TRAVEL FEATURE

So, here’s how to do at speed. Best of Bangkok 1. The Royal Temples Bangkok has amazing temples (over 400) and beautiful, historic, monumental palaces that are a must on any visit. I have done the main ones many times and I still find them awe-inspiring. On the itinerary should definitely be the Grand Palace and opposite it on the left bank of Chao Phraya River, the The magnificent sparkling spires of Wat Arun, covered in porcelain and colourful glass. The distinctive Temple of Dawn is magical at nighttime when the lit spire glows over the river. Google Bangkok and your screen will be flooded with images of the former Golden Buddhas home of the Thai King, The Grand Palace, Xxxxxxx City built back in 1782 and the most renowned of and revered landmark in Bangkok. Expect to lose hours in the compound in a maze of Buddhist sculptures, mosaics and temples dating back to the foundation of the city. The highlight and most sacred being the 14th century Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of Angels the Emerald Buddha. 2. The Reclining Buddha The 46-metre-long giant reclining gold leaf Buddha is well worth visiting at Wat Pho, one of the largest and oldest temples and home to the original Thai massage. Wat Pho has the largest collection of Buddha images in and houses the national headquarters and centre of education of traditional Thai medicine and massage. Bangkok is one big, crazy city. But as Norah Casey discovers, beneath the chaotic Courses in Thai massage are held in Wat veneer you’ll find beautiful people, amazing food and the most stunning of sights. Pho and it is worth taking the time and premium price to experience the best Thai massage at this historically significant place. angkok of the city were overwhelming. son’s school on the outskirts of Bangkok is moving Tuktuk drivers pushed picture menus of speaking to the toughest of audiences – 3. Floating Markets life take a trip to where a night fast and unspeakable things (almost all involving some entrepreneurial 11-year-olds of all The floating markets, made famous by market predominantly selling fake brands everything ping pong balls) and every journey was a nationalities who pitched eco-friendly Roger Moore’s James Bond in The Man shares space with illicit bars and night clubs Bbar the traffic is near-death experience, ducking and diving robots to me, Dragon’s Den style. with the Golden Gun, with boats piled high selling sex shows, including the infamous surging outwards around the mad traffic. Bangkok is the with exotic fruit and overladen with fresh cola bottle and ping pong shows. These two The mysteriously disappeared silk magnate and upwards. second most dangerous city for driving in vegetables, are really worth visiting. Top of parallel roads, next to Silom Road, Patpong Jim Thompson’s art-filled house The city sprawls the world after Libya. In more recent years City of Angels the list for visitors is Damnoen Saduak but 1 and 2 are big tourist attractions so beware to over eight million my husband Richard and I were back and Thai people tend to shorten words and you can also catch this magical spectacle at of rip-offs. The web is littered with tales of people and my sense is forth to Bangkok in 2010 meeting various phrases which is why Bangkok came to be Amphawa, and Klong Lat Mayom. inebriated backpackers who were caught knock off jeans and t-shirts and hordes that city planners are few and far between. Thai publishers and we connected with a called Great City of Angels, the first four in various scams. But then, in my opinion, of western 20-something-year-olds who Futuristic skyscrapers erupting from the wonderful group of Irish ex-pats who had words of the unpronounceable 45-word- 4. Jim Thompson’s House maybe those who frequent the demeaning mistakenly believe they are experiencing the sprawling streets seem incongruous in a set up the Thai Irish Chamber of Commerce long ceremonial name for the city. And it is The mysterious disappearance of architect, sex shows deserve to be ripped off. A similar, real Bangkok. Worth a visit but not worth place teeming with the most revered, sacred (TICC). There is nothing better in a strange angelic. There are many sides to Bangkok, designer and silk magnate Jim Thompson seedy vibe can be found at Nana Plaza and lingering too long. spaces of the ancient orient. So it is that you city than having a strong Murphia to help so despite the urgency of the crowds and on a hiking trek in 1967 makes a visit to his