Thailand
23rd – 27th December 1977
Twenty of us, all living in Dhahran and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia at that time decided that we would spend Christmas and New Year in South East and East Asia. We arranged a trip through the Al-Gosaibi Travel Agency, although we did not realise, we were in fact part of a total group of 90, until we arrived in Bahrain on the first leg of our journey. Our trip took in three cities – Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore – between 23rd December 1977 and 4th January 1978. This article is an amalgam of the recollections of the author, and some of the travellers who penned their own thoughts at the time. Although we were all part of the same group the chaotic travel arrangements surrounding our trip ensured that at times we split into different groups and parties, such that we saw different things or things differently.
Thursday December 22nd
Dhahran to Bangkok via Bahrain
We arrived in Bahrain around 10pm from Dhahran to start our adventure. We made ourselves at home in the airport bar as our flight was not due until 4.30. Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for the bar, our Singapore Airlines flight from Bahrain to Bangkok (SQ44) was not only delayed taking off from Amsterdam, but was also overbooked, a common complaint in the Middle East at that time. When we eventually started to board, we found that the last page of the manifest containing 9 of our party was missing from the checked-in passengers , and the nine empty seats had been allocated to passengers on the waiting list! Even then, when Margaret, one of the lucky ones, got on board, her seat was already occupied! She was sorted out. My entry Visa was stamped 23 Dec 1977, so I must have been in the advance party!
We arrived at Don Mueang, Bangkok’s international airport on December 23rd around 3.15 in the afternoon, a 7hr flight with a 4-hour time difference. Suvarnabhumi Airport was not operational until 2006.
Meanwhile, the remaining 9 were booked onto a Qantas flight which took them to Singapore where they stayed the night, and the next day a Singapore Airlines to Bangkok, via Kuala Lumpur, eventually arriving at our Bangkok hotel on the 24th around lunchtime, their luggage having arrived on time the day before.
Destination Bangkok
Hotel: New Amarin Hotel
204/2 Soi Arun Amarin 49
Arun Amarin Road
Bangyikhan, Bangplud
Bangkok 10700
Friday, December 23rd
Thailand had seen an unstable period of democracy, with military rule reimposed after a bloody coup in 1976, having first been removed in October 1973. Even the new regime proved as unstable as the previous democratic experiment had been, and a coup in March 1977 by one army faction was quickly followed by another coup d’etat staged by a clique of Thai military officers known as the Young Turks in the October before our arrival.
Possibly a little-known fact about Bangkok is that its full ceremonial name is Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit which means in English, “City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest.”
Bangkok was almost the end of the hippie trail for those travelling from Europe and West Asia through Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh to Thailand and on to Indonesia. The trail had virtually died out by the end of the 70s as wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and Islamic revolutions in Iran and Pakistan started to restrict journeys and travellers. Bangkok had also become popular as an R&R destination for Americans fighting in Vietnam. The Serpent, a Netflix drama portrayed a seedier side of Bangkok in a story about Charles Sobhraj who was believed to have killed a number of backpackers on the hippie trail in 1975 and 1976.
Eleven of us spent our first night in our Bangkok hotel and the remaining 9 in an airport hotel at Changi Airport, Singapore, but not before we had checked out the nightlife of Bangkok.
The Grace Hotel was a budget hotel for travellers but was notorious for attracting a lively crowd of hippies, tourists and locals looking for an opportunity to bed down, hook up or deal drugs. On our first night, the bar was a seething mass of people, lots of drink and Donna Summer, Village People, Chic and other popular songs blaring from the jukebox. Oy, a charming Thai girl, somehow became part of our group, and took us into the night to Sukhumvit, Soi Cowboy, and Patpong.
Eventually, tiredness overtook us and bed beckoned. In any case, a curfew was operating in Bangkok due to the political situation and nobody was allowed on the streets between 1am and 4.30.
Saturday, December 24th
Our itineraries were a mixture of organised and optional trips in each place. It was Christmas Eve and there was a planned trip of the city that morning with a free afternoon. Those of us who were already in Bangkok went ahead with the morning tour.
Morning: City Tour
Bangkok even then as now is a large city with very crowded streets and traffic jams. Bangkok's rapid growth with little urban planning had started to create a haphazard cityscape and inadequate infrastructure, and substantial private car usage had led to chronic traffic congestion. I am not sure how our bus driver navigated the traffic, but somehow he did, and our tour took in the main entertainment districts, tourist and shopping areas as well as life on the river.
