(Now: Sleepy.)
For the second day of our Bangkok adventures, we’re supposed to go to the Chulalongkorn University campus to get the materials for the International Conference on Applied Physics and Mathematics (ICAPM). Since that was the only schedule for the day, we made sure to use the whole day to travel around the city.
Breakfast: Legit Thai food!
On our way out of our alley, we passed by a local restaurant (much like the carinderia in the Philippines), so we decided to have our breakfast there.
The food, as expected, are really spicy. Good thing I chose something that visually resembles an adobo and tastes like asado, so it’s not so hot. The girls chose something smothered by chopped chilli peppers, and they weren’t able to finish them. Before we left, I asked for permission to have a picture of the food. We’re tourists, anyway.
Trains
Our Airbnb is close to the train station, which is one of the reasons why I booked it in the first place. We walked straight into the station and bought tickets to our destination. The trains and the stations closely resemble our elevated railways in Manila, and the ticketing system is also the same in that there is a price for every trip (unlike in Germany where there is a day ticket that allows you to take all forms of public transportation with just a single ticket payment).
The (Very Short) Day 1 of the Conference Proper
After a few minutes of travel, we reached our destination: the Chulalongkorn University campus. The Chulalongkorn University is one of the top universities from the Southeast Asian regions, within the 801-1000th ranking in the world in 2019, just like the De La Salle University. In the Asian rankings, it is slightly higher than the DLSU, as it is at the 176th rank while the DLSU is at the 251-300th rank. This year, the Chulalongkorn University hosts the ICAPM 2019, and the participants are welcomed into their very huge campus with modern buildings are nice vistas.
We first went to the building of the Informatics department to get the conference materials. We met the Conference Secretary, Ms. Losi Luo, in person, and, because we had lots of requests by email prior to the conference proper, it’s as if we’re already friends when we met personally.
After registering, she gave us the conference materials and gave us instructions regarding the cultural activities and lunch venues of the Conference. Checking through the materials, we realized that the ICAPM 2019 is to be attended by scientists from different countries in the region, with most of the participants coming from Japan, China, the ASEAN countries, the US, and Russia. The themes and topics also range from pure and theoretical to applied sciences and engineering. Must be interesting to hear the talks.
And that... was the ICAPM 2019 schedule for today. It was barely 10:00 AM and we’re done. We had the entire day to ourselves! We used this time to visit some of the nearby attractions in our area.
Touring the Chulalongkorn University Campus
First, we walked around the Chulalongkorn University campus. It reminded me so much of the University of the Philippines Diliman, although the buildings, the landscaping, and the overall architecture are a lot modern (or, as Mich and I would jokingly say, BETTER 😂). A few blocks away from the ICAPM venue, we found this very artistic building. Some students are sitting on the side of the road painting this building at different vantage points. We needed to stop to take pictures. The kids are looking at us smiling (they must’ve been thinking: “Funny tourists!”), but we didn’t mind.
Huge Malls
The Chulalongkorn University campus is walking distance from one of the main urban centers of Bangkok. We walked along the elevated pathways that led us to the shops and the big malls.
In the middle of one of the biggest malls, a very large picture of the recently deceased King Bhumibol Adulyadej is on full display. The Thai people loved him so much, as he prioritized the well-being of the people postwar through livelihood projects, especially at the countryside. We were earlier than the coronation ceremony of his son as the new king by a few weeks.
Eventhough the malls are not yet fully opened by the time we visited, I noticed that the level of urbanization and commercialization in this side of the city is comparable to (or probably even greater than) those of the commerical centers in Metro Manila, such as the Makati Central Business District or the Bonifacio Global City. Bangkok is, after all, one of the rapidly growing cities in the region; at a population of around 8 million people in 2016, it is expected to grow into a megacity (i.e. population of at least 10 million people) by 2030, making it the third megacity in Southeast Asia (after Manila and Jakarta). In terms of economic prosperity, Bangkok is the economic center of a Thai economy that produced a nominal GDP that ranks 25th in the world and 2nd in Southeast Asia, and this wealth is distributed over a smaller population than its neighbors. The huge malls and the numerous shops we passed by are proof to this economic condition of the city and its residents. Again, Mich and I quipped: “Better,” but this time with a sigh and a hope that we can recreate these conditions in our home city.
