Pattaya, Ayutthaya, Ba Pang In and Grand Palace

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Swadeeka !

The land of smiles. That’s the info I got from the web when i searched about Thailand. Well, this journey is a memorable one since this is my first backpacking trip that I am doing by myself.

A company conference was being held at Pattaya for 3 days, so I thought of extending my stay ‘till weekend to get a look and feel of Bangkok. Here goes..

Pattaya

This is where the company conference is being held. We stayed at Centara Mirage Pattaya where it got an ocean view. The hotel has lots and lots of facilities, but i didn't really notice much on those since I am not really into those comfortable hotels ( i could hardly sleep at my first night because the bed is way too comfortable for my lifestyle, ha ha ha). But, this place is great for family vacation ( kids will die for it, the varieties of swimming pools and safari is great ) or a honeymoon. The food was awesome ( I ate lots of blueberry yoghurt for breakfast), and the sea food is as fresh as it could be.

I will not say much about the beach. Not much to look at and it’s quite dirty. I was wondering on how Pattaya got famous for its beach while i really can’t see the beauty of it. I could compare Pattaya’s beach with Pelabuhan Ratu (which i never recommend to any of my friends anyways). I think Pattaya is more into bars , clubs, night entertainment and the likes. I got a chance to see some of it along the way and yeah, it will deliver to any man/woman with those kind of fantasies *grin*.

One of the company’s agenda was a team building activity, so they took us into an “amazing race” kind of game. We got to explore a bit of Pattaya while picking up clues. They took us to a floating market (which I think looked so fake), laser Buddha ( a park with Buddha’s figure engraven at the walls , made with laser), and a place where you could see Thailand’s cultural show ( which includes dancing and thai boxing). The most memorable one is the elephant show. I love them ! They are so cute and smart and so lovely to look at. Sorry, i can’t recall the name of the place.

So, there ends my first 3 days of comfortable living in Pattaya. After the conference ended, I went off to Bangkok with a Wikitravel copies in my hand and a full drive and energy to explore.

Bangkok—The Daan Hualampong Guesthouse

Arrived at Bangkok at around 7 30 PM. I made a reservation with Daan Hualampong guesthouse 3 days in advance. It is located near the Hualampong train station. I picked Hualampong instead of the famous Khao San road because I have planned to go to Ayutthaya and wanted to go by the earliest train. The accomodation is cheap, i got it for 290 Baht a night (single bed with fan , shared baths/toilets and free wi fi ! yeheyy !). I would say it’s surprisingly clean. The toilets and baths are quite spotless. The owner speaks perfect English too ( which is very helpful when asking for directions).

Food is not a problem as well. After walking for 2 minutes to the main road, you can find lots and lots of street vendors selling yummy food. There are some restaurant as well, the only one I could remember is the Hongkong Noodles and some western cafes. Or you could go to the train station and eat at the food court ( there is also KFC, in case you want to play it safe). I ate vegetable Thai fried rice from one of the street vendors for 40 Baht. Delicious ! . For food stocks or toiletteries, Family Mart is also within walking distance. Mineral water is sold for only 10 Baht, make sure you have lots of them because Bangkok is definitely HOT !

Ayutthaya

The next morning I went to the train station and got a ticket to Ayutthaya for 20 baht ( 3rd class service). The earliest train leaves at 07:00, but it was delayed so the train went at around 7:45. The 2,5 hours journey was quite a scenic one with lots and lots of rice and corn fields along the way. Please notice the station name along the way, Ayutthaya is not the last station so you need to be alert on where to alight.

My plan was to stay at Ayutthaya until lunch , so i only got about 3 hours to spend. With that short hour in mind, i decided to rent a tuk tuk to take me around the city. The tuk tuk costs 200 baht per hours and could fit 6 people.

1. Wat Yai Chaimongkon ( I hope i spell all these Wat right)

My first Wat ! There are lots and lots of Buddha covered in cloth ( and even the Chedi as well. ). The ground is not too large, it could be covered in 30 minutes or so. There are not too many ruins and most of the statue is still in tact. The place is well kept and you could enter the pagoda by the climbing up the steps. The view from above is fine, but not too spectacular. Entry is 20 Baht.

2. Wat Phanan Choeng

This Wat for me looked more like a Chinese temple rather than a Thai temple. There is a huge golden Buddha and there is a lot of praying going on inside. They said there is a monastery near by. Not much to see ( besides the huge Buddha). Entry is for free.

3. Wat Chaiwattattharanam

When the tuk tuk driver took me here i told myself , “FINALLY, something impressive ! “. This wat is a favorite on my list. The ruins are huge and beautiful, it took my breath away. Most Buddha statues are in ruins ( and mostly headless, i wonder why), but you can really imagine its grandeur in the past. It is located besides a river, so its beauty is really captivating. The pagodas are quite in tact but is under renovation. Entry is 50 Baht.

4. Wat Lokayasutha

A huge smiling reclining Buddha. Most people comes here to offer prayers ( and you can buy a set of flowers for offerings for 70 Baht). Entry is free

5. Phra Mongkol Bopit

A building which is located next to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, quite a modern one I assume. It houses a huge Buddha as well and the place were quite crowded with people praying when I came. No entry fee.

6. Wat Phra Si Sanphet

The Watt with lots of chedis and ruins that includes walls and statues. The chedis are quite impressive, reminding me of Borobudur. You can climb up the chedis and get a view of the place from the top. The ground is quite huge, so prepare for at least a 20 minutes stay . There are many things to look at, unfortunately my time was so limited. View is great for picture taking. Entry is for 50 Baht.


