Vignettes of the World
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 …
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 a successful restaurant with her dedicated team that a long list of eager epicureans graces its dining schedule.
Seafood is the star of the show in Thai cuisine and it is certainly so at Chef Pom Phatchara’s kitchen. There were endless highlights throughout the meal. For seafood only, we had multiple kinds of fish, scallops, prawns, shrimps and they were from the seas of southern Thailand or a river catch.
Chef Pom Phatchara greeted us thirteen times with her creative dishes. As far as fine dining goes, she has delivered each of these dishes with brilliance and perfection. She was brilliant with the way that she used traditional ingredients in creative new forms. Our dishes featured an incredible array of cooking techniques that brought forth the very best of the ingredients chosen.
She delivered the food in perfection. Be it presentation, texture or flavors, Chef Pom Phatchara exhibited a keen attention to details that lies front and center in her dishes. The thoroughness in matching the ingredients, herbs, and sauces was never lost on the appreciative diner. Her food inspired intrigue – I wondered often what gave the dish its aroma and taste.
The prominence of tropical fruits, such as pineapple, jackfruit and tamarind, were what made the dishes so distinctly Thai — adding a savory sweetness that runs subtly throughout, like the murmurs of goddess Annapurna.
In this explosive repertoire of flavors I sensed the spirit of a young chef who has dedicated an unwavering commitment to Thailand. Her food bespoke the passion for a cuisine that bears limitless potential for fusing tradition with contemporary savviness. Each morsel represented the best of Thai cuisine in one aspect or another, bearing a mark of excellence that impressed the mind beyond the immediate gratification within the palate.
We finished this wonderful procession of Thai food strong, with a platter of traditional Thai desserts. This dessert platter opened my eyes to the vast array of sweetness that Thailand has to offer. I learned that Thai desserts can be so much more than mango with sticky rice (although mango with sticky rice really is so good).
And yes, Chef Pom Phatchara did come out personally to meet us as well. Her smile was as sweet as the desserts.
The dining time takes at least 1.5 hours.
The dining ambience was serene and classy at Baan Phraya. A building of the early 19th century, Baan Phraya’s original owner was Phraya Mahai Savanya, a high-ranking government official. The last office that he held was the Minister of Commerce.
Baan Phraya was beloved as a venue that hosted top government officials and esteemed foreign guests. Phraya Mahai Savanya’s wife Khunying Loearn Mhai Savanya would set up simple tables with the best of cuisine for her guests. Phraya Mahai Savanya would play Thai music with his band, named “Noom Noi” (it means young men), by the treelined riverscape, celebrating a good ole merry time with the dignitaries.
The night dining by the Chao Phraya River began as we boarded the ferry to head over to Baan Phraya, meaning “Phraya House.” I came face to face with the river that served as the lifeline for Bangkok. In 1782, the Chakri dynasty began a new chapter of unbroken monarchial rule in Thailand. Rama I, the first Chakri king, chose Bangkok for the reason that the Chao Phraya River envelops and flows through this location.
Perhaps the strategic significance of the Chao Phraya River has long receded in the ties of history by now — but its beauty remains, the flows that envelope Bangkok bearing everlasting witness to the economic advances that the country has so impressively made in the centuries since Bangkok’s founding.
In 1986, the Mandarin Oriental transformed Baan Phraya into the first Thai Cooking School in Thailand. The legendary Chef Charlie Amatayagul oversaw its early operations as the Oriental Thai Cooking School. Under this tutelage, a host of culinary students perfected their crafts at Baan Phraya.
Today, Chef Pom Phatchara takes the helm at the restaurant at Baan Phraya. She draws inspiration from the large archive of recipes developed at the Oriental Thai Cooking School, with her own expertise in reinterpreting them, giving traditional Thai food a contemporary twist in both presentation and flavors.
Descriptions on site at Baan Phraya.
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 …
“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 save you.”
He meant it as a half joke, but the fact remains that the Chakri kings of Thailand have unparallelled dignity. It is said that Thailand has “the world’s strictest lese majeste laws.” The defamation of the Thai king carries with it a jail sentence of 3 to 15 years.
But a consideration of the history of colonialism in Thailand might present the justification for the Chakri kings’ entitlement to strict lese majeste laws. For the Chakri kings have certainly seen Thailand through a historic threat to the country’s sovereignty and integrity.
The two questions that were on my mind were, first, “how did Thailand manage not to be colonized by any European powers during the 18th and 19th centuries?” Second, “how did Thailand survive World War II?”