The Khao San Road had been established in 1892 as a prominent area for trading rice, hence the name khao (rice), but by the late 70s, it had become a haven for foreign backpackers and the hippie trail, and subsequently in the 2000s more fame from the film The Beach.
We drove past Sukhumvit Road, Soi Cowboy, Patpong 1 and 2, the main entertainment districts catering for tourists and expatriates where we had been the night before. The neon lights and go-go bars looked rather different in the daylight! These streets had grown with the arrival of Americans from Vietnam as an R&R stop. In its prime during the 1970s and 1980s, Patpong was the premier nightlife area in Bangkok for foreigners, and was famous for its explicit shows, while Soi Cowboy had mostly go-go bars.
We visited a number of Bangkok's temples, known locally as wats. They were all as spectacular as we expected, with gilded exteriors of gold leaf, mirrored tiles and intricate carvings, and sweeping, curved, multi-tiered roofs with bird-like ornamental finials. Statues, murals and carvings generally adorned the interiors together with flowers and other gifts left by devotees.
Temples tend to follow a similar architectural pattern with several key structures, such as a stupa (chedi) as the formal point for worship; an ordination hall (ubosot) for important religious ceremonies and a library and assembly hall for the monks. Among them:
The Theravada Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit Witthayaram) was originally built during the reign of Rama III 1824-1851 and then rebuilt in the 1930-40s. It is famous for a seated Buddha, in the Maravijaya attitude, officially named Phra Phuttha Maha Suwanna Patimakon. The Buddha was only discovered to have been covered in gold when it was accidentally dropped during a move to a new vihara in 1955. The stucco plaster cracked revealing gold underneath. It is believed that it was covered with the stucco and glass to conceal its true value. It had been like this for nearly 200 years.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram or Wat Phra Kaew ) regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand is located in the historic centre of Bangkok and consists of a number of buildings built in a variety of Thai architectural styles within the grounds of the Grand Palace for specific state, royal and religious ceremonies.
Construction of the temple began in 1783 under Rama I, and each successive king added, restored and embellished the temple during their respective reigns. In addition to sacred and valuable objects donated to the temple by former Kings, its most impressive artefact is the Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaew Morakot) which had been carved from a single block of jade. It had been moved from its former home at Wat Arun in Thonburi to across the river when Rama 1 declared Bangkok the capital of Siam in 1785.
Surrounding the pedestal of the Emerald Buddha, seated in a lotus position, are other Buddha in "calming of the waters" attitude, the most notable being the two to the immediate left and right Phra Phuttha Yotfa Chulalok and Phra Phuttha Loetla Naphalai.
Adjacent to the Grand Palace is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram or Wat Pho). It existed before Bangkok became the capital and is home to the reclining Buddha which is one of the largest single Buddha images at 46m (151 ft) long, as well as more than one thousand Buddha images.
The Wat Pho complex consists of two walled compounds, one containing buildings dedicated to the Buddha and the other the monks’ residences. Within the first are many small chedis, including Phra Chedi Rai which house the ashes of the royal family. A number of large Chinese statues are also found in the complex guarding the gates of the perimeter walls as well as other gates in the compound. These stone statues were originally imported as ballast on ships trading with China.
We returned to the hotel around lunchtime, by which time the others had just arrived and been reunited with their luggage! Some of them took the same morning tour that afternoon.
Afternoon: Sanam Luang (now Chatuchak) Market
As we had a free afternoon, Oy had promised to show us the weekend Market. In 1938, the then Prime Minister decided that every town must have a flea market to make it easier for locals to trade and boost the economy. Although the first market opened in Sanam Luang in 1942, it had moved over the years to Saranrom Palace, Sanam Chai and then back to Sanam Luang. It was only a half an hour walk from the hotel and near the Grand Palace. In 1982 it moved out to Chatuchak where it is now. It was smaller then and more intimate, but it is now the world’s largest weekend market with over 200,000 people visiting 15,000+ stalls offering everything from food to fashion, art to antiques spread across 35 acres every weekend.
Then we saw local foods piled up, exotic animals in cages, fowl and animal cheek by jowl, and Thai artefacts for sale. The aroma of spices mixed with the smell of street food, the sound of humans hustling a living, and animals waiting for their destiny. All markets are a sensory overload and this was no exception.
