Bangkok, Thailand

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After lots of drunken goodbyes we finally headed off on our long planned adventure, the first 2 months traveling in southeast asia and then onto Australia. We touched down in Bangkok after traveling nearly 24hours and fell into a taxi giving instructions toward Khao San Rd the famous Backpacker area. We headed to the Khao San Rd Palace Inn and being so late we had to take the most "luxurious" room; a/c and hot water.

The street itself was packed with markets selling clothes, jewellery etc, restaurants, pubs and lots of open air food stalls, lots of strange smells and noises, a bit overwhelming being so wrecked. We celebrated the start of our holiday with a Tiger beer and pad thai doing battle with the chop sticks for the 1st of many times to come. The bars on Khao San are something else, there was a VW campervan with the roof cut off serving cocktails, a petrol station which became a makeshift bar by night and the best was the mobile bars were they found a quiet spot, unloaded a few plastic chairs and put a sign out in front of there cart advertising cheap drink!

The next day after a long sleep we packed our bags again and headed off to find cheaper accommodation, your not a real backpacker unless your slumming it. We got a room off Khao San Rd, with just a fan and cold water, had new found appreciation for the last room though.

Our first tuktuk experience was next, the driver Joe seemed to associate Ireland with Roy Keane, a common occurance, he was interested to know why we were so white and were we honeymooners also a common assumption. He took us around a few places and we experienced the mad driving. Tuktuks aren't great for getting around though because they usually want to drop you to their buddies bar, guesthouse etc... where they will pick up a commission.

The next day we took the public transport, a river boat (bus). We got off the boat at our stop which turned out to be the scrap yard area, filled with lots of mechanic shops and car parts piled high, got a few funny looks. Eventually we found the golden budda, the first of hundreds of buddas to come. That evening we went to Thai Boxing, expensive but you have to go see it, it costs the locals 200baht, but foreigners pay 1000baht mimimum, even though your all sitting at the same level, there was a sign inside pointing to what part the foreigners sit at, I don't think the locals want you with them. Watched a couple of matches, only one knock-out though the rest going to judges decision which seem like a bit of a lottery to me. Next stop was the Patpong night market, best market in town but also happens to be in the red light district of Bangkok. Up the middle of the street are all your markets selling lots of copy designer clothes, bags, watches etc, then lining both sides of the street are go-go bars and whilst your haggling for clothes there are guys trying to tout you to go to sex shows, its nuts!

On our last day in Bangkok we went to the Grand Palace, this was amazing, the buildings are something else . After walking around in the heat all day doing the cultural stuff we treated ourselfs to a traditional thai massage in the Wat Pho Thai Massage School.

Bangkok is an interesting city to visit, there is loads to see and do, but at the same time it can be tough going with the heat, noise & pollution. Next was up north to Chaing Mai via Ayutthaya.

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Photos

VW Bar
The Local