7. Wat Phra Mahathat

My Wat last stop. I insisted coming here to see the famous tree roots that has grown around Buddha’s head. There I noticed clearly Buddha’s smiling face. The ground itself is full of ruins and even more headless Buddhas. Entry is 50 Baht.

I love Ayutthaya ! What a great place to visit. But, if you are not into old ruins—this place is not for you. A Wat is a Wat, so it will look pretty much the same from one to another-- if you are not into this thing, you might get bored pretty easily. If there’s one Wat you have to visit, i will suggest the Wat Chaiwattattharanam. It’s huge, impressive and great for picture taking.


Ba Pang In

From Ayutthatya, i took a songthaews to Ba Pang In. It took around 1 hour and cost 20 baht. You may ask the tuk tuk driver to take you to the terminal. After you alight from the songthaews, just get a tuk tuk and ask them to take you to Ba Pang In Palace. Tuk tuk will cost you 30 Baht. Entry to Ba Pang In is 100 Baht. Be ready with your sarong, they don’t accept shorts here.

Ba Pang In is the summer palace that looked more European than Thai. Many beautiful european building is built here, in fact I only notice 1 Thai building (and off course the most beautiful one). Most of them are museums. There is also 1 Chinese inspired building with lots and lots of intricate details. You can watch a video presentation on what Ba Pang In is all about here.

I noticed several mansion built for the King’s relatives as well. I am not sure if they are still using it up to this day, but it is really preserved well. My favorite one must be the light house look alike. It is painted with such a cheerful colour, you will find it cute. You can climb up and get the view from the top as well.

Ba Pang In is clean, beautiful and well preserved but it doesn’t show the side of Thailand I would love to see. It is worth the time, though.
After Ba Pang In palace, I went ahead to the train station (the tuk tuk charged me 40 baht this time, i was too tired to argue). The train to Bangkok is scheduled at 4:00 PM, however it got delayed up to around 4:40. Since the train station is so small, there is nothing much to do except for waiting. Tried making some conversations with the station’s master and it was hilarious. The only English words he could mention is “you beautiful”. Ha-ha-ha. Thank you !. The train to Bangkok cost 13 Baht.

I ate my dinner at the train station in Hualampong for 30 Baht ( which consists of rice, chicken and soup—quite yummy) and headed back to the guesthouse. I got sun burned and quite dehydrated the whole day so I directly went to sleep.

The Grand Palace

Since my flight will be at 2 PM, i tried to get as early as possible to the Grand Palace. A visit to Bangkok without Grand Palace can not be considered a visit, aight?

I took a bus which is right in front of Family Mart . I can’t remember the bus number (was it 38? I am sorry i didnt keep my notes) but it cost me less than 10 Baht. When you approached a huge complex with white walls surrounding it, prepare to alight.

The Grand Palace opens at 8:30 daily. I arrived there at 8:00 with a bunch of school kids on their way to their field trip. The entry costs you 250 Baht. I was the first in line, so for the first 30 minutes, I was the only person on some parts of the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace is easily covered by foot for 30 minutes or less ( that is if you just pass thru the pagodas and taking snaps as fast as possible). The Grand Palace is off course beautiful, but somehow i longed more for Ayutthaya. The Grand Palace is definitely the place with the most intricate details I have ever been to. It looked like every single wall, every single ornament is created for the sake of art and beauty. I was at peace for my 1st 30 minutes there.

But, alas ! The tourist keeps on coming in hundreds, i really can’t enjoy the place anymore. Shoutings, screaming plus the notorious heat is a big turnoff. If you want to get a tour guide for free, just pretend to take snaps where thouse guides are telling stories to the tourists. I got some parts of the history that way, hee hee hee.

Finally, after 45 minutes i decided to leave. The heat , the crowds and some annoying tourists was really pissing me off. I took the exit and said bye bye to the beautiful Grand Palace.

I went back to Hualampong by bus number 1. It costs me 12 or 13 Baht. Afterwards, i checked out and again, due to the convinient location of my gueshouse, I easily got into the subway and rode a train going to a station where i can transfer to Makassan station for the airport express ( I’m sorry these Thai names are really hard to remember). The tricky part is you have to transfer from this station to Makassan station by exiting the subway. Simply follow the sign, and it is just a 5 minutes walk. The airport express is very convinient, on time and fast. It only took me 15 minutes to the airport and costs 90 Baht.


Notes and suggestions :

1. Bring sunblock and water. Bangkok is hot, hot, HOT
2. Always prepare for a sarong/any type of cover when planning to visit a Wat. Always be respectful for their customs, traditions and religion.
3. Prepare small changes, at least in 20s and 50s.
4. Always take a metered taxi. Prepare for your destination location/address in Thai, most of them don’t really understand English. Have a local/receptionist/friend to write it down for you. You will find it useful.
5. Currency exchange 1U$ = 29.10 ( at the airport)


Total costs (for my backpacking trip only not including airfare): estimated at around 2600 Baht (less than 100 dollars).

Conclusion :

Thailand is GREAT for a backpacking trip, especially for a lone traveller. Everything seems cheap and everyone seems so helpful. With their rich culture, great tradition and delicous food—it’s definitely a place to visit at least once in a life time. Thailand has progressed beyond my expectation where its infrastructure has been supporting all its growth and progress. I never feel scared travelling alone when I was Thailand. All seems great and so helpful. It is really a land of smiles ! 

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