Bangkok Reads

In an effort to promote more reading among Thais, last year the government launched a campaign called "Bangkok Read for Life". As part of the scheme, book holders like this one were distributed to taxi drivers to strap to the back of their car seats. The goal is to increase the average number of books read per person per year from five to twenty. If everyone in Thailand would read my book, Thai Taxi Talismans, the average would go up just a bit.

Angry Cabby

Today in the taxi, one of the first things that I noticed was the Angry Birds sticker on the taxi meter. I assumed that the taxi driver is addicted to this video game just like millions of others around the globe. So, I turned and asked him how often he plays the game, but to my surprise, he scowled at me and didn't utter a word. Maybe he, himself, is an angry bird.

Happy Lotuses

Thais, in general, can be quite resourceful. I love how the cabby created a lotus pond out of ribbons around the image of the Buddha. Either that or the driver just opened his birthday gifts.

Enter the Dragon

Dragons can be spotted on the side of some Bangkok taxis as a company logo and inside the cabs as symbolic decorative elements. Considering that this is the Chinese year of the dragon, you'll most likely be seeing even more of this fire-breathing creature around. Happy Dragon Year!

Changeless Cabbies

I'll never understand why a majority of Bangkok cabbies don't carry change with them. It seems like having petty cash on hand would be a requirement of the job. Normally, I don't think much about it, but today in the taxi I didn't have any smaller bills with me. Fortunately, the driver had a few extra twenty baht bills on the dashboard that he could use as change. Or so I thought. It turns out that the money was reserved as an offering to the gods. So, I ended up paying an additional forty baht for the ride. Apparently, this is how the driver collects his "offerings".

Too Bad for Brad

If Brad Pitt were Asian with a dark complexion, had jet black hair, looked about fifty-five years old, and drove a taxi in Bangkok, the cabby with this sticker in the rear passenger window would look exactly like him.

Taxi Beats

With a sizable jury-rigged sound system in the back of the taxi, I was anticipating cruising around the streets of Bangkok with the windows rolled down and the speakers thumping. But rather than putting on some rap with heavy bass, the cabby popped in the Carpenters Greatest Hits CD.

Number One

There are some English words and phrases that everyone in Thailand knows regardless of their level of English-speaking ability. One of those phrases is "number one". Today, when I noticed that the identification plate on the taxi's rear door included a one, I asked the cabby how he received such an auspicious number. He replied, "I am number one taxi driver in Thailand".

Happy Holidays

"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky" - The Buddha

Miracle Buddha

Perhaps the most common Buddha image in Bangkok taxis is this one: Luang Phor Sothorn. This is obviously a reproduction, but the original one is believed to hold miraculous powers. In 1767 AD, the Buddha sculpture escaped the burning capital city of Ayutthaya and was swept downstream to Chachoengsao Province southeast of Bangkok where it was rescued by locals who tied a string around it and reeled it in. Today, many Bangkok taxi drivers make regular pilgrimages to the temple where this image is housed. And oftentimes, the cabbies pick up a souvenir in the form of a statuette, like this one on the dashboard.

Father of Thailand

Today is HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 84th birthday. As he is considered to be the father of the country, today also marks the celebration of Father's Day in Thailand. Happy Birthday to His Majesty the King and Happy Father's Day!

See No Evil

Among the lucky charms glued to this taximeter is a dark grey amulet depicting the seated Phra Pidta, or monk with closed eyes. Just like one of the monkeys from the famous trio, he sees no evil. And in the context of the Bangkok cab, he sees no ugly passengers.

Insert Face Here

Looking like one of those things that you stick your head in at carnivals for a laugh and a photo op is this picture of a smiling Buddhist monk combined with an illustration of the fat Chinese folkloric deity, Budai, in a Bangkok taxi. I guess that this is more appropriate than surrounding the monk's face with the image of a lion tamer, a muscleman, or a cartoon character.

