Thonglor Soi 10

This afternoon, I went to check out the sales that the City of Bangkok had organized at Thonglor Soi 10 to help merchants from Siam square affected by recent events. It was a large shopping event, though on a smaller scale than the one at Silom Road.

I got off the skytrain at Thonglor and walked to the free shuttle bus stop. People gathered around the stop, waiting for the little red buses to come. In the meanwhile, zillions of motorcycle taxis rushed in and out sending off those who couldn't be bothered to wait. It was crowded and hectic.

When the little red bus arrived, everyone rushed in and filled it up to its full capacity. There was no space left unfilled. The bus was like a little red sardine can filled with sardines all packed up close together. The bus zig-zagged in and out amongst the small streets of Thonglor, passing a beautiful Chinese styled home, the Embassy of Kenya, a delicious fondue restaurant called Andaman, before finally arriving at the site of the sale.

There were so many stalls selling beautiful clothing at wonderful discount prices. Some sold accessories, vintage styled t-shirts, jackets, shoes, bags, etc... It was a feast to the eyes. People shopped left and right.

While shopping though, there were some sad reminders of why these clothes were on sale. At one particular store, as you rummaged through the clothing, you could still smell the smoke from the fires that encompassed many shops in Siam Square. At first, I thought it was just the smell of fabric, like that at a fabric store, but people around me said it was not so. I picked up a piece of clothing to my nose, and found it to distinctly smell of smoke. A sad reminder indeed of why everyone was out there selling beautiful clothing in the hot, humid sun.

Nevertheless, seeing all the support from everyone in Bangkok, I think this weekend lots of money had been spent. Everyone was out of their homes and spending, shopping, and helping each other revive and heal the wounds. Lets hope we all continue to help each other!