I had spotted the winding Chao Phraya River from Büro Ole Scheeren’s MakaNakhon tower, whose pixelated form winds above Bangkok’s skyline. From the 76th floor, the City of Angels seemed to go on forever.
A few days later, as I watched boats ply its murky waters from the rooftop pool deck at The StandardX hotel, memories of my first visit to Bangkok flowed back. It was the year-end school holidays in 1993, and I was on a school choir exchange.
Squinting in the midday sun, I had flashbacks from that trip. The shiny golden spires of the Grand Palace, riding a narrow boat through a floating market where women in straw hats sold food, and the endless passageways of Chatuchak market. One local student told me in Thai that he thought I was cute. As I write, his name suddenly popped into my mind: Tor.
Other random memories resurfaced later. For instance, while exploring Bangkok at sunset, flocks of sparrows flew overhead, and a blob of bird poop landed on my head. I was lucky for it fell exactly within the width of my headband. On a day trip to Pattaya, we sat at the beach eating lunch out of takeaway boxes. I ate a piece of bird’s eye chilli with my fried rice. It was so spicy that my mouth continued to burn even after I downed several glasses of water.
I also remembered a Thai song we learned for the trip, which – thanks to Google – I could now identify by humming the melody into my phone. The song, รางวัลแด่คนช่างฝัน (A Prize for Dreamers) is by the late Thai folk singer, Jaran Manophet. The 12-year-old me had no idea what the lyrics I was parroting meant. But now I do. No wonder a friend from Thailand said that it’s got a beautiful meaning.
It’s fascinating how this brief moment by the Chao Phraya River has triggered these memories from over 30 years ago.
I’m also glad to be reminded that Bangkok is more than shiny steel towers and massive shopping malls. This is an image I had formed of the city from previous work trips where I would spend most of my time in the Siam and Sathorn areas. That’s why I hadn’t felt inclined to visit Bangkok for leisure. Aside from the tropical weather and its infamous traffic, of course.
Maybe this reminder of my first trip to Bangkok will inspire me to return and explore the City of Angels once more.
Angelina Hue 
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