Bangkok Paradox
Bangkok, Thailand is such a special city. Special feels like the only adjective to suit it… it is a city of grand extremes. Even the word Bangkok feels like a verbal jumble of smashing syllables...
The City of Angels! Krung Thep Maha Nakhon! BKK!
My second time in Bangkok. The first time, I didn’t get the city (probably because I was in a Marriott next to a Lululemon store). But this time, I did the work, and after 9 days, I am very happy with how my relationship has developed with Bangkok herself.
My time in Bangkok was split into two legs- I spent the weekend in a party hostel, then 6 nights in a regal business hotel. Very Hannah Montana, best-of-both-worlds-esque.
I arrived a Friday morning, sleep- deprived after a 20 hours of travel. The first leg of the trip commenced in a hostel, just two streets off of Khao San Road.
When I arrived, I was overwhelmed by the quantity of British backpackers who seemed to all know each other. That weekend in the hostel was filled with very little sleep, many tourist-priced Chang beers, and some of the most beautiful conversations I’ve ever had the luck to be a part of. I met so many people. Lara, a gorgeous blonde, vegetarian sociology student from Germany. Julia, the epitome of the French it girl, who is also an incredibly talented singer and future lawyer. Caleb, a Brad Pitt lookalike with an infinite stockpile of fun facts about the world. Hostels provide a hellish, sex- infested stage for people to meet each other. The show always ends it though, with a curtain call usually within 3 days of meeting someone, until they take the sleeper train to the next backpacker- filled city. The transience of the hostels is the worst and best part of it all.
The days blurred together (aforementioned lack of sleep & the number of Changs consumed didn’t help). The weekend provided a taste of what another version of me would be up to- on a gap year finding myself post- grad. It was full of eating, drinking, and conversations I would never dare to have with someone I think I would run into again.
These days were marked by the best guide I could ask for- Mr. Khao!
Sarah and I were enjoying breakfast together when a man approached us and offered to drive us around town on his TukTuk. Sarah and I, with only a half-cooked plan of what we wanted to see, we instantly said yes. Sorry, Mom!
Mr. Khao was a fantastic guide, not only because of his joie de vivre or incredible sense of humor, but because he lives a quintessential Thai life. He lives in grand contrasts. Mr. Khao works in Bangkok during tourism season, then lives on his rice farm the rest of the year. Harvest season is November (I am hoping I can pay him a visit and be a farm hand for a weekend with him)
Every morning, there Mr. Khao would be with his TukTuk parked, waiting to take us to the next locations. He took us to see the floating market. He took us to the temples the next day, then to the tailor shop. He told us about his rice farm up north, near Chiang Mai. His English was quirky, matter- of- fact, and absolutely perfect. He was patient with our Thai… took us day 3 until we realized Mr. Khao means Mr. Rice.
After saying goodbyes to Mr. Khao, my quasi- gap year ended on Monday morning with a 20 minute Grab drive down the river, to the hotel for work.
The contrast of hostel bunk beds VS a California king; the contrast of security check at reception VS the lock- less luggage storage at the hostel. The Buddhist temples next to LGBTQ+ night clubs. The sexual expression of the lady boys (it’s chill to say apparently), as every major building in BKK is emblazoned with stately image of the royal family. The skyscrapers next to bamboo, gable roofed homes.
Bangkok is full of contradictions, and I only touched the surface.
I won’t write about work, as I love my job too dearly, just trust me that my 5 days in conferences were the opposite of Khao San road activities.
In a funny way, I think my double-pronged approach to travel (that I am immensely grateful for) was the perfect way to see Bangkok. The Hannah Montana style of travel, where I throw on a metaphorical wig, flipping between traveler and businesswoman. It mirrors Bangkok, in it’s contradictory lifestyle that just works.
Works is a relative way to describe it. Thailand does not work for all of its citizens. Every corner you turn, there is a gentrified cafe, then a dilapidated building. I hesitate to write about poverty I saw, as I vehemently oppose the sort of favela- tourism that seems to be trendy in white women circles these days. With that being, poverty is not redlined into the outskirts. It is visible, overwhelming, in your face, as you traipse from conferences to Thai massages.
I found that the visibility of such inequality was what struck me the most. It made me reflect (and by reflect, I mean Google maniacally and watch every YouTube video). Let me use that Bachelor’s degree I have and hit you with some facts.
In 2014, Thailand was the world’s third most unequal country, behind Russia and India. (COVID made it worse…)
It is believed that at least 10% of tourist dollars are spent on the sex trade. (Talk about visibility… it is everywhere)
Forty-nine per cent of Thailand’s labour force is employed in agriculture. (Meaning that there is extreme risk of economic collapse as climate change takes effect in the region.)
Some personal examples that struck me? The bar from Hangover (I’ve never watched and probably won’t ever tbh) was $45 for the cheapest drink on the menu. The rooftop, which was admittedly gorgeous, overlooks noodle shops with $1 meals just underneath.
Mr. Khao, our tuk-tuk-driver-turned-best-friend showed us these contrasts. During peak tourist season, he comes down to Bangkok to work. When tourist season ends, he heads up north to his home, where he harvests rice.
Okay so, maybe comparing the contrasts between slums and hotels is poorly done. But my thesis is: Bangkok has extremes. The name feels extreme when you say it aloud. It looks extreme with wooden pagodas built upon skyscrapers. Extreme with the strength of Thai massages. I love a city that leans into its extremes. Bangkok is paradoxical, Thailand’s economic inequality is anomalous, and I think that’s what draws so many people in. The idea that you, as a traveler, can experience both sides of the coin. Just dip your toe in the water, without risk. I won’t get into the Gini coefficient maps… this is a free Substack for fun, after all.
I love you, Bangkok! I can’t wait to see how my relationship with Bangkok progresses, as I return to her next month. I want to curl up in every nook and cranny of this city. I can’t wait to see more of Thailand. I want to explore more of the north. I have so much to learn from her, about her… I think we are in the honeymoon stage, me and Thailand.
Okay, that is it for now. I have been going back and forth on this post for forever. I feel the screen-time, full- time job burnout creeping in, so I tried to stay off my computer as much as possible this past month, except when necessary. But now back to Madrid, and feeling inspired again! Also, shoutout Sarah Lessig for being the best and chillest ever.
Lots of love, sawadeekaaaaaa, khàawp khun kaaaaa disfrutonassss!
Shannon xoxoxoxoxo
WOOO BANGKOK!!! shoutout bedstation khao san 🫰🫰🫰