One night in Bangkok city of contrast

We actually stayed five nights in Bangkok and it was an eye opener.

Bangkok is a city of contrast like I've never seen. Ultra wealth next to extreme poverty. It's the first time for me seeeing such contrast. The people of the Sathorn district where we stayed are hard working poor people struggling to make it in a place where there are so many people and so few opportunities. I don't know all of the dynamics of that. It's just my observation. I didn't research employment statistics and available jobs, but it seems that the Thai pounce on any opportunity to make a buck, to survive. For example, there was a nail spa/beauty shop across from an expat restaurant we frequented. The beauty shop was usually busy with local people coming and going, but outside on the sidewalk a lady had set up a coffee bar. She would open in the morning and sell to the people on their way to work. She stayed all day in the heat at the ramshackle stall waiting for a customer. We would see her each time we came or went to our hotel. Then in the evening when it was dusk, she would tear down the entire booth, move it back off of the sidewalk near the beauty shop wall and cover it with a tarp. She continued to do this day in and day out. We assumed that maybe it was her relative's shop and they allowed her to operate there, or maybe it was just an open space and the shop owner allows her to do business for a cut of the profits. I really don't know, but if there's an opportunity for earning, the hard working Thai in this area will find it. Earning for them means survival, not just making more money for a newer car with more horsepower, or a bigger house to keep up with the Joneses but feeding their families and keeping a roof over there heads.

                                                                             

Typical storefront during the day, family living room at night.
These people were stringing flowers for religious adornments.

                                   

                                                            Hangover 2 clip

Around the corner from our hotel was The Sky Bar, a luxury hotel with a rooftop bar on the 64th floor. It's a beautiful building towering over everything in the neighborhood. It's a great view over the city. You can see everything from there. If you've seen the movie Hangover 2 you've seen it. It's a beautiful place. No big deal for an American. The stark contrast comes when you are on your way to The Sky Bar. The neighborhood (we walked since it was around the corner) is a slum. At first it was intimidating to us, but after a few days we always felt safe there. Very seldom did we see any panhandling or homelessness. The people were kind and friendly. The street is lined with vendors and carts selling food that is completely unrecognizable to us. Lots of fried meat on a stick, lots of bowls of broth and noodles, lots of rice bowls. It's all from scratch, made on the spot, and cheap as chips. No it's cheaper than chips.  Just a few bhat for a meal. No big deal for us, but it is a big deal for a Thai resident in the Sathorn district. We took a food tour and our guide said the average salary for a Thai was about 300 bhat per day, or about $9 US to us. Pocket change to us, but a chunk of change to a Thai.

                  The street outside of the Sky Bar. The Sky Bar building is on the right.

We made our way through the neighborhood to the Sky Bar. Typical streets in the Sathorn neighborhood. Thai food smells, sewer smells, exhaust fumes, heat and humidity...then you walk through the gated, guarded, Sky Bar driveway to the opulent doors of the hotel where well groomed Thai people in beautiful uniforms open the door for you. The cool air conditioning rushes out and they put their hands together as if in prayer, and bow to you at the waist in a very formal way as if you're something special and their here to "serve" you.  For clarification, this is a typical humble Thai greeting which is  meaningful and a sign of respect, but after walking among the countrymen on the street into an opulent hotel it made me feel uneasy. Uneasy like there's some kind of class system and my almighty dollar is at the top. We went to the express elevator to The Sky Bar and I was quickly taken aside by a very pretty Thai woman who politely told me I wasn't welcome because of my "open shoes". I had on Keen sandals. The toe is closed, but there are some holes on the side. I was also in a collared shirt and khaki slacks. Ok they were khaki hiking pants, but they looked like slacks. I went back to the hotel, changed into my only other pair of shoes, tennis shoes, came back, and rode the elevator to the Sky Bar where where there were 100-200 tourists clad in tshirts and shorts, but their shoes were not "open" like mine. No wait, the women had open shoes, but the men weren't allowed.
                 

The view from the top. 

Anyway we ordered two drinks, elbowed and jockeyed our way to the railing where we saw beautiful views of Bangkok. We finished our drinks and asked for our bill.  We were prepared for the amount because my tenacious wife does her research, but our bill for 2 drinks was $1541 bhat ($44 US)! That's about 5 days work for the average Thai that live and work here! I felt uneasy about the whole thing. We left and went down the street to an affordable restaurant where we spent a fraction of the money for  2  bottled waters, 2 bowls of broth, rice noodles and crispy pork. We left the restaurant feeling well fed, and we definitely have more of an appreciation for our station in life, our country and our opportunities to see the world and how it lives.

Delicious crispy pork, noodles and broth.