3 days in and around Bangkok
Dec 9, 2016, 11:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Radisson Rewards Gold, Best Western Diamond Select
Posts: 1,856
3 days in and around Bangkok
My previous trip reports
My Trip To Montreal
Huasteca Potosina: A beautiful part of Mexico few know about
My trip to Peru
My 2 days in Tokyo
Disclosure: This is a collection of three of my blog posts
http://www.travelwithvik.com/2016/12/02/bangkok-day-1/
http://www.travelwithvik.com/2016/12...iland-day-two/
http://www.travelwithvik.com/2016/12/10/bangkok-day-3/
Arrival in Bangkok was a total culture shock. First, it was just after the death of the honorable King. His picture was everywhere, in three days I saw hundreds of photos of him. He is truly beloved. Secondly, the weather was the opposite of Tokyo. After from coming from a quite chilly Tokyo, Bangkok was sweltering hot. Finally, most service workers expect tips. This is fine, but again, just different than Japan. However, to be fair, prices were much cheaper for just about everything.
I arranged for the airport limousine company, known as AOT, to pick me up via e-mail about a week before the trip. The price was 1300 baht, or roughly $36 US to make the 45 minute ride into town. The counter was just outside customs, so confirming the driver was easy.
The hotel I selected to stay in was the Park Plaza Sukhumvit. The price was very reasonable, around $60 US per night. The Sukhumvit area is known as an upmarket part of Bangkok. The location was superb, it was a 2 minute walk from the Asok rapid transit station and the Terminal 21 shopping mall.
The best part of the mall wasn’t necessarily the shopping (though tailored suits were to be had for $150), but the food court on the fifth floor. This food was incredibly delicious and extraordinarily cheap. A full dinner plate cost between 30 and 60 baht, aka 1 to 2 US dollars! The system was interesting; one must buy a cash card which is then used to pay vendors in the food court. In general, it’s a good idea to have cash in Bangkok, only upmarket places accept credit card. I’m still trying to understand how food was so cheap there. After a wonderful spicy flat noodle seafood dinner, it was off to bed.
The first thing I noticed in Bangkok was the atmosphere was very subdued, due to the death of the King. There were thousands of photos his majesty. The Thais truly loved the king, you can sense the sadness in the air. In the general Bangkok area, about 50% of the people wore black. In the Grand Palace area, this figure was closer to 95%.
My first stop was to the giant market known as Chatuchak. To get here I took the rapid transit to the end of the line. The market is huge and chaotic. There are deals to be had, but one must bargain. Nothing in such open air markets is as advertised, prices are to be negotiated. From there, it was off to a local temple via tuk tuk. These are basically the same thing as autorickshaws in India. We were taken to a local temple whose named escapes me. It was a serene place, one could look inside and see monks praying.
From here was the only down point of the vacation. The tuk tuk drivers made all kind of lies about how the Grand Palace was inaccessible, and instead took us to a dock where there were inflated prices for boat rides. There is actually a local ferry service which goes down the river for a nominal price, but this was not it. After fighting hard the price was reduced to 360 baht, about 10 US dollars. This wasn’t the worst price but the entire experience turned me off. This boat eventually ended up dropping me at the Grand Palace area, however since it was nearly 3:30 the area was closing down. The only benefit of this is that I knew that I would be able to see the Grand Palace area one day.
The entire area was crowded but quiet and peaceful. The army was handing out water bottles to all. This was very gracious, and one officer stopped to explain the impact of the King on the country and thanked me for coming to pay my respects.
After this, there was a brief stop at MBK mall. The food court here was also cheap and tasty, but the mall itself is dated in comparison to Terminal 21. After this, it was back to the hotel for sleep. The next day was to be an all-day jaunt to a floating market and Ayutthaya.
After roaming around Bangkok for a day, it was time to see a floating market and Ayutthaya National Park. This was not really a tour per say, but actually just a driver and vehicle arranged with the hotel, Park Plaza Sukhumvit. The price was very reasonable, 3500 baht, or $100 US dollars approximately, for an entire day, about 12 hours. The vehicle was a Toyota Innova, the same one used for tours I took in India.