Off to Chinatown
We took the train to the eastern side of the city near the Chao Phraya River. We wanted to visit the Chinatown, hoping to try good (and more familiar) Chinese food for lunch.
Our train ride brought us to the main train station of the city. This has been one of the things that I envy in cities from other countries. They have a main train station, they have provincial trains. These main stations are characterized by the same architectural style (by design?), with a semicircular dome with glass panels. The best that Manila could have is the Tutuban Station of the PNR. (I can almost hear Mich talking again the background: “Better.” 😢).
A few blocks away, we reached our destination: The Chinatown.
The texture of the place is distinctively Chinatown, reminiscent of our very own Binondo. The Chinese shops sell eveything, from brooms to rattan baskets to tires. Alas, the thing we were most looking forward to — CHINESE FOOD — is nowhere to be found. Or perhaps we just didn’t seek hard enough?
No worries. A local 7-Eleven is to the rescue. The kids had ice cream, while I had Coke.
The Golden Buddha Temple
A few blocks away, we went to the Golden Buddha Temple. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, so, just as churches are some of the main attractions in Catholic Manila, temples are the tourist destinations in Bangkok. Mich and Nessa are interested in visiting these temples.
While Mich and Nessa entered the temple, Cams and I walked further into the heart of the Chinatown. We reached the Chinatown Gate and the rotunda that leads to the different districts. We decided we didn’t want to explore further, and just took pictures before going back to the temple.
We got back just in time to meet Nessa and Mich coming out of the temple.
Religion is very much embedded in the cultural fabric of any society, and especially for conservative Asian states like ours and our neighbors. Just looking at the grandiosity of these structures actually evoke certain emotions, regardless of your actual religion. The thing is, humans actually felt the need to connect with the Divine, and this instinctive need moved us to create artistic structures to show our appreciation. That, alone, is touching and moving if we contemplate on these things.
Lumphini Park
At the heart of the city lies the Lumphini Park, a large green area in the middle of the urban jungle. Since this park is just a few blocks away from our place, we decided to visit it last for the day.
The park reminded me of the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife in the Quezon City Circle, although this park is much bigger and more conducive for other activities. My map shows us some other interesting spots within the park, but because we’re tired of all the travelling, we decided to just sit by the lake near the entrance to the park.
And take pictures, of course.
By 6:00 PM, we were back in the hotel, ready to lie down for some rest before embarking on another set of adventures at night.
Patpong Night Market
When we were walking along the main road that leads to the hotel, we passed by vendors setting up their stalls in one of the smaller local roads. When we checked the location of this road in the map, we realized that we just passed by the Patpong Night Market. A quick web search told us that the market is a place for buying stuff for pasalubong. So, after an hour of rest and freshening up, we decided to visit the place and start buying our pasalubong for our friends and family.
True enough, the place is filled with stuff! It reminded me of Divisoria or the night markets in Taiwan. We stopped by several stores to buy small bags and notebooks, shirts, and other fancy items to bring home.
[Oh, and the market also features bars and pubs with, uhm, well,... entertainment. 😁]
We ended the night with a quick dinner at a nearby Burger King. Mich tried on the local delicacies in the menu, while the rest of us settled for the usual burger and fries combo.
Bangkok is, of course, a whole lot bigger than the portions we have visited. In fact, we haven’t even seen the Chao Phraya River, which is one of the (if not THE) most important feature of the city! But we’ll leave that for another day.
This time, we need to rest to be able to participate in the Conference tomorrow. ■
 |
| The obligatory group picture (while we’re still fresh). |
Breakfast: Legit Thai food!