Evening: A Thai Dinner was on our itinerary for the evening, together with a demonstration of Thai dancing. Although these types of shows are primarily put together for tourists, traditional Thai dancing can be rather captivating, with exquisite gold, silk and embroidered costumes, graceful body movements and melodic and rhythmic musical accompaniment.
The musicians played a mixture of mouth organs, lutes, xylophones, percussion tubes, cymbals, clappers and drums; but what the Thais call khaen, phin, wote, pong land, ching, chap and krap! I can’t remember exactly what we saw, but more than likely it was a mixture of scenes from the Ramayama (Khon), classical and folk dances (Lakhon and Ram Wong) and a religious ritualistic dance (Li-khe). I don’t think we saw any shadow puppetry.
After the show, we introduced the stragglers to the Grace Hotel, and then on to Patpong. Sunday and Christmas Day beckoned and a full-day itinerary with an early morning start at 7am.
Sunday December 25th
Morning: River Trip
A river can often be described as the heartbeat of a city. Bangkok is no exception. In addition to the Chao Phraya River which flows through the city, there are many canals or khlongs, mostly in Thonburi on the west bank, that connect to it. Bangkok was historically known as the “Venice of the East” due to this network of natural waterways that had formed due to the city’s location in a low-lying delta region, and they became the primary means of transportation in the city. Over time, these natural canals were expanded, dredged, and connected to create a comprehensive network of waterways which were used for various purposes, including floating markets, transportation, irrigation, and even sewage disposal. As Bangkok developed, many have been filled for road and housing, but even now there are approximately 1,600 canals totalling 2,600 kms in length.
Our River Trip was scheduled to start early so that it could include both the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and the Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun Ratchawaram).
Our nearest boat pier was the Phra Arthit Pier on the Chao Phraya River for our ride to the Floating Market, a journey of about 1¾ hrs on the Khlong Damnoen Saduak. This khlong, 32 km long and pretty straight, was built on the orders of Rama IV who wanted to link Siam and China. The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market became popular in the early 70s when the river was full of farmers on their boats selling their wares, and our visit was no exception. We were assailed by vendors on small sampans selling fresh produce, local herbs, spices, durian fruits, angosteen, and assorted souvenirs.
Some of us sampled street food cooked by old ladies on their boats, the effect of the culinary experience on our stomachs depending on whether we were suffering from a late night or hungry from an early morning start.
On the way back, we stopped at the Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun Ratchawaram), which despite its name being derived from the Hindu god Aruna is a Buddhist temple. It’s meant to be one of the most stunning temples in Bangkok, not only because of its riverside location on the west (Thonburi) bank of the Chao Phraya River, but also because its main feature is its unusual spire (prang) built in the early C19th, some two centuries after it was first erected, and decorated with porcelain shards.
The picture is of Yaksha and monkey supporting figures decorating the prang. Back to the hotel for lunch, not before spying some mongoose and monkeys on the banks of the khlong.
Afternoon: Cultural Trip
The afternoon itinerary included a trip to Bangkok’s Rose Garden, followed by a traditional Thai Show. The Rose Gardens are spread over 70 acres and are an oasis away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, however, it was disappointing because apart from the fauna and flora, the Gardens were really an excuse for tourists to be hassled to buy Thai crafts, watch Thai sports, handle exotic animals, feed and ride elephants.
Antique Thai houses had been moved to the Gardens from their original locations to give “authenticity” and a little ‘craft village’ had been set up to sell wood carvings, handmade Thai silk, jewellery, and other Thai handicrafts. After a walk around the garden and some shopping – I bought a teak horse and a bamboo hat - we were treated to a cultural show which in 40 minutes gave us a taste of traditional Thai sports - cock fighting, kickboxing, wrestling, armed combat, a wedding ceremony and more dancing.
As we had a little more time to spare, we wandered around and saw weaving demonstrations, water buffalo, elephants rolling logs and monks picking fruit off a tree as well as handling a python and riding an elephant.
Evening: We returned to the hotel, only to have to get ready to go out again. Touring is tough! It was Christmas Day after all. I think we split into different groups. Some of the party went off to a seafood restaurant just off Patpong, apparently shaped like a boat. The meal was, for many, spectacular with crabs, lobsters, shrimps, mussels, clams and other unidentifiable crustacea; but not perhaps as spectacular as the Club they went to afterward.