The first stop was the floating market, about one hour from Bangkok. Upon arrival, like basically everywhere else in Thailand, there was a price given, and then another price that was reached after testy negotiations. The price was too high in my opinion, $40 US per person, but at this point there wasn’t really an option as I was stuck here.
What I thought this would be and what it actually was are two different things. Riding in the boat itself is an interesting experience. There are some local houses on the sides and even a temple. However, for the most part, it is a shopping trap. There are many shops and you end up stopping at the majority of them. The prices are higher than in Bangkok, and to buy anything takes bartering before a price is agreed on. This may be fun for some, but becomes a tiresome exercise after some time.
After the shopping is finally over, there is an elephant ride. This was one of the saddest experiences I have ever taken part in on any vacation. I am ashamed that I even took part in it. The elephants look depressed. I wish that I could free all of them and send them to a natural habitat. It is obvious that they are abused. Beyond this, elephants are not built to be ridden on. This practice should be outlawed worldwide. One can only hope that the Thai government puts a stop to this as it did to a tiger den earlier this year.
After this was a long ride to Ayutthaya. The floating market is south of Bangkok and Ayutthaya is north, so several hours were spent in the vehicle.
This was a much better experience than the floating market. For one, entrance is free at the moment due to the passing of the King. This lasts until January, and is a big savings because the entrance fee is not cheap.
Ayutthaya has several temple complexes, and the driver took me to three. The temple structures are impressive to look at, especially the Buddha ones such as the sleeping Buddha and the Buddha in the tree.
The only unfortunate part is by the time we arrived it was only one hour until closing so everything was rushed. I would recommend go here first and honestly forget the floating market altogether.
After this it was a long ride back to Bangkok. The night ended once again with a wonderful meal at the Terminal 21 mall. The next day’s itinerary was wide open, as it was the last day of this Japan/Thailand vacation.
Sadly, the final day of the Japan/Thailand trip was here. This day would actually extend much further than a day, since the five hour flight out to Tokyo was at 12:30 AM Bangkok time. This would be followed by another twelve hour flight to Houston.
Anyhow, while enjoying the day in Bangkok, going home was the furthest thing from my mind. The day started with a lovely breakfast, and then finally a visit to the Grand Palace area.
This time, I knew exactly where to get off, the Royal Rattanakosin Hotel, basically the closest point of interest near the closed roads of the Grand Palace area.
As was the case two days earlier, the palace itself was totally restricted to foreigners, but the emerald Buddha complex was open. The place still seemed crowded on an off-day, so one can only imagine how packed it would be on a weekend.
The army was very kind yet again, offering cold water bottles, which hit the spot in the sweltering weather.
After this, it was off to another local mall, the Siam Center, the third mall visited during the trip. The only real point of interest here was the food court, which had a more international set of options than the Terminal 21 mall I had been frequenting the previous two days. I had a fish cake soup but also noticed Indian and Japanese restaurants, among other offerings.
By now, it was 4 PM. I had about five hours before heading back to the airport. Common sense would be to rest, but I chose to enjoy my last moments in Bangkok.
I walked to a lake just a few minutes walking from the hotel named Lake Rajada. This was a very interesting place, there were locals jogging and biking. This was the most serene place I had found in Bangkok. I took two laps around the lake and then headed back Terminal 21 to check out the local farmer’s market.
I purchased a bottle of pure passion fruit juice. This had a very strong flavor that sent my stomach temporarily churning, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless; something very different than your typical sweet juice.
Next to the hotel, I was surprised to see a Sikh temple. The man running the place asked me if I wanted to eat, I said no since I just had a huge meal at the mall. It was surreal to see a religious place of worship directly across the street from a string of notorious bars.
Finally, it was back to the hotel and time to pack for the return. The AOT van was actually here fifteen minutes early. I was very impressed with the promptness of the scheduled transportation in Thailand. The service was top-notch as well, though tips were expected.
The airport was quite crowded, many international flights leave in the wee hours. The priority pass lounge was subpar, but thankfully I was able to get sleep on the first flight. In Tokyo, I purchased a Tokyo Olympics t-shirt and a magnet and some Japanese curry. The second flight I did not sleep at all, but this was fine since the moment I arrived at home I hit the bed upon arrival.
The journey that took 9 months to plan was finally over. Now, it was a couple of weeks at home, and then a return to Guadalajara, Mexico.
