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| We arrive in Bangkok during the biggest flood in 50 years |
As I’ve already written,
at the air port we encountered an unpleasant surprise. Information on
how to get to the city center on the airport’s website is much
outdated. Despite the fact that since June there has been no direct
bus to the vicinities of Khao San Road in Banglapmphu district, where
tourists usually stay, you can still read about this route in the
Internet.
It’s best to get to the
city by Skytrain. Depending on whether you want to go to Khao San
Road or to the commercial and business district, you have two
options.
To Banglamphu it’s not
so straightforward. First take a Skytrain. There are two lines:
-Express Line
– 150 THB, only one stop at Makkasan
where you can catch a taxi to Khao San Road or a bus to take you to
the Democracy Monument. It's only a few steps from Khao San Road.
Note: it’s not that easy to find a bus stop because it’s hidden
behind a column; and people asked for help don't seem to know what
you want and show you a totally different direction.
-City Line
– 15 THB, much slower because it has
several stops. You can go to Makkasan and from there as above.
If you choose the business
district, it’s better to go a bit farther, to the last stop called
Phaya Thai, where you can take another line, the one going near Siam
Square or the other to Silom Road.
Of course you can take a
taxi. It should cost 300-400 THB. But beware: you’d rather not get
in a taxi without a meter.
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| At peak hours the city is totally chopped |
Good to know:
transportation
*Railway station
Hualamphong
This is the main station
from which most of the trains depart. There is left luggage, stalls
with food (but no restaurant), exchange, you can also take a shower
(20 THB).
*Bus stations
Located on the outskirts
of the city – www.transport.co.th
-Northern Bus Terminal
(Sathaani Mo Chit) – buses going north and north-east as well as
some going east (e.g. to Pattayaa)
-Eastern Bus Terminal
(Sathaani Ekamai) – buses towards east
-Southern Bus Terminal
(Sathaani Sai Tai Mai) – buses towards south
*Public transport
Operated by the Bangkok
Mass Transit Authority (www.bmta.co.th)
-buses – air-conditioned
(11-19 THB), euro-buses (12-24 THB), ordinary (open, 7 THB)
-taxis – expensive; 35
THB for the first 2 km and 5 THB for each additional kilometer
-tuk-tuk – it’s best
to catch those with a white sign „taxi” on the roof, which means
that they have a license; slightly cheaper than taxis; it’s better
to avoid them because a driver will probably take you to a friend’s
shop
-Skytrain – BTS,
www.bts.co.th; operates 6.00-24.00; ticket
prices depend on the route, 15-40 THB, information and route maps can
be found at each station
-metro –
www.bangkokmetro.co.th; one long route; operates 6.00-24.00; trips
based on tokens; map and prices at each station
-boats – standard,
express, water trams; useful in the districts of Rattanakosin and
Banglapmhu
Find out more:
information
*Round-the-clock information point of
the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is located near Banglamphu, 4
Rajdamnoen Nok (Ave). Staff speaks English fluently, is very helpful,
provides you with free maps with major attractions and routes of the
Skytrain and metro.
*In the „7Eleven” stores you can
buy for 99 THB a map with a red writing „Bangkok bilingual map”,
containing descriptions of the most important attractions and the
transportation system. If someone doesn't intend to uses buses,
there's not need to spend money on it.
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| Assumption Church |
There are many churches in
Bangkok, including catholic ones. Some of them offer services in
English. Proven church (service in Thai): Assumption Cathedral, 23
Oriental Lane, Charoen Krung Road; Sundays 6.00, 7.30, 8.30, 10.00,
17.00. Several churches located near Silom Road.
Accommodation
Guidebooks recommend
Banglamphu district because it’s cheap and close to major
attractions. Thanon Khao San (Khao San Road, www.khaosanroad.com)
running through Banglamphu is full of guesthouses, travel agencies
and restaurants. It’s a place suitable for backpackers.
Accommodation is not expensive (500-700 THB for double room with a
bathroom) but don’t expect comfort; in addition Khao San Road is
alive until late at night, or better said: dawn.
It’s better to
look for something in one of the cross-streets where it’s much
quieter. Alternatively, in the neighboring districts of Rattanakosin
or Chinatown (but it's more noisy there). Another option is the Siam
Square area, lying between old and new Bangkok, on both lines of
Skytrain. Accommodation in this area is more expensive, there is
significant noise, there are plenty of department stores. You can as
well choose Silom Road area, which is quieter, unless you take a room
near Patpong (read below) but the rooms here are more expensive. Be
ready to pay 700-1200 THB per night, the latter for a comfortable
room in a lower class hotel with breakfast.
