Maria and I spent two weeks in Bangkok and Hanoi to escape the winter and taste a bite of Asia for the first time.

Both cities have their charms, but I liked Bangkok much more because of its vibe. It feels more authentic despite its size, and street food is a factual institution. I didn’t have a solid image of ​​what the city would be like, so everything was relatively new.

Eating on the street is so formalized that we even saw a “street food” area inside a shopping mall. The city smartly embraced this dynamic, and food stands are compactly designed to fit easily on the sidewalk. As for quality, I can confidently say that the food is rated in three categories: good, great, and delicious. The chances of finding something great are very high. I also loved how sweets are subtly treated and not coated in sugar.

The city is a bit hectic, but nothing too different from other capitals like Santiago or Lima during rush hour. And despite the pace of a big city, people are generally friendly. I wonder if religion has something to do with the soft mood with which people move.

Not understanding the language is sometimes a privilege for designers. It’s easier to appreciate the letters’ features and find those visual patterns that shape an identity. I spent significant time steering at letters and looking for similarities and differences with Western typefaces. I couldn’t find any exhibitions or places to learn about Thai design, but I bought a book on typography that looks promising.

I bookmarked a few places to visit and look for local graphic art, and going to Spacebar Zine was marvelous. Lots of illustrations, fanzines, and stickers by local and Asian artists in general. It’s always interesting to see the city through the brush of illustrators and designers. I messaged two folks to see if we could hang out and learn more about Thai design, but my emails were ignored entirely.

From all the photos I took, I compiled my favorite frontal shots. Most were taken with the Ricoh GRIIIx and a few with iPhone 12 Pro.