Backpacking Indochina Day 1: Bangkok, Thailand

Reposted from my old blog, Happy Nomad.

We cleared immigration shortly after 9 am, exchanged currency, and hurried over to the airport’s B Level for the Sky Train. Good thing we didn’t have to waste precious minutes looking for the ticket dispenser as a kindly employee led us to one and helped us in buying the passes. We paid 50 Baht each. From the airport, we alighted at Phaya Thai Station to catch a taxi that would take us to our hostel’s location at Phranakorn. This was to be our major and only gaffe during the entire trip: we took a taxi parked just outside the station who decided not to turn the meter on and negotiated with us for a fixed fare of 160 Baht. We were too tired to argue and I refuse to let my emotion ruin the rest of the trip. So we got to talking and by the time we had to pay him, he charged us 40 baht less than what was agreed on. I guess good spirit rubs off on people.

Travel Tip: If you don’t have data roaming but needs to send a quick email or something while at the airport, you can get a free wifi stub upon arrival but take note that by the time you reached immigration,  you’d be out of range.


So anyway, we checked in, grabbed some lunch, and walked towards our first stop: The Grand Palace. True enough as recounted on various blogs and travel guides, a random guy stopped us mid-way and tried to talk us into going to a different site. We politely declined and moved on. 

Arriving at our destination, I can see why the country’s tourism tagline is “Amazing Thailand”. No amount of googling images could have prepared me for the beauty of the Grand Palace and the temples. The sun was already high up in the sky and the place was swarming with tourists. Mesmerized by the exquisite blend of Thai and European architecture however, I was totally oblivious to it all. I was having such an enormous “Anna and The King” moment ( despite the fact that I know the film was actually shot somewhere in Malaysia).

The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew

Entrance Fee : 500 Baht













Wat Pho or Temple of the Reclining Buddha


Entrance Fee : 100 Baht and you get a small bottle of water too








Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn

Entrance Fee: 50 Baht

















We walked a bit back towards Tha Tien Pier and boarded a passenger ferry going to Wat Arun and paid only 3 Baht one way. I think a photo of this temple as the sun sets is one of the most googled images and I wanted to have my very own version. But first, we wanted to go up and get a bird’s eyeview of the city and the majestic Chao Phraya River. I don’t have fear of heights but  I actually had second thoughts about climbing the Wat. It wasn’t the way up that’s the problem, it’s when you have to go down and see how high up you were. Oh well, I had to do what I had to do. Paid another 3.50 baht on the way back, had an ice cream for 40 baht ( I know, I’m crazy), and waited at a park across to get my twilight Wat Arun shot.


Actually, it was quite a wait since apparently the sun doesn’t set in Thailand by 6pm. An hour later it still looks as if it wasn’t ready to succumb to darkness just yet. Anyhow, the market that my friend wanted to eat dinner at already closed so then it was a toss between Yaowarat China Town and Khao San Road. We were hungry so we went with the latter, it was just down our hostel anyway.

Foodie post and the ensuing Thai massage will be on a separate post.

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