Bangkok is a city of contrasts, chaos and constant movement, as well as colorful in many ways.

There is an extreme difference between the rich and the poor. The particularity of this gap is that these two different worlds converge in the same place, and it is not about neighborhoods nor city areas. The two are scrambled together throughout the city without any logical distribution. The best example of this is the department store Siam Center, with the fanciest shops and the wealthiest shoppers, including a car dealer on the third floor where you can buy yourself a brand new Maserati or a Rolls Royce(!). This same luxury department store is next to a bridge that shelters the poorest people of the city. Surprisingly, they apparently coexist in harmony. Like this, the city is full of such clashes.

Life in Bangkok happens on the street– be it eating, shopping, socializing, working, relaxing.. It all takes place outdoors. The city is packed with hundreds of food stops where the Bangkonians cook all day long, there is no street corner or hidden alley where you don’t find a food stop. Sometimes we asked ourselves, how can they make a living from this? There are just so many, and they cook all day long, with or without clients…

It’s impactful how despite the fact that of course modern technology has arrived (internet, phones, nicer cars), traditional habits are preserved and people live as they most likely did several generations ago. The local bus unrestored since the 50s with the driver wearing only socks, the windows without any glass, the metal rusting, the cash lady walking around collecting the 7Baht per person fare (0,25 euros). The local ferry also with a quite an age, crammed with people to occupy every last piece of floorspace and the personnel yelling at the ferry riders to get inside to make more room, even when there is none.. A family of 4 on one scooter, 8-yr-old on the front, dad driving, and mom behind sitting sideways holding their precious 10-month-old baby with one arm as if it was an accessory … all WITHOUT a helmet, and this is not an exaggeration…

The locals are very friendly, however not all speak English. You can’t trust completely their directions or answers, and they will often contradict each other. One says straight ahead and then left, and the other says straight ahead and then right. One says ooo very far, 30 minute, take bus, and the other says, oo yes 15 minutes walking… But hey, that’s the fun of it no? In any case, their kindness and willingness to help makes up for this.

Bangkok is unique, and full of colors, be it vivacious pastels, or dull shades of grey, you can truly appreciate some sort of order within its chaos.