Chinatown Fashion Victim

Some people will wear anything to draw attention to themselves!

Okay I admit it, we both bought one as there was a terrific downpour but I did NOT wear that silly hood.  Still, they were a bargain at THB20 and probably had the added bonus of sweating a few pounds off us in the Bangkok heat!

The Fab Four!

The British Club Bangkok celebrated its birthday with an appearance by a very well know (and seemingly ageless) Fab Four!

They are actually good fun and you can't help but singalong.

EmQuartier Mall Opening

Yesterday saw the opening of the new mall opposite Emporium, EmQuartier.  As is the norm in Bangkok, the place is not finished, so floors were roped off at the top and workmen were still scurrying around the place.  

Storm Damage

As well as brining down trees in the road, the storm earlier this week also blew a tree onto our condo's spirit house.  They cut down the remaining trees around the shrine today and will plant some low level bushes instead.

Of course the staff here are worried as to them, this means bad luck.  The condo manager told me a horrible story.  An hour after the shrine was damaged, one of the staff got a call to tell him that his son had died.   Coincidence?

Some time soon we will get a new shrine.  Sadly I will probably be away when it is installed, I am sure it will be fascinating to watch.

Bangkok Monsoon

Emporium now has a lovely new upper entrance, but they have yet to finish the covered path to the BTS.  With the heavy rain yesterday, the poor guards were kept busy ferrying shoppers under large umbrellas to the train.  

When is it too late to...

When is it too late to wear sexy clothes?  

Never, going by the latest Dolce & Gabbana windows. These women looked great!

Devine Dessert

Dinner at a friend's house last night was rounded off by individual cakes, served on teeny tiny dessert platters.  I had definite platter envy!

The cakes were served on one large platter and each little platter was a different pastel colour, so we were able to choose our favourite colour.   Much as I loved the cake (scrummy), I was eyeing those little stands and wondering whether our hosts would notice one less at the end of the evening! 

TURNING 60

Alan turned 60 this month!  

Of course I made him the man he is now.  You don't believe me?  Take a peek...

Loy Kratong 2014

I arrived home from our roadtrip in time for what will probably be my last Loy Kratong.

Botero Horse at Embassy Chit Lom

The newest mall in Bangkok opened a little while ago, the first in what appears to be a line of new malls either mid-build or in planning.  Yes, just what Bangkok needs, another mall.

I'm afraid I have been seriously underwhelmed by this building.  Inside it looks dated and unfinished, but maybe that is the fashion now.  And talking of fashion, this is the ultimate hi-so shoppers paradise, wall to wall designer shops.  You won't be buying your Uniglo clothes in here!

Buddhamonthon & Rama IX Park

Buddhamonthon is found a short outside of Bangkok.  This Buddhist monument was built to commemorate the Thai people's deeply routed faith in Buddhism.  The park was started in 1957 and is also the residence of the Supreme Patriarch. 

The main Buddha statue (standing nearly 16 meters tall) is beautiful. 

Erawan Museum & SamutPrakarn Crocodile Farm & Zoo

I have never visited the Erawan Museum before, but heard about the wonder and unique building.  I have to admit that this is pretty jaw dropping, a museum inside a three headed elephant!  It was worth the money just to see this much.

Wh

YUMMY TREATS AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL

This plate of chocolates was a complimentary gift in the room of friends staying at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok.  You have to admit, that really is a lovely treat to greet you in your hotel room.  Thought they were kind enough to allow me full access to the little chocolates, the elephant was strictly hands off.

BANGKOK PROTEST - BANGKOK SHUT DOWN

The stage at Asoke was dismantled last night.  We walked through after 3am to find that although you couldn't drive through the site, the stage, big screens, tents etc had all gone.  There were a few forlorn people sitting around and a lot of rubbish too, though the garbage trucks were out and about clearing as much as they could.

BANGKOK PROTESTS

I skirted around Democracy Monument yesterday and managed to snap these photos from the car.  This was the only sign I could spot of the trouble earlier in the week.

CENTRAL WORLD DISPLAY

Central World has a stunning display of pink oriental umbrellas in one of the atriums.

BANGKOK PROTESTS - BANGKOK SHUTDOWN

It seems that the roadblock at Asoke is bedding in.  This afternoon they have erected two more giant screens.  This will effectively close Asoke junction off unless they allow traffic to travel up Ratchadaphisek, through the roadblock and onto Sukhumvit towards Nana, as they have been doing up until today (yep, I got caught in the traffic chaos there!).

BANGKOK PROTESTS - A RELATIVELY PEACEFUL ELECTION DAY

Despite worries to the contrary, voting went ahead yesterday relatively peacefully.  Below is the voting station next to Emporium.  There were very few people there when I arrived in the afternoon and the streets were quiet, but within a few hours more people were out and about.  I suppose people were waiting to see if there was any trouble before venturing out.

A BIT OF THIS AND A BIT OF THAT

I know I am not the only person who is bored by the whole protest movement, it is almost the first thing we say to each other when we meet up.  Now I could be wrong, but it looks like we are not the only bored ones.  Taken at Asoke yesterday.  If you can't see it, one of the men is asleep in a hammock.  

BANGKOK PROTESTS - BANGKOK SHUTDOWN

By now we are all used to seeing these marches around various parts of Bangkok but I had to laugh yesterday as on this march along Sukhumvit, they had really got into the singing, led by this man on a truck,