Joel Selway

The Black Journal of Luang Prabang

The ferry began its familiar docking ritual into Tha Chang, the historic “Elephant Terminal” that sits adjacent to Bangkok’s Grand Palace. The smell of exhaust fumes from the rickety vessel’s gas engine mixed with the waft of street food stalls emerging from the nearby alleyway. My morning boat ride down the Chao Praya River, the River of Kings, was a veritable feast for the eyes. Wealthy condominiums of Thailand’s Nouveau Riche sat next to 100-year old wooden stilt homes that look ready to collapse into the water at any moment. Temples from various periods of Thailand’s history line the river, revealing its long and glorious history as the Kingdom of Siam. After a month of PhD field research in Thailand, I had yet to grow tired of these sights.