My Trip To Montreal
Huasteca Potosina: A beautiful part of Mexico few know about
My trip to Peru
My 2 days in Tokyo
Disclosure: This is a collection of three of my blog posts
http://www.travelwithvik.com/2016/12/02/bangkok-day-1/
http://www.travelwithvik.com/2016/12...iland-day-two/
http://www.travelwithvik.com/2016/12/10/bangkok-day-3/
Arrival in Bangkok was a total culture shock. First, it was just after the death of the honorable King. His picture was everywhere, in three days I saw hundreds of photos of him. He is truly beloved. Secondly, the weather was the opposite of Tokyo. After from coming from a quite chilly Tokyo, Bangkok was sweltering hot. Finally, most service workers expect tips. This is fine, but again, just different than Japan. However, to be fair, prices were much cheaper for just about everything.
I arranged for the airport limousine company, known as AOT, to pick me up via e-mail about a week before the trip. The price was 1300 baht, or roughly $36 US to make the 45 minute ride into town. The counter was just outside customs, so confirming the driver was easy.
The hotel I selected to stay in was the Park Plaza Sukhumvit. The price was very reasonable, around $60 US per night. The Sukhumvit area is known as an upmarket part of Bangkok. The location was superb, it was a 2 minute walk from the Asok rapid transit station and the Terminal 21 shopping mall.
The best part of the mall wasn’t necessarily the shopping (though tailored suits were to be had for $150), but the food court on the fifth floor. This food was incredibly delicious and extraordinarily cheap. A full dinner plate cost between 30 and 60 baht, aka 1 to 2 US dollars! The system was interesting; one must buy a cash card which is then used to pay vendors in the food court. In general, it’s a good idea to have cash in Bangkok, only upmarket places accept credit card. I’m still trying to understand how food was so cheap there. After a wonderful spicy flat noodle seafood dinner, it was off to bed.
The first thing I noticed in Bangkok was the atmosphere was very subdued, due to the death of the King. There were thousands of photos his majesty. The Thais truly loved the king, you can sense the sadness in the air. In the general Bangkok area, about 50% of the people wore black. In the Grand Palace area, this figure was closer to 95%.
My first stop was to the giant market known as Chatuchak. To get here I took the rapid transit to the end of the line. The market is huge and chaotic. There are deals to be had, but one must bargain. Nothing in such open air markets is as advertised, prices are to be negotiated. From there, it was off to a local temple via tuk tuk. These are basically the same thing as autorickshaws in India. We were taken to a local temple whose named escapes me. It was a serene place, one could look inside and see monks praying.
From here was the only down point of the vacation. The tuk tuk drivers made all kind of lies about how the Grand Palace was inaccessible, and instead took us to a dock where there were inflated prices for boat rides. There is actually a local ferry service which goes down the river for a nominal price, but this was not it. After fighting hard the price was reduced to 360 baht, about 10 US dollars. This wasn’t the worst price but the entire experience turned me off. This boat eventually ended up dropping me at the Grand Palace area, however since it was nearly 3:30 the area was closing down. The only benefit of this is that I knew that I would be able to see the Grand Palace area one day.
The entire area was crowded but quiet and peaceful. The army was handing out water bottles to all. This was very gracious, and one officer stopped to explain the impact of the King on the country and thanked me for coming to pay my respects.
After this, there was a brief stop at MBK mall. The food court here was also cheap and tasty, but the mall itself is dated in comparison to Terminal 21. After this, it was back to the hotel for sleep. The next day was to be an all-day jaunt to a floating market and Ayutthaya.
After roaming around Bangkok for a day, it was time to see a floating market and Ayutthaya National Park. This was not really a tour per say, but actually just a driver and vehicle arranged with the hotel, Park Plaza Sukhumvit. The price was very reasonable, 3500 baht, or $100 US dollars approximately, for an entire day, about 12 hours. The vehicle was a Toyota Innova, the same one used for tours I took in India.
The first stop was the floating market, about one hour from Bangkok. Upon arrival, like basically everywhere else in Thailand, there was a price given, and then another price that was reached after testy negotiations. The price was too high in my opinion, $40 US per person, but at this point there wasn’t really an option as I was stuck here.
