The Briefest of Bangkoks
After a week in Singapore & KL with their hefty taxes on alcohol we were looking forward to having a bit of a blow out in filthy-cheap Bangkok where a bucket of strong cocktail will set you back about three pounds whereas pint in KL was about the same price. Our plans were scuppered in KL Airport as Pezza’s tummy began to do somersaults and she was under ‘Toilet Arrest’ for the foreseeable future.
Not to be deterred, we arrived in Bangkok and found our home for the next two nights. Bangkok is a real treat for people travelling as the accommodation here is so cheap; for half the price of what we paid in Singapore for our basic room we have an en suite room in a hotel on the doorstep of all the tourist attractions and a few minutes walk from Khao San Road. The bed is by far the most comfortable we’ve had to date and after a few issues with breaking the air con control we had a very comfortable base for Pezza to dash to and from the toilet.
Needless to say, we haven’t been up to much but we’re generally fine with this as we have been to Bangkok before in 2007 and crossed all the major ‘must sees’ off. We also think we’ll be crossing through this city again at some point in the next 5-6 weeks meaning we can get sloshed on Khao San and then go and see a Ping Pong show at the third time of trying!
It hasn’t all been doom and gloom – on Thursday night we took a stroll down Khao San Road – it is like the worlds largest passenger terminal with thousands of travellers all using it as a hub in and out of various cities and countries. There are internet cafes, travel agents, restaurants, more than enough hostels/hotels and lots of bars. There is really no place like it. In many ways the crowds, the carefree attitude and neon lights reminded me of Vegas. If you spend all of your time in Bangkok on Khao San Road you are clearly wasting your time but as a hub and meeting point for backpackers and travellers alike, there’s no place like it.
We had been recommended by Katie in Tignes to have dinner at the Sirocco Skybar in Silom. We had made a reservation and were left in no doubt it was a fairly swanky place, so swanky in fact that the cost of the meal between us is more than the total we have spent on accommodation to date. With our new found way of travelling we were getting stared at a bit as I was in phenomenally creased shirt and linen pants and the only shoes I have that would pass are my brown trainers. We sought solace at the bar by finding a bloke who was dressed exactly the same as me and obviously had the same idea to splurge a bit in Bangkok. In any case, a pint here is not much more than in Singapore.
The meal was brilliant and the view was even better, especially as we had two or three thunderstorms going on around us to light up the sky. We set about taking loads of pictures at the top of the bar after our meal, much to the disgruntlement of a chap whose only job it seems was to stop taking pictures. By the time we left I was on my third warning for taking pictures but I figured if we got kicked out it didn’t really matter. Stupid rule anyway.
That was pretty much it for Bangkok, far less than we’d hoped for but there was far more than we’d planned streaming out of Pezza’s bottom.
We’re now about to get our flight to Vietnam. We both said last night how this was the ‘real’ start of our trip as we have no accommodation booked and no flights until 7 October when we go to Australia. That’s seven weeks without a plan during which we plan to find our was though Vietnam and over Cambodian and Laos boarders before returning to Thailand to find some beaches. It should be fun!
Khao San is pretty crowded. Thailand is having a huge drop in tourism…except from the backpackers…
Yep, but even so the usual backpaker lodgings are giving massive discounts.
Interestingly, I was speaking to an Aussie from Cairns who said he’d read in Australia that Backpackers spend more per head than any other type of visitor to Australia. He said ‘they want to see and do everything.’
Apparently the Japanese are the lowest spenders as they are all on pre-booked trips and excursions. The Japanese agencies obviously making the money on the trips.
Enjoy Europe Matt.
FYI if you want to see a pingpong show, don’t go to Pat Pong. Head for Soi Cowboy, about 2 mins walk from Asok BTS station. Brighter, better atmosphere, cheaper beer and no chance of being locked in a scary bar and being yelled at to pay 3000 Baht to leave.
This has happened to several people I’ve met recently who’ve gone to the shows in Pat Pong. There *are* “safe” places to go there, but it’s a lottery as to which ones will threaten you with the “mafia” and which are just overpriced.
Shotgun Annies on Soi Cowboy is a good place to go. Prettier girls and a much better atmosphere than anywhere on Pat Pong.
Erm.
So I’ve been told.