Monday 13 May 2013

Window shopping in Bangkok

 Video #1 - Vintage Papaya Shop, second floor, Bangkok

  Video #2 - Vintage Papaya Shop, third floor, Bangkok

Video #3 - Vintage Papaya Shop, third floor, Bangkok

Video #4 - Paragon Dept. Store food court, Siam Center, Bangkok

Video #5 - Water sculpture, CentralWorld, Bangkok

Marvin Suites, Sathorn District, Bangkok

Taxi to the Skytrain, Sathorn District, Bangkok

On a city bus, Lat Phrao Road, Wang Thonglang, Bangkok


Pink power for a mod pad, Vintage Papaya Shop, Bangkok


Sophisticated furniture, Vintage Papaya Shop, Bangkok

Donald Duck accessory, Vintage Papaya Shop, Bangkok

The M&M mob, Vintage Papaya Shop, Bangkok

Comic hero with the androids, Vintage Papaya Shop, Bangkok

The bride to be, Vintage Papaya Shop, Bangkok

BANGKOK AGAIN? That thought crossed my mind as this was my third time here in six weeks. Don Muang Airport and it's old Vietnam War era terminal, was starting to look all too familiar. Taking the shuttle bus to the end of the Skytrain Station line had now become routine. I was heading to the Marvin Suites, my accommodation for three nights, just off busy Sathorn Road. The room was on the other side of Bangkok. I finally reached the hotel, which was a modern building in muted orange. There was nothing to quibble about here – the glowing online reviews proved to be accurate and i liked the modern and minimalist vibe of the place. My accomodation came with a decent breakfast too.

The next day was Sunday and since i wasn't flying home till Wednesday evening. It was time to pursue the odd and quirky, given my jaded state of mind. On this quiet morning the Papaya Vintage Shop seemed to be the place to go. After a short taxi ride i boarded the Skytrain again, returning to Northern Bangkok, before jumping on yet another free city bus. I never did find out why some non-air conditioned buses were free and others not. I finally reached Wang Thonglang, one of Bangkok's 50 districts

 My destination was down a crooked soi (lane). Vintage Papaya Shop was a cavernous looking barn of a building. The place was filled to the rafters with all manner of kitsch, junky treasures and groovy artifacts. Where else could one find masked, life-sized comic book figures, returning your gaze, or furniture that was so sixties sophisticated it made you feel like a square, or serene wooden buddhas contemplating the chaos? There was even a row of dusty busts of the second to last monarch of Siam and so much more. It was hard to find anything worth having but the Vintage Papaya Shop was all an eyeful to look at. There was more to come! Several bridal entourages were working their way through the premises, in search of good locations, with photographers, videographers and lighting assistants trailing behind. These wealthy and soon-to-married couples, were prepared to forego the orchids and fishpond backdrops. Who would want that when they could have a cool looking wedding photos with included the likes of batman for a prop? As much as i loved it here, it was time to leave the retrorama behind. 

 Now, if you thought that malls were too mundane to blog about, you could be right. Both Siam Centre and CentralWorld were a special challenge, given my dysfunctional behaviour in settings like these. How long would it take this time before i had an episode? Meanwhile, there i was on the escalators, looking like just another hungry ghost. Who would have thought that gratification was just around the corner, or rather in the basement of the Paragon Department Store. There i found a big fat food court which offered a myriad of culinary offerings. If i told you that the Phad Thai, here at the Siam Center, was delicately flavoured and delicious beyond compare, could i be forgiven for blogging about a mall?
Provides great rooms and breakfasts:
Marvin Suites
Vintage Papaya Shop, for the jaded tourist:

The Siam Centre Food Court for surprisingly delicious fare:

Attention shopaholics!:

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