6 DAYS SPENT IN BANGKOK

Bangkok has a reputation of being a town where debauchery and drunken misbehaving go hand in hand. I had this preconception, before arriving and assumed I would only visit for a day or two before packing my bags and heading onward. I’m happy to say that I was wrong about Bangkok. There’s so much more to it than people give it credit for.

Bangkok is a town steeped in tradition, with fantastic temples, amazingly friendly people, vibrant nightlife, fantastic food and a sprawling cityscape where there is something different to see on each street you wander down.

I ended up spending 6 full days here; much longer than I expected and I saw so much of this amazing city.

Day 1

Upon arrival I picked myself up a Thai SIM card at the airport, to ensure I could stay connected when needed and help me find my way around. This was simpler than expected and fairly cheap also. Just over 500 Bhat ( approx. £12) for 30 days unlimited data and was installed by those at the counter in the airport.

I then grabbed a taxi to my first hostel. This was simple too; there is a ticketing system at the airport, where you grab a ticket which tells you which taxi bay to head to and a driver meets you there. Tip – ensure the taxi driver puts the meter on, if you’re not aware how much the ride should cost!

Once settled into the hostel, I went for a walk around the local streets, taking in the sites and sounds of the local area – quite an assault on the senses!

I got chatting to a local guy in the street who was telling me about the many temples in Bangkok and how to go about seeing many of them in one day. He suggested I take a tuk-tuk and flagged one down for me. He marked a few on a local map for me and bartered (or so I thought) with the tuk-tuk driver to take me to 4 separate temples, allowing me time to wander around and take photographs in each in exchange for 100 Bhat. Seemed like a good deal to me, but perhaps I was somewhat naive.

Off we went, in the tuk-tuk, which was an experience in itself!

I visited a number of temples in the area, including the Golden Mount and the Marble Temple, which were quite inspiring and lo and behold the tuk-tuk driver was there waiting for me to take me to the next.

I thought things were a little strange when in between stops he would drop me at a tailors and usher me inside to take a look. The guys inside gave me the hard sell, of course and explain that this deal was only valid for today – of course they were..

For a custom suit, the prices were great, by Western standards, but there’s no need for me to purchase a suit on my travels. I’d find out later, that these places were ten a penny.

Off to another couple of temples and the driver tried to stop at another tailors. I told him I had no need to stop, so much to his distaste we proceeded to the final stop of the day. Before leaving to view the final temple, I asked if he would take me back to my hostel for a few extra Bhat and showed him on the map. He promised to wait for me to come back before he would then take me home, but when I returned he was nowhere to be seen! I waited for five minutes for him to reappear, but to no avail.

Wandering down the street I bumped into another local who explained that the driver had taken off as he had no interest in taking me back to the hostel as he’d earned 200 Bhat in commission just for taking me to the tailors. It all adds up now. Still I hadn’t paid him a penny, so I guess that’s a small victory for the tourist.

This guy I was speaking to then tried to get me loaded into another tuk-tuk to take me to the river for a boat ride. Apparently this would normally be 4,000 Bhat, but today would only be 1,000. Sounds legit.

Jetlagged and weary I was in no mood to journey off on another scam, so politely declined. I later found out that you can actually get a boat ride from as little as 15 Bhat (approximate 30 pence).

 

I haggled with another tuk-tuk driver to take me back to my hostel. They didn’t seem keen on this, presumably as there’s no commission for them!

I agreed on a price, headed back to the hostel and had about 15 hours sleep…….

 

Day 2

After having slept for what felt like a lifetime I dragged myself up and out onto the streets of Bangkok again.

The father of a friend of mine lived out in Bangkok and I’d arranged to meet up with him for some drinks and for him to show me around town. He was based a few miles East from where I was staying, but rather than get a cab I decided to walk so that I could take in more of the city. The heat and humidity made this difficult and I somewhat underestimated the distance.

We met in a bar called Check Inn 99 on Soi 11 for a couple of Changs before heading to another bar called ‘Cheap Charlie’s’ – a cool and quirky little tiki bar situated on the corner of a side street further down Soi 11. This place is one of a kind and definitely one to visit, if only to see the unique decor:

Another couple of drinks in a place called the Queen Bee, watching a Rolling Stones tribute band and then a dice roll to determine whether we headed to Soi 22 or 23.

This ended up being a heavy night, finished up with a full sit down Italian meal at 4a.m. Starting to settle into Bangkok life.

 

 

Day 3

After shaking the hangover from night 2, it was time to pack up my things and head to the next hostel – The Yard.

I waited on the street with my bags until a taxi or tuk-tuk could be hailed. Eventually a tuk-tuk driver stopped and despite the obvious language barrier I thought he’d understood where I needed to go. We negotiated a price and off we went.

Rolling around in the back of a tuk-tuk with all your baggage on busy Bangkok streets takes some nerve!

I was following the route on my phone and realised the driver was veering off course, but thought never mind, as we’d agreed a set fee, so I had no worries if it was a scenic route.

