A Night In Bangkok

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Alas, I was back in Thailand, one of the worlds great areas to travel and one of my favorite places to be. I embarked on my first multi destinational trip and had to stopover in Bangkok due to a Thai Airways cancelled flight. Now the first time I was in Bangkok I did not enjoy it as much as I could have. A big culture shock, a bit tired from Chaing Mai and a guess a little home sick. I didn’t really want to stop in Bangkok overnight but as is always the case in the developing world, you can’t be in too much of a rush because you will inevitably have something go very wrong and keep you grounded for a few days. Southeast Asia is certainly no exception but there are far worse places to be stuck, no matter where you are and especially Bangkok, Thailand.

As Lonely Planet eloquently puts it, “Bangkok is the cockiest city around”. This is perhaps true and it is also one of the worlds most exciting cities. Anything can and will happen and as the classic Murray Head 1980’s hit “One Night in Bangkok” says:
One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster, the bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free
You’ll find a God in every golden cloister, and if you’re lucky then the God’s a she.
I can feel an angel sliding up to me.

One night in Bangkok makes the hard man humble, not much between despair and ecstasy.
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble, can’t be too careful with your company.
I can feel the devil walking next to me.

I stayed for one night in Bangkok, free of charge, at the five star airport hotel – Novotel Sukhumvit. We never got to the famous Patpong district the first time we were in Bangkok – for a variety of reasons, one of which was being overwhelmed by the sheer size of the city, the second of which was alterior motives of the cab drivers.

Patpong Road is quintessential Bangkok. Whether it be a designer suit, fake ID, any type of clothes, jewelry, massage (legit), lady friends or lady boys, tuk tuk’s, etc., you will certainly be offered by tons of hawkers and enterprising Thai’s trying to pry away your Baht. We first wanted a bite to eat in McDonald’s and had 4 lady boys sitting next to us – preparing for a big Saturday night – casually going about there business. I went to some stalls and had a look with the cries of “please sir, first customer” – I bought some sandals for Africa and some underpants. Then we realised all the bars on the side were full of dancers, trying to make some money with ping pong balls.

By the end of the night I had seen thousands of prostitutes, lots of tourists coming back again and again, male prostitutes coming onto us, illegal DVD’s, an abundance of food and bright lights and neon signs. We went back to the hotel and got ready for our flight to Hong Kong the next day – I don\’t know why but having such a 180 turn around about my feelings of Bangkok have put me in good stead for the holiday.

People say to me it is one of those places you just want to go back to again and again. I am fairly sure it will be on my travel list once again.

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