After the fall of the Ayutthaya kingdom, a brief period of ruling by General Taksin followed. The Thonburi period ended soon, as General Chao Phraya Chakri overthrew Taksin. Chakri, who was pivotal in stalling off Burmese advances, made himself king as Rama I. In 1782 the Chakri dynasty would embark upon the era of modernization. It is known as the Rattanakosin era of Thai history, with Bangkok as the capital. The ten monarchs of the Chakri dynasty have ruled Thailand in unbroken succession since.
Perhaps Thailand did not struggle so much in holding on to the isolationist policies against western powers as with the other nations in Asia (such as China and Japan). Even in Thailand’s premodern history, there were consistent efforts by different kingdoms to engage in diplomacy with the powers of the world. The isolationist policy that spanned about a century prior to the Chakri dynasty was a result of the Phaulkon affair, where a foreigner Phaulkon rose to power as King Narai’s top advisor. His plot to install a puppet king under his control was eventually dispelled, leading to his excruciating death in 1688.
The first few Chakri monarchs held on to a basic isolationist policy, but at once recognizing the need to modernize the country by trade, economy and governance. The printed press and newspapers became available in Thailand during this time. Portugal, Britain and the United States managed to secure more trading rights in this period too.
Bangkok thrived in this period. Rama I chose Bangkok as the capital of the Chakri dynasty for its exceptional geographical endowment and the strategic advantages with which it came. “With the Chao Phraya River from the north passing along the western and southern sides to empty into the Gulf of Thailand; branches of the river also formed double rings around the city-island. Faced with the continuing Burmese threat, such a strategic location was then a necessity.” (factsanddetails.com)
In the sources that I have come across, there was a consensus that Thailand remained uncolonized during the peak of western imperialism because of the strong centralized rulers that played off, and benefited from, the rivalry between the two great western powers that were eyeing the bounty of Southeast Asia. At the time, Britain had Burma and Malaysia; France had Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Rama IV and Rama V would emerge as the heroic leaders of Siam that led the nation through the complex web of international relations and palpable threats to their sovereignty posed by western powers.
Rama IV, also known as King Mongkut, was a scholar king. In his early years, his father Roma II sent him to monkhood, during which time he garnered exceptional knowledge in matters of science, language and religions (including Christianity). King Mongkut would accede to the throne and navigate the deep waters of rising threats to Siam from the west.
King Mongkut introduced reforms in culture and technology, and hired teachers to teach English and western subjects to his children. In particular, he promoted geography and astronomy.
In terms of treaties with the west, the Bowring Treaty would present a turning point in Bangkok’s trajectory of development. Then Hong Kong Governor Bowring represented Britain in concluding this treaty. The treaty abolished the Thai royalty’s monopoly to engage in foreign trade. The treasury could no longer benefit from hefty revenues from duties. But this has liberalized trade and opened up Bangkok’s commoner markets to foreign trade.
Such similar treaties were concluded with other world powers, including France, the United States, and other European countries. With increased rice and sugar production to meet the new demands for foreign trade, Bangkok’s economy took off. This had in turn resulted in significant improvements in infrastructure in Rama V’s time.
King Mongkut is the king featured in the Broadway show The King and I. The same story served as the plot for the movie Anna and the King. Anna Leonowens was a British governess that taught the royal harem with King Mongkut’s approval. What happened in the Broadway show and the movie, however, were said to be much fictionalized. In line with protecting the dignity of its kings, Thailand did ban the movie nationwide.
Even today, the Thai people revere King Chulalongkorn, as Rama V. King Mongkut himself groomed King Chulalongkorn since a young age. The young prince observed how his father ruled in the royal court. He also received classical Thai training and western training for his education. Anna Leonowens was his teacher.
The 42-year reign of Rama V would usher in a golden era despite the looming threats of western imperialism. Under his rule, Siam was further opened to foreign trade. He employed foreign advisors, abolished slavery gradually, re-centralized power in the provincial regions, modernized all lines of government administration, overhauled the tax system, observed the freedom of religion, and he had indeed done so much more in education and infrastructure as well.
Needless to say, even for Siam, a country that was accustomed to and at times welcomed foreign involvement in critical matters of government, these reforms were radical. Rama V managed to suppress a revolt by the conservatives against his initiatives during the early years of his reign. He slowly consolidated the ruling power, to be exercised by the royal family only.
