One night in bangkok…

The rest of the day was an was a fascinating study of ancient and modern Bangkok. After the temple we took a boat to Bangkok’s creative district, a neighborhood of warehouses, on the formerly unfashionable side of the Chao Phraya River, which has gone through an art, food and cultural renaissance converting it into the very hip part of town!

Architect Duangrit Bunnag bought a warehouse in this area and touched it with his art+design culture vision to create The Jam factory which includes offices, shops, a cafe, a gallery and the incredible Never Ending Summer restaurant, which emits a totally modern vibe while maintaining the airy, rustic feeling of the warehouse.

Following lunch we toured the back streets and alleys of the district with a local cultural expert who enlightened us on the heritage of the area, brought us to the most innovative galleries and shops and introduced us to the artisans. I’m sure we barely scratched the surface as to what can be found there, but it was a great overview.

And lots more marigolds!

All too soon it was time to board our taxi to get back to the hotel and prepare for the evening.

Just before sunset we were greeted with glasses of champagne as we boarded The Siam’s beautiful, traditional wooden river boat.

We cruised up the Chao Phraya River, watching the lights come on at all of the important monuments, restaurants and nightspots as the sun set behind the skyline. Here a blurred view of the Wat Arun temple.

We were bound for way to the historic Chakrabongse Villa, built as a retreat from the pressures of the palace for the Prince of Siam and his wife Katya back in 1908.

Today, his grandaughter, Narisa has transformed the villa into a boutique hotel and event space maintaining her passion for Thai art, cusine and culture and her fascinating noble heritage.

I was inspired by the centerpieces which were bowls made of a section of giant bamboo and filled with local products from the jungles and farmlands, pods, roots, berries and leaves each, simple on their own, but combined they created such an artful display of exotic textures, colors and shapes.

Before we dined we had the privilege of meeting with a Thai scholar and member of the Siam Society who shared with us, among other things, the fascinating history and evolution of regality over the years, including this fascinating tale of Katya, the princes wife and how she ended up moving to Portland, Oregon {where I was raised} where she died in 1960 and was then buried in Paris.

Katya and the Prince of Siam

River side Recipes, Thai cooking at the Chakrabongse Villa