Musings Over an Old Map of Bangkok

Recently Siamrat came across a large map of Bangkok hanging on the wall of a café. The map was immediately familiar with the old city of Bangkok nestled in the bow of the Chao Phraya River. As I looked for familiar landmarks of the city it was quickly clear that this was not a recent map of the city and I began to wonder what year it belonged to, there being no date printed on it. Then I started to look again, not just for the landmarks that are familiar but for the landmarks that were missing, the map pre-dating them.

August 18, 2023 1

Thailand’s Gingerbread Houses

In the mid-nineteenth century growing European influence in Siam resulted in a new style of architecture for wealthy families called "gingerbread". One hundred years later many of these old homes are being restored to their former glory.

August 31, 2019 0

The Italians Who Built Bangkok

Western tourists flock to Bangkok every year drawn by the spectacle of glittering exotic temples. But some might notice that many of the other grand old buildings appear to be of European style, betraying the influence once held by Italians in early Bangkok.

December 1, 2018 8