At the height of western imperialism in the 19th century, Siam stood as the lone country that was not colonized in Southeast Asia due to King Mongkut’s decisive move to invite foreign presence in Siam. His son King Chulalongkorn extended this legacy further. Both kings took it upon themselves to manage diplomatic relationships.
The decades-long effort by both kings projected Siam as a country that embraced the liberalism of the west. Like King Mongkut, King Chulalongkorn understood fully that the key to survival was to forge “friendships with benefits” with the west. By offering opportunities to businesses and missionaries, Siam could hang on to the sliver of sovereignty and independence that, by his time, had been torn asunder in Siam’s fallen neighbors.
The paradox was that, because all western powers managed to score gains from free trade in Siam, no one could lay exclusive claim on the country either. This power play was especially relevant to the contentious relationships between Britain and France at that time. By Rama V’s reign, Siam had managed to position itself as the physical and symbolic buffer wedged between the colonized neighbors. It neutralized the rivalry of these two western powers.
That is not to say that Siam was not affected by colonialization at all. Where the borders of the country were not clear, they were lost to Britain and France in neighboring Burma and Laos respectively. Siam preserved the king’s stronghold in Bangkok, but many parts of its territory were subject to foreign influence and control, not unlike the concession areas in Shanghai and Guangdong of China.
Thailandembassy.org on Thailand History.
www.thethailandlife.com on A Brief History of Thailand.
The Wikipedia on History of Thailand.
The Wikipedia on Mongkuk.
Factsanddetails.com on Chakri Dynasty and Kings Mongkut (Rama IV) and Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
It is said that Thailand was the only Southeast Asian country that survived the onslaught of western colonialism, which swept the world between the 15th and 19th centuries. That itself is a provocative food for thought. Thailand also emerged relatively unscathed from World War II, …
This was not the first time in Thailand for me, but surely my first time visiting Bangkok. My last trip to Thailand was more than a decade ago in Phuket. I was quite excited about this trip because it was organized by my uncle with …
Tai Kwun is the former Central Police Station that operated during the early colonial days until the 2000’s. Standing as a revitalized cultural space consisting of three declared monuments, Tai Kwun presents the public with an opportunity to revisit a part of Hong Kong history that was once ridden with the unpleasantries of a sometimes-unjust system of justice.
In 1841 when Britain formally took over Hong Kong, the Colonial Government set up the Hong Kong Police Force. The first “police station” in Hong Kong was a mere mat-shed shelter on a site next to what would become Tai Kwun in Central. Captain William Caine was the Chief Magistrate then overseeing the development of the Hong Kong Police Force.
Tai Kwun, meaning “the big police station,” served as the headquarters for law enforcement between the late 19th century and the Second World War. It became the regional headquarters for Hong Kong Island after the war, as it was also the police station for the Central district. With its decommission in 2004, it stepped down from its former role as a law enforcement institute.
In Tai Kwun there are about 20 blocks of buildings that served various functions in the former Central Police Station. In my opinion, there are four must-see structures. As three of them are declared monuments, they are representative of the collective history of Tai Kwun.
Facing Hollywood Road is the Central Police Station. Now serving mostly as a space of exhibitions displaying aspects of Hong Kong’s local history and culture, the Police Headquarters Block stands grand and stately as what might be the most eye-catching architecture in this part of Central.
The Police Headquarters Block was built in 1919. The Police Headquarters Block is one of the few surviving 19th century police stations in Hong Kong. The other ones are the Police Museum (formerly Wan Chai Gap Police Station at the Peak), Old Tai Po Police Station, the Tai O Heritage Hotel (Old Tai O Police Station, built 1902), and the 1881 Heritage (former Marine Police Headquarters), amongst others. I have covered almost all of them, save for the Old Stanley Police Station.
The letters G and R on the façade of the Police Headquarters Block refers to the ruling monarch at the time, his majesty King George V.
The Central Magistracy was the first building in Tai Kwun’s ensemble of former law enforcement agencies. Built in 1841, the year that the British took over Hong Kong as its colony, the Central Magistracy was an indispensable arm of colonial administration as the “busiest court of justice” that tried more than three million people. (Descriptions on site) In 1847, the second Central Magistracy was built, also at this site.
The current Magistracy building was a structure of 1915. In its architecture, the fasces, which were the bundles of rods used for corporeal punishment by Roman magistrates, were symbols of authority that found its expression in the very exterior of the building.
In the museum’s own words, “early magistrates dispensed harsh punishments under a system of unequal laws.” There is a section of the various punishments given out only to the Chinese people in the museum as well, showing cruelty in caning and the stocks.
