2011，2019泰國
舊城區：大皇宮（套票含玉佛寺、大皇宫、柚木宫（500泰銖）
臥佛寺(Wat Pho), (金佛寺車站（MRT Hua Lamphong Station) 四面佛 (Phra Phrom/Erawan Shrine)
恰圖恰區：恰圖恰市集(Chatuchak weekend market)、近郊：安帕瓦水上市場（Floating Market）丹能莎朵水上市場、Siam Square One 暹羅廣場 鄭王廟、考山路(Khao San Road)
昭披耶河水畔： 鄭王廟（Wat Arun）大城遺址公園 (Ayutthaya Historical Park)河濱碼頭夜市 (ASIATIQUE The Riverfront) 水門市場、七珍佛山
芭達雅
普吉島
Thailand: A Journey through Golden Temples and Southern Seas
泰國之旅：金色寺廟、湄南河與南方海島
Thailand greeted us with fierce tropical sunlight, the fragrance of jasmine, the glitter of golden temples, and the gentle greeting of sawasdee（薩瓦迪／您好）. In this country, devotion and pleasure seemed to live side by side: monks walked barefoot at dawn, market vendors called beneath colourful awnings, and the evening streets awakened beneath neon lights.
Bangkok Old Town（曼谷舊城區）
Our journey began in the historic heart of Bangkok, at the magnificent Grand Palace（大皇宮）. Beneath the blazing sun, its gilded roofs and soaring spires shimmered like flames against the deep-blue sky. The dazzling mosaics, guardian giants and mythical creatures seemed to have stepped out of an ancient Siamese legend.
The admission ticket, then costing about 500 Thai baht（五百泰銖）, included several royal attractions: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha（玉佛寺）, the Grand Palace（大皇宮）, and the graceful Vimanmek Teak Mansion（柚木宮）.
Inside Wat Phra Kaew（玉佛寺）, the revered Emerald Buddha（翡翠玉佛） sat high above the worshippers. Though the statue itself was not large, the silence surrounding it gave the sanctuary an extraordinary dignity. Visitors lowered their voices instinctively, while lotus buds, incense and golden offerings filled the hall with devotion.
Nearby, the enormous reclining Buddha of Wat Pho（臥佛寺） rested in serene splendour. Its golden body appeared too immense for the temple that contained it, while the soles of its feet were decorated with intricate mother-of-pearl symbols. Rows of metal bowls rang softly as visitors dropped coins into them, each sound carrying a small prayer for good fortune.
Wat Pho was also one of the traditional centres of Thai massage（泰式按摩）. Bangkok’s heat could be exhausting, so whenever there was a little spare time, we escaped into a quiet massage room. The therapist pressed, stretched and gently twisted the body, awakening muscles we had almost forgotten existed. After an hour, the weariness of travel seemed to dissolve, and we stepped back into the heat with lighter feet.
At Wat Traimit（金佛寺）, near MRT Hua Lamphong Station（華藍蓬地鐵站）, we saw the celebrated Golden Buddha（金佛）, made of solid gold. For centuries it had been covered with plaster, concealing its true value from invading armies. Only when the outer covering accidentally cracked was the golden statue rediscovered—a reminder that genuine worth may sometimes remain hidden beneath an ordinary appearance.
We also visited the lively Erawan Shrine（四面佛）, dedicated to Phra Phrom（梵天／四面佛）. Though surrounded by traffic, hotels and shopping malls, it remained an island of incense and prayer. Worshippers offered flowers and lit incense, while traditionally dressed dancers performed in gratitude for wishes believed to have been fulfilled.
Beneath the Banyan Tree（悅榕樹下）
We stayed at the elegant Banyan Tree Hotel（悅榕莊酒店）, whose name evokes the shade and shelter of the tropical banyan tree. High above the crowded streets, Bangkok became a sea of lights stretching toward the horizon.
The weather was intensely hot, yet the heat encouraged us to slow down and experience Thailand in another way. We lingered over fragrant tom yum soup（冬蔭功湯）, creamy green curry, spicy papaya salad, and sweet mango sticky rice（芒果糯米飯）. In Thailand, food was not merely something to eat; it was an orchestration of sweetness, sourness, salt, spice and fragrance.
The Chao Phraya River（昭披耶河／湄南河）
The Chao Phraya River（昭披耶河） flowed through Bangkok like a broad brown ribbon, carrying ferries, long-tail boats, commuters and memories of old Siam.
Across the water rose Wat Arun（鄭王廟／黎明寺）, its porcelain-covered central tower glowing in the sunlight. Seen from the river, it appeared almost weightless, as though it might rise with the morning mist. At sunset, its silhouette darkened against the orange sky, becoming one of Bangkok’s most unforgettable images.
In the evening, we visited ASIATIQUE The Riverfront（河濱碼頭夜市）, where restored warehouses had become restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. The river breeze softened the tropical heat; music drifted through the night, and the illuminated Ferris wheel turned slowly above the waterfront.
At the colourful Pratunam Market（水門市場）, clothes, fabrics, shoes and accessories filled one narrow passage after another. Bargaining was part of the pleasure, though the market itself—with its noise, colours and ceaseless movement—was often more memorable than anything we bought.
Markets and Modern Bangkok（市集與現代曼谷）
At Chatuchak Weekend Market（恰圖恰週末市集）, Bangkok seemed to gather the entire world into one enormous maze. There were Thai handicrafts, clothing, ceramics, antiques, plants, paintings, pets and innumerable food stalls. We wandered until we no longer knew which entrance we had used, guided only by curiosity and the aromas of grilled meat, coconut milk and tropical fruit.
