Entries from May 2008 ↓

Catch sight of one of these carts out of the corner of your eye, and you may think you’ve just been passed by a moving forest. Vendors push these nurseries-on-wheels around Bangkok’s sidewalks, hoping to pass an interested buyer. From four-wheeled carts, they sell ferns, flowers, and leafy palms. Though you may have trouble squeezing past them on the sidewalk, they certainly help keep the streets of Bangkok looking green.

One of the most unusual (and most popular) snacks available on the sidewalks of Bangkok are freshly made Belgian waffles. Armed with a mobile waffle iron and plastic pitchers of dough, vendors serve these golden treats at any hour of the day. But don’t worry about the lack of maple syrup- these waffles are flavored with a distinctly Thai ingredient: kernels of sweet yellow corn, a Thai dessert staple.

Thai Spirit Houses are usually inhabited by plastic models of apsara dancers, and adorned with offerings of food and fresh flowers. Why this one has a plastic truck parked outside is a little unclear.

One of the most dazzling sights at Bangkok’s Grand Palace are the murals that line the inner walls Wat Phra Kaew. Depicting the Ramakian, the Thai version of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, they sparkle in lucid shades of gold, crimson, and turquoise. Though the temple is over 200 years old, they’re so dazzling that they look as if they were painted last year- probably because, in fact, they were. The murals at Wat Phra Kaew are under continuous restoration - as soon as the entire length of the mural has been repainted, the artists return to the beginning and start again. As Thailand’s holiest site, the temple has to look its best, after all.

Why have a bumper-sticker when you can paint the whole bus? Thai buses seem to compete for the loudest, gaudiest paint jobs. Some feature pictures of Winnie the Pooh, others display giant images of Micky Mouse. But among the most popular are the buses that show elaborately costumed superheroes, depicted in startlingly bold neon colors.

Many smaller Thai towns try to set themselves apart. Some promote delicious regional dishes, some advertise local sights of interest and beauty. Others, however, opt for elaborately decorated street signs. The town of Thong Pha Phum, for example, has tiny carved crabs sitting above every street name. Some of the best street signs are in the town of Sangkhlaburi, which displays its addresses on the sides of smiling golden fish.