What I thought this would be and what it actually was are two different things. Riding in the boat itself is an interesting experience. There are some local houses on the sides and even a temple. However, for the most part, it is a shopping trap. There are many shops and you end up stopping at the majority of them. The prices are higher than in Bangkok, and to buy anything takes bartering before a price is agreed on. This may be fun for some, but becomes a tiresome exercise after some time.
After the shopping is finally over, there is an elephant ride. This was one of the saddest experiences I have ever taken part in on any vacation. I am ashamed that I even took part in it. The elephants look depressed. I wish that I could free all of them and send them to a natural habitat. It is obvious that they are abused. Beyond this, elephants are not built to be ridden on. This practice should be outlawed worldwide. One can only hope that the Thai government puts a stop to this as it did to a tiger den earlier this year.
After this was a long ride to Ayutthaya. The floating market is south of Bangkok and Ayutthaya is north, so several hours were spent in the vehicle.
This was a much better experience than the floating market. For one, entrance is free at the moment due to the passing of the King. This lasts until January, and is a big savings because the entrance fee is not cheap.
Ayutthaya has several temple complexes, and the driver took me to three. The temple structures are impressive to look at, especially the Buddha ones such as the sleeping Buddha and the Buddha in the tree.
The only unfortunate part is by the time we arrived it was only one hour until closing so everything was rushed. I would recommend go here first and honestly forget the floating market altogether.
After this it was a long ride back to Bangkok. The night ended once again with a wonderful meal at the Terminal 21 mall. The next day’s itinerary was wide open, as it was the last day of this Japan/Thailand vacation.
Sadly, the final day of the Japan/Thailand trip was here. This day would actually extend much further than a day, since the five hour flight out to Tokyo was at 12:30 AM Bangkok time. This would be followed by another twelve hour flight to Houston.
Anyhow, while enjoying the day in Bangkok, going home was the furthest thing from my mind. The day started with a lovely breakfast, and then finally a visit to the Grand Palace area.
This time, I knew exactly where to get off, the Royal Rattanakosin Hotel, basically the closest point of interest near the closed roads of the Grand Palace area.
As was the case two days earlier, the palace itself was totally restricted to foreigners, but the emerald Buddha complex was open. The place still seemed crowded on an off-day, so one can only imagine how packed it would be on a weekend.
The army was very kind yet again, offering cold water bottles, which hit the spot in the sweltering weather.
After this, it was off to another local mall, the Siam Center, the third mall visited during the trip. The only real point of interest here was the food court, which had a more international set of options than the Terminal 21 mall I had been frequenting the previous two days. I had a fish cake soup but also noticed Indian and Japanese restaurants, among other offerings.
By now, it was 4 PM. I had about five hours before heading back to the airport. Common sense would be to rest, but I chose to enjoy my last moments in Bangkok.
I walked to a lake just a few minutes walking from the hotel named Lake Rajada. This was a very interesting place, there were locals jogging and biking. This was the most serene place I had found in Bangkok. I took two laps around the lake and then headed back Terminal 21 to check out the local farmer’s market.
I purchased a bottle of pure passion fruit juice. This had a very strong flavor that sent my stomach temporarily churning, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless; something very different than your typical sweet juice.
Next to the hotel, I was surprised to see a Sikh temple. The man running the place asked me if I wanted to eat, I said no since I just had a huge meal at the mall. It was surreal to see a religious place of worship directly across the street from a string of notorious bars.
Finally, it was back to the hotel and time to pack for the return. The AOT van was actually here fifteen minutes early. I was very impressed with the promptness of the scheduled transportation in Thailand. The service was top-notch as well, though tips were expected.
The airport was quite crowded, many international flights leave in the wee hours. The priority pass lounge was subpar, but thankfully I was able to get sleep on the first flight. In Tokyo, I purchased a Tokyo Olympics t-shirt and a magnet and some Japanese curry. The second flight I did not sleep at all, but this was fine since the moment I arrived at home I hit the bed upon arrival.
The journey that took 9 months to plan was finally over. Now, it was a couple of weeks at home, and then a return to Guadalajara, Mexico.
Last edited by slickvik; Dec 9, 2016 at 11:28 pm
Dec 12, 2016, 10:48 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Radisson Rewards Gold, Best Western Diamond Select
Posts: 1,856