A Trip to Thailand – Last Part
This part is about Wat’s main architectural depiction – the 105-feet tall and 33-feet wide Buddha statue. This statue includes relics from Sri Buddha of Sri Lanka, which were given as gift by the Sri Lankan Government. The enshrinement of the relic was done by Prince Vajiralongkorn in 1978.
The image is decorated with Italian golden mosaic and looks just like a Golden image. I will not say that the whole statue is beautiful. First of all, the statue cannot be seen properly. It is surrounded by buildings and you need to tilt back your head to see it fully. Nevertheless, it is beautifully decorated. On one side of the temple, I could see tombs built on the wall. On them are kept the photos of the dead. Near to this, there are some chests in which water from different parts of Thailand is stored. I couldn’t understand why water was preserved like this. I asked the guide, but couldn’t understand a single word that he said.
Anyway, the tombs and the chests were attractive. Though there was a rush of tourists, the atmosphere in the prayer hall was gloriously peaceful, where people offered lighted lamps and Lotus buds at the feet of Buddha. The premises of Buddha Temples have a peculiar atmosphere which gives a soothing effect to one’s mind as well as eyes. Around the temple are several standing and sitting images of Buddha. I had a quick look at all these and bid adieu to the Standing Buddha.
The other sites that I planned to visit next were Indra Market, Indra Square inside the Indra Market, and Baiyoke Tower which is the second largest building in Thailand. I had just enough time to see these. So, I decided not to leave without seeing them.
Indra Market can be called the wholesale centre of Bangkok. This place looks like a festival ground with lots of retail and wholesale shops, a number of small hotels, and several colourful things to be seen. This market sells products at wholesale prices, so people dash to this place to get good-quality items at cheap prices. There are large varieties of products available here, like, silk clothes, readymade shirts, jeans, T-shirts, etc. There are electronics stores selling smart phones, iPads, tablets, and other equipment of famous brands at low rates. Indian jewellery, shoes, handbags, cosmetic products, toys, art works, handicraft items, etc can be obtained from the shops here. Indian restaurants and multi fast food corners are also present. Indra Square is a multi-storeyed mall in Indra Market.
There are small and petty shops, restaurants, fashion stores, stores for kids, etc. Outlets on the first floor sell fashion wears, silk clothes, and so on. Fast food corners are also there on this floor. In the second floor, there are stores selling toys, mobile phones, art works, handicraft items, and other commodities. Though the place is great, most of the things that we get here are duplicates, which means, Chinese items. After taking a stroll for some more time, I visited the tallest tower in Southeast Asia, Baiyoke Sky Hotel, which is also the 7th tallest hotel in the world. I even had a plan to enter inside the tower if I got a chance. The Baiyoke Tower, situated near Indra Square mall, is an 88-storeyed, 1014-feet tall tower and is also the 2nd tallest building in the city.
Awe inspiring was the word that came to my mind when I looked at this skyscraper. I walked to the main hall of the tower and towards the ticket counter where ticket prices are displayed. I went through the prices and understood that I can get inside the tower at 400 Baht which is equivalent to 900 Indian Rupees. With the same ticket, I can get my feet massaged. If I give 550 Baht, I can enter the Bar above and get 90 ml alcohol. I can take snacks from the revolving restaurant for 750 Baht. Like this, there were different ticket rates.
I took ticket for 400 Baht and got inside the lift. The lift started moving. One side of the lift has plain glass. Through this, we can get an awesome view of the city. As the lift moves to the higher level, the sights become astonishing; the multi-storeyed buildings looked like matchsticks. I got out of the lift on the 82nd floor and climbed the stairs to the 84th floor where the revolving deck was. When I stepped onto the revolving deck from the room, what I saw was astounding. The beauty of the sky far up forming the boundary and the forest of buildings below was indescribable. The heavy traffic on the roads below, clouds kissing the sky scrapers, the blue glitter of the sky, all made me wonderstruck. The deck on which we stand is revolving at 360 degrees all the time. There is a point from which we can get a bird’s eye view of the city and the surroundings.
If you take a ticket for 400 Baht, you can come up to this floor where the revolving deck is. On the floors above, there are bars and revolving restaurants. Apart from the Observation Deck, there are famous shopping malls and world class dining options. Baiyoke Tower is also a wonder world of T-shirts with all types of graphic prints like heavy metal types, Rock emblems, reggae style, embedded patterns, tie dye, and many more. On the 76th floor, there are facilities for fish spa, beautiful swimming pools, massage parlours, etc. Dining options include Baiyoke international food buffet, Al fresco dining, Sweet Potato balls available in the 81st floor. I would call Baiyoke Tower a paradise. I came out of this heavenly place thinking about the things that I saw and those that remain to be seen. It was time for me to say goodbye to the favourite destination of the tourists, which gave me so many wonderful sights over my trip of 5 nights and 4 days and also gave me great travel experience and a few friends as well.
