Vignettes of the World
I had concluded my journey in Kyoto after five full days touring numerous temples for Momiji. It came time for Nara, and I headed out on the slow Nara train in the morning. I arrived into a Nara that was slightly overcast and notably colder …
In this journey I spent five full days in Kyoto and visited countless breathtaking sites for momiji foliage viewing. I found all of the sites that I visited to be worthwhile. Based on this experience, I have come up with the following suggested five-day itinerary …
I was just strolling in Sai Ying Pun and stumbled upon a hidden gem amidst its crisscrossing uphill grids. No. 9 and No. 10 Yu Lok Lane are classified as the shophouse type of tenement houses. A lot of the traditional Hong Kong tenements are stores with residential quarters in the back or upstairs. Their social and historic values are expressed in the roles that they have played in the lives of people with humble roots.
Yu Lok Lane is a small street running the east-west direction between Centre Street and High Street. The tenements that are preserved are built along this very small alleyway, on a raised terrace supported by retaining walls.
No. 9 and 10 of Yu Lok Lane in Sai Ying Pun consist of two tenement houses abutting each other. The layout of the buildings is typical of the tenement houses of the same era — during the early 20th century.
In this area of Hong Kong Island, Sai Ying Pun developed as a Chinese community on the edge of the City of Victoria after 1850. There were rows of seaside houses in this area. What used to be a mountainous terrain was turned into habitable neighborhoods. And in Yu Lok Lane, the houses that stood were pretty much the same as the two tenement houses that were preserved.
Circa the 1870s, the owner of the Yu Lok Lane tenement rented out the property to relatively poor working-class tenants, such as coolies and blacksmiths. They likely worked at the freight pier nearby in Sai Ying Pun. The records of the Basel Mission (which established the Kau Yan Church nearby on High Street), show that most residents were of Hakka origin.
In around 1918, records show that No. 1-12 Yu Lok Lane had completed a redevelopment with 34 tenement houses built. It is likely that No. 9 and 10 tenement houses belonged to this era of redevelopment.
During World War II, this area of Sai Ying Pun was designated “Sea Water District” by the Japanese. Severe bombing has resulted in the destruction of all other tenement buildings, save for No. 9 and 10, which remained relatively intact. In 1949, No. 11 underwent restoration.
Due to redevelopment, all other such tenement houses have been pulled down. No. 9 and 10 Yu Lok Lane remained the only witness to the lives that once lived here.
What caught my eye at Yu Lok Lane is the beautiful timber French doors and windows. At first glance, it was a surprise to me that these were Chinese tenement buildings. It evoked western and colonial vibes due to its gabled roof and extended vertial columns.
According to the Antiquities Advisory Board’s historic building appraisal, the two houses “have narrow frontages and are paired with a shared staircase. The front façades are rendered and painted and originally probably had projecting open balconies at first floor level, but these have now been enclosed with folding wooden casement windows. Original wooden doors and windows still exist to the ground floor.”
The original tiled floor of the tenement is largely preserved.
A Tour of the Tenement at Yu Lok Lane takes just about 15 minutes and it’s worth it to read the captions in some detail. The petite exhibition discusses the social aspect of the tenements.
In the old days, there were wide space outside the tenement houses. The residents would congregate in this area (the lane) to relax and socialize. This has enabled the lane to become a place of community.
No. 9 and 10 Yu Lok Lane are Grade 3 Historic Building.
Descriptions on site at Yu Lok Lane.
Antiques Advisory Board, Historic Building Appraisal, No. 9 and 10 Yu Lok Lane, Number 1078.
The wetlands of Long Valley in Sheung Shui have finally opened to the public as a site of ecological tourism since November 2024. Wedged between the Sheung Yue River and Shek Sheung River in Sheung Shui, Long Valley had long been the freshwater marsh that …
The Grand Palace was the only sightseeing that I did in this trip in Bangkok. Its beautiful Thai architecture is a lavish expression of the aura of the Thai kingdom. The Buddhist faith is front and center in the Grand Palace, as it has always …
Thailand is known for its food. Not just Thai cuisine, but any type of cuisine to which its chefs dedicate themselves. Since we were staying at the Grand Hyatt, we had quite a few meals at the restaurants in the hotel. Top that up with some local food selection at the malls, and there went our four-day foodie excursion in savoring Thailand’s best cuisine.