Made in China

Mountainous landscapes have been one of the main subjects in Chinese art since the Song Dynasty in the 11th Century. It's hard not to appreciate the dreamlike quality of painted rocky cliffs fading into misty skies and elegantly drawn branches of bamboo. As my eyes wandered through the mystical landscape in the back of this taxi, I felt transported to another world. But then I suddenly realized that I was stuck in a traffic jam in the concrete jungle with my dirty feet plunked on a cheap floor mat made in China.

Let There Be Light

If achieving enlightenment involves sitting under a tree on a lotus for days on end, it's going to be a very long time before I reach this level of awareness. It's too bad that attaining this form of illumination is not as easy as turning on an interior car light.

Bangkok Porsche Taxi

In a city where advertising bombards you everyplace you go, introducing new products in Bangkok sometimes necessitates unconventional publicity stunts to get people's attention. Earlier this year, Samsung pimped out a Porsche Boxster as a Bangkok taxi and rode around the city picking up fares to promote their new Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone. I don't quite get the connection. And I'm not sure why a Lady Gaga song was chosen to accompany the video. But anyway, the marketing scheme seems to have worked. Never mind that they forgot to include any talismans on the dashboard.

Monk Fish

One of my favorite types of talismans in taxis here is in the form of fish made from accordion-pleated banknotes. Normally, these lucky charms are created with out-of-circulation Thai baht, but this one incorporates fake money with pictures of venerated Thai monks on it. I've heard of monkfish before, but this is getting a little too literal.

Thai Origami

Thailand's answer to origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, doesn't involve delicate paper with kimono designs folded into elegant forms of graceful animals, such as cranes. On the contrary, as illustrated by this cat-like figure in the back of a Bangkok taxi, it entails cheap shiny plastic in garish colors stitched together to form ill-proportioned creatures embellished with plastic beads and bells.

Pepsi Taxi vs. Coke Cab

When it comes to the battle between Coke vs. Pepsi in Thailand, Pepsi appears to be winning. Certainly you can find both brands in supermarkets and convenience stores here, but an overwhelming majority of local restaurants, mom-and-pop noodle shops, and street-side stalls serve Pepsi. In a country where drinks and desserts tend to be on the sweet side, it makes sense that this slightly more sugary cola wins the Thai taste test. When I noticed the Pepsi clock on the dashboard in this cab, I assumed that the cabbie was yet another Thai fan of this carbonated beverage. But when I asked him about his timekeeper, he told me that it was free and that he actually prefers to drink Coke.

Be Strong

Since July of this year, over three million people in Thailand have been seriously affected by the floods. Many people have lost their homes and jobs. Others have been trapped inside their house for weeks and some are going without basic necessities. The driver of this taxi told me that he has been living in evacuee shelters for the past three weeks and his only personal belongings that he has left are in the trunk. For him and for many others, getting through this crisis will take a lot of courage. My hopes are that those directly hit by the floods can be as strong as the tiger whose image is stuck to the back window of this Bangkok taxi.

Let's Swim!

According to some reports in the local media, fifty percent of taxis have recently disappeared from the streets of Bangkok due to flooding in and around the city. A fair amount of cabbies have returned to their home province to avoid the floods, some taxi cooperatives located in areas with high water are closed, and many cabs are parked in high places for safekeeping. As a result, it is becoming more difficult to find taxis to hail in this city. And some drivers are refusing fares because they don't want to venture into flood-prone areas. If you have difficulty finding a cab at this time, don't worry. In some areas it's now possible to swim to your destination.

Thai Hermit

If you happen to spot a figure wearing a tiger skin robe in Bangkok, don't assume that it's another ridiculous trend in this city of fashion victims. Rather, these guys in animal print garb are Thai hermits who live, study, and meditate in forests or caves. Known in Thai as Phra Lersi, these ascetics usually practice traditional medicine and white magic. Bangkok cabbies keep images of Phra Lersi in their taxis to protect themselves from evil spirits. Or perhaps the statuettes represent the taxi drivers themselves who spend a considerable amount of time alone in their cabs away from their family and friends.

