Bangkok you crazy SOB. Crazy and bustling. A wonderful mix of the past trying to hold on in the corners of a very fast forwarding world.
Arrived into Bangkok about 1 AM with nothing but backpacks on January 13th, one day before my birthday. Technically two days American time as Thailand is 12 hours ahead of the US Eastern time. Luckily our first hotel was only 15 minutes from the airport and we passed out and slept until 1 PM the following day...
first day in Bangkok was the learning curve. Our first tuk-tuk and massage experience we are pretty sure we got taken advantage of, but the prices were still good compared to in the US!
Tho overpriced, my first experience with time aside it was excellent and I knew I was hooked.
Bangkok is a huge city – And a very popular shopping hub. So we spent the day wandering around getting lost in the square footage of shopping, giant malls, and huge outside food markets.
Driving is crazy- most people being on motorcycles or mopeds. Zooming around with very little regard for traffic laws or pedestrians. Babies holding on to their fathers or mothers whilst they speed around on streets unbothered by all of the other traffic and dangers. Helmets are not that popular, and we have literary seen 5 beings on one motorcycle.
Women sidesaddle in skirts behind their boyfriends, while drinking bubble tea and texting. No fear.
Travel Tip:
Online most sites were saying “don’t worry, most places there will speak English” I can tell you 100% we didn’t find this to be true. The most English we encountered was at our hotels, and even that was limited.
I actually quite enjoyed not being able to understand the voices around me. Most of the time conversations in passing get on my nerves, but I found when I couldn’t understand the noise was actually soothing.
I will say that learning a few key phrases in Thai would be very beneficial before traveling here. I rectified this after a few days being there and by the end of my trip I came home almost thanking our American waiters in Thai.
A few phrases to get you started:
English ภาษาไทย (Thai)
Hello (General greeting) สวัสดี - Sounds like: (sà-wàt-dee)
I don't understand ไม่เข้าใจ (mâi khâo jai)
How much is this? ราคาเท่าไหร่ (raa-kaa tâo rài?)
Yes ใช่ (chai)
No ไม่ใช่ (mai chai)
Thank you ขอบคุณ. (Khob Khun kup OR kaa (if female)
Tuk-Tuks vs Taxis:
Bangkok being so busy there are plenty of taxis and tuk-tuks available for transit, and we took both. Taxis are metered- tho you have to make sure they turn it on as they will try to give you a “flat rate” that is usually more than you would pay metered. Tuk-tuks have no set price and you can practice your negotiating skills. And you must- tuk tuks will overcharge you as a tourist. We got better and better at this and by the end we were negotiating champs and they would chase us down the street. Winning! You just have to put your foot down.
Negotiating aside Tuk-tuks are by far my favorite way to travel- you can see more, feel more. They’re amazing, I wish we had them here!
The best way to travel there in my opinion:
TRANSIT SYSTEM. After the first day we decided to try our run taking the trains (Sky Train, MRT, ARL- get to know these and you're good to go) This was a game changer. The transit system is the way to go in Bangkok as it is very inexpensive and you can pretty much get to anywhere using them.
Using the transit ways far increased our understanding of Thai ways, how are negotiating a better our language got better, and we begin to fit in a little better.
Wat Arun:
After switching rail systems a few times, we then had to take a boat across a river, then we arrive...
This was the first time in Thailand that my breath was taken away- before us stood a grand white temple, with stories of steep staircases covered with colorful tiles. Wat Arun. It is truly awe inspiring.
Oh, I forgot to mention it is my birthday. The 14th. Technically the 13th back home. But it’s all the same to me. This is where I wanted to be. Miles away from home. 9,133 miles to be exact. Looking at something larger than myself. Someplace that made me feel small. And here I was. Staring up at the top of the temple that houses the infamous three-headed chang or “elephant”.
Four different Buddhas call the four different sides home. Earth, wind, fire, water.
Behind the large Wat Arun there is a smaller temple with people praying inside and crowning themselves with ladels of what I take to be holy water.
In a side hallway of the smaller temple there is a monk, two Thai women are kneeled down before him. He is chanting well flicking blessed water on them.
I want that.
But I am not sure how it all works, and I don’t want to be disrespectful to the monks, can a foreigner even be blessed?
He sees me staring and turns to me, I guess he could see the pangs in my eyes and he motions for me to come.
We kneel like the two before us; and he ensues chanting and flicking us with the water.
After he motions for my left arm and ties a white thread bracelet around my wrist all while chanting some form of blessing for me. I thanked him, got about 100 feet towards the door and started bawling. Water uncontrollably streaming down my face, and it wasn’t the holy water this time but for my own rebellious tear ducts.
Sobbing like a baby. Cleve consoled me and I managed to pull myself together enough to exit. I Realize I am exactly where I am supposed to be in this moment. I am in another country someplace with ties to my family’s past. Visiting this monumental a stunning temple, being blessed by a monk. On my birthday. I realize I am overwhelmed with gratitude and that is the reason for the tears. Or maybe the reason for the tears is that it has been such a very long time since I have been this grateful for anything...
Outside in front there are candles, flowers, and incense- people are doing a little ritual before entering, and a kind local sees us struggling to understand how it works – and he takes the time to show us the order of what to do.
