Bangkok - Talkingthailand

Still Flying Solo – Memories to be Treasured

Since I took a break from writing for talkingthailand, I haven’t been sitting idly staring out of the window in my free time. I’ve been busy with other projects and one of those was a second book in my Flying Solo series. It didn’t start out as a series, but I wrote Still Flying Solo and I’m currently working on Only Flying Solo. Who knows if there will be more – how much flying solo can I do? My mind is full of ideas bouncing around at all times!

still Flying Solo. memories to be treasured

I sometimes wonder how I have come to be living in my hometown again after spending so many years living in Thailand. I sometimes think I was living my best life, especially when I returned to Thailand in 2014 and made Bangkok my home.

But, we make choices in life and my choice was to return to the UK. Everything happens for a reason, right? And my reason was I wanted to be closer to family and friends because living halfway across the world from those you love means I missed out on so many things.

My life in Bangkok was great and I never thought I would see the day that I started to think of leaving, but a conversation with my best friend, Chris, was what set the ball rolling for my move. If we had never started talking about it, both of us wonder whether it would have actually happened – me moving back home and him moving to Rotterdam. Who knows, but we must accept the choices we’ve made.

I’ve been home since 2019 and I feel settled. I have a job I love, I get to see my family and friends as often as I like, but I often think about Bangkok and all the special times I had there.

My new book is a compilation of memories and stories of the wonderful years I spent in the city I called home for 4 years.

Flying Solo. A Woman on the Wings of Life is available to buy on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

I hope that you enjoy my memories!

Gill x

Art Exhibition in Bangkok

When I lived in Bangkok, one of my favourites things to do was to visit an art exhibition or two.

This photo was from an exhibition called “Illusion of the Human Body”. Large painted canvases showing parts of the body stitched together. It was meant to represent how people turn to plastic surgery to achieve beauty when there is natural beauty in everyone.

I love art and whether I understand the subject or not, I appreciate the artist’s talent and creativeness.

Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall

The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a striking example of European design located in Dusit Park in Bangkok. It was commissioned by King Rama V in 1906 and built by royal architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti in the Neo-Classical style.

This dome of the roof is typical of European structures at the time. Even the beautiful white marble was imported from Carrara in Italy.

Exert taken from my book – On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage.

For more photographs of this beautiful building:

Bangkok Districts; Dusit – morrisophotography

Brussels: Street Life

Whenever I go out and about, I always end up people-watching! I can sit for hours just watching everyone go about their business. In Brussels, at the end of 2019, the streets were bustling with people enjoying the new year celebrations.

For more street life on the other side of the world.

Street Life #1 Phra Athit Road

Street Life #2 Yaowarat Road

Street Life #3 All Around Bangkok

Life On the Streets of BKK

Love and peace to everyone! 🙂

Soi Nana in photographs

Following on from my post about Art on Soi Nana, here are some more photographs of this – off the beaten track – little street in Bangkok. It’s small but full of character.

Just a stone’s throw from Hua Lamphong, Soi Nana has somes of tiny, quirky bars – Tep Bar, 23 Bar and Gallery and Teens of Thailand – all with great atmospheres! El Chiringuito is the place to eat delicious tapas while Wallflowers cafe sells coffee and cake which you can enjoy on the small roof terrace.

Soi Nana makes for a different, more traditional experience of Bangkok. I, for one, will be making a beeline for it again as soon as I can!

Friendly Faces

Just for fun, a few memories of good times in Bangkok and the people (and animals) I came across on a day in Soi Nana.

I love looking at these old photos! I’ve got some great memories of living in Bangkok! Much peace and love to you all!

Art on Soi Nana

Soi Nana was one of my favourite places to go when I lived in Bangkok.

It’s a small street lined with old shophouses, some of which have been converted into funky little bars, restaurants and even art galleries.

There are lots of little alleyways behind the main street to explore and Soi Nana is also host to its very own Chinatown Fair – music blaring and lots of people make for a lively atmosphere.