the smaller and tamer which can wander through the most beautiful of navigate through the tourist veneer to the the cars, Thai people are more serene than house another must do on the list. Minutes boasts over 40 go-go bars (close to BTS 7. Thai Massage timeless temples while gazing upwards at underbelly of a city. This time I was invited to stressed. Greetings come in the form of the from the madness of central Bangkok, this Asoke and MRT Sukhumvit). A Thai massage should be a daily treat with the gleaming, towering office blocks that speak at the inaugural Asia Ireland Awards graceful wai and the words of welcome peaceful place will transport you back perhaps a foot massage in the late afternoon symbolise growing economic prosperity at hosted by Chamber President Paul Scales sawatdee. The lifestyle is also relaxed. A in time. Thompson’s home is actually six 6. Khao San Road after a day’s sight-seeing. Steer clear of the the heart of Thailand. and the Irish Ambassador to Bangkok, watchword for Thai people is sabai, being separate teakwood Thai houses on stilts Backpackers flock to Bangkok or more Khao San Road mass massage beds and I first went to Bangkok in my twenties Brendan Rogers. The first recipient was an happy or relaxed. To add emphasis, you set among tropical foliage on the Saen specifically Khao San Road, a crazy strip head for a local shop. They’re plentiful, when the city was dealing with an influx amazing woman, fellow Dubliner Susan are likely to hear sabai sabai – roughly Saeb Canal. Thompson’s passion for Thai of bars, market stalls and plentiful cheap usually on many floors with foot massage of displaced elephants and mahouts from Whelan, the CEO of Leicester City Football translated meaning tranquil or chilled. art shines through with Chinese porcelain, accommodation. This time I took a hasty at street level and pressure-point, full-body the logging industry in Chang Mai. It was Club and Senior Executive Vice President at While getting lost in the soi (streets) of ancient scrolls, sculptures and many other walk through the crowds from one end to Thai massage on upper floors. For just €8 for surreal to see these large matriarchs, so King Power in Bangkok. While I was there Bangkok is a regular occurrence, staying treasured artifacts on display. the other and not much has changed. Khao 60 minutes of limb and body loosening you used to the lush forests, holding up multiple I also spoke to the Irish women’s network chilled is the only response. This time my San comes alive at night and everything is will feel rejuvenated and ready for the next lanes of traffic on the Sukhumvit, oblivious co-founded by Sharon Jones – a constant schedule was as crazy as Bangkok and 5. The ‘Red Light’ District on sale, from platters of crunchy crickets to adventure. If you want a step up, try one of to the cacophony of honking horns. The companion and guide during my stay. On thanks to the local Irish, I did more in a few The seedy side of Bangkok is never too far sidewalk tattoos, on-street massage, buckets the Asia Herb Association places in the city colours, sounds, smells and the bizarreness one memorable day I found myself at her days than on all of my other trips combined. from the surface and for a slice of Bangkok of Thai whiskey (ridiculously cheap), where you will pay a little bit more (circa

104 IRISH TATLER APRIL 2017 APRIL 2017 IRISH TATLER 105103 TRAVEL

16. Tat Bat (alms giving) I got up very early one morning and headed out offerings, eating this first meal of the day in silence. onto the streets to witness for the first time the I just observed the spectacle as only the spiritual Buddhist tradition of Tak Bat the morning alms- should take part in this tradition. Unfortunately, giving to the saffron-robed monks who head out some tourists don’t take the time to understand from the temples usually between 5am and 7am. the rules of this ritual and inadvertently show This is well worth the early morning start. The disrespect. Some 95 per cent of Thai people monks walk barefoot in single file with the most practice Theravada Buddhism, more a spiritual senior monk going first, each carrying a large way of life than a religion. Senior monks are highly silver bowl. There is a serenity and beauty to the revered in Thailand, you’ll see pictures everywhere, Babette’s rooftop ritual of the giving of rice and other food gifts by on street stalls, cafes even our tuktuk driver had speakeasy lay people, many of whom get up early to cook many