Hungry God

Phra Rahu is a Thai god originating from Hindu tradition whose image is sometimes displayed inside Bangkok taxi cabs. He's usually depicted on amulets, charms, and stickers, and cabbies here believe that he's lucky and can help bring in more Thai baht. If you're not familiar with this giant celestial being, you might think that he's nibbling on a cookie or chowing down on pizza. But according to folk beliefs that attempt to explain how eclipses occur, he's trying to eat the sun and the moon. We're talking about a serious case of indigestion here.

Taxi Turtles

At the moment, Thailand is experiencing some of the worst flooding in decades. The deluge of water is creating havoc and many people in provincial Thailand have been forced to evacuate their homes. With high water on some roads, the traffic has been worse than usual, too. Today, while experiencing major gridlock on the way home in a taxi, I wished I were a sea turtle that could swim through the deep puddles past all the cars. Never mind the potential danger. Turtles are a symbol of good luck and longevity in Thailand, so I have a feeling that I would be perfectly safe.

First Place and Runner-Up

Ever since the Thai general elections in July of this year, stickers with the image of the new Prime Minster Yingluck Shinawatra have appeared in taxis. A caricature of her stands holding up her finger to signify that she is number one. And that's true when it comes to the fact that she is the first female Prime Minister in Thailand's history. But for many Bangkok cabbies, she is in second place. Her older brother, ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is still considered to be number one by most of the drivers.

Buddha Swirls

The first time I saw these swirly decorations in Bangkok taxis, it brought me right back to my primary school days when we used to make handicrafts out of bendable pipe cleaners. Back then, we constructed all kinds of things out of them, including various creatures and human figures. These embellishments in the taxis, however, are sacred symbols that represent the Buddha's enlightenment. I wonder if the Thai monks who create these Buddhist insignias have as much fun making them as we did in school when we played with pipe cleaners.

To the Rescue

Until recently, I had no idea what this sticker of a rescue worker walking away with a lifeless damsel in his arms is trying to represent. It turns out that this cartoony image is the logo for the Thai Volunteer Road Rescue Foundation. Truck drivers and cabbies that display this symbol on their vehicle should be commended for helping those involved in car accidents. And all this while, I was just thinking that Thai guys with this sticker are super creepy and morbid.

Plastic City

The general consensus in Thailand is that plastic is fantastic. In many ways, this synthetic material has become a symbol of modernization in this developing country. Never mind all those scientists warning us that plastic is detrimental to the environment and perhaps our health. Many street vendors who once wrapped their treats in banana leaves now use plastic bags, and the convenience stores here should get an award for contributing the most non-biodegradable materials to landfills. In Bangkok taxis, cabbies often protect parts of their car interiors in plastic. In this taxi, the driver even left his lucky charm in the original plastic sleeve that the seller had put it in.

Anime Taxi

Anime and manga are big in Thailand. Anime is regularly screened on TV and it's common to see office workers on the bus flipping through manga comic books. Many Bangkok cabbies are also fans. Just take a look inside many taxis here and you'll find a host of manga and anime characters on the dashboard or in the back window. For many, it's a way to temporarily avoid deliberating on the realities of the daily grind. Some would rather be one of these characters, such as Doraemon, the blue robotic cat from the future who comes back to help others while teaching a lesson or two.

Baby Carriage

Many Bangkok cabbies have their own style when it comes to decorating their taxis. Some prefer to take a minimalist approach with a few talismans sitting on the dashboard. Other cabbies like to mix it up with an eclectic collection of religious and secular paraphernalia. Still others would rather create an environment based on a theme. Take, for example, this taxi which includes decorative elements from a baby nursery.

Taxi Wayfinders

Lately, I've been noticing a lot of GPSs in Bangkok cabs. This could be a major revolution. In taxis without these electronic devices, passengers usually need to provide directions to the drivers themselves.

War and Peace

Over the past few years I've met several Bangkok cabbies who are retired soldiers, including the owner of this taxi. Apparently, the plastic Army man displayed on the taxi meter is a reminder of the driver's past. As I rode along in the cab, I thought about the irony behind the toy soldier who appears to be protecting the Buddha. According to the beliefs of most Thai military personnel, the Buddha protects them.