thefreedomcomplex contributor

Bangkok - A City Full of Gems

January// 2020

I always love coming back to Thailand. It was the first country I visited in South East Asia and since then, I’ve been back to Bangkok probably about 6 times! I just love the vibrant urban scene throughout all the streets. One of my absolute favourite things to do in Asia is to just walk down any random street and get lost and Bangkok is definitely one of the best places to do this- you find so many hidden gems.

Ratchada Rot Fai Ratchada Rot Fai

There is a train tunnel located near Wutthakat station, you’ll be able to find an awesome photo spot that allows you to take a photo of an old school looking train popping through a tunnel of foliage! On site its nothing crazy but through a lens it’s really beautiful here. I met a local lady who lives next to the tracks who told me that the trains run most frequently in the morning and that the trains go both ways. Always be careful when taking photos here, make sure you have ALOT of time to get off the tracks and go as far away as possible, because when it passes, it is super fast and wide. Use a 200mm lens (or more) to get best results here.

Super Friendly Local Lady Super Friendly Local Lady
WOW WOW

Hua Lamphong is Bangkok’s main train station and also home to the Thai Railway Museum. Such a beautiful historic building located at the southeastern edge of Chinatown. Here you can find monks and it gives a really cool contrast to the urban station vibe. If you visit at golden hour you’ll catch some amazing light in the station. I had a lot of fun here shooting the locals - kids, passengers and the train conductors. It’s not just a great place for photos, but video as well.

So Cute!

If you’re looking for a bustling city vibe, neon lights everywhere, an awesome place for filming and photography alike, look no further- China Town has got it all! There are a lot of different colours, smells and sounds, vibrant urban vibes and a wild selection of foods to eat such as scorpions or maggots (no I didn’t try these haha)! It’s one of those places that’s perfect to test out different styles of photography too.

There is an awesome night market right near Thailand Culture Centre MRT Station. Ratchada Rot Fai brings in the same convivial night bazaar feel, antiques and street food snacks and treats as all the bigger markets but it’s just a lot easier to access. There is an epic vantage point at the carpark linked to the esplanade mall to take some cool photos and I loved shooting video whilst inside the market!

China Town From Above
Markets From Above!

Alright so now that i've covered these 4 spots, I think its safe to say that they indeed are gems around Bangkok! Most people in Bangkok find themselves chilling at rooftop pools in skyscraper-esque hotels, or going for a walk through one or several of the MANY malls in the city to stay airconditioned at all times! But if you're willing to venture out to see some cool sights I definitely recommend considering these 4 options, they wont leave you disappointed! A little tip by the way, if you're more than 1 person, or low on time, I recommend downloading the app called "Grab" (basically like uber) as taking a car to these spots will often be as cheap, as fast, and more comfortable!

Happy exploring friends!

#explore, #adventure, #bangkok