A classic start

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It sounds like most peoples first full day in Bangkok tends to be a bit of a whirlwind with a rip off here or there. Mine was no different. My flight in from Seoul was almost 2 hours late because of air traffic so I did not get in until well past midnight. The airport skyway stops running at midnight do that only left a taxi. I unfortunately was unaware that taxis are supposed to use the meter by law but when's it's past midnight laws become more guidelines I guess. Anyways, I later found out he took me for probably double what I should have paid but that is really only a 3 dollar difference or so.



The guesthouse I was staying at was also like a treasure hunt to find at night. With directions like "past the place that sells dim sum" and "just turn at the green wall" it I'm sure is easier to find in the day time for the first time when you are not coming off of 20 some hours of traveling. After I did find it though I am really glad I chose the place. It is a small guesthouse (only 10 beds) in a traditional neighborhood and feels like a small little community. The people that run it are great and it was a great place for me to get my bearings in the region and figure some of my plans out.



The first full day in the city had me exploring out around by myself. I had some general places I wanted to find but more just wanted to get oriented and use to the city. One of the people from the guest house helped me catch a free bus (by pure luck) toward the old town. I forgot to write down where she told me to get off, so I just jumped off after a while and walked in what I thought was the right direction. Wandering around for an hour and sweating up a storm, I was happy to finally stumbled upon the palace. There I found my next rip off.



The palace is surrounded by tuk tuk drivers who want to take you on a city tour. I kept brushing them off but was listening to the prices and tried to watch some people negotiate the price. I decided I would do it (more just for the experience and a way to see the city without walking) but wanted to pick one up elsewhere. I found one to take me to a couple places for 20 baht (less than a dollar) for the afternoon. I told him the wats (temples) I wanted to see and he would take me, I would go in while he waited, and then we would go to the next place. The rip off is that he wants to take you to places where he gets a commission just for me walking through the door. But he was very upfront about this and told me if we can stop at this suit factory he would get gas or if we stopped at this jewelry place he got money. I said fine since it only really cost me 30 minutes of my time and I figured I could practice my negotiating for later knowing that I didn't want to buy anything. So while some people may balk at the classic tuk tuk tourist trap, I enjoyed it and thought it wasn't a bad experience for less than a dollar.

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Photos

Tuk tuk
The traditional means of getting around town, but you really have to haggle with them. I preferred the real taxi which if you forced them to put on the meter the fare was not that expensive and way more convenient.

Siam journey guesthouse
A gret place to stay in a traditional neighborhood

At the famous Wat Po (the leaning Buddha)
I asked a Japaneseguy to take this and he wanted me to do the traditional two finger Asian pose