adorning the walls of his carriage. Make a the offering. The procession passes along rows of plan to get up early, it really is worth it. You can people kneeling, head bowed in humility waiting see the monks almost everywhere in the early €13 when I was there) for a guaranteed first- to place the rice silently in the monks’ alms bowl. morning but for guaranteed viewing head to the class experience. asiaherbassociation.com It is a deeply meaningful religious interaction and beautiful marble temple of Wat Benchamabophit is central to the core Buddhist belief in giving back in the Dusit district where the monks head out 8. Bird’s Eye Views and gaining merit for the afterlife. For their part around 6am onto Nakhon Pathom road. Sky-high dining is the thing to do in the monks return to the temple to share out the The unique tradition of Tat Bat Bangkok (I prefer low rise myself). After much debating between the locals who all The Floating Markets of Bangkok have their favourite vertiginous venues You can stroll around marveling at the park’s Public Relations at Minor Hotels based in to get around. My corner executive suite we headed for the tallest building and the drink and great live music, head to Cloud cheap souvenirs and all manner of electronic resident water monitor lizards (crocodile- Bangkok. She cut her PR teeth working for was spacious and had a bath with a stunning 360-degree rotating viewpoint of the Sky Bar, 47 at the top of the United Center office goods. Brush up on your haggling skills and like creatures but non-meat eaters!) or row six years with celebrity chef Alain Ducasse view of the city, a great walk-in wardrobe, the 63-storey roof top bar made famous by tower. My own favourite of the trip was be prepared to be subsumed by the lure of a boat on the lake. and is an incredible business woman. Hers fast wi-fi and a well-equipped desk which The Hangover: Part II at Lebua State Tower Babette’s on the 19th floor of Hotel Muse shiny tat. It’s infectious. is a truly global family. Her French husband meant I comfortably stayed in touch with (Lebua.com/sky-bar). The sunset over the on Langsuan Road, which has great steaks 14. Tuktuks, Trains & Motorbikes Steve works 5,000 miles away in Dubai the office. Best of all, a small little red river was stunning when I eventually opened and a real twenties vibe. Afterwards, we 12. The Flower Market If you want to avoid sitting in the permanent commuting as often as possible, while she elephant adorned the pristine white duvet my eyes and the Hendricks was definitely headed up to the rooftop Speakeasy for a I would move to Bangkok for the flowers rush hour traffic, then take the Bangkok juggles being mum to two small children when I arrived so I was already a little in better than the movie-inspired Hangovertini cocktail with panoramic high-rise views. alone. The local women I was with were with her high-powered role with one of love with the ethos of the hotel. I checked in cocktail. You can also enjoy the Bangkok hotelmusebangkok.com stocking up on beautiful roses (50 for a euro) the most prestigious international hotel effortlessly at the executive level on the 24th horizon at Moon Bar on the 61st floor of and gorgeous lilies as we wandered through groups (owner of Anantara, Four Seasons, floor which is also home for breakfast and the Banyan Tree and, for a more laid back 10. Chatuchak Weekend Market the fragrant, frantic home of all things St Regis to name but a few). We boarded complimentary sundowners. The Diplomat Markets are great in Bangkok and the botanical. The flower market on Maharat the Manohra Cruise from the beautiful Bar in the expansive three floor atrium lobby Everything’s for sale at the Bangkok massive Chatuchak weekend market is a Road, also called Pak Klong Talad, comes Anantara Bangkok Riverside and settled had great music and a buzzy atmosphere – markets magnet for over 100,000 visitors weekly. It’s alive in the early hours of the morning. The into two hours of fine dining and great I know because a group of us Irish took it overwhelming but well worth the trip with distinctive Buddha offerings of white and conversation as we floated along the River over one night! This is an urban hotel with nearly 10,000 stalls selling everything from orange flower chains were piled high as all of Kings. This is a feast of the senses with the lots of extras – a larger than pets to antique, crafts, furniture, books and generations from children to grandparents timeless wonders of