Dragon Roundabout

Over the course of the last decade, Talad Noi has morphed from a relatively sleepy neighborhood near Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River into a buzzy arts district. Today, the area is a blend of new and old, with third-wave coffee shops and art galleries sharing street space with historic amulet shops. One highly visible symbol of Talad Noi’s evolution is the growing number of street murals and sculptures in its alleys.

In the middle of it all is the so-called “Dragon Roundabout,” where a serpentine sculpture rears. At first glance, it’s not such a striking piece, but look closer and you’ll realize that there’s something odd about this mythical beast’s scales. Making up the dragon sculpture are hundreds of metal utensils, such as those used in Chinese cooking, including soup spoons. The pedestal is adorned with rusty gears used car parts commonly seen in sois of Talad Noi.