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| In the evenings Khao San Road changes into a big market |
During our first
stay in Bangkok we choose Khao San Road as befits true travelers.
We've been seduced by a lively atmosphere of this short street.
There’s everything here! Stalls with imitations, trolleys with food
which is prepared in front of you, massage salons (not erotic, but
relaxing, you can look inside through glass windows), agencies where
you can buy an excursion to every corner of the country, stands with
figurines and souvenirs as well as tailoring establishments where
they’ll sew a chic suit for you on the spot.
Be careful with the
travel agencies. You can by a transport to the airport here but not
every place is reliable: the agency where we bought tickets proved to
be unreliable and a bus didn’t come to our hostel. In the last
minute we managed to catch a taxi and we never recovered the money –
it was 4 a.m., the office was closed, nobody answered the phone –
no wonder at that hour.
In the evening we
regret a bit that we chose Khao San. This street is alive almost all
the time, until dawn and nobody cares that there are hostels and
guesthouses here and maybe some tourist went to bed already. Nobody
turns off the music, what for?, basses pound and shake the grounds of
the buildings. And I’m not talking about midnight but long hours
after.
Therefore if you
want to visit many places and not to walk too sleepy through the day,
better look for accommodation in one of the side streets, the farther
away from Khao San the better.
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| Mobile exchange and ATM arrives every evening to Khao San Road |
If somebody wants to
run shopping in huge malls better move to the center, close to Siam
Square. You need an hour to get there from Khao San. We did it that
way. During our first stay we were just visiting places so Khao San
was the best solution. When we came to Bangkok for the second time,
we chose Silom Road from where you can easily reach the pubs and
discos on foot, as well as huge malls and a big weekend market
Chatuchak by metro or Skytrain.
Attractions
Rattanakosin
The most important
monuments and buildings are located here; it’s easy to get here
from Banglamphu, you can also take an express boat
*Democracy Monument
– commemorates the ideals of the 1932
revolution and transition to constitutional monarchy; good
orientation point
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| One of the royal chariots in the National Museum |
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| Palace and temple complex |
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| Chapel of the Reclining Buddha |
The complex contains also:
model of Angkor Wat, gold Chedi Phra Si Ratama, Dusi Maha Prasa
(Deception hall, the essence of Thai architecture), original throne
Phra Ratcha Banland Pradap Muk (a masterpiece inlaid with mother of
pearl), Krailas (model of Mount Meru – habitat of gods in Khmer
mythology, crowned with castle and prang)
*Wat Po (Wat Phra
Chetuphan) – www.watpho.com; close to the Palace complex; 8.30-17;
30 THB; the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok, known for its
Chapel of the Reclining Buddha; considered the oldest Thai
university; on its premises there are also statues of the giants and
four great chedis
*Golden Mount (Phru Khao
Tong) – in the temple of Wat Saket; 7.30-17.00; you can see the
city skyline from its observation deck
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| On the Golden Mount |
*The Memorial Bridge
*Wat Arun
– www.watarun.org; large Temple of Dawn;
its prang raises to a height of 20 floors and is decorated with
multicolored Chinese porcelain; 8.30-17.30, 50 THB; this is the
temple known from the TAT logo; on the opposite side of the Palace;
boats run between them
*Wat Prayoon
– below Wat Arun, next to the Memorial
Bridge, it’s also worth to see a collection of the miniature stupas
and shrines here as well as the gallery of styles (chedi and bot but
also a house from the Wild West)
*Santa Cruz Catholic
Church (Wat Kudi Jeen) –
10 minutes from Wat Prayoon, in the heart of the former Portuguese
district
Chinatown
*Wat Trimit – there’s
a world largest Buddha statue here, made of gold, 8-17, 40 THB
Pahurat
Indian district on the
southern edge of Chinatown
*Siri Guru Singh Sabha
Temple
Dusit
*Wimanmek Mansion
– www.wimanmek.com; the world’s largest
teak building; built in 1901 as the residence of King Rama IV; now
houses a museum of royal memorabilia; 9.30-15.30 (last tickets
15.00), only guided tours every 30 minutes; pay attention to the way
you’re dressed; free admission with the ticket to the Grand Palace;
nearby Chitrlada Palace is a house of the present king
Other
*Lumpini Park
– in the city center, at the eastern end
of Silom Road; good place for a moment of rest
*Floating Market
Damnoen Saduak –
rush hour 8.00-9.00, tourist buses arrive at about 10.00; it’s best
to depart from Southern Bus Terminal early in the morning, buses
leave every 20 minutes, journey takes approx. 2 hours; the Ton Khem
market can be reached by boats which leave every 15 minutes from the
place near the bus stop in Damnoen Saduak, ticket: 30 THB; more
pleasant way is to take a walk along the channels
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| Lumpini Park - a place for a little rest during a hot day |
*Crocodile Farm – a few
kilometers from Samut Prakan, daily 7-18, 300 THB, show from 9.00
very hour (feeding crocodiles, elephant training), there are also
tigers, monkeys and snakes; access: buses 7, 8 or 511 to the end of
the line and from there take a songthaew to the farm gate
*Safari World
– on the outskirts of Bangkok;
www.safariworld.com, daily 9-17; 370 THB; divided into two parts:
-Safari Park – you can
see here: giraffes, elephants, lions and other species; you can join
a bus excursion which can be purchased on the spot, it takes approx.
