Bangkok has had a very hard year, at least for the first half. But when the votes were counted, Bangkok came out on top with Chiang Mai, a northern city also in Thailand coming in second. The August edition of the magazine will have the award in it.

Travel + Leisure award for top city is based on a poll of readers who cast votes from December to March. The leaders in Bangkok are very humbled to say the least. With all the unrest and violence that had happened in Bangkok earlier this was a very pleasant surprise.

Even after the military crackdown and all the damage done, the Thai people put on their very best effort to get the city back up and running like normal. The community had planned cleanup days and scrubbed down the whole city that was affected by the protesters.

I have been in Bangkok many times. I must say that it is a wonderful place to see. There is anything there that you would want in a vacation destination. Even in the outlaying areas is plenty to do and see. You cannot find a more friendly culture of people either. Thai’s are very warm in welcoming their guests to Thailand. The food is the best that you will ever eat.

I was in Chiang Mai once, and it is a very nice city to visit also. The culture is a little more laid back than in Bangkok. The city traffic is not as rushed either. Even the weather is a bit cooler being in the north. Nights are very nice for sleeping.

I am glad to see Bangkok get this honor. I love Thailand and its people. My wife Ning and I will make it our home when we retire. So I will say to Bangkok, Congratulations, you have always made me feel welcome any time that I have been in the city.

Chang Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan Province

Three Headed Elephant

The Three Headed Elephant is 29 metres high and 39 metres long.  Add another 14.6 meters to count the building that it is standing on.  The elephants weight is around 250 tons. You can not miss seeing this from Sukhumwit Road on your way to Samut Prakan from Bangkok.

Construction started in 1994 and the finishing work still goes on today.  This was built by a very successful Mercedes Benz dealership owner named Khun Lek Viriyapant.  He wanted to preserve his collection of antiques as a contribution to Thai culture heritage.  Many pieces of his collection are priceless objects of art.  Most of these are in the basement and taking photograhs is not permitted.

Doug & Ning at the Three Headed Elephant

The size of the elephant is phenomenal.  If you look closely, you can see the people standing at the base of the building to the lower left in the photo.  On the inside, there are stairs or a lift leading up the rear legs.  The stairs are the small spiral type and the ceiling is very low.  Watch your head on the way up!

Tin Plated Pillar inside the Three Headed Elephant

On the ground floor there are four pillars with tin plated designs.  Each pillar represents one of the four major religions of the world:  Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.  This photo shows one of the pillars going up to the ceiling.  The ceiling is a stained glass window of a world map.  If you could look out of the window you would be looking straight up at the belly of the elephant.

Inside the Three Headed Elephant

Bowls and spoons are some of the things used to decorate the place inside on the main floor. As you can see by the photos, it was very labor intensive to put this together.  The bowls were broken up into pieces and then arranged in patterns.

Inside the Three Headed Elephant

Decorative bowls are visible here

The photo on the left clearly shows the spoons used for the ears on the elephant.  The rest of the elephant was decorated with pieces of broken bowls.

"Stairs to Heaven"

This photo contains the Stairs to Heaven.  If you climb the Stairs to Heaven,  you will arrive on the first landing which has access to the lift of the stairs leading up the inside of the elephant statues rear legs.

"Heaven"

Taken in the belly of the elephant, this photo depicts heaven to the Thai’s.  It is like entering a temple and there are celestial stars painted on the ceiling.

One of several Worship Gardens

Worship Gardens

These photos only give a small sense of the sights to see.  The museum is definitely worth the trip if you ever travel to Bangkok Thailand.