Visiting Parliament

I recently teased with my family members that I have been to more government buildings in foreign countries than I have in my own, as I have also visited the Reichstag in Germany but saw the Capitol building only from a distance when on vacation in Washington D.C. The Parliament in Bangkok isn't so much a tourist attraction, but as international students it was important for us to visit in order to better understand the politics of the country we had been living in for the last three months.

Thailand transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in the 1930s, asking the king to abdicate his power and changing the name of the country from Siam to Thailand. As a result, Thailand is still getting used to being a democracy and to put it lightly, things have been a little trial and error. There have been eighteen constitutions thus far and a great deal of pushing and pulling back and forth between leaders and ideologies as a result. We visited first with a deputy speaker of Parliament, who spoke to the importance of maintaining a neutral stance in his position in an attempt to appease all sides.

Next we met with the former prime minister of Thailand, who was very charismatic but controversial. He spoke to the importance of voters and having elected (rather than appointed) leaders so that Thailand is ideally a "by the people, for the people" nation. Objectively looking at the current political climate, however, it is obvious that there is still a ways to go on this front. Though one could argue that no country has gotten it perfect yet. I certainly could file some grievances with my own government on some issues, but ultimately experiences like these are personal for me because it reminds me to take my citizenship into my own hands and stay informed and use my vote wisely.

We were warmly welcomed by the Thai Parliament and posed for many group pictures as well as were invited to sit in on an actual meeting, although it was all in Thai. Another highlight was visiting the museum where we got to get up close and personal with the various Thai constitutions and other important original documents! I was amazed because the U.S. equivalents are carefully protected in dark rooms behind bulletproof glass with several sinister security guards around to make sure the tourists keep shuffling past. Someone pointed out that there is quite the age difference in these documents, and the Thai Parliament isn't quite as touristy as the Declaration of Independence.

Our next stop was at the Anata Samakhorn Throne Hall, which used to serve as the Parliament building before it moved to its current location (and it's planning on moving again into a newly built place). Now this throne hall is a beautiful museum with so much art given in homage to the members of the royal family. The building itself is stunning, done up in the Italian architectural style.

Again I am the victim of a "no photos allowed" rule, because the inside was absolutely incredible. The frescoes on the ceiling and the marble interior was amazing in and of themselves, but the true marvel was with the various artisans' gifts that are housed there. Thrones, palanquins, and models of royal barges were made of intricate gold  and inlaid with precious gems. I could have stared at the scenes depicted in huge wood carvings forever. Massive embroidered tapestries showed famous stories and were made with every color of the rainbow and then some. I regretted running out of time before I could truly appreciate the collections of dishes, porcelain, and smaller embroidered pieces that were housed downstairs. The Throne Hall is a definite must-see for anyone visiting Bangkok.

Our final stop was at a famous monument of a king astride his steed in front of the Throne Hall. It is placed next to a medallion, small in comparison, inlaid in the pavement as an homage to democracy. The professors summed up that it represented Thailand's politics well: the monarchy is still the most revered, and even if it no longer has as much political power over the people, it's ideological power is as strong as ever.

That basically concludes our trip to Bangkok! We stayed up late to pay an informed visit to the red light district of Bangkok, but I didn't stay long, preferring instead to hang out with friends in the hotel and swap riddles. The next day we were back on the road, doing the long haul all the way back to Chiang Mai. I was glad to have the whole weekend in front of me, and was a weekend it was, as it was time for the famous Loi Krathrong festival!