With the internships taking up most of our days, we hadn’t a lot of time to explore the city and enjoy the beautiful culture Bangkok offers. Weekends were the days to explore! So after a long and tiring couple of weeks of working in Bangkok, we decided to have a relaxing weekend in Krabi. Thailand’s oceans and islands were unimaginable. The hot and humid weather in Krabi made the clear blue waters even more inviting than they already were. We spent our time in Krabi exploring the islands, snorkelling, swimming, having Thai BBQ on the beach, and watching the sunset from the boat. The day spent exploring was a great start to the weekend as we met many travellers and people from all around the world who, just like us, were amazed by the beauty of Krabi and were looking for a place to escape for the weekend.
With the weekend gone and as another exciting week began, we had an amazing opportunity to visit the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) office in Bangkok and discuss the NZ exports to Thailand. This conference was an eye-opening and insightful event that many of us found inspiring. We discussed the importance of NZ’s trade here in Bangkok, from goods such as apples and dairy to renewables and film productions. The high respect and image the people of Thailand have of NZ made all of us proud to be the Prime Minister’s scholars representing our country.
While Bangkok is known for its nightlife, amazing bars, and restaurants, there are also many amazing culturally significant spots that were essential for us to visit during our time in Bangkok. We decided to take on our own cultural excursion to visit the Royal Grand Palace, the famous Wat Arun temple, and finish off our Lunar new year’s eve with dinner by the river. Both locations allowed us to experience the culture and learn about Thailand’s history along the way. The grand palace complex consists of royal and throne halls, a number of government offices, and the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. There were many museums, performances, and gardens that could be seen throughout the day as you explored the palace grounds.
Just across the river was Wat Arun, one of Thailand’s most recognised and beautiful temples. Wat Arun is famous for its magnificent 79-meter-high central spire, which with its unique design and fine craftsmanship, is reputed as being Thailand’s Eiffel Tower. The temple was built in memory of the Thai national hero – King Taksin. Its view is even more beautiful at night when it is lit up and seen from afar, making it a perfect view for a riverside dinner.
With an exciting end to the third week in Bangkok, I’m looking forward to seeing what the next five weeks have in store for us as we further explore the culture and life here in Thailand.
See you soon!