It all started with us boarding our transpacific flight to Bangkok from JFK with a layover in Shanghai. We arrived in Bangkok and went through customs, note that a Thailand entry visa is not required for USA passport holders. For passports other than US passports, you are required to obtain a visa on your own to enter Thailand. Here is a link with more information https://thaiembdc.org/visas/
Exploring Bangkok Day 1
Home to nearly 9 million people, Bangkok fuses über-modernity with age-old Buddhist traditions. We visited the Temple of Golden Buddha (Wat Trimitr), home to the world’s biggest solid-gold Buddha statue, measuring 10 feet high, weighing over 5 tons, and valued at $14m. It is certainly a site to see! We stayed at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao. It was absolutely amazing! Click on the link for pictures and a detailed review!
Wat Pho- Day 2
We drank in the scents and colors of orchids, marigolds, and roses as we passed by the Paklong Talat flower market on our way to visit the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) to admire its gargantuan statue.
Please note: *Men and women must have their shoulders, arms and legs covered when visiting the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple*
Day 3- Damnoen Saduak(Floating Market)
Thailand’s most famous floating markets. Ride a long-tail speedboat around the lively canals, passing boats and stalls laden with fresh produce, spices, and handicrafts. I bought quite a few souvenirs from here and the number one rule here is to BARGAIN as though your life depends on it! If the price is $100 Baht- get the price down 70%, trust me you may have to walk away if you hear no but the shopkeepers will 9 out of 10 times come after you and accept your deal. Elephant Pants are a huge deal in Thailand and you can find a good pair for 100 baht, they come in one size fits all but for those who wear bigger sizes make sure you specifically ask for a bigger size. I found them at 95% of the markets we visited. For those looking for a clean bathroom, there is one right outside the market on the right side and yes you do have to pay for it(20 baht), well worth it in my opinion.
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Artwork at the floating market
Day 4- Malls in Bangkok
The malls in the US do not compare to the malls in Bangkok. We visited MBK Center and were astonished to say the least! There were 8 FLOORS! I wouldn’t say that it was a particularly cheap place to shop but it was great to walk around. Each floor was dedicated to different things such as electronics, clothes, jewelry, etc. I was able to find a few things here and at a bargain price! I’m Indian, bargaining is in my blood ha! Oh and did I mention that this mall is the largest in ASIA! There are escalators and a HUGE food court on the top floor to satiate your appetite when you are tired from shopping.
Getting Around Bangkok
For anyone who has visited this metropolis, you are certainly aware that traffic is horrendous! We found that the easiest way to get around was the BTS and MTR. It can get crowded but try and not travel during rush hour, it was pretty easy traveling these modes of transport with J!
BTS & MRT
The elevated BTS, also known as the Skytrain (rót fai fáa), whisks you through ‘new’ Bangkok (Silom, Sukhumvit and Siam Sq). The interchange between the two lines is at Siam station and trains run frequently from 6am to midnight. Fares range from 16B to 44B or 140B for a one-day pass. Most ticket machines only accept coins, but change is available at the information booths.
Bangkok’s Metro, the MRT is most helpful for people staying in the Sukhumvit or Silom area to reach the train station at Hualamphong. Fares cost from 16B to 42B or 120B for a one-day pass. The trains run frequently from 6am to midnight.
For those of you who prefer a taxi, they are readily available but make sure you take one that has a meter and be CLEAR about where you want to go. When we rode the taxi we asked our concierge at the hotel to write down our destination on a piece of paper in THAI so that we could show it to our driver.
Bangkok is a very lively city and there are a ton of places to see! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see a lot of sites due to time constraints and of course I didn’t want J to be cranky having him out all day. It does get very hot so be prepared! Stay tuned for Part Two of our Thailand Diaries!