On our way out of our alley, we passed by a local restaurant (much like the carinderia in the Philippines), so we decided to have our breakfast there.
 |
| Breakfast! |
The food, as expected, are really spicy. Good thing I chose something that visually resembles an adobo and tastes like asado, so it’s not so hot. The girls chose something smothered by chopped chilli peppers, and they weren’t able to finish them. Before we left, I asked for permission to have a picture of the food. We’re tourists, anyway.
 |
| The food from the local restaurant near our hotel. |
Trains
Our Airbnb is close to the train station, which is one of the reasons why I booked it in the first place. We walked straight into the station and bought tickets to our destination. The trains and the stations closely resemble our elevated railways in Manila, and the ticketing system is also the same in that there is a price for every trip (unlike in Germany where there is a day ticket that allows you to take all forms of public transportation with just a single ticket payment).
 |
| And, of course. Pictures from the station. |
The (Very Short) Day 1 of the Conference Proper
After a few minutes of travel, we reached our destination: the Chulalongkorn University campus. The Chulalongkorn University is one of the top universities from the Southeast Asian regions, within the 801-1000th ranking in the world in 2019, just like the De La Salle University. In the Asian rankings, it is slightly higher than the DLSU, as it is at the 176th rank while the DLSU is at the 251-300th rank. This year, the Chulalongkorn University hosts the ICAPM 2019, and the participants are welcomed into their very huge campus with modern buildings are nice vistas.
We first went to the building of the Informatics department to get the conference materials. We met the Conference Secretary, Ms. Losi Luo, in person, and, because we had lots of requests by email prior to the conference proper, it’s as if we’re already friends when we met personally.
 |
| The team during the first day of the ICAPM 2019. |
After registering, she gave us the conference materials and gave us instructions regarding the cultural activities and lunch venues of the Conference. Checking through the materials, we realized that the ICAPM 2019 is to be attended by scientists from different countries in the region, with most of the participants coming from Japan, China, the ASEAN countries, the US, and Russia. The themes and topics also range from pure and theoretical to applied sciences and engineering. Must be interesting to hear the talks.
And that... was the ICAPM 2019 schedule for today. It was barely 10:00 AM and we’re done. We had the entire day to ourselves! We used this time to visit some of the nearby attractions in our area.
Touring the Chulalongkorn University Campus
First, we walked around the Chulalongkorn University campus. It reminded me so much of the University of the Philippines Diliman, although the buildings, the landscaping, and the overall architecture are a lot modern (or, as Mich and I would jokingly say, BETTER 😂). A few blocks away from the ICAPM venue, we found this very artistic building. Some students are sitting on the side of the road painting this building at different vantage points. We needed to stop to take pictures. The kids are looking at us smiling (they must’ve been thinking: “Funny tourists!”), but we didn’t mind.
 |
| We couldn’t miss taking pictures amidst this view inside the campus! |
Huge Malls
The Chulalongkorn University campus is walking distance from one of the main urban centers of Bangkok. We walked along the elevated pathways that led us to the shops and the big malls.
 |
| The malls are not yet open, we had the premises to ourselves. Best time to take pictures! |
In the middle of one of the biggest malls, a very large picture of the recently deceased King Bhumibol Adulyadej is on full display. The Thai people loved him so much, as he prioritized the well-being of the people postwar through livelihood projects, especially at the countryside. We were earlier than the coronation ceremony of his son as the new king by a few weeks.
 |
| A picture of the young King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. |
Eventhough the malls are not yet fully opened by the time we visited, I noticed that the level of urbanization and commercialization in this side of the city is comparable to (or probably even greater than) those of the commerical centers in Metro Manila, such as the Makati Central Business District or the Bonifacio Global City. Bangkok is, after all, one of the rapidly growing cities in the region; at a population of around 8 million people in 2016, it is expected to grow into a megacity (i.e. population of at least 10 million people) by 2030, making it the third megacity in Southeast Asia (after Manila and Jakarta). In terms of economic prosperity, Bangkok is the economic center of a Thai economy that produced a nominal GDP that ranks 25th in the world and 2nd in Southeast Asia, and this wealth is distributed over a smaller population than its neighbors. The huge malls and the numerous shops we passed by are proof to this economic condition of the city and its residents. Again, Mich and I quipped: “Better,” but this time with a sigh and a hope that we can recreate these conditions in our home city.