This practice originated from the fact that the early colonial officials thought that the Chinese people were accustomed to more severe punishments. But eventually, orders from London prohibited unequal and inhumane treatments. As rightly put by the museum, “over the decades, a fairer system of justice emerged as social conditions improved.” And this is the system of justice that had laid the foundation for Hong Kong’s later success as a cosmopolitan world city.
Perhaps an interesting historical note to make here is the fact that there are three entrances to the Central Magistracy, and they were used by different persons in those bygone times. One entrance, facing Arbuthnot Road, was for the magistrates.
There are a few doors that allowed public access. Finally, the entrance next to the famous staircase was for the persons being tried. This staircase was made famous by the preliminary hearing of the Godber case. On trial was the corrupted Police Chief Superintendent that had allegedly taken bribes worth more than 4 million Hong Kong dollars in 1973. Godber entered the courthouse by ascending these steps.
After World War II, the Central Magistracy was the venue for the Military Court that heard trials of Japanese war criminals.
Known as the Victoria Gaol in the earliest days, the Victoria Prison was a structure of 1842 as the longest-running prison in Hong Kong’s history.
An intriguing fact that I learned at the Tai Kwun was that Ho Chi Minh, the most significant statesman and founder of communist Vietnam, had once been kept in the Victoria Prison.
In 1930, Ho Chi Minh came to Hong Kong as he fled from the French authorities. The Hong Kong Police captured him in 1931 and kept him at the Victoria Prison. In Ho Chi Minh’s own words, “high above one’s head was a small half-moon window covered with a grid of iron bars. By day, the light in the cell was dim. The door to the cell was solid and, at eye level, had a peephole shaped like a megaphone.”
Perhaps it is appropriate to note here that the Victoria Prison was once the repatriation and transit center for the Vietnamese refugees, as Hong Kong was formerly the port of first asylum for them.
A tour of the Victoria Prison will take you through the six former structures of incarceration, from Hall A to Hall F. Of these, Hall B has been preserved in its original layout, hosting 78 cells. Hall B was an extension block that served as the extension of the Victoria Prison due to overcrowding. It was the construction work of the prisoners themselves. Hall B was a high security block, the intention of which was to house the most serious offenders of the law. There is indeed a slightly eerie vibe in Hall B.
Steeped in historic vibes, the Barrack Block is also a beautiful structure with a neoclassical façade. Built in 1864, the Barrack Block gave home to 200 single constables and also single and married sergeants.
It also has an imposing architecture with granite staircases and floors. It was built to meet the same style as a British military barrack. A veranda, as the typical feature of colonial buildings in Hong Kong, lies by the parade ground.
While I enjoyed all of the sightseeing above, I found the Chapel Mural to be particularly soothing amidst a history that was slightly heavy and haunting.
The Chapel Mural was breathtaking in its ageless gracefulness. It felt like a world that contained a serenity of its own.
As a whole, the Centra Police Station Compound was decommissioned by 2004. Thereafter, the structures were restored to prepare for a new, bright chapter of its history, as a space for arts, culture and history learning since 2018. As with all major revitalized heritage sites in Hong Kong, there is always the element of leisure, as shown in the thriving business scene on site. Many restaurants establish their presence at the Barack Block. I managed to find somewhere more low-key, a coffee shop in Tai Kwun that was all around perfect.
It might be a little difficult to find Tozzo on 2/F, JC Contemporary. I had to make my way to the JC Contemporary building further back from the Victoria Prison, then made my way to second floor, which, as a space for exhibitions, did not appear to be a place for leisurely coffee.
But it is there, and I asked for seating outside.
At the terrace overlooking the tiled roof of the Barrack Block, you will have a brief moment of respite from the crowds of tourists that are ever so aggressive in their photo taking. The ambience is clean, relaxed and hip at Tozzo.
Its menu features a reasonable array of choices, both savory and sweet. I opted for a sandwich and it was quite good.
In all considerations, the Tai Kwun has retired into an age of glory by now.
Antiquities and Monuments Office on Former Central Police Compound, Central.
Descriptions on site at Tai Kwun.
The Wikipedia on the Central Magistracy (Chin).
The Wikipedia on Victoria Prison.
The Eikando-ji Temple of Kyoto is a Heian period temple practicing the Jodo school of Buddhism. A view of its beautiful temple grounds in the evening was an amazing experience. During the very crowded fall foliage season, the temples of Kyoto are illuminated for visitors …