Meanwhile, Oy had decided to take us to a restaurant where we could eat monkey brains if we so wished. I can’t remember what we ate but I do remember that we were offered monkey brains which we all declined.
We ate quickly and headed back to Patpong, getting back to the hotel just before the curfew started.
Monday, December 26th
This was our first free day and we spent a lot of time in bed recovering from the night before. There had been nothing planned for the day, other than an optional trip to Pattaya but I had decided earlier not to go, as I hadn’t really heard much about Pattaya that made me want to undertake a 4-hour roundtrip.
Morning: Country trip
Some of the group did go and reported that it was a “nice long charabanc ride past the tapioca pudding field.” Recollections of the day differ – one reported “that they had a boat ride across to an island where they were building a holiday village with 18-hole golf course, etc. Quite a pleasant place with a fair smattering of amenities such as a Hobie cat. We took a ride on a glass-bottomed boat to see the coral but that wasn’t too successful. Pattaya struck me as a nice place to have spent a couple of days.” Another reported that “we had a boat trip across to a coral island, where there was nothing to do apart from sunbathe, swim, water ski and diving. Lunch was a plate of prawns and octopus, not at all good.”
After the boat trip, they returned to Pattaya town and did some shopping before the long journey back to Bangkok. At least they saw some of the countryside.
Evening: Meanwhile back in town, we had had a quiet day, recovering from our excesses. I can’t remember what I did on our last night, but 12 of the group went to a dinner show at the Dusit Thani hotel, which had been Thailand’s tallest building when it opened in 1970. The Sandpipers an American easy listening trio were appearing. Their main claim to fame was their cover version of “Guantanamera” in 1966. I could have been among them, but I can’t remember.
Tuesday, December 27th
Bangkok to Hong Kong
Our departure schedule had been changed the day before by our travel agents. There must have been some serious overbooking as we had been split into three groups – the first group in the morning, the second midday, and the last in the afternoon. This affected the whole Group of 90, not just us 20 from Dhahran! Those who had been originally delayed were included in the last group, so that they could make up for the half-day lost due to their late arrival, and some of those who had been too tired to take the revised morning tour took a river trip to see a few more temples and a floating market.
My flight left around 11.30, instead of 16.15. With a flight time of 2.55hr, and a 1-hour difference between Thailand and Hong Kong we arrived around 3.30pm at Kai Tak Airport.
The travellers :
Judy Enright, John Hough, Margaret Renwick, John McNally, Damian Mitchell, Edda Brunelli, Graham Vizor, Sandy Birkett, Robert Huisman, Yvonne Miles, Ray Woods, Susan Sharman, Brian Miles, Chris Makin, Graham Edgson, Martin Rawlings, Richard Thom, Carole Johnson, Nasr Husseini, and Tricia Ryan. Many airport waits.
Images:
Wat Arun in Bangkok 1976 – Gerd Eichmann
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bangkok-Wat_Arun_1976-07-Daemonen-gje.jpg)
Under CC BY-SA 3.0:
All others: Richard Thom
Credits:
John Hough and Margaret Renwick for their recollections.
About the Author
Richard Thom worked in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia between 1976 and 1980 for Aramco’s Internal Audit and Contract Cost Compliance departments, and then in Tokyo, Japan between 1980 and 1983 for Dodwell, a member of the Inchcape Group of companies. During this time, he took a number of trips and has written these articles about them:
Letter from India and Sri Lanka 1976
Letter from India and Nepal 1978
Letter from India and Sikkim 1982
Jimmy Abdul McGregor, and other Stories: Tales from the Yemen
Dhahran to London 1978, a journey in 10 parts
Other articles for AramcoExpats include a review of Not the May Ball 3 in September 2022; a 10- part serialization of the unofficial history of the Dhahran Rugby Union Football Club,
And a look back on life after Aramco “Dance in the Desert”,
Richard has also published Dance into Business A how-to guide for dance students, teachers and professionals wishing to start up a dance studio or go freelance. It is based on his experience as Finance Director for the Royal Academy of Dance where he worked between 1985 – 2015. It contains helpful tips, practical examples, and points to consider whether just starting out or already in business.
It is available from Amazon websites as a printed book, or an e-book priced locally.
