“Shh!!” reads some graffiti located on a rooftop adjacent to the Siam BTS Skytrain station, the interchange station between the two Skytrain lines and home to blaring TV advertisements all day long. Of course, in this city of seven or eight million, there are few places where noise isn’t a problem. Even at many of the temples, tape recordings of sermons or Buddhist songs play throughout the day. If a denizen of the Big Mango was ever left alone with the silence of his or her own thoughts, they might freak out!
Above, the view from the station platform to the adjacent building. This is without using much zoom, so you have some idea of how close the building is to the platform and tracks. It is a business, though, not a residence, so you wouldn’t expect the noise to be as much of a concern.
You know how I always say that I don’t leave home without my camera. Well, yesterday I did leave home twice without my camera, both times missing opportunities to photograph blog-worthy things. The first was when my friend Paul and I went out for lunch at a tonkatsu restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 39. The building maintenance people were caulking a seam in the car park. Unable to reach it, one worker balanced on the shoulders of the other while applying the caulk, a scene straight out of Cirque du Soleil.
Thankfully, Tawn had his Blackberry with him and was able to take a picture of the second blog-worthy thing.
We attended the opening night of the 11th Bangkok International Festival of Music and Dance, featuring the Ekaterinburg Opera Theatre from Russia performing Verdi’s La Traviata. It is common for a member of the Royal Family to attend these events (although being an opera, there were already plenty of queens in the audience… Ha ha ha!) and sure enough, there was an unusually long delay as we waited for the guest of honor to arrive and the show to start. While we normally see one of the various princesses, we were honored to have Her Majesty the Queen present.
During the first intermission, we stepped outside for some air only to see Her Majesty’s yellow Rolls Royce limousine and the twelve identical cherry red Mercedes that drove her entourage to the Thailand Cultural Center. Very impressive rides!
Nice Rolls! I bet they halted the traffic throughout the streets just to let the Queen’s entourage to pass on! I had a glimpse of royalty while I was lunching at one of the restaurants in the Paragon mall, it was one of the princesses, she was stepping out of her Mercedes, with her body guards as usual.
Yellow Rolls Royce? That’s interesting. Is it because yellow is the color of the present king? LOL@ the queen joke.
@Dezinerdreams – Correct, since he was born on a Monday. It isn’t really “her” car; she’s just borrowing her husbands wheels for an evening out on the town.@CurryPuffy – Yes, you can be certain that “stuck in traffic” wasn’t the explanation of why the entourage arrived late.
Chris, on Sunday night my bf and his friends and I attended a Thai puppet opera hosted by the Thai embassy. All part of a Thai cultural week here in Johannesburg, culminating in a big fair on Saturday replete with a Thai floating market on a lake in Joburg. hehe! Anyway, thought of you of course!
A Thai International Festival of Music and Dance…of course that didn’t occur when we were there…but that must have been a great evening of entertainment!! I would love to see a current picture of the King and Queen…she was always so beautiful and I think they are a real love match. Ruth Ann
Pretty good pic from a Blackberry!
I wish that were my ride!
@TheCheshireGrins – Meg, I just know you drive something a little grander, no doubt!@yang1815 – Yeah, I was impressed with the Blackberry’s camera.@joburgboy – Tom, that sounds like fun. Must be part of THAI Airways’ advertising of their new service to South Africa.@Redlegsix – Ruth Ann. They are a lovely couple and they were really the Jack and Jackie of Thailand. These days, the most recent picture you’ll find is from the celebration a few years ago of His Majesty’s 60th Anniversary as monarch. A good picture of them and their son, the Crown Prince, is here: http://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/world/gallery/2007/dec/05/1/GD5534981@Thai-King-Bhumibol-Ad-3917.jpg
@christao408 – Which model is it? Thanks!
Had to laugh at the joke about the queens!!
SHHH!!love that in a noisy city! =Pcan’t help LOL with the queens joke ^^
Royalty of all kinds :)I’m sure coordinating all of the Queen’s entourage to arrive on time is next to impossible even with police escorting as VIPs.
@yang1815 – Andy, I haven’t any idea. An expensive kind? =P@ZSA_MD – @ZenPaper – I told Tawn that we should no problems at those types of events finding people to fill our Sunday brunch guest list. There was another couple to our left, one in front of us… family everywhere!@TheLatinObserver – Actually, as large as the entourage was, I can imagine that it took a lot of effort to coordinate their travel.
Sounds like there is never a dull moment in the Big Mango! Loved the Freak out comment!
you must one day meet my auntie M Chris. She knows members of the Thai royal family … but then again, auntie M knows everyone. Details here.
@AppsScraps – Wow, she sounds like a fascinating woman! Would love to meet her one of these days and discover her connection with Thai royalty. I’m sure Tawn would find that especially interesting. Thanks for sharing.
That’s why we have our own name, “opera queens.” Hope you liked Trav. I am off to opening night of the SF season tomorrow with Anne Marie to see “Il Trovatore.” Guenter is staying home for the night.
@albertmoore – We enjoyed La Traviata. When I read a review of the performance later, it was like reading an alien language and the reviewer had all sorts of mixed things to say about the singers. I, in my naivete, thought it was very good.
I know the King is revered. Are the other members of the Royal Family also held in high regard?
@ElusiveWords – Good question. Officially, yes.
It only matters that you enjoyed it, my friend!