Baiyoke Tower II is an 88-story, (1,014 feet) skyscraper in Bangkok. At one time it was the tallest building in the city but now it is #2. It also use to be the tallest hotel in Southeast Asia. The top rooms go for about $300 a night.
Originally, all of this area was a swamp. To build this high hotel it took 360 piles of concrete that were sunk about 150 feet and sealed with a 15 foot thick foundation. We were told that this hotel has the fastest elevator in Thailand which can go from the 1st floor to the 88th floor in only 80 seconds. But then we were told that we can’t use it. Instead we went the slow cheap way which cost 400 Baht and several elevators and flights of stairs.
The official name of the capital of Thailand is Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. Don’t worry, everyone just says Bangkok. It has about as many people living here as New York City.
Bangkok does not seem to follow any urban planning which has resulted in a haphazard cityscape and inadequate infrastructure. Tons of roads, but it seems everyone has a car. Expect traffic delays. Traveling two miles can take two hours. Parking is a challenge. Most people use the Skytrain or Subway, which is not bad if you like sardines. If you like shopping there are Malls everywhere and they all seem to be connected. There are the HiSo and LoSo establishments. A person can buy anything in Bangkok. But finding whatever may be tough.
Look for the horse track.
Concrete Jungle
vs.
Native Jungle
Bangkok is in constant turmoil regarding it's green space. People want more parks and developers want building more shopping centers.
Layers
and
layers
of
traffic.
MahaNakhon is now the tallest building in Thailand. Condos here can easily fetch over a million bucks.
The Chao Phraya River flows through Bangkok and ends in the Gulf of Thailand.
The Skytrain was opened on December 1999. The first few months, I could be the only one on the train. Today, it is called the BTS and people are packed like sardines.
The cube of a number n is its third power: the result of the number multiplied by itself twice:
n3 = n × n × n.
Notice the lady looking at you? It is not a billboard advertisement.
It is a LED TV.
In 1940–1941, Thailand fought a brief conflict against the French. There were 59 Thai troops killed.
