I recently arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city. On the way from my previous home of Siem Reap, I took a three day excursion to Bangkok. Here are some things I found noteworthy and/or interesting about my brief stay in Bangkok.

Yummy street food

Yummy street food

  1. They drive on the “other” side of the road
    As in England and a minority of other countries, traffic flows in the “opposite” direction.
  2. Very multicultural
    Walking around the city you see people from all over the world and hear a wide variety of languages.
  3. Lots of transgender people
    I had heard the term “lady boy” used in reference to Thailand, but in reality there are a lot of men in the city that dress up and live as women. There also appeared to be some women that dressed as men. I don’t understand the cultural context behind this phenomenon, but it is quite unique.
  4. Loud and polluted
    Like many other major Asian cities, the air is dirty and the streets are noisy.
  5. Heavy traffic
    The traffic seemed to crawl no matter the time of day.
    6. Stuck in traffic

    Stuck in traffic

  6. Great massages
    I now understand why Thailand is known for massage. Of the three massages I’ve had in Asia – one in Vietnam, one in Cambodia, and one in Bangkok – the Thai massage was easily the best.
  7. Tasty, spicy food
    I really enjoyed the food. Pretty much everything I ate was delicious and also very spicy.
    8. Bangkok food stall

    Bangkok food stall

  8. You eat with a spoon and fork
    No knife, no chopsticks. Just a spoon and a fork. And your hands if needed.
  9. Sweet tastes
    Thais, like Cambodians, are very liberal with their sugar intake as it is included in lots of dishes and relied on heavily as a condiment.
  10. Great fruit
    There is interesting tropical fruit all over the place. Everything from coconuts to papaya, mango, pineapple, dragon fruit, and jack fruit. As a site note, the coconut I had was noticeably sweeter than the ones in Siem Reap.
    11. Mango desert at Mango Tango

    Mango desert at Mango Tango

  11. Cat city
    Much like Amsterdam, Bangkok is a very cat-friendly city. Cats are all over the place, including the lobby of the hostel I stayed at.
  12. Feels safe
    Crime does not seem to be a big problem in Bangkok.
  13. Thais are friendly
    Compared to Vietnamese and Cambodians, Thais are probably the most openly friendly. They are easy going and quick to smile.
  14. Shopping galore
    There are lots of big malls and shopping seems to be très en vogue.