To Bangkok and Back

Hi, it's been awhile, but I'm back from Bangkok! Having grown up in Bangkok I know the city very well. The landscape of the city had changed since the Skytrain system was introduced and tall buildings popped up all over the city. It feels claustrophobic and hemmed in. It didn't take me long to familiarise myself with the place again. I didn't go out of Bangkok this time due to the appointments we had with the dentists, but we did something different everyday to keep us very busy.

The visit to Bangkok was mainly for dental treatment. I was there in September 2012 to start the process. I had to wear braces for over six months so I'm happy to say I'm glad that now I'm free of braces and have got my own smile back!

Here I was with my dentist Dr. Sunisa who works at Bangkok Smile Dental Clinic. Her daughter who came in on our last day is with her and DDIL who went with me for her dental treatment as well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Sunisa, the nurses and all supporting staff at Bangkok Smile Dental Clinic for the excellent work and service they gave us. I will always go back there for my dental treatment in the future. 

The first Sunday after we arrived we went to Jim Thomson's House right in the center of Bangkok. Jim Thomson was very influential in the development of the Thai silk industry. The house is now a museum. Please visit the website and read more about Jim Thomson and his fascinating life. 

Jim Thomson's house consists of many small traditional Thai houses in a large compound. All the houses were brought from the north of Thailand by Jim Thomson and connected together to make up his residence. The garden is also lovely and is a cool oasis in the centre of Bangkok.

At the entrance of every house there is a large bowl of water containing goldfish and vegetation. The old Thais believed that a bowl of water in front of the house would bring peace and tranquility. 

Visitors to the house and compound can see a classical Thai dancing performance every 30 minutes. These are the lovely dancers ready to perform for visitors. I asked them for a photo and they were very happy to pose for me.

Many artifacts were on display around the house. I particularly loved the blue and white bowls. I was told that they were from China of the early Ming era.  

Another bowl of water full of lotus flowers just as we entered the compound. I love lotus flowers; they reminded me of my childhood. Of course I love the indigo blue bowl too. 

A sample of some Thai silk displayed in the Jim Thomson Thai Silk shop. They do look lovely together. I didn't get anything on this trip, but I do have a lot of Thai silk in my stash. I hope to finally make a hexagon quilt with them one day.

And these are silks from the northern part of Thailand. I found them in Bangkok's Chatuchak Market. If you do get to Bangkok, Chatuchak market is a must visit. I even found a few indigo shops selling all kinds of products made from indigo dyed fabric. I was so excited and forgot to take photo of them this time! I will post more photos here in the next few posts, I also posted over 60 photos on my Instagram page. If you are interested, you can view them there. Instagram was easy and quick to post on-the-go, and I'm addicted to it.

Hope you all had a wonderful break during the Easter holiday. Thailand doesn't celebrate Easter, but about now there is the annual Songran water festival happening all over the country. I knew this so I made sure that I left before it because it gets very busy and hectic at that time. 

Until next time

Nat