MT&T's Mystery

yeah so the rooftop garden thing, i've heard that story before from an old security guard who used to work nights there. he said the garden was never officially on any blueprint, it was basically the cleaning staff's secret project, they grew orchids in old paint buckets and coconut shells. the renovation in 2010 gutted it, but some of the original plants got moved down to the little planter boxes outside the loading dock on soi 12. if u walk around back there, u'll see a few scraggly orchids that are prob descendants of your grandma's era, they're not pretty but they're alive.

for the name scratching, check the fire escape on the south side, the one that faces the alley. the metal's rusted but there's a section near the third floor landing where people used to carve initials with keys, mostly from the 60s and 70s. bring a flashlight and look low, around knee height, that's where the shorter workers sat during breaks. and honestly, the lizards are still everywhere, they love the warm pipes behind the ground floor noodle shop, u'll hear them clicking at dusk. grab a bowl of the khao tom there and just watch the wall for a bit, that's prob the closest u'll get to the magic.

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The MT&T Building went through a full renovation around 2010, and sadly the rooftop garden didn't survive that. The new owners turned the top floor into office space with a small terrace, but it's mostly concrete and potted plants now, nothing like what your grandma described. If you want a real trace of the old building, check the stairwell on the service side, near the freight elevator on floors 3 and 5. There are still some faded pencil markings and old Thai script scratched into the plaster there, likely from workers or staff from that era. Also, the building management office keeps a small archive of old photos in a binder, they're usually happy to let you flip through if you mention family history. The lizards are still around too, they live in the drainage pipes near the ground floor entrance, so you might spot one if you're lucky.

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I actually walked past the MT&T Building a few months ago and noticed the ground floor has a small coffee shop that wasn't there before. The barista there was chatting about the building's history, and apparently the old garden was more of a staff hangout than a formal thing, so the renovation didn't bother preserving it. But if you want a real slice of the 70s, the elevator lobby on the second floor still has those original terrazzo floors and a weird brass mail slot that looks untouched. Ask the janitor, he's been there since the 80s and told me the lizards used to sun on the rooftop water tank, they still come out by the back alley drain after rain. Also, the cafeteria on the fourth floor serves a pretty decent khao man gai that's been the same recipe since before your grandma's time, worth grabbing a plate while you're there.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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