Thailand: Best of Bangkok

On our third day in Cambodia, we left Siem Reap early to cross the border at Aranyaprathet to go back to Thailand. After clearing immigration at around 10am, we bought food at a 711 store then boarded the bus for the 5 hour trip. The tourist bus, which was parked right across the street from the store, will take you to Bangkok for 200 Baht. We arrived in Bangkok at 3pm and went straight to Siam Paragon. We deposited our things at the mall then had our uber late lunch. We had several hours to explore Bangkok so we hailed a cab to take us to Wat Pho. The driver didn’t use the meter but charged us 200 Baht for a short trip. I wanted to get out but Rodel pacified me and said that he will pay for it just so we can go. That was our first mistake. We paid the 50 Baht entrance fee, explored the temple grounds and checked out the Reclining Buddha.

Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho

Golden Buddha

Lavishly designed door

 

Wats

After checking almost every nook and cranny, we took the exit and surprise! The cab driver was waiting for us and offering to take us to a place that sells bus tickets to Sukhothai. It turned out to be a travel agency that charges exorbitant prices for a Sukhothai tour. We left the place immediately and decided to go back to Siam Paragon by taking the BTS train.  Rodel and Glenn were so confident that the GPS tracker on their phones and the Bangkok map that we got at the airport will lead us back to the mall. You put four people used to reading maps and doing fieldworks at God-knows-where and you will get one long discussion on the right way.  We crossed one of Bangkok’s overpass and walked several blocks until we reached one of the train stations.  Another discussion ensued on what line to take until a fellow Filipino approached us and gave us directions. We had dinner then checked out the boutiques before leaving for Mochit bus station for Sukhothai.

After an overnight stay at Sukhothai, we left early to catch the Wintour bus going back to Bangkok. We reached the city past three pm and hurriedly checked in at Rambuttri Village Hotel. The hotel is located at Soi Ram Buttri , along Chakkra Phong road near  Khaosan  road. Their deluxe double room is 1050 Baht and they require a 1000 Baht deposit.  Aimee was adamant that we visit one of the largest weekend markets in Asia, Chatuchak market. It was already 4 in the afternoon but the market was still abuzz with locals and tourists. Chatuchak is paradise for cheapskate shoppers. Aimee and I immersed ourselves with the cheap market goods while the guys had no choice but to suffer silently.  Until Glenn couldn’t take it anymore and suggested we head back to Khaosan road to have dinner. We were so tired from the 8 hour trip and the market madness that we decided to dine at the restaurant right beside the hotel. After a sumptuous dinner of Thai food, we were treated to a free performance of a Michael Jackson wannabe. 

We were supposed to go to Ayutthaya, another UNESCO heritage site on our last day in Thailand. But after visiting Angkor Wat and Sukhothai, we had a temple overload. We were not keen on travelling for two hours just to see wats again so we opted to stay within the city. The Grand Palace was just walking distance from our hotel so it was a logical choice. There is a 350 Baht fee to enter the palace grounds. Once inside, you can join the guided tours to get an abridged version of the palace’s history. 

Thailand's Grand Invitation

Grand Palace

Golden Chedi

One of the magnificient buildings of the Grand Palace

Dusit Maha Prasat Hall

This is where the heads of state are received

It was way past lunchtime when we finished with the tour. We headed to MBK mall which is very similar to Greenhills mall. You can find a lot of stalls selling all kinds of stuff. One section is even dedicated to jewellery and diamonds. A whole floor consists of stalls selling electronic equipment like mobile phones and computers. 

Lastly, one of my favourite parts of the Bangkok experience is eating pad thai at a street stall in Khaosan road. Their 15 Baht pad thai was more delicious than what was served at a restaurant in Siam Paragon. The lively atmosphere at Khaosan road added an element of excitement to the entire thing as well.