Bangkok stretched out usual spa (Seasons), a well food and much more besides. patiently threaded the delicate, tiny flowers over the riverside while inhaling the scents equipped gym, roof top for worshippers. of lemongrass and lime and the tingling running track, two tennis 11. MBK Centre tastes of Thai cooking. A definite must do if courts, a neo-classical A trip to the gigantic, eight-storey, low- 13. Lumpini Park you’re visiting the city. manohracruises.com; Chinese restaurant and Take a tuktuk price MBK, also called Mahboonkrong, in Lumpini Park is Bangkok’s Central Park bangkok-riverside.anantara.com KiSara, a traditional the Siam area next to the National Stadium and a great place to leave the city without Japanese restaurant BTS, will take hours. Most tourists get lost leaving the city. Catch one of the evening Mass Transit System otherwise known as with teppanyaki tables in this shopping Mecca for designer fakes, dance workouts or early morning Tai Chi. the BTS Skytrain. It’s really easy to use, The magical Chao Phraya The Conrad team was, as River cheap, efficient and air-conditioned. Once always, super efficient and 9. Visit Chinatown you’ve mastered it you will never venture friendly from the front desk staff My new-found companions from the Irish women’s slurped steamed coconut puddings for dessert forth in a car or at least limit taxi journeys to those that served us the night of the gala group in Bangkok took me on a nighttime tuktuk and bought pineapple on sticks to eat on the go. to and from Skytrain stops. There is also an dinner. It’s just right in so many ways. tour. There were six of us spread over three tuktuks We weaved our way along narrow paths lined underground MRT which links from the screeching through the crazy traffic as we hurtled with trestle tables packed with hongbao, red train station at Hua Lamphong all the way Price for a double room for two at the towards Yaowarat, the pulsing heart of the city’s envelopes for ‘lucky money’ given to children for north to Chatachak. Locals will jump on the time of going to press was €135 per Chinatown. It was the last night of the Chinese Chinese New Year. I bought a pile to take home back of a motorbike for cheap and quick night. Check the website for prices. New Year and the narrow walkways lined with for my son Dara who loved that tradition from traffic dodging journeys but you’ll be taking Conradhotels3.hilton.com street-side restaurants and packed stalls were our time in China. your life in your hands. Tuktuks are fun, crowded with families. It was one of the highlights During the day you can dive into the many worth doing once, but not that convenient Poolside at The Conrad of my trip. Yaowarat road is full-on. Horns blaring labyrinthine laneways to bag a bargain. Head to for long journeys. Agree a price beforehand amid a cacophony of bang snaps, noisy toys Sampeng in Soi Wanit 1 for a real slice and hold on tight. designed to frighten away the fearsome New Year of flea market life and expect 17. Stay at the Conrad dragon, Nian. to get lost for an hour or so. 15 Take a River Cruise I did and it was the perfect spot for my Glaring neon signs at odds with the bright red If you don’t fancy going by Cruising the Chao Phraya River is magical at hectic, action-packed few days. The Conrad Chinese lanterns and festive bunting, competing tuktuk, get to Chinatown night even more so when you glide gracefully is very close to the Irish Embassy (right by the Chao Phraya street-food vendors steaming, frying and basting in a beautiful restored wooden rice barge, across the road) and was the venue for the all manner of strange meats with every nook River Express and get off past the luminous spectacles of the city’s main reason for my visit – guest speaker at and cranny filled with rickety tables and folding Ratchawong Pier or use glittering architectural gems. My companion the inaugural Asia Ireland Business Awards chairs for waiting diners. The street food is the underground (MRT) to Dinner. The Phoen Chit BTS Station, was fantastic here, we ate pad thai for a few euros, Hualamphong station. Chinatown – a real high point for the evening was Mayo woman Marion Walsh Hedouin, the VP for Marketing and just a short walk away so it was really easy

106 IRISH TATLER APRIL 2017 APRIL 2017 IRISH TATLER 107 The tranquil sleeping area at the Emirates Cooking with Poo Dubai lounge The best experience of Bangkok was in one of the city’s more notorious slums cooking with a woman called Poo.

