends with a Porn. 

Well, it means blessing :)