In my last entry, I discussed the fine dining experience at the restaurant Baan Phraya, run by up-and-coming star chef Pom Phatchara. That would be the most memorable ambrosia in my first visit to Bangkok.
In this following list, the restaurant recommendations are in random order and it is not a ranking.
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Gaston | Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok – LL Floor, 494 Rajdamri Road Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 | French bistro in Grand Hyatt Erawan. We enjoyed the pork chops the most. Reservation recommended. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Salvia | Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok — Mezzanine Level, 494 Rajdamri Road Khwaeng, Lumphini, Bangkok 10330 | Italian cuisine in Grand Hyatt Erawan. We enjoyed the truffle handmade pasta the most. Reservation recommended. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Thongsmith Siamese Boat Noodles | 1031 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 | Boat noodles is a common and popular street food in Thailand. Thongsmith Siamese Boat Noodles serve it at a clean, hip location with a variety of flavors. You can share three bowls in a party of 2. | Must-try |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Baan Phraya | Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave Bang Rak, Mandarin Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 | Fine dining Thai cuisine that is on par with Michelin grade restaurants (not yet rated). Chef Pom Phatchara introduces contemporary savviness in very traditional Thai food. Must make reservation. | Highly Recommended |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Erawan Tea Room | Erawan Bangkok, Level 2, 494 Rajdamri Road, Pathum Wan, Lumpini, Bangkok 10330 | Thai food with a contemporary flair in a relaxed and chic ambience. Also serves Thai afternoon tea. | Yes |
| Coffee Shop | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Golden Coffee at the Golden Place (Tha Chang Pier Branch) | 196 198 Maha Rat Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 | A nice café and rest stop after touring at the Grand Palace. The coffee has a beginning as a socially responsible company that buys coffee from farmers in the northern Thai highlands that switched from growing opium to growing coffee due to King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s initiative. It’s a good story, and the coffee really does live up to it too. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Coffee Beans by Dao (Paragon) | GF, 06 Rama I Rd, Khwaeng Pathum Wan, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 | A chain franchise with Thai food as its mainstay but significantly internationalized to appeal to the preference of younger diners. It serves durian cake and that was quite special. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Copper Buffet (Gaysorn) | Gaysorn Amarin, Unit 3F-s06, 3F-s07 502, Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand | A new kid on the block — Copper Buffet is a very popular chain buffet that opened recently. It requires long queues. People are so serious that they have a strategy for maximizing the best food that it offers. Reservation is required. | Lukewarm Recommendation |
Thailand is known for its food. Not just Thai cuisine, but any type of cuisine to which its chefs dedicate themselves. Chef Pom Phatchara has been the rising star in Bangkok’s dining scene. Although she hasn’t yet earned the Michelin Star, she has run such …
Military and monarchic groups, often relying on each other’s capability and ideological strength, have intervened frequently to subvert the democratic rule of law. Those who have tried to build democracy meanwhile remain much less well known. In a region where state-enforced historical amnesia is rife, …
In the last entry on Thailand in the modern era, I have discussed why Siam maintained its independence against the threats of colonialism in the 18th and 19th centuries. One question remained for me in this brief study of Thailand’s history. How did Thailand fare during WWII?
Came time for Rama VII to accede to the throne in 1926, he inherited significant budget deficit from his predecessor, Rama VI. During this time, the Great Depression had swept all world economies. Thailand was no exception. In 1931, most of Siam’s foreign exchange was held in the sterling. With Britain abandoning the Gold Standard, causing the sterling to drop 30% overnight, a fiscal crisis followed in Thailand.
Photo: The last King of Thailand, Rama IX the Great, King Bhumibol Aludyadej
King Prajadhipok had many, many hot potatoes to handle. As the king, he would become best known for being the “father of Thai democracy.” Even during the early years of his reign, he was keenly aware that some form of limitation to monarchial rule was vital to the survival of the reign. He introduced constitutional monarchy in Thailand in 1932, peacefully so, following the heels of the “bloodless revolution” of 1932.