Cooking with Poo is the unlikely name First stop is the Klong Toey Market where of a fantastic cooking experience with we met the smiling, no-nonsense Poo, who an inspirational woman from the slums was as excited about the tour as though of Bangkok. Her real name is Saiyuud it were her first time. My advice is to skip A chic bar at Diwong, but she goes by the pet name breakfast before the trip to Klong Toey 30,000 feet The charismatic Poo Poo, short for Chompoo which means rose Market because this is a full-on assault of apple in Thai. Poo grew up in Bangkok’s the senses. Park your western sensitivities Flying in style largest and most notorious slum, Klong at the door and dive right in. This is inner city Bangkok with not a Toey (also spelled Khlong Toei), a square There was a kerfuffle at the entrance tourist in sight and without Poo I would mile of reclaimed swamp-land that is home as a man tried to weigh five live chickens, never have ventured in. The prices were So what’s it like flying business class to over 100,000 people. She eked out a which I thought would be impossible, a tiny fraction of the supermarkets and living working long hours cooking street but he did it and reached a price with the my companion Sharon stocked up on with the worlds top airline? Read on to discover food, but the price of rice rocked in 2007 disgruntled buyer. Stacked high around strawberries, vegetables, freshly made forcing her out of that meagre existence. him were tiny wooden crates packed with spring rolls and homemade sauces for that a whole new world of travel. A local customer and fan of her food more chickens waiting a similar fate. As we night’s speech to a gathering of business worked for an Australian charity and wandered through the tables were laden women at the Ambassador’s residence. The best part about nerves. And as I settled into the comfortable A word about the super deluxe Emirates along with some friends helped to set her with overflowing basins of insects. Poo Poo’s kitchen is small and functional being a travel writer is privacy of my own little business class pod, amenity kit which is a significant step above up with cookery classes. With no English, shouted down to show me a horned bat – and she takes 12 students every day, six the amazing places you complete with personal mini-bar and plush other airlines, presented in a lovely silver wash and just the tiny front room of her house, a tiny black creature, obviously a delicacy. days a week. Being in this part of Bangkok get to experience, the seats with inbuilt massage settings, there was bag complete with a range of Bvlgari eau de the school has become world famous even Within seconds she was pointing out the so close to the high rise office blocks and worst part is often the just enough time to choose which movies to cologne, face and body lotions and a range of if it was for all the wrong reasons initially. hundreds of frogs jumping and squirming five-star hotels is surreal. So close and journey to get there. So watch on the world class ICE entertainment toiletries. Her book Cooking with Poo won the under nets with a stoic, weathered man yet miles away from what most visitors the idea of faster planes system (the screens are four times bigger than At Dubai, Emirates has a number of lounges world’s oddest book title in 2012 with skinning them alive on the slab. experience in Bangkok. Over the course has always appealed to me. in economy). Emirates is justly proud of ICE with the enormous business class lounge space newspaper column inches devoted to the My eyes were just adjusting to the of a few hours, in aprons emblazoned Unless by some miracle you – it has won the world’s best inflight offering a series of seating areas. Full bar, unlikely Thai cook book to receive the horror when she whirled me around to see with I Cooked With Poo and I Liked It, are travelling front of plane. Then quite frankly entertainment system for 12 consecutive years. Champagne, premium wines from the Emirates dubious honour. The publicity paid off crates of catfish wriggling and fighting for we chopped chilies, holy basil and cori- I find it hard to disembark. Emirates Business The staff were attentive and efficient, cellars and the continuous service at hot and however, and some time later Jamie Oliver air and, next to them, bright yellow plastic ander, tore lime leaves, sliced galangal Class could easily outdo other airlines’ first immediately demonstrating the various features cold buffet stations mean you can eat whatever posted the cover of the book on Instagram. tubs of eels wriggling for freedom. The and mashed up spices to create heavenly, class experience. Last year, Emirates was of my personal space from where to store my dishes