Helllooooo my lovely, well-travelled, well-dressed darlings! Last week, as you know, I was sampling the bubbly delights of Denmark with the Queen of Champagne, my new friend Raluca, and this week, I found myself a little further afield in a magnificently hot and sticky place where adventure was just a short yet terrifying tuk-tuk ride away. That’s right my gorgeous two-legged friends, this hot, sassy fashionista travelled half-way across the planet to BANGKOK! This is all about living a luxury life as responsibly as one possibly can, so buckle up, grab a responsibly sourced coffee (or something stronger perhaps) and enjoy my wild ride (so far!) in the one and only City of Smiles!
Day 1: Long Flight – Me Love you Long Time!
Wow, that was a long flight, even for me in Business Class, darlings! But like the Thai Airways slogan goes, the flight was ‘Smooth as Silk.’ As I stepped off the plane and stretched my loooooong neck on the airport tarmac, the unmistakable scent of Bangkok hit me straight away like a Muay Thai fighter’s shin to the chops, and it nearly knocked my spots off! It’s like a mixture of lemongrass, spicy chili sauce, and an out-of-control bush fire with a hint of coconut oil. Anyone who has ever been to Thailand will say the same thing – there’s a certain scent to it that is unmistakable and unique to this wonderful, crazy place.
The hot, sticky air takes one’s breath away too, and I couldn’t wait to sample the air con at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (by the way, the 4-digit Airport Code is VTBS for those who are interested!) – and it’s one of the largest in Southeast Asia. So many smiley, happy faces greeting me, unlike when I ever land in the US or UK. People there always seem like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders!
Anyway, I was in the VIP arrivals lounge (of course darlings, I am representing LUC8K after all!) where I met Crystal, my fabulously unfiltered, chic, and utterly mesmerizing Bangkok ladyboy tour guide! With her sparkling gold high heels and a sequined all-in-one jumpsuit, she bounded into the room looking like a veritable human disco ball! Such energy and enthusiasm for life!
“My darling Sophie, you soooooo tall!!! And I adore your silky fur and oh my God, I looooooove your bag!! The colors really suit you! Wow, welcome to Thailand, stick with me lady, I’m going to take your heart to places you never dreamed of! Have you got your phone, credit card and phone charger?! I love you long time!”
I was puzzled by this, as I’d literally just met her 3 seconds ago, so, not a long time at all! But it didn’t matter one bit - I also knew instantly that Crystal was a human I could love for a very long time too! She offered me two full packs of wet wipes for me to cool down my sweaty neck with, and then we were off, weaving through the traffic on her tuk-tuk - which can only be described as something very rusty and dangerous with 3 wheels that somehow manages to defy gravity - my hooves dangling outside in the wind, scraping alongside buses and pink-colored taxis, as we ping-ponged our way between modern skyscrapers and centuries-old holy shrines. It was breath-taking really, and I really appreciated the talent Crystal had for somehow avoiding killing me on my journey so far!
Hot and sticky trip – and that’s just the rice!
Crystal informed me (by screaming above the noise of the traffic and car horns) that Bang Rak would be our first stop on my long weekend trip to discover responsible luxury living in her beloved city. It’s a district of Bangkok where new-age hipster coffee shops live and thrive side-by-side with down and dirty street food stalls. And darlings, the smell of that street food is utterly remarkable, in a good way may I add, and she sat me down (on the floor because there’s no way those plastic chairs were made to take the weight of a normal sized human, let alone a giraffe!) where I devoured a plate of something called Pad Thai. It was so spicy, I had no choice but to drink out of the local water fountain, which I had to share with an elephant! So far away from where I am used to seeing my lovely, beautiful, friendly friends! We then ordered mango sticky rice, and who knew that rice could be a really nice option for a sweet dessert?? Apart from the British with their rice-pudding I guess.
“Your big belly is full now darling, so let’s go see some Thai-style fashion,” Crystal said as she paid the bill (it was so cheap it made me want to buy property here!)
So, off we sped at breakneck speed to Siam Square, Bangkok’s pulsating heart of the fashion industry. There, I discovered it’s where all the independent local designers like to show off their colorful, amazing avant-garde pieces that you really can’t find anywhere else on earth. I picked up a traditional real-silk wrap dress with little elephants and flowers on it that made me feel like I’d just trotted out of a 1920s opium den. And, although real, quality leather bags are my bag, I cannot get enough of premium, bespoke silk either! I also bought my calves a lot of football shirts, but unlike my authentic silk fashion piece, there is no way on earth these are the real deal. In fact, the Tottenham Hotspur badge on my son’s shirt was upside down, but he’s so distracted with TikTok at the moment, I doubt he’ll ever notice!
Crystal was like a ladyboy possessed, and she then took me to The Commons in Thonglor, where Bangkok’s responsible and ethical-minded fashionistas sip oat milk lattes whilst competing with each other for who is dealing with the fairest of fairtrade fabrics. I saw a lot of things I could buy – not all of them good – but a handwoven dress made by a collective of hill tribe women I just had to have. It took me 3 hours to try it on, but after some record-breaking leg and neck alterations, we made it work. I also treated myself to a shopping bag made entirely of recycled fishing nets, which for me, was absolutely the pinnacle of sustainable fashion. It’s what we live for at LUC8K – always finding new ways for people to be stylish, sophisticated, yet confident they are making a responsible, ethical choice when it comes to looking good, and feeling good. And trust me darlings, nothing feels better than responsibly made leather.
