Thailand Part 2: TCDC / Khao Thom Bowon Porridge / Khao San Road

Bangkok is not only about shopping malls. Right in the Emporium, there is a design library named Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) which provides Thai people and foreigners with an opportunity to experience and absorb of new creativities by learning from success and achievement of all famous artists and designers worldwide.

 

The Permanent Exhibition and Temporary Exhibition is Free admission but you have to pay if you want to go TCDC Resource Center or Material ConneXion® Bangkok.

TCDC Resource Center has a wide range of books, journals, magazines, and comprehensive design databases. Material ConneXion® Bangkok looks to explore design materials and learn how to use them effectively.

TCDC Resource Center and Material ConneXion® Bangkok are only open to members. For non-member TCDC offers One Day Pass Service. Just bring your passport and register at Info Guru Counter. Limited to one trial per person.

“What is Design?” exhibition looks at how ten countries: England, Italy, France, Germany, USA, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Japan and Brazil, have each interpreted their cultural uniqueness into 20th century industrial design classics and explores the “genius loci” of industrial design in Thailand.

The Campana brothers have won worldwide attention for designs that combine creative use of common, often found materials and themes derived from Brazilian street culture. In this chair, they substitute our usual leather / wood / cloth for plastic tubings.

Thomas Burberry invented a way of treating cottem to make it strong, waterproof, lightweight and impervious to heat and cold. He patened this “gabardine” cloth in 1879 and used it for this famous Burberry raincoat.

During WW1, the Burberry raincoat was redesigned for military use. It was dubbed the “trench coat” by solders in the trenches.

Here is a timeline for some of the famous products in the world. Eg, the first Nokia phone (8110) was created in 1996, Hello Kitty was created in 1974, Prada Nylon backpack was created in 1990 etc…

This is the Namecard Wall where designers will exchange namecards.

 

That’s us after the trip!

TCDC

Address: 6th Fl. ( Opposite SFX cinema), The Emporium Shopping Complex

Opening Hours: 10.30 a.m. – 9.00 p.m.

Tel: 02 664 8448 ext. 213, 214

After the trip to TCDC, we went for supper at Khao Thom Bowon, which is just across Wat Bowonniwet temple.

 

 Big fresh prawns were steamed with green chilli, lime and garlic (120 baht).

 

There is also Chilli Clams (100 Baht).

 

Pan fried taiwanese sausages or Lup Cheong (100 baht) are so sweet! 

 

 The Cai Poh Eggs (80 baht) are so sweet!

 

The specialty of this restaurant is Pig’s Intestines and Zhu Jiao (80 baht). The intestines are washed cleanly and it literally melts in your mouth. 

 

And there is fresh water fish (150 baht) which is like sardines, can eat the bones too!

 

Kang Kong with Roast Meat (100 baht)

 

 MUST TRY in this porridge stall is the homemade D24 Durian ice cream (20 baht)!

Khao Thom Bowon

Address:Wat Bowonniwet temple

Opening Hours: 4pm – 2am

 

After supper, we walked around Khaosan Road which is located in the Banglamphu area of (Phra Nakhon district).

 

Khaosan Road has developed into a world famous “backpacker ghetto”. It offers cheap accommodation, ranging from ‘mattress in a box’ style hotels to reasonably priced 3-star hotels.

Khaosan shops sell handcrafts, paintings, clothes, pirated CDs, DVDs, and second-hand books, plus many useful backpacker items. There are also several pubs and bars and you can also eat lotsa local street food!

Stay tune for Part 3!