suit your in-transit time zone. You can Cooking with Poo became a bestseller and meat cleaver sliced mercilessly to separate aromatic food. We cooked up a storm – awarded Best Airline in the World by Skytrax bags and shoes, plug in my laptop and recline even switch off and take a nap in the comfort Poo herself headed off on publicity tours heads from tails as women haggled over coconut soup with chicken (tom kha gai), and it’s a four-time winner. The business class my bed fully when I wanted to sleep. After of full length lounge chairs complete with pillow in Australia and Britain where she cooked the fattest and longest and the right price. pomelo salad (yam som o), pad thai and experience starts from the moment you are take-off, the wi-fi was available free of charge and blanket, take a shower between flights or with Jamie and now features on his You A constant steam of runners, pulling sampled my absolute favourite, mango picked up by your personal chauffeur. On for the first hour, just enough time to clear the book a spa treatment. Tube Chanel. huge baskets to replenish the stalls, with sticky rice. arrival at the airport, stress free check-in, fast emails before settling into Bridget Jones’ Baby I charged my phone while catching up on Poo is a remarkable entrepreneur who fight for space with the motorbikes She’s a charismatic teacher, scolding -track passes, and luxurious lounges make for (finally) and a wonderful lunch of smoked emails and enjoyed some comforting pasta and has overcome huge hurdles in her life and dawdling customers so dodging with a smile when you get it wrong (often) a seamless transition from airport arrival to chicken and beetroot salad, followed by the a glass of Moët & Chandon. Once the flight including a fire a few years ago that all and weaving between gaps in the stalls thumbs up when you get it right. She’s a airplane boarding. I was flying Dublin direct chef’s recommendation of the traditional was called I boarded straight from the business but destroyed her dream. Her school was becomes an art form. beacon of hope and success in this part of to Dubai on a Boeing 777-300 and then aromatic and flavoursome lamb machbous class air bridge in the lounge area which was rebuilt next door to her house in Klong It was a relief to get to the vegetables the world and it was a great experience onwards to Bangkok on the luxurious A380. served with cucumber raita, perfectly matched pretty cool. Toey and she employs a small army of and mounds of watermelons and I lingered in so many ways to take part in her little The pampering began on board with a glass with a glass of robust 2007 Château Langoa My window seat on the A380 offered even local people. Her success has also sparked as long as possible at the sweet-smelling school. A word of advice: Only book of chilled Champagne to ease the pre-flight Barton from Bordeaux. more privacy and a chance to experience the other women to launch their own home- flower stalls because as we delved further directly with Poo on her website, she is When it was time to sleep, one of the cabin full range of the ICE inflight entertainment based enterprises which Poo sells at the into the labyrinth of passageways we struggling with charlatans trying to dupe crew fitted a mattress to my seat adding an system with multiple channels featuring new end of each class. hit the sounds of the fierce chopping of tourists out of money who think they are extra layer of plushness to the bed which was releases, classic movies, television shows, box The day begins with a pick-up in an air- meat and the stench and the heat became booking with her. The cost is 1,500 Thai a nice touch. I slept really well on-board (which sets and pod casts. I was well rested from the conditioned van next to Emporium, which overpowering. Baht (circa €40). cookingwithpoo.com never happens) beneath the starry night-sky of first leg of the journey so I stretched my legs is beside to Phrom Phong BTS station. the pioneering mood lighting which eases your and headed to the on-board lounge which was body clock into the local time zone. buzzy with chatter from the other premium customers and enjoyed a G&T with a Scottish Settling in to the couple heading off on their honeymoon in business class pod Thailand. Stretching out for another pre-landing nap I rather wished the journey could go on a bit longer.

Top class food in Emirates operates two daily departures from the sky Dublin to Dubai with onward connections to two points in Thailand – Bangkok and Phuket and over 150 other destinations. Fares from Dublin to Bangkok in Business Class start from €2,346 and Economy Class start from €559 (promotional fare). emirates.ie

108 IRISH TATLER APRIL 2017 APRIL 2017 IRISH TATLER 109