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22 Walks in Bangkok: Exploring the City's Historic Back Lanes and Byways, by Kenneth Barrett
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Take a series of unforgettable strolls down the back lanes of historic Bangkok!
Bangkok, Thailand is one of the world's greatest cities and a leading tourist destination, visited by millions each year. But it can be a bewildering place also. First-time visitors, not knowing what to expect, encounter endless boulevards connected by a vast maze of tiny side streets. A stroll down any of these lanes can reveal fascinating surprises—beautiful palaces and mansions, shophouses and shrines, restaurants and markets.
This user-friendly Thailand travel guide helps you discover hidden gems found throughout the city by presenting each neighborhood as a distinct village—explaining how it evolved, and describing its historic landmarks in detail. Travel book author Ken Barrett is a long-time Bangkok resident and experienced journalist, and he introduces the important temples, churches, shrines and mosques in loving detail, sketching their history and distinctive features. The reader is skillfully guided through the old neighborhoods of Bangkok from the center to the periphery, along narrow lanes and byways rarely seen by foreigners.
22 Walks in Bangkok leads the visitor on a unique journey of discovery and enables you to appreciate this fascinating city in new and exciting ways.
- Sales Rank: #559137 in Books
- Published on: 2014-02-18
- Released on: 2014-02-18
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.00" h x .90" w x 5.13" l, .70 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 352 pages
Review
"A long walk in sweltering Bangkok would appear a daft proposition, fit only for mad dogs and Englishmen. And it has taken a knowledgeable and persevering Englishman to piece together not one but 22 splendidly labyrinthine strolls littered with the sort of historical trivia that brings the city's backstreets to life. Barrett's investment in shoe leather has clearly paid off." —Vijay Verghese, editor, SmartTravelAsia.com
"Demonstrating an impressive command of the history of each neighbourhood of the old city of Bangkok at the grassroots level, Kenneth Barrett has written the first book in the English language that really introduces the districts of this culturally and architecturally diverse city. Written in lively prose, 22 Walks in Bangkok is both local history to be read at home, and heritage guide to be clutched in hand while exploring the back lanes of the city on foot." —James Stent, chairman, Siamese Heritage Trust of the Siam Society under Royal Patronage
"The best way to truly get to know this city is on foot, and 22 Walks in Bangkok is a book that opens historical windows to the past…as well as telling how the city has become what it is today. For tourists as well as residents, this publication adds to the store of knowledge about Bangkok and offers a hands-on, foot-down way of getting to know the City of Angels." —Naphalai Areesorn, editor-in-chief, Thailand Tatler
"The metamorphosis of Bangkok from a water town to an overland city in less than three generations left behind a trail of the unexpected and undecided in the urban fabric. Strolling in and out of the alleys of Bangkok with Kenneth Barrett will reveal the unlikely and the co-existence of the opposite in the built forms and lifestyle of the inhabitants." —Sumet Jumsai, architect
"I thought I knew Bangkok but Kenneth Barrett proved me wrong. He's shown me a whole different side to the city that I never knew existed. It's as if you're walking through the city with a friend who has lived there his whole life." —Stephen Leather, author, Private Dancer
"My journalism thesis at university was an attempt to define New York as a multitude of neighborhoods in search of a city. Kenneth Barrett has topped me in doing the same thing for messy Bangkok, a vast sprawl of unfocused energy I had always, until now, considered unwalkable. It takes a photographer's eye to see all that he's found and a writer's skill to share it so engagingly." —Jerry Hopkins, author, Romancing the East
"Did you ever hear of a guidebook that reads like a novel? Well, pick up a copy of 22 Walks in Bangkok and that is what you will find. I couldn't put the book down. The author has a wonderful way of making history come alive." —Harold Stephens, travel correspondent, Thai Airways
"Bangkok has so many sides to it, and yet most visitors only get to see a fraction of what is an absolutely fascinating city. This wonderful book will entice even long-term residents (like myself) to leave their cars behind and discover all kinds of curiosities and hidden attractions." —Colin Hastings, publisher, The BigChilli
About the Author
Kenneth Barrett has been a journalist for his entire career—at various times specializing in travel, food, media criticism, humor, business and industry. He has edited numerous magazines and business newspapers and is also a photographer who has been on assignment to over 60 countries, predominantly in Asia but also to parts of the Middle East and South America.
An interview with author Kenneth Barrett
Q: Hi Ken. Congratulations on your recent publication, 22 Walks in Bangkok: Exploring the City's Historic Back Lanes and Byways. Before getting in to the details of the book, please tell us a little about yourself and how you got interested in Bangkok.
A: I was a journalist and editor working out of London and covering the Middle East. When the company I worked for set up a new division covering Southeast Asia, they put me in charge of editorial. I had never set foot in the region before, and it changed my life. It seemed like a different world—so full of colour and action, and always with a feeling of adventure in the air. Later, another company offered me a contract in Bangkok, and I moved here for two years before going on to Singapore, and then to Hong Kong. Eventually I returned to Bangkok.
I have always felt particularly attracted to Bangkok because it seems to represent the East: to me, there has always been something mysterious about the city, a mystique that cannot quite be grasped.
Q: Why did you write this? And, what makes it different from guidebooks already on the market?
A: Bangkok is a difficult city to understand. To anyone arriving here for the first time, it is an immense sprawl, and probably not what they were expecting. Tourists will be taken to the big set-piece sights, but many of the most intriguing places are tucked away, and not easily found. The guidebooks will only give an outline to the main sites, and there really isn't much information on the city that is easily available. There is nothing that brings the city to life by explaining how it was formed and built, and by describing people and events that place the historic districts and buildings into context. This is my own personal interest and so I put everything into the research, which wasn't easy because the information is so fragmented. Ultimately, it came down to shoe leather— walking the districts.