Modern Bangkok revealed itself at Siam Square One（暹羅廣場一號） and the surrounding Siam shopping district. Elevated trains passed overhead while young people moved between cafés, cinemas and brightly illuminated malls. Here, old Siam met the restless energy of contemporary Asia.
By contrast, Khao San Road（考山路） belonged to backpackers and night wanderers. Guesthouses, bars, travel agencies, food carts and massage shops competed for attention. Music poured from open doorways, vendors sold fried insects as daring snacks, and travellers from many nations exchanged stories beneath the tropical night.
The Floating Markets（水上市場）
Beyond central Bangkok, we visited the famous floating markets. At Damnoen Saduak Floating Market（丹能莎朵水上市場）, narrow boats crowded the canals. Vendors wearing broad straw hats sold mangoes, coconuts, bananas, flowers, noodles and souvenirs directly from their boats.
The canals were filled with colour and motion. Paddles struck the water, boats gently collided, and bargaining travelled from one side of the canal to the other. Though the market had become popular with visitors, it still offered a vivid impression of the waterborne life that once shaped central Thailand.
The atmosphere at Amphawa Floating Market（安帕瓦水上市場） was more relaxed, especially toward evening. Wooden houses stood beside the canal, seafood grilled over glowing charcoal, and small boats drifted beneath the lights. As darkness descended, the canal reflected lanterns and shop signs like trembling ribbons of gold.
Ayutthaya: The Fallen Capital（大城：傾圮的古都）
A journey north brought us to Ayutthaya Historical Park（大城歷史遺址公園）, the remains of the former Siamese capital. Once one of Asia’s most prosperous cities, Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese army in 1767.
Broken stupas, roofless monasteries and rows of weathered Buddha statues stood quietly beneath the sun. At Wat Mahathat（瑪哈泰寺）, the famous stone head of the Buddha rested among the roots of a bodhi tree. The roots did not seem to imprison it; rather, they appeared to protect it, allowing nature to embrace what history had left behind.
Walking through Ayutthaya, we felt the melancholy of vanished splendour. Kingdoms rise, armies conquer, and palaces disappear, but a Buddha’s quiet face may remain among the roots, still offering peace to those who stop and look.
Pattaya（芭達雅）
South of Bangkok lay Pattaya（芭達雅）, a city of beaches, nightlife and exuberant entertainment. During the day, speedboats crossed the bright water, carrying visitors toward nearby islands. At night, neon lights transformed the streets into a restless theatre.
We watched a celebrated ladyboy cabaret show（人妖歌舞秀）, one of Pattaya’s best-known attractions. The performance was glamorous rather than improper: elaborate costumes, dazzling stage sets, skilful dancing and carefully choreographed music created a colourful celebration of performance and identity.
Nearby stood Khao Chi Chan（七珍佛山）, where an enormous golden image of the Buddha had been outlined upon the face of a limestone mountain. Against the green landscape, the seated Buddha appeared both monumental and serene, watching silently over the countryside.
Pattaya contained striking contrasts—temples and nightclubs, quiet beaches and crowded entertainment districts. It was another face of Thailand: less solemn than Bangkok’s temples, but equally alive.
Phuket and the Shadow of the Tsunami（普吉島與海嘯的陰影）
Farther south, Phuket（普吉島） opened toward the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea. Palm trees leaned over pale beaches, limestone islands rose from emerald water, and fishing boats rested in sheltered bays.
This region had suffered deeply during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami（2004年南亞大海嘯）. In the period after the disaster, many international travellers stayed away, and hotels, beaches and restaurants were unusually quiet. Tourism had not yet fully recovered, and behind the island’s beauty lingered memories of sudden destruction and lives lost.
It was mainly Phuket（普吉島） and Thailand’s Andaman coast—not Bali（峇里島）—that were severely struck by that tsunami. Bali also experienced fewer visitors because fear spread throughout the region, but it did not suffer the same direct devastation as Phuket.
The quietness gave our stay a strange poignancy. Beaches that should have been crowded felt almost private. We swam in warm water, took boats toward offshore islands, watched the sun descend behind the Andaman Sea, and enjoyed seafood beside an unusually silent shore.
We could snorkel among tropical fish, explore limestone caves, cruise through Phang Nga Bay（攀牙灣）, or visit the dramatic islands around Phi Phi（皮皮島）. Yet even in paradise, the sea commanded respect. It could be blue and tender in the morning, then become unimaginably powerful without warning.
A Land of Many Faces（千面之國）
Thailand gave us many different worlds within a single journey: the golden solemnity of the Grand Palace（大皇宮）, the spiritual calm of Wat Pho（臥佛寺）, the river light surrounding Wat Arun（鄭王廟）, and the ancient sorrow of Ayutthaya（大城）.
We experienced the crowded wonder of Chatuchak Market（恰圖恰市集）, the floating life of Damnoen Saduak（丹能莎朵） and Amphawa（安帕瓦）, the brilliant nightlife of Pattaya（芭達雅）, and the wounded but enduring beauty of Phuket（普吉島）.
Above all, Thailand taught us the art of graceful contrast. Beneath the fierce sun, people smiled gently. Beside noisy traffic, worshippers knelt in silence. Beyond the glittering shows and luxurious hotels stood ancient temples, ruined capitals and a sea that still carried memories of tragedy.
When we finally departed, what remained was not merely a collection of famous sights, but a lingering harmony of temple bells, river breezes, fragrant food and tropical light—a journey through a country where even the busiest street seemed to whisper:
Mai pen rai（不要緊，一切都會過去）.