Crystal then dragged me, kicking and screaming (not!) to Chatuchak Market, a fashionista’s dream – over 15,000 stalls (can you imagine?!) selling everything a girl, boy, or a perfect mixture of both, could possibly imagine - from vintage leather bags to handwoven silk scarves. Crystal found a tailor who promised me a custom-made hat in five hours. It takes substantially longer to make an exquisite, bespoke LUC8K bag, but when in Rome, as they say…Crystal, to be fair, haggled like a pro whilst I nodded enthusiastically, pretending to understand the rapid-fire Thai negotiations. Between you and me, I’m not a very good negotiator when it comes to nice things…
“I think my work here is done,” Crystal said with a smile and a wink. And, with that, she took me to my luxury, boutique hotel where I slept like a Goddess on my smooth as silk mattress after a few G&T’s and a casual midnight dip in the pool…what a lovely way to end the day!
Day 2: Temple Trotting and Inner Calm
The calm before the storm…I woke up the next day with an expanded mind, a bloated belly, and a newfound appreciation for air con! Crystal met me on reception at 6am sharp, where a stretch limo was waiting for me. It was an electric-powered Mercedes Benz with all the bells and whistles - elegantly European and worlds apart from those gaudy swasticars. My next ride was a little more responsible, luxurious, and safer than my previous mode of transport! We then headed off in style to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. It’s a stunning, intricate, temple covered in porcelain mosaics - its towering white spires glittering in the sun like a gorgeous sequined dress.
Crystal kindly invited me to use my jet-lagged long limbs to climb the hundreds of steep steps up to the top of the temple, but once we arrived at the pinnacle, I stood in awe looking down below at the Chao Phraya River as I listened to a group of bald local men in brown robes chanting some hypnotic prayers. It was truly enlightening. I’ve heard quite a lot about meditation and how it helps human women with hot flushes and annoying husbands, so I tried it for a few minutes before Crystal reached up on a step ladder to tap on my knee and interrupt my peace, serenity and jet-lagged snooze by gently screaming, “OK Sophie, you’ve found your inner peace, now it’s time to lose yourself!”
One Night in Bangkok: A night I’ll never forget
The sun was going down, but my heart rate was about to go up as Crystal, my personal nightlife oracle, led me to a top-secret speakeasy hidden behind a vintage tailor shop. Inside, velvet booths, craft cocktails, and a jazz singer crooning in Thai made me feel like I’d stepped into a film noir. I was now mingling with the rich and famous in Thailand - if only I had a clue who they actually were!
After that, things got a little hazy if I’m honest darlings. We went to Khao San Road, famous for backpackers and hippies, where I was introduced to a bucket of a highly questionable alcoholic beverage full of straws. How was I to know I was supposed to share it with five other people?! It tasted like fermented fruit and regret, and after that, I may or may not have accidentally joined a group of local tuk-tuk drivers at a karaoke bar singing ‘Come On Baby Light My Fire!’ But I couldn’t help thinking about how wasteful and toxic plastic straws are for the environment, and how great it was that most of the free world had embraced using paper and eco-friendly straws instead…oh, but wait! Someone, somewhere has just decided that saving the earth is actually a bad idea, and it would be better to make the world great again by bringing plastic straws back!!! Can you believe it???! It makes my skin boil!!! GRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
I asked Crystal about how eco-friendly Bangkok is, and her smile turned to a frown as she told me they have a HUGE garbage problem. She told me that her city struggles with overflowing waste, poor recycling, and clogged canals, and it’s getting much worse with rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management. Bangkok has initiatives like waste separation programs, plastic reduction campaigns, and green public transport projects. Single-use plastics are banned in malls, and more electric buses and taxis are a positive step forward. She told me she is part of many grassroots movements that are pushing for change, along with many growing eco-conscious businesses, but it makes her sad that her beautiful city still has a long way to go. Crystal then whispered in my ear about the intrinsic beauty of Bangkok.
“This city will chew you up, spit you out, and you will still love it, you sexy animal! It’s like a pirate ship full of treasure that will either put you in hospital, or on a massage table!”
Before I passed out, I also remember eating some meat on a stick covered in peanut sauce (I’m a vegetarian as you know darlings, so I was not of sound mind), and then apparently, I ended up being taken to the local police station on a flatbed truck - where I am writing this week’s blog as we speak!
I also lost a shoe.
Luckily, I still have my LUC8K Weekender bag, my laptop, makeup, and chewing gum. The thing is, my passport has gone astray, so there’s a bit of a diplomatic problem I’m trying to navigate, in style, as we speak my wonderful, lovely, loyal and gorgeous followers!
My short time in Bangkok made me realize that responsible fashion isn’t just about eco-friendly fabrics or responsible shopping - it’s about supporting the people, the craftsmanship, the culture. And maybe, just maybe, it’s also about embracing the chaos, eating the satay, and dancing on a rooftop with a six-foot-tall ladyboy in gold stilettos.
Bangkok, you have stolen this giraffe’s heart. Until next time. ขอบคุณค่ะ (thank you)!
Big love, chat soon (I hope!!!!)
Sophie xxxx
Photo ©Willemijn Heideman