The walks in general follow the chronological order in which the city was built, to make the whole place easier to understand. The walks themselves are linear, but they are not walking-by-numbers in style. The style is more of an exploration guide.
Q: Is this book intended for first time visitors or for those that frequent Bangkok?
A: Both! First-time visitors will find walks that take them around the big landmarks, putting the places into historical context. There are also walks that will take visitors along the old moat, or into specific areas of Chinatown—interesting places and easy walks that anyone will enjoy, even when their time is limited. For frequent visitors, or those living here, the book will prove an in-depth guide to areas that are full of historic interest but are more obscure, such as the old harbour district, or Bang Krachao, a jungled island in the middle of the city that few people know about.
Q: This book contains 22 places to visit. Of those, which is your favorite? Why?
A: I would say Walk 6, along the inner moat. The way is surprisingly peaceful, with the canal clean and quiet, and big shade trees overhanging the water. The historic sites are beautiful, and full of interest. And it's not a long walk— two hours at an easy stroll.
Q: Did you learn anything while compiling the text that was surprising or new to you?
A: I kept unearthing fascinating little stories! I would find a name or a vague mention of an event, and following it up would come upon something that was completely new. Or I would follow a path or an alley, and find a mansion, or a temple, or a neighbourhood that was unknown to me.
Amongst my favourites: Wat Kanikapon, built by a Chinatown madame, its windows and doors decorated by stylised wooden curtains; the Christian villages founded by Khmers and Vietnamese at Samsen Road; a Japanese temple tucked into the compound of Wat Liab, which has a colourful history; the royal execution stone at Wat Sampeng, and its grim history; the Temple of the Angels, the only temple in Thailand honouring bhikkhunis, or female monks; the mysterious structure outside the British Embassy, which is actually an old boundary marker and led to the story of a most interesting man; and the image of footballer David Beckham, who appears as one of the deities at the foot of the Buddha image at Wat Pariwat.
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Good writing, horrible editing
By Amazon Customer
First off, I think this book caters more to Bangkok residents and/or history buffs. I have the feeling the casual reader will not enjoy this book that much. Since I am both the book is in principal perfect for me and I enjoyed reading the book very much! I actually thought the narrative was brilliant since I was captivated as if I were reading a novel. So why do I give this book only three stars? Well, the problem are the inconsistency what is depicted on the maps and what is written in the text. In Part I (Thonburi) everything is still fine: The text describes the points of interest on the map in numerical order and the points of interest are laid out in the form of a walking tour. I have no problem that the points of interest are not connected, since everybody who lives in Bangkok knows how difficult it is to describe how to find your way through those back alleys etc. However, somewhere in the middle of Part II (Bangkok) all the organization falls apart: The narrative doesn't follow the numerical order of the points of interest on the map any longer, Also, the points of interest don't seem to follow a walking tour any longer. There are points of interest that are not mentioned in the text and other buildings are explained in the text that can not be found on the map... it is a really frustrating experience. My feeling, however, is that this is not Kenneth Barrett's fault, but somehow this "scrambling" happened in the editorial process. As I said: Beautiful written, interesting storyline, but as a walking guide in parts either unusable or it needs thorough preparation and a good map beyond what the book has to offer. Another complaint is that the b/w photos in this book simply look horrible. It seems somebody was trying to increase the visibility by enhancing the contrast, but now they resemble a big mess with a certain (bad) HDR quality to them. Thankfully, the color photos are unaffected and very nice to look at.
Unfortunately, I can give only give three stars, BUT the book has the potential to be worthy of five stars with some editing of the maps and the photos. If you are only interested in the narrative - highly recommended.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Better Read Than Walked
By Fred Armentrout
This has both the strengths and weaknesses of using "old hand" authors. Sorting this confusing city into district walks, measured mostly in 1-3 hour unhurried modules, shows the insight only an old hand would have. Bangkok is a hot and humid, crowded and confusing place. Small excursions are far preferable to grand tours here.
And only an old hand would have taken the hours to scan old newspaper reports about what are now arcane events, for the sake of the curious back-stories of notable people and places, and accuracy in describing the large local significance of small landmarks.
It takes an experienced writer to weave so much cultural and historical information into the casual patter of a guidebook and, in key senses, that's its limitation -- it's a great read in need of street sense.
Why? Maps without cross-referencing to text eliminates both's value as guides. That may be the publisher's fault, but it limits the book to being a reader's rather than walker's guide. The book's maps are merely place markers, without reference to or within the text. That said, it will make a good companion to the maps adventurous travelers may have to purchase separately to make any street sense of these walks.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Brilliant intro to Bangkok
By Derek
I bought this book for my first visit to Bangkok and read most of it as a travelogue before I even arrived - and I'm glad I did! Ken Barrett obviously has a great love for the city and his research is obviously based on many years walking its streets as well as reading its history. Possibly it might have benefited by having the numbers on the maps repeated in the body of the text, but this isn't your Lonely Planet style of guide (thankfully!) where those who simply want to see the 'hot spots' are led by the hand, (and I suspect the person who said that it needed dotted lines is exactly one of those), but a tantalizing wander through places you might never visit, backed up with anecdotes (many of them pleasantly tongue-in-cheek) and excellent information. Does it really matter if you get a bit lost occasionally (which I did), because the maps are perfectly good enough to get you back on track, and often getting lost lets you make your own discoveries. I highly recommend buying this book before you arrive as a major appetite whetter.
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