Thailand’s survival of the Second World War was itself a tale to behold. The turns of events arose out of contentious internal politics, outright defiance by official dissenters and the simple blessing of serendipity. Rife with a web of complicated developments, the country’s emergence from the war could not be credited to the decisions of one leader, or any projected plans as could have been foreseen by anyone.
To understand Thailand’s history during World War II, one must know the Thai prime minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram as a pivotal figure. With a military career commanding for the People’s Party, Plaek Phibunsongkhram were strongly nationalist and fascist. As such, he steered the course of Thailand’s positioning during World War II with sympathy to the cause of the aggressors. Plaek Phibunsongkhram was the one that changed the name of the country from Siam to Thailand in 1939. This was part of his effort to fan nationalist sentiments in Thailand by elevating the status of the ethnic Thai people in the country, as opposed to the influential and wealthy Chinese people, and other ethnicities, such as Malay, Lao and Shan, then living in Thailand.
Like in World War I, Thailand chose to remain neutral in the beginning of World War II. In the mind of Thailand’s military leader, the impending war amongst the world powers presented a historic opportunity. With the colonial powers debilitating from the wars in the European continent, they stood to lose their grip in their Southeast Asian colonies. Thailand looked to win back some of the territories that were lost to Britain and France in the previous century. It engaged in battles with France. Despite scoring a winning streak against France, Thailand lost a decisive naval battle in early 1941. Japan than stepped in to broker a deal. Thailand managed to win back some of the territory that it lost to France in Cambodia and Laos.
In 1941, Japan requested Thailand to grant a passage through the country, and it was met with a mute response from Thailand. Japan invaded Thailand soon, just hours after the Pearl Harbor attack. Thailand then made a military pact, in which Japan had ready access to the military facilities of Thailand. Japan would soon prevail in the Malay peninsula against Britain. With that, Plaek Phibunsongkhram thought that Japan would eventually win the war. In early 1942, Thailand declared war against the Allies. Following this, the Allies raged bombing campaigns against Bangkok.
In an act of official defiance, the Thai ambassador in the United States, Seni Pramoj, refused to deliver the declaration of war to the United States government. This would turn out to be a critical advantage to Thailand later.
In 1942, Plaek Phibunsongkhram fought Burma alongside the Japanese and Japan rewarded Thailand with some territory. In 1944, due to internal political strife, Plaek Phibunsongkhram was ousted as the prime minister of Thailand. The successor Khuang Abhaiwongse, although appearing to be friendly to Japan, contacted the Allies. He made clandestine promises to return all the territorial gains in Burma and Malay. To the United States, similar promises were made with regards to Indochina. Khuang Abhaiwongse stepped down after WWII ended, as an act to distance the country from the ramifications of having involved with the Japanese during the war.
A powerful political ally of Khuang Abhaiwongse, Pridi Banomyong, then declared that Plaek Phibunsongkhram’s declaration of war against the Allies was unconstitutional. In 1945, the former Thai ambassador in the United States and a leader of the Free Thai Movement, Seni Pramoj, became the prime minister with the support of the United States. Despite having the reputation of being “the Italy of the orient,” Thailand had not been punished as Japan’s ally during Plaek Phibunsongkhram’s administration.
With support by the United States, Thailand earned a seat in the United Nations and received financial assistance by the U.S. after the war. Since 1952, Thailand has been a steady military ally to the United States.
Plaek Phibunsongkhram would regain power again and serve as the prime minister of Thailand between 1948 and 1957.
The Wikipedia on Prajadhipok.
World War II Database, Thailand.
The Wikiwand on Thailand in WWII.
The Wikipedia on Plaek Phibunsongkhram.
“Whatever it is that you do in Thailand, just do not criticize the Thai king in any way,” my uncle said to us, “I know the people that will get you out even for a murder, but if you offend the Thai king, nobody can …