First day in Bangkok, I was a little apprehensive about what I would find. I knew a lot of the sights are centred around Khao San so I went for a walk (this really pissed off the Tuk-Tuk drivers) I didn't go into any of the monuments as I was moreinterested in getting used to being here. I saw a few sights, and at every one there were Tuk-Tuk drivers telling me it was closed, because Buddha's Birthday, Monks are praying, or not open on this day. They were all lies. I wandered all over the place, through an area where they were all doing stuff with sheets of wood, an area where they had loads of car batteries and motorbike repair shops, and another where they where casting Buddha's.

When I got back I went out for a couple of beers at The Silk Bar before ordering some food. It was very cheap (about a quid) and very good. I nipped across the road to The Central Bar and noticed they had an Irish bar upstairs. I headed up. Selling Guinness and Kilkenny was as Irish as it got. There was a local band doing covers, and they weren't bad at all, so I stayed for a beer.

Second day I decide to head down toward the Palace. I wasn't bothered about going in (which was good as I wasn't properly dressed for it) but other sights were that way. Heading through a park area some Thai woman thrust a couple of bags of seed at me saying 'Good Luck, Good Luck' I dropped the seeds and held my hands up saying 'No', and was promptly surrounded by four or five other people selling the stuff. It took me repeating 'No' for a minute or two before they left me alone. The Palace looked worth a photo, a pity you can't get one, there's a huge whitewashed wall around it. You can see the roof but that is all. Shame. So I set off for the Wats. Wat Pho was nice enough, the monuments (chedis?) looked impressive, but up close, you wouldn't want whoever tiled it to do your bathroom. I got a Tuk-Tuk to drive me to another Wat and then back to the Hotel, on the way to the Hotel he pulled into a shops drive way and said that if I went inside for a few minutes he would get a petrol token. I'd heard about this scam, so being more forceful than I was with the seed ladies I told him to take me to my hotel. He did but wasn't happy with it.

In the evening I headed back to the Central bar and the Irish bar. The band this night was awful. I didn't think anyone could do 'Supersonic' that bad, at least they could have learnt the word (purple submarine?). I didn't hag around. I headed over to the Silk Bar for another meal (alot spicier this time but still good and cheap). I'd just finished when an Aussie came over and asked if he could nick part of my table 'and why don't you join us'... The people who I joined were a goup of 'farangs' who worked out here. Two Aussies, Three Brits, A Yank, A Columbian and a Swede. Most worked for the UN. They ordered plenty of drinks and didn't mind at all me joining in. Being local they gave me some good advice, and a bit of a boost to my confidence. We went to a club afterward (Lava) and there were only us brits left, I was bought a couple more beers and joined nearly everyone else in the place dancing badly to your usual chart R&B (Second only to rapping in my hate list). When the club shut Omar, Joe and Saba (an asian girly with a laugh like a pig) left for home and I headed for my hotel. This was my last night at the hotel so I decided not to extended my booking and check out to go to another area of Bangkok in the morning.