A taxi takes us to our destination. The hieroglyphics on the interior would have been painted by a monk who simultaneously blessed the vehicle, offering prayers for safety in its future travels.

Motorcycle taxi drivers provide another means of transportation in the city, their fares riding pillion.

Lumpini Park, a favorite spot for joggers, offers a green respite from the heat and bustle of the city.

Lumpini Park

Lumpini Park

In a city where traffic often jams to a standstill, the Bangkok Mass Transit System's Skytrain provides what is often a speedier means of getting around.

Buddha images and temple bells for sale

A friendly Bangkok tuk-tuk driver

Boats both large and small that ferry passengers along the Chao Phraya River are another means of beating Bangkok's traffic-jammed streets. Seen in the background is Wat Arun, Temple of the Dawn.

Reflections in a skylight at Suvarnabhumi International, Bangkok's main airport

Restorative maintenance work at Wat Rachapradit

Packages of shellfish salads with blood cockles—a kind of ark clam—awaiting buyers

Behind the wall, the tops of structures at Wat Phra Kaeo, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, on the grounds of the Grand Palace

Not a sight you are likely to see again: a photography exhibition in celebration of 180 years of friendship between Thailand and the United States, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. Selected were 90 photos of the U.S. by Thai photographers and 90 of Thailand by U.S. photographers. Yale's Whiffenpoofs provided musical entertainment at the opening ceremonies.

The former U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney, at the exhibition celebrating 180 years of Thai-U.S. friendship, with a photo by—uh—Jim Wageman in the background on the left. (Apologies for the poor quality of the portrait; I didn't want to use a flash.)

The photo at bottom right is another by this photographer. I was fortunate to have four of my pictures chosen for the exhibition.