After a 16 hour flight from Toronto through Hong Kong, I arrived in Bangkok to an apartment that I set up last April-May while volunteering at the International Community School. Even though I was in Bangkok for only two months of the 2011 school year, it made it possible for me to learn how to get around the city, airport, neighborhood, not to mention learn the job I start this August.
The apartment I set up is owned by the school and located on campus which makes the daily commute painless: only 2 minutes from apartment door to front door of the school! I’m not sure how long I will stay in this apartment but it definitely makes my first school year in Thailand an easy one without having to locate a place to stay.
My neighborhood also makes things easy for me in that it provides access to modern retail stores like
Index Living Mall (literally across the street) as well as several grocery stores, street markets, restaurants and even a 20-30 acre park! When wanting to venture out of the bubble, taxis are ready to take staff in any direction of the city to other malls, restaurants, parks, churches and countless city attractions.
While researching my new resident city, I learned that Bangkok had different names over the centuries: from
Krung Rattanakosin In Ayothaya during the Siamese dynasty, to a shortened ceremonial name of
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. And thank goodness for this shortened version so residents years back didn’t have to memorize and write the following official city name:
Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.
Can you imagine a city name that is 20 words long? Well, it’s becoming easier all the time to identify the city of Bangkok, especially for airline travelers. So when you book your flight to come visit, simply provide a destination of
BKK and you should arrive here in the land of smiles =)