It was the first time in Bangkok that a local had gone out of their way to help us. Not to say anyone in Thailand had been unpleasant thus far, but Bangkok is sort of like New York- it is alive and moving and no one has time or energy to direct to anything that doesn’t have to do with their own life. I don’t mind the obscurity. I don’t give a shit about “southern hospitality”. But the timing of this gesture was special and intentional by the universe and it seemed after our visit with a monk, things changed for us. It opened a door for us.
Best birthday ever.
Side Note- 2 things:
Even the tourist in Thailand so far aren’t American. Either they are other Asians, or European. And it is refreshing as hell.
Jetlag is real. Every night this far we woke up around 2 to 3 in the morning. The bag situation is serious and I’m not talking about our backpacks.
Bangkok was split for us, as we used it for our hub. We stayed there the beginning and end of our trip, due to it's central location, the international airport, and convenience of the other travel options there. So my photos and footage from there are split and not really chronoloical- but I felt it was best to keep all of bangkok together! So here it goes! A flash of the crazy city of Bangkok:
Pratunam Market and Thai Food:
Pratunam market is a great market to visit if you want a smaller more traditional feel of a street market away from the huge shopping malls that have taken over down town Bangkok.
The main part is a kind of indoor market, but there also booths out in the alleys and streets around Pratunam. At this Market, you will find clothes, shoes, and accessories like jewelry, handbags and sunglasses, everything at wholesale prices.
Where we chose to grab food here after our visit to Wat Arun.
We had not had good luck on the food front thus far, and were determined to change this. I am not sure if it was part the language barrier, as going to the wrong places, or maybe I just don’t fancy Thai food style!
Food is literally being prepared down every street, so I assume it is easy to pick up the wrong thing. Don’t get me wrong, we had a few OK things, but not the “amazing food” that everyone describes.
Thai food is very seafood heavy, or uses some sort of fatty meat – always with some rice or noodles, and very little vegetables mixed in.
Don’t get me wrong that can be great when well done, but also can go awry quickly. Especially with menus that have no English explanation, it was kind of like food Russian roulette.
Luckily for me they fruit was amazing, and the coffee was even better! So at times I happily survived on these things.
After grabbing food, I’m not sure really what it was – so don’t ask, we found a little hole in the wall spot for massages attached to a hair salon. Two older women take us to a back room and work their magic- every kink in my body they crack. I fell asleep! It was by far the best massage I have ever received, and the best massage we would get in Thailand.
And the best part? It costed the equivalent of about 8 USD!
Speaking of shopping:
Bangkok is a massive shopping hub of the world. You can literally find anything, and you can buy it in bulk.
Some of the markets we visited and what to expect:
MBK Mall- huge modern mall. We went here the first day, and that was it. You can get comfort things like Starbucks; there are also pretty cool street food markets outside, and it's massive so it's worth a go. But once is good.
Siam Discovery- Trendy, liesurely; and kind of similar to MBK in my opinion. But I may like this one a little better for surroundings.
Pratunam Market- See above
Chatuchak Weekend Market- The biggest market in Bangkok. This thing is massive. And you can literally find it all. You can get lost here. I will recommend if you want to go here, go early in your trip. We went towards the end and honestly we were market-ed out. It all just started feeling like stuff, and it was overwhelming. In my opinion this market is TOO much. But a lot of people like it for the same reason I don't.
Around day 3 we had the railways down, hopping on and off exploring the city.
We found ourselves in a huge park that we are told locals go to unwind. It looks like your average American park, but then you see men and women doing tai chi by the water and you are swiftly reminded where you are. What a beutiful culture, many people of all ages enjoying the day. Taking time for themselves in this pocket of green amongst all of the concrete.
I got very excited happening upon a huge monitor lizard devouring a redfish that appeared to be even too big for him, and was welcomed into a group of Thai seniors gathered under a pavilion having tea. They are very kind, and allow me to take portraits of them while they give each other a hard time.
This was the highlight of my day. I felt like I was in the Discovery Channel. LOL
Khao San Rd:
The infamous grunge road of Bangkok. "The centre of the backpacking universe" Filled with cheap shopping, booze, massages, and even cheaper hotels. Hostels line this street- and if you're looking for some trouble or nightlife, come here.
We actually had planned to for-go this infamous stretch that sounded more like Canal Street in New Orleans.
However, on the morning that we were to travel to Cambodia, fate dropped us a few blocks over to wait on our bus. We had arrived about 30 minutes too early and even beat the company employees. So you know me, I get antsy. Something started pulling me away, towards a little turnabout area where there seemed to be photo potential. I saw a line of monks, so naturally I followed them- and happened on a magical morning ritual. I found myself staring down Khao San Rd. But this did not look like the pictures I had witnessed on the internet- filled with sloppy drunk travelers and neon lights. All of the partiers from the night before slept quietly, and locals in the area had taken their place. Setting up their little food carts, buying foods and flowers, gifting monks that passed by with offerings.
It was sunrise. And a time that will forever be engrained in my mind. So yes, I visited Khao San, but had a completely different experience that most other travelers that go there. And for that I was thankful. I felt like a fly on the wall, getting a glimpse of a beautiful and very true Bangkok, untouched by tourism, untouched by the western world. It was so stunning.
Bangkok thru my eyes:
More to come soon, next- up Hua Hin!!
xo, Vox