GRIOTS REPUBLIC - An Urban Black Travel Magazine - June 2016

a chapter of the Ramakien – Thailand’s take
on the Hindi epic Ramayana. It highlights the
intersection of Hinduism and Buddhism that
makes up Thai culture. You might even catch
the dance and puppeteering lessons geared
towards the local youth.
If you want to flex your painting skills, you can
sit down in the café and paint a mask. Lastly,
while tour groups do come, Baan Silapin and
Klong Bang Luang is still very much a popular
stop for locals as well. On the days I’ve gone –
only weekends did I see tour groups who were
mostly coming to see the Kham Nai show. On
the weekdays I’ve gone – most visitors were
Thai. Take the day and soak it all in.
It is not uncommon to hear travelers in Thailand
say “If you want to see the real Thailand,
don’t stay in Bangkok – go to Chiang Mai (the
Queen city of the North) or go to Pha Nga province
in the South….or….” If you ask them to explain their
reasoning further, it becomes evident that
they have a very idealized picture of Thailand
– one that only exists in pictures. What they
fail to acknowledge is that Thailand prides itself
in offering the old and the new. Bangkok
exemplifies this contrast and the Klong Bang
Luang community is just one of many examples
throughout the capital city where one can
experience a distinct shift from modernity
amidst the urban jungle. That shift, to me, is
“the real Thailand.”