He came to a stop outside a fairly rundown building and pointed to it saying “hostel, hostel!” To which I replied, “not just any hostel! It has to be this hostel!” pointing to the map on my phone. Based on day 1’s events, I assume he was on commission for this place.

Eventually I arrived at the Yard. A friend has recommended this place to me and it didn’t disappoint. There was a large open garden for all of the guests to relax in, a bar area, an air-conditioned living room with tv and games consoles, facilities for washing clothes and breakfast included. The staff were so friendly and helpful and really made the place feel like you were part of a wider family.

I settled in immediately and extended my stay from 2 nights to 4.

That evening, craving a bit of home comfort, I met my friends from the previous night to have a roast dinner and watch the football. You can take the boy out of England….

Day 4

Back to the more cultural side of Bangkok for day 4. I headed out with a few others from the hostel and we’d decided to visit the Wat Pho temple. To get there we took a combination of the sky train and one of the river boats.

Getting the sky train was simple. The station was 5 minutes walk from the hostel and based on advice from others I bought myself a ‘Rabbit’ card and topped this up with an initial 200 Bhat. The Rabbit card is essentially the same as an Oyster card on the tube in London and is much easier to use (and cheaper, I believe) than buying individual tickets.

We hopped on a boat up the river – another very cheap option at 15Bhat and allowed us to see a different side of Bangkok.

Walking around Wat Pho was certainly an experience and one I’d definitely recommend if you visit the city. The ornate detail in the building of the temple were nothing short of incredible and awe inspiring.

The image below should give you some idea of the grandeur:

After leaving the temple we grabbed a late lunch and headed back to the Yard to sink a few Changs.

 

Day 5

A fairly chilled day for day 5. I headed out on my own to get more familiar with the local area. There were some fantastic cafes and street food stalls and I stopped for an Iced Latte and some noodles in a place called House 46 and watched the world go by for an hour or two.

Upon returning to the hostel I decided to roll the dice to determine how I should go about my journey to Chiang Mai, which you can read about here.

 

In the evening some others from the hostel and I agreed we should check out Khao San Road, as no trip to Bangkok can be considered complete without it!

This place is the party capital of Bangkok and when we first turned up it didn’t really make sense to me. There were rows of bars, which were rammed full and playing techno music turned up to 11. You couldn’t even hear yourself talk in the middle of the street and it seemed like the bars were all competing with each other for who could make the most noise.

We decided to go for a few drinks down one of the side streets. Still noisy, but it seemed to make more sense and you could actually carry a conversation. After sinking a few cocktails we headed back to Khao San Road.

Now it made more sense!

The atmosphere was different. People were dancing in the street. The music was better and there was an energy about the place which was infectious.

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think I’d spend much time down here, but I was enjoying it. The street was full of street vendors selling beer, buckets of mixed cocktails and insects. We were approached several times asking if we wanted to eat scorpions on a stick. A perfect chance to roll the dice…

A crazy place, but lots of fun. I think the picture below helps to give an idea of the frenetic energy of Khao San Road:

Day 6

For my last full day in Bangkok and sporting a minor hangover a friend and I headed to the Siam centre – a large shopping centre district in the heart of Bangkok.

This was the most Western experience I had in Bangkok and was synonymous with any urban shopping centre, except for the budget MBK centre, which was a sprawling Thai market selling counterfeit clothes at prices where it’s expected for you to haggle. This was certainly worth having a look around.

That evening we spent some time back at the Yard having some drinks and a burger at the ‘Paper Butter’ burger restaurant next to the hostel.

I’d had an awesome time at the Yard and this was the key to me having such a great time in Bangkok. I made some great friends there and the next time I’m in Bangkok I will be sure to stay there again!

 

 

What did I learn from my time in Bangkok?

So what did I learn from my 6 days in Bangkok? Here’s a quick summary. I hope this is helpful if you decide to ever visit this varied and vibrant city:

1. Meeting people was easy. Travelling alone was a cause for concern, but staying in a shared hostel ensures you meet so many people in the same situation as you, with similar mindsets. Don’t worry. Jump in with both feet.
2. Hostels are really really easy to book and if you like one, extend your stay!
3. If you don’t like a place, move on.
4. There are so many options to get around – boat, sky train, bus, tuk-tuk, taxi. Or just walk, there’s a lot to see and sometimes this is the best way!
5. It’s seriously hot & humid and this was during their cool season!
6. Tuk-tuk drivers have an agenda.
7. You must visit Khao San Road, but maybe just once, there’s more to Bangkok than this.
8. The cabs will stop for you, but won’t necessarily take you where you want to go.
9. If you’ve never taken a journey in a cab before, ensure they put the meter on!
10. Local beer is cheap – exports are expensive. Stick with the local brew. It’s decent!
11. Get a local SIM card, you’ll need it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Bangkok and I’m sure you will too.

Off to Ayutthaya!