45 minutes;
-Marine Park – you can
take a boat trip through the jungle and see many rare species of
animals as well as training shows
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| Amazing of Bangkok are really amazing |
As can be seen from
the above description there is much to explore in Bangkok. Most of
the temples and palaces are located in the districts of Dusit,
Banglamphu and Rattanakosin. You can visit
them in one or two days. The architecture of the palaces and temples
is really impressive. Detailed elements made of gold glitter in the
midday sun, not letting your eyes rest for a moment. Sculptures,
reliefs and intricately arranged mosaics of colored tiles enjoy your
eyes, giving evidence of the virtuosity of the builders and craftsmen
of that time. After all, a king regarded by the nation to this day as
a demigod, could not live in something that was not pristine, hence
the great attention to every detail. It’s a pity that in some
places it’s forbidden to take pictures. However some tourists from
time to time manage to snap a picture, such pictures made in haste,
without a flash, never show the real beauty of the photographed item.
Night life
Brothel district Patpong
is squeezed in a small area between the eastern extremities of Silom
and Suriwong. Its center is in fact two joint streets Patpong 1 and
Patpong 2, going off Silom, near BTS station „Sala Daeng” and
metro station „Silom”. There are plenty of bars, night clubs and
discos here. This place used to be visited once by crowds of tourists
from Europe, now it’s not that popular. In the Internet many
stories circulate about various kinds of shows you can see here, with
the most famous ping-pong show. Admission to these shows is usually
free but note: a beer in a sex-bar may cost up to 600 THB (more or
less 60 PLN, €15). Neon
lights glare the eyes, music rumbles, scantily dressed girls, waiters
and beaters in front of the premises encourage you to take advantage
of their offer.
For several evening hours
the streets become full of stalls and stands where vendors press
cheap imitations of various kinds of products to passers-by.
Shopping
*Center of Bangkok is
actually one big shopping mall. There's a dozen big department stores
here. Some of them are connected by a so called skywalk. They’re
open usually from 10.00 until 21.00, some of them even until 22.00.
The biggest stores are: Siam (composed of three malls – Paragon,
Centre and Discovery), MBK, Central World, Chitlom, Emporium to name
but a few. You can find here everything your heart desires, both the
most exclusive brand shops and stalls with pirated CDs.
*Tourists who stay at Khao
San Rd. can choose from among dozens of stalls installed here every
evening.
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| City skyline as seen from the Golden Mount |
*Gigantic Chatuchak
Weekend Market, Sat-Sun 7-17, located between Northern Bus Terminal
and Skytrain stop „Mo Chit”; you can find here everyting you’d
imagine.
**
In Bangkok, as in most
other cities, you can eat well for 60 THB (6 PLN, €1,5)
or buy a lunch for 500 THB (50 PLN, €12).
From my experience (and not only mine) it’s best to go where local
people go. The food there will be cheap and tasty. In addition, most
of these installments are just an oven in the open or even a trolley
with a frying pan and a gas oven, so you can watch the food being
prepared for you. Even if you don’t know the name of the dish you
can just show with your hand the one that appeals to your eyes and
nose…
Coffee and tea in such
establishments is pretty cheap, 20-40 THB. Note: you will usually get
a very sweet kind of instant coffee. If you want a real coffee you
must go to one of the coffeehouse chains, such as “Coffee Heaven”
or “Starbucks”. There you’ll get a real, freshly ground coffee,
but much more expensive, usually 80 THB, a cake to accompany it would
cost 120 THB.
**
We spend several days in
Bangkok, in two rounds. Once before we go to Malaysia and for the
second time, after we’ve returned from Koh Samet to see more of
this large city and to do some shopping! As for now, at dawn on
November 15, we have a flight to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the
second country we’ll visit during this year’s holiday, Malaysia…
More reading about traveling to Thailand:
Intro
Pattaya
Koh Samet
Ayutthaya
More reading about traveling to Thailand:
Intro
Pattaya
Koh Samet
Ayutthaya