I am just back from my first visit to Thailand. I have stayed one week in Bangkok, backpackers style. The hotel was at the very last station of the BTS (On Nut) and the area did not necessarily impress with it’s beauty. Looked more like a nice industrial area 😉
The hotel (Imm Fusion) was ok, but definitely not upper class. Maybe you could consider it a better backpacker hostel without dorms. Though it was just a few meters away from a shopping center and the BTS station, there was not much in the area apart from roads and traffic.
Bangkok itself however is a very interesting and lively city full of adventures (if you’re up for it). It has dozens of temples and though a lot of them look alike it is amazing to walk through them and admire the culture and the architecture. The shiny materials and golden Buddhas everywhere give you an impression of how important Buddhism is in the everyday Thai life.
Though I would consider Thais very friendly and in pursuit of happiness we had a few episodes with the less friendly part of the population. On the way from the airport to the hotel out taxi driver overcharged by almost a 100% and insisted that it was “not too much” tip. After claiming that he wouldn’t have any change he just drove off. This obviously left a bitter taste on the first day in Thailand.
In general, you have to be very careful about any deals with taxi or tuc-tuc drivers. If you look foreign in any way there is a good chance that you pay much more then the locals. For the tuc tuc it may be up to 10x the local rate. Not that we wouldn’t be able to afford it, but you constantly feel shortchanged and on the watch – ignorance is a bliss here.
My best suggestion for getting around would be the BTS (and possibly MTR, though I didn’t try it) and the Chao Praya ferries. The ferries are fairly cheap and get you almost anywhere along the river. The first day we too the hassle free tourist boat, but after that we only used the local ferries, which run more frequently and are just a fraction of the price. You may also get a cab or a tuc-tuc, but make sure you negotiate the rate upfront or use a metered taxi (make sure the meter is actually running). It is also good to have an understanding or a map of where you are going as we also had drivers, who weren’t quite sure where certain streets / landmarks where.
Overall Bangkok is to be recommended weather you are after history and architecture (temples, wats, Jim Thompson’s house, etc.), shopping (night market, plenty of street markets, cheap tailors) or party (Patpong area at night). Now that I know what to expect the next trip should be even more enjoyable.
Please find some pictures of Bangkok at day in the gallery below. I didn’t take any pix of the Patpong trip for obvious reasons 🙂
