BANGKOK

The flight from Taipei departed in the afternoon. After 3 hours and 30 minutes we safely landed at the airport in Bangkok. The immigration process took quite long since we seemed to have chosen the line with the slowest officer. Anyway, once we were allowed to enter the country, we took a bus and the MRT to get to the Hansaah Guesthouse where we spent 3 nights.

A delicious breakfast was served the next morning and the French owner gave us some instructions on how to use the various means of transport. Bangkok is huge, gigantic. Around 16 million people (including its vicinity) call it their home. It is a very vibrant city. You can find everything here: from great wealth to poverty, from luxurious resorts to basic backpacker hostels, millions of tourists (it seemed that all of them are Germans!), amazing palaces and simple homes, exquisite restaurants and small food stalls. And, above all, incredibly friendly people.

Our first excursion took us to the Royal Palace. The only sensible way to go there was to take the Skytrain to the river Chao Phraya and then use one of the Express boats that plough the river up and down all day. It’s simple, cheap and convenient unless you go during rush hour.

Since it was late morning, we managed to get a seat on the boat which made the ride quite enjoyable. Once we got off the boat and walked towards the Palace we noticed a huge crowd in front of the main entrance. Among the many tourists were even more Thai’s, all dressed in black, that had come to pay their last respects to King Bhumibol Adulyadej who had passed away recently. Due to this, white and black mourning bands could be found all over the city.

When we saw tourists carrying their passports we were under the impression we needed them to get into the Palace. Of course, we left them at our hotel. And since there was such a long queue, we decided to visit the nearby Wat Poh instead. The main sight is the huge golden reclining Buddha.

We spent a long time on the temple grounds. There’s a lot to see. It is unbelievably beautiful and impressive. It’s hard to find the right words for it. Hopefully, the pictures give an idea what it looked like.

Right at the exit, you can treat yourself to a traditional Thai Massage. Apparently, the one offered here is a  very good and professional one. Since it was also inexpensive we booked a half hour full body massage. That felt good! We then thought it might be a good idea to go to a museum for a change. The travelguide had recommended the „Museum of Siam“, so we walked there. Well, not such a good idea. It is currently being renovated – on the inside and on the outside it seemed. There was no indication if the exhibits are being displayed somewhere else or if and when it is going to re-open. Very disappointed, we walked to the boat pier again and took the water taxi a bit futher north to the Khao San Road. This has been the famous backpacker street for a very long time and it still is. Lots of street shops sell cheap clothing and souvenirs and loads of restaurants and backpacker accommodations can be found here. It is not a very pretty area.

It was time to go back to the hotel. It took us forever. Because there was such a long line at the boat pier that not all people fit on the next boat arriving. So we had to wait for another one and they only run every 10-15 minutes or so. When it finally arrived it was already so full that we had to stand all the way. And it was very cramped and hot on that boat. It was definitely much more fun in the morning…

We had dinner in a garden restaurant close to the guesthouse but it was not as good was we had anticipated. The dishes we chose were OK but rather small in size and therefore quite expensive. They even added 10% tax and 7% service on top. We will certainly find something better for tomorrow night.

On our 2nd day, we did go to the Royal Palace again and managed to go inside. There were still a lot of people but it was OK. After we had passed the security check, the visitors and mourners were being separated. The latter ones were lead onto the grounds a different way. As it was again a very hot and sunny day, free water, fruits and snacks were being handed to the mourners. A large area around the Palace had been closed off as well.

On the grounds of the Palace several areas can be visited. The first and probably most impressive part is the Wat Phra Kaew with its colorful halls and temples and the Emerald Buddha. Absolutely amazing. In the bright sunlight everything was shining and glistening. Once we were done admiring, we could walk by the actual Royal Palace but could see the large building only from a distance. The mourners were led right in front of it. Maybe they were even allowed inside.

We left the Palace grounds and walked to the Golden Mountain. This is a man made hill with a golden temple at the top. The 344 stairs lead along the mountain in a circle. There are Buddha statues and artificial birds set in the lush surroundings – which is sort of cute and kitschy at the same time. The Golden Mountain Café located on the way up provided a welcoming break befording continueing the climb. There is an amazing 360° view from the top.

We then walked to the nearest MRT station and headed back to the hotel. We spent all day in the city but because of the distances you don’t get to see that much. This evening, we had dinner at „Vincent’s Restaurant“ which was recommended by the owner of the guesthouse. It was simply great. The Thai Curries were tasty, spicy and not expensive.

This was the end of our short trip to Thailand. The easiest and cheapest way to go to Laos is via Bangkok and since we did not find suitable connection flights we thought we use this opportunity for a quick stopover. It was worth it.