Grave Topic: Discussing Bangkok's Protestant & Chinese Cemeteries [S8.E11]

Diving into the differences between East & West, Greg and Ed
discuss two famous cemeteries in Bangkok. Ed takes the Teochiew
Chinese Cemetery off of Sathorn Road, and Greg talks about the
Protestant Cemetery in the Baan Mai neighborhood not too far from
Asiatique on Charoen Krung Road. Ed begins by explaining that
Thai Buddhists in general practice cremation, and since most
Thais are Buddhists, 'cemeteries' in general are not really a
Thai thing. However, multiple minorities throughout Thai history
do bury their dead, so cemeteries exist for Christians, Muslims,
and some Chinese communities. 


Ed starts off by discussing his visit to the famous Chinese
cemetery roughly in between the Saphan Taksin and St. Louis BTS
stations just off of Sathron Road. The cemetery traditionally
catered to the Teochiew Chinese minority of which many immigrants
to Thailand have been a member of and is more than 100 years old.
Further, the cemetery has been made into a legitimate public
park, creating an eclectic experience. It features many of the
benefits of a park, such as exercise options and open public
spaces, but also multiple religious monuments and a significant
set of very old tombs, in the midst of a rather dense jungle. It
somehow manages to be welcoming and foreboding at the same time.
See the pictures below for examples. 


Taking a cue from a blog post he wrote several years ago about
his visit, he notes that the Protestant Cemetery is more of a
traditional Western Christian cemetery and does not function as a
park. Its main appeal is its historic value, housing the remains
of countless early expats to Siam in the 19th Century. As proud
expats themselves (who even have a podcast on the subject!), the
guys muse about what it must have been like to be one of the
truly earliest Westerners in pre-modern Siam. 


Both cemeteries offer fascinating glimpses into unique immigrant
communities that have played a role in Thai history. 



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