Amulet Market

The dense riverside warren of covered stalls took me completely by surprise; it was more Middle Eastern bazaar than backpacker-heavy party district. Avid Thai collectors – predominantly monks, taxi drivers, and those in dangerous professions – painstakingly trawl the endless displays, looking for the amulet most likely to bring them good fortune and protect them from harm. Some of the amulets sport elaborate, bejewelled Buddhist imagery, others carry messages inscribed on tiny tablets carved from plaster, wood, and bone. To Western eyes, there’s little to differentiate them. But to those in the know, some have untold value. Watching the eagle-eyed collectors flicking through vast folders of amulets and haggling over prices was all it took for me to fall in love with this frenetic city.
Of course, Bangkok’s cultural highlights aren’t limited to a few thousand amulets. The city may be most famous for its towering sky bars and relentless energy, but it’s also home to some of the region’s best museums and most ornate temples.
Catching the ferry from Tha Tien Pier across the Chao Phraya River, then dodging the hulking barges slowly hauling their cargo upstream, you edge closer to the imposing 82-meter spire – or prang – of Wat Arun, nicknamed the “Temple of the Dawn.” It’s unlike anything I’d ever seen before.