Not that diary

There is the Bangkok that millions of visitors experience - ancient temples, the Grand Palace by the Chao Praya river, towering skyscrapers in Sukhumvit and alluring shopping malls that are designed in a manner that ensures swift entry and an almost impossible exit. The other Bangkok is a forgotten city of the past that thrived along its canal routes.  The modernisation of the 1960s led to a rapidly expanding road network some of which was built over long-used waterways. Slowly homes, offices, shops and much of the city's activity shifted along local and arterial roads.  Fortunately, some canals remained and others are being restored. Today life along the canal or 'khlong' displays a unique character. Modest, low-rise developments are interspersed with historic buildings and local buddhist temples.  Let's start with Pratunam Pier along Saen Saep canal. This is a major interchange that connects a few canal lines and is close to a large shopping district and a popular nig...

One of the unmeasurable joys of being in a tropical country is the variety of fruits and vegetables on offer. Long before national governments began to persuade us to have our ' 5 A Day ', both my grandmothers, several aunties, and of course my parents were already on the case. Thailand is indeed a delight for fruit-lovers. As a vegetarian I live by one simple mantra: to try each and every type of fruit, vegetable and edible plant that is available in my geography. Having spent a significant part of my life in India, I reckoned there would be little to surprise me in Southeast Asia. How mistaken I was! Perhaps it was a consequence of growing up in north India. It is entirely possible that the fruit and veg (F&V) that I consider exotic in Thailand has long existed in some parts of the Indian sub-continent.   During my first few months in Bangkok, each visit to the F&V section of a supermarket revealed at least one new thing I had never set my eyes upon before. After exci...

On a cold January morning, by the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, I ushered in 2024 with my family. Back in Delhi, the smog showed little sign of receding. Through the smoky and dust-hued sky, we occasionally witnessed shards of sunlight, a reminder that our planet's bright star has not abandoned us just yet. Fortunately for me, a new adventure awaited. Before the month was over, I had landed about 3000 km east of India in Thailand. Upon alighting from the plane, my jacket was promptly stuffed at the bottom of the suitcase. Within 24 hours I was hitting the shops to buy t-shirts. Because, as everyone knows, you can never have enough t-shirts in a hot and humid country. Over the last few months I have been serenading my social circle with a Whats App-based photo journal. It is finally time to do the proper thing, which is to pen down my experiences for immortality (or till robots take over the earth). I had been to Bangkok several times before as a tourist. H...

Hmmm. So what exactly is Cat Hair Design? I never found out really. But this little place does more than feline hair styles. It also offers a hair cut, shampoo, blow-dry, hair colouring, pedicure, manicure and waxing. And it is located right at the entrance of a BTS Skytrain station in central Bangkok. Why hasnt anyone else thought of this idea?! Going out into town for the evening? Just pop in and get a shampoo-blow dry and a nice manicure. Had a difficult day at work- just pop in for a relaxing facial massage on the way home. Or maybe all you wish for is a quick wax and pedicure. And why not, after all Bangkok does have the perfect weather for skirts and shorts, a fact which has not escaped the smartly dressed local women. Okay, so the red painted plastic walls are a tad tacky and there is limited privacy but still the concept is cool. Here's hoping another city picks up on this soon. London Underground- are you listening?

It's always amusing how the English language gets localised in various parts of the world. Over the years I've seen the Indian version, or specifically the north Indian 'Hinglish' version. On my trip to Thailand and Cambodia there was a South east Asian angle to shop names, slogans and signs. First the well-meaning but slightly cheesy ones. This was a home furnishings shop at Paseo mall, not far from Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. If you are concerned about your health, fruit always helps. The first cart below has some 'fruit for healthy'. In Cambodia, wandering down the temples of Angkor Wat, the signs often forewarned us of an impending activity:   And in some places they told us how to visit: To cater to Japanese tourists, restaurants in Siem Reap tell them who's the boss: But this is what we loved the most- rumoured to be one of the oldest pubs in the Old Market area of Siem Reap city. Have not been able to confirm, but ...

Over the last few days, my travels in Cambodia and Thailand revealed how much the London Underground is loved. In Siem Reap , Cambodia I spotted a map titled 'Angkorground' showing the location of the ancient temples along with Siem Reap' s International airport and the city centre. The poor picture quality is completely my fault as I was worried the saleslady would protest at me being camera-trigger happy around her shop. This along with other interesting maps, t-shirts, bags and mugs with witty one-liners are for sale at a shop on Alley West (near the Old Market) in Siem Reap's town centre . Yesterday I was back in Bangkok to catch my flight to London. With several hours to spare, we hit a local shopping area near Suvarnabhumi Airport (Lat Krabang). I spotted this pink shirt at the evening bazaar outside Paseo Mall. Indeed, why not visit London!                      ...