One day, Chris and I headed over to Soi Nana to set up my exhibition – On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage – at Bar 23.

Being a trendy kind of area, there is always some form of art to see, so once we had finished setting up, we went in search of it.

Art really does look after your mental health. It’s relaxing if you create something yourself or if you go in search of it like we did, it’s fun and gets you out of the house for a bit!

Cruising the Saen Saeb Canal in Bangkok

One of the last things Chris and I did before I left Bangkok was to take a boat along the Saen Saeb canal.

This particular stretch runs from Bangkapi to Pathumwan, a considerable distance which took about an hour or so. If you look at a map of Bangkok, you’ll see lots of waterways. This is how people travelled around the city many moons ago. Not all of them are used nowadays, but I think it’s wonderful that people can still traverse the city in this way.

If you get the chance, take a boat along one of the canals, it’s such a pleasureable way to travel away from the chaotic traffic on the roads

I hope you enjoy the ride!

We had to take a taxi to reach Banglamphu as the boat only went so far, but we had a fabulous day out. We walked for miles, ate, drank and were very merry by the end of the evening! We had such good times in that city and I still can’t believe I left over 2 years ago! I really miss Bangkok and can’t wait to go again soon.

Enjoy your weekend 🙂

18 Things to See on a Walk Around Banglamphu

Following on from last week’s post when I went searching for street art as part of the Pipit Banglamphu Street Art Festival, I took many photos of other things to see in this lovely, peaceful part of the city. Join me again as I retrace my steps through the many hidden alleys of Bangkok, you never know what you might find!

There are a few communities who live in this area and this in the entrance to Wat Sangwet Witsayaram Community.

The artists who exhibited their work for the street art festival displayed their work in the most unusual places.

There are many different ways to get around Bangkok and by boat is the most exciting.

More street art at every turn.

Rama VIII Bridge which connects Bangkok to Thonburi.

A splash of colour.

Peaceful alleys and all just a stone’s throw from the busy Khao San Road!

There are so many Buddhist temples in Bangkok, there will never be enough time to see them all. This one is Wat Mai Armataros.

It’s not just the people who like hanging out, having a chat.

Tuk-tuks are a crazy way to get around the city. As long as you hold on tight!

Golden spires of a small temple with lovely blue skies.

Bangkok’s electricity and telephone cable system. I wouldn’t want to be the guy who has to fathom out whose is whose! The birds seem to like them though.

A glimpse of the ‘old’ Bangkok.

Art doesn’t have to be part of a street art festival, it’s everywhere in Bangkok.

And, so are pretty flowers.

There are hidden alleys which are fun to explore.

You can also see remnants of Bangkok’s past. Phra Sumen Fort is one of fourteen forts built to protect the city from invaders in the eighteen century.

There are plenty of leafy avenues, like this one on Phra Athit Road.

I never stopped exploring Bangkok when I lived there. I loved walking around seeing what I could find. I hope you enjoyed the tour around Banglamphu!

Pipit Banglamphu Street Art Festival

A couple of months before I left Bangkok for good, I was still enjoying exploring the city.

One day, I went in search of street art which was part of the Pipit Banglamphu Street Art Festival. It was a lot of fun wandering around the streets following the map.

Things to do in Bangkok — Source: Richard Barrow

Banglamphu is home to Bangkok’s infamous Khao San Road, chock-a-block with tourists coming and going, bars and clubs blaring out loud music and the general hustle and bustle, typical of a city like Bangkok. But, Banglamphu is also home to a myriad of leafy alleys and canals, so peaceful and, seemingly, hidden from tourists, but filled with friendly locals going about their day. That’s where I found myself as I went looking for the street art!

Some of the locals said hello and asked me where I was from, but all of them were curious about why I was there – made apparent by their stares. I tried to follow the map as best I could, but I went the wrong way in places, by-passing the same people more than once, which only added to their curiosity.

It was a really pleasant day out, so join me as I retrace my steps following the art..

I hope you enjoyed the street art as much as I did!

I’ll leave you with a little piece of Bangkok 🙂