While sorting my apartment in Phra Khanong (the Bloom Condo), I lived in a room with a view for a year. It was on the top floor of a larger residential complex nearby, the Base 77. The balcony and the bedroom window faced towards Bangkok’s inner city—a vantage point like an observation deck. I couldn’t resist documenting the scenes. Here are some shots each month from the 38th floor.
Before unpacking
A temporary housemate by the sliding door
A green waste-collecting boat in the canal
Self-reflection during the Bloom renovation
Scenic sunset over Bangkok city
Moonlight through bedroom window (a day after total lunar eclipse)
Typical blurred vision from drinking
Pouring raincloud over Bangkok city
A visitor on the top floor
Benevolent Jupiter over Bangkok light pollution
Canal path construction
Blue sky over Bangkok city
The scenery was undeniably stunning in any weather: sunny, rainy, and even smoggy. You could spot multiple modes of transportation: the Chaloem Maha Nakhon Expressway, the BTS Sukhunvit Line, the Klong Ban Pa Canal flowing to the Chao Phraya River, and the Saen Samran (Habito) Bridge over the Canal. At night, the city lights from high-rises twinkled in uncoordinated pulses beneath Bangkok’s light-polluted sky. My observation extended to urban wildlife. Up on the top floor, migratory Pacific swifts (Apus pacificus) nested in the building and glided by every day. Sometimes, insects visited the balcony at that height.
The concrete jungle was juxtaposed with the greenery of the Canal below. The ecology around the Bridge was apparent: birds, bats, fish, humans, etc. Apart from Pacific swifts’ calls and light street traffic, you could hear sports cheering from the international school on the other side of the Canal and gongs from the temple on the same side. Moreover, I could see my room in Phra Khanong from the balcony. And vice versa, I could see the room on the top floor from my apartment window.
The balcony also gave me a bird’s-eye view of the construction of bike/walk paths along the canal. Watching the project progress bit by bit from above was a pleasure. Unfortunately, I won’t be there when it’s completed.
Last few days in April 2026
As the contract ended, I moved back to the renovated room in Phra Khanong. I guess this post is about the only thing I miss living on the top floor—the view.
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