53: Back in Bangkok
I left Koh Samui yesterday by plane and arrived back in Bangkok in the evening.
It had rained quite a bit for the last few days and I got a little bored and restless (I wouldn’t have had problems lying on the beach if the sun would have been out more) so glad I’m in Bangkok now.
I decided to try a different transport from the Airport to the Center. Last time I took the taxi, easy enough since there is a taxi queue outside the Airport in Bangkok, organised by a Taxi booth which makes it easy and safe to use the taxis which participate in this system. (There are many taxi drivers who don’t and try to catch passengers before the queue. They usually refuse to switch on the taxi meter and ask for ridiculous fixed fares, some go even further by driving you to another hotel than what you asked for or even asking for additional money before letting you out so the organised taxi rank is good for those who don’t know their way around). Anyway not that I know my way around Bangkok much but at least I’m not completely new to this place so I tried to catch a taxi that drops off departing passangers from the arrival area and get to the nearest Sky Train Station. This would be one of the fastest ways to get into town. Well I didn’t bother with this option in the end because there were too many people trying to get those taxis so I decided for the other alternative, the Airport Bus. It’s cheap (100Baht, e.g. 1.50GBP) no matter where you go and there are four routes to serve the different areas of Bangkok. I took the A3 Airport Bus towards Sukhumvit since I am staying in the Sawadee Sukhumvit Inn Hotel again. It’s not that close to what I consider the center of Bangkok but the Sky Train does stop nearby as I mentioned before and the Hotel is clean, friendly and rooms are descent size with a good bed and clean bathroom. Breakfast is also included and the place costs only about 100 Baht more than Big John’s Hostel nearby (if you include the extra cost for breakfast at the Hostel) which I also tried last time I was here. So this Hotel is a real bargain (OK the street it’s on is a little dark and rundown and not a place a female would want to walk at night but it doesn’t bother me..)
So I took the Airport Bus, they asked where I wanted to get off before the bus drive off so I mentioned the name of the Sky Train Station (Thong Lo) near my hotel. The conductor nodded. Excellent! So the bus actually drops you off where you want to get off (if on route) rather than sticking to specific bus stops, great! The trip was a bit longer than with the Taxi but not much and the bus was air conditioned. Overall a very good deal (Taxi would have been around 300 Baht inc Expressway Toll Fee). The trip was quite funny too because the bus had absolutely NO suspension, though.. I could hear the suspention spring underneith my seat since the metal kept bumping against the casing all the time, it was completely loose and didn’t dampen the tinies ripple in the road let alone the big holes.. Nevermind the seats were cushioned and I got to my place safely 🙂 BTW Luggage is kept inside the bus rather than underneith in luggage comparments, good because I could keep an eye on my bag during the trip..
So.. back in Bangkok. I’m quite happy to be back here, starts to feel like second home now and the fact that I know how to get to places is quite nice 🙂 There are still a lot of things I want to do here so i won’t be bored but I try to stay no longer than 4 days as I need to get up to Chiang Mai. I have already taken so much “time off” doing very little that I can see how easy it would be to just waste month after month without actually doing much.. A strange thought but I actually need to get my act together and plan my days and weeks more carefully. Sofar it has taken quite a bit of my time planning activities, to move one to a new place, change hostels/hotels etc. In a way I guess I’m not yet in the true backpacker mode where I just get up, pack my bag, head to the train/bus station or airport and hope for a spare seat on the next transport to whereever and when I get there to seek out a place to stay.
Because the internet is so readily available it’s almost too easy too plan a trip ahead properly, book that onward travel ticket and the hostel/hotel/bungalow in the next town before you get there…
Well, I will get there.. eventually 🙂
Tags: Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
saschas
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