Off to Chinatown
We took the train to the eastern side of the city near the Chao Phraya River. We wanted to visit the Chinatown, hoping to try good (and more familiar) Chinese food for lunch.
 |
| Off to the train station again! |
Our train ride brought us to the main train station of the city. This has been one of the things that I envy in cities from other countries. They have a main train station, they have provincial trains. These main stations are characterized by the same architectural style (by design?), with a semicircular dome with glass panels. The best that Manila could have is the Tutuban Station of the PNR. (I can almost hear Mich talking again the background: “Better.” 😢).
 |
| The Hua Lamphong Train Station in Bangkok. |
A few blocks away, we reached our destination: The Chinatown.
 |
| The entrance to the Chinatown in Bangkok. |
The texture of the place is distinctively Chinatown, reminiscent of our very own Binondo. The Chinese shops sell eveything, from brooms to rattan baskets to tires. Alas, the thing we were most looking forward to — CHINESE FOOD — is nowhere to be found. Or perhaps we just didn’t seek hard enough?
No worries. A local 7-Eleven is to the rescue. The kids had ice cream, while I had Coke.
 |
| What we bought from Chinatown: Ice cream from 7-Eleven. |
The Golden Buddha Temple
A few blocks away, we went to the Golden Buddha Temple. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, so, just as churches are some of the main attractions in Catholic Manila, temples are the tourist destinations in Bangkok. Mich and Nessa are interested in visiting these temples.
 |
| We almost could’t fit in the frame. |
While Mich and Nessa entered the temple, Cams and I walked further into the heart of the Chinatown. We reached the Chinatown Gate and the rotunda that leads to the different districts. We decided we didn’t want to explore further, and just took pictures before going back to the temple.
 |
| Cams by the Chinatown Gate |
We got back just in time to meet Nessa and Mich coming out of the temple.
 |
| Nessa and Mich from the temple. |
Religion is very much embedded in the cultural fabric of any society, and especially for conservative Asian states like ours and our neighbors. Just looking at the grandiosity of these structures actually evoke certain emotions, regardless of your actual religion. The thing is, humans actually felt the need to connect with the Divine, and this instinctive need moved us to create artistic structures to show our appreciation. That, alone, is touching and moving if we contemplate on these things.
 |
| The temple amidst the afternoon rays of the sun. |
Lumphini Park
At the heart of the city lies the Lumphini Park, a large green area in the middle of the urban jungle. Since this park is just a few blocks away from our place, we decided to visit it last for the day.
 |
| Lumphini Park |
The park reminded me of the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife in the Quezon City Circle, although this park is much bigger and more conducive for other activities. My map shows us some other interesting spots within the park, but because we’re tired of all the travelling, we decided to just sit by the lake near the entrance to the park.
And take pictures, of course.
 |
| This is so not rehearsed. |
By 6:00 PM, we were back in the hotel, ready to lie down for some rest before embarking on another set of adventures at night.
 |
| The Trinity Complex lobby |
Patpong Night Market
When we were walking along the main road that leads to the hotel, we passed by vendors setting up their stalls in one of the smaller local roads. When we checked the location of this road in the map, we realized that we just passed by the Patpong Night Market. A quick web search told us that the market is a place for buying stuff for pasalubong. So, after an hour of rest and freshening up, we decided to visit the place and start buying our pasalubong for our friends and family.
 |
| Entering the Patpong Night Market |
True enough, the place is filled with stuff! It reminded me of Divisoria or the night markets in Taiwan. We stopped by several stores to buy small bags and notebooks, shirts, and other fancy items to bring home.
[Oh, and the market also features bars and pubs with, uhm, well,... entertainment. 😁]
We ended the night with a quick dinner at a nearby Burger King. Mich tried on the local delicacies in the menu, while the rest of us settled for the usual burger and fries combo.
 |
| Dinner at BK |
Bangkok is, of course, a whole lot bigger than the portions we have visited. In fact, we haven’t even seen the Chao Phraya River, which is one of the (if not THE) most important feature of the city! But we’ll leave that for another day.
This time, we need to rest to be able to participate in the Conference tomorrow. ■
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