Today was a somber day for the Thai people as it marked the funeral of beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The world’s largest standing monarch and known as largely to the people as “The Father of Thailand,” the city of Bangkok represented the center of mourning for his funeral. Out of respect, banks were closed, many shops shuttered, and alcohol was not served. We showed our respect by wearing all black and dark colors and trying to blend the best with the locals and not be the “ugly farangs.” Actually that’s really hard for my wife as she’s Thai….
After catching up on sleep to combat jet lag, we ventured out and found a decent lunch at a coffee shop at a nearby hotel. Afterwards, we caught the sky train to Central Bangkok. The train was crowded as public transportation was free today due to the funeral and people going to alternate viewing areas.
Since my longer story dumped on me, I’ll summarize….basically due to rain and closures, we spent time walking around Siam Center and MBK malls near Central Bangkok. We had some ice cream, bought some snacks for the room, and walked about 6 miles around the city today. The good thing about the weather was it wasn’t really hot, which helped at dinner later. After making our way back to the hotel, we were joined by family from the northern part of Bangkok.
Cabbages & Condoms. Yep, that’s where we had dinner – a condom-themed restaurant. Started by a former public official years ago – it was originally intended to raise money for HIV awareness and prevention. They now continue to work family planning issues as part of a larger non-governmental organization. The organization was recognized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and awarded $1M for their efforts. The ambience in the outside garden part of the restaurant is outstanding. Lot of plants, lights, lanterns – yes, some of the lanterns are made from condoms. There is a gift shop on the way out. The service is great, the food was outstanding, and the setting was extremely unique. A great time was had by all family and friends that joined us.
