We got to KLIA2 with plenty of time for our flight only to find out it had been delayed by about an hour. It’s honestly the story of this entire trip. Delay after delay after delay. We probably lost about 8 hours out here in delays (across the 3 countries).
We realised we still needed to go through security so had to rush a little. We saw the queue for passport control and it was quite long. People were pushing to get to the front of the queue because of flight times. It was annoying me because we had to get to a flight too. I was getting more stressed and anxious as the time to leave got closer.
We got through and then had to put our bags through an x-ray. I thought we were done with the scanning side of things so I went to the shop to get a drink only to be told they had to be put into a sealed bag as we hadn’t passed through proper security yet. I told them to do it and they charged for the back. WHSmith is a racket out there as well as here in the UK.
We managed to get through security quickly and then to the gate. We had about 20 minutes to spare – but really a little longer since the plane was still running late.
I pushed my way down to the plane as I needed to powder my nose so was trying to get on quick. I let the people in my row have the window seat so I could get to the toilet easier if I needed to.
We landed in Bangkok and it seemed like a trek to get to the border. I’m not sure if it was because I was tired or if it was really long. We got out into the arrivals hall and found a place that did SIM cards and bought one for here since the one we used for Singapore and Malaysia didn’t work. It was a 7-day tourist SIM with 100GB of data and cost about £7. I thought it was a pretty good deal.
We found a Grab and went to the hotel. It seemed like a long drive to get there. I don’t know if it was, but it seemed like over an hour.
We found the hotel and went in and something just wasn’t right about it. It didn’t fit the pictures or the reviews. I mean, the fact it was £21 for 2 nights should have been a giveaway. We had to pay a deposit for the key card so I had to go to the ATM to get some money. It’s such a rip-off in Thailand to get money out of the ATM with a foreign card. It cost a fiver to get my money. Greed at its finest!
We got the card and headed to the room. It was boiling and the decor was questionable. Ken pulled his cover back and was less than impressed with the stains on them. I just wanted to sleep though. Ken said he was struggling to sleep because of the low standards of the hotel. We went out and got some food and came back to the hotel. We asked for a second key card and they gave a mumbled and jumbled answer about why they couldn’t and it made no sense to us. We just went back up to the room so we could sleep.
Ken asked what I thought about going to a different place in the morning and I was totally down for it. He said with all the travel I had done it spoke volumes that I said I would happily change places. We booked somewhere and in the morning I realised it had been booked for the wrong day so we had to find somewhere else quick.
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At about 05:30 in the morning, we heard a scream. It was awful. We were almost certain this was a sex worker hotel. We were so ready to get the hell out of there. We checked out and they asked us to wait so they could check the room before giving the deposit back. The cheek of it. Ken was really livid – and rightly so.
We got the Grab and had the driver take us to the Grand Palace. We wanted to visit there so it made sense to just go there. Luckily all we had were backpacks so it wasn’t too much of a struggle to carry around. As soon as we got there, people were saying we couldn’t go inside the grounds without long bottoms on. We just wanted to find somewhere to have a drink and we found a Starbucks and just went there.
We then headed back to the Grand Palace and we had to buy some long bottoms (thankfully they were only a couple of quid each) so we could go in the grounds. As soon as we put them on the heat seemed to intensify and I was sweating like nobody’s business. We went and got our tickets and had a walk around and we were there for a couple of hours. It was really cool to be in there and very scenic. It was like nothing I had seen before and I like it when it is like that.
It got so hot outside that my phone said it needed to cool down before it could be used again. Ha. We found somewhere to get some water and Ken asked if he could have some ice. We put it in our flannels and it was so good to feel the cold on my head and neck and my phone was glad of it too. I read that they did a traditional dance show so we wanted to see that too. We realised we were too late for the bus to take us there so we asked when the next one was.
We went out and promptly took the bottoms off. It was instant relief and I cooled down quick. We went to Subway (it was super expensive here too) and Ken went and got a coffee. We sat in the cold air inside Subway until it was time to go for the bus to the theatre. Since we were the last ones to get on the bus I got to sit at the front and I was able to take a video of the route we took (see it below). It was about a 6-minute journey. I thought it was going to be longer but thankfully not.
The theatre put on a show of traditional dances and music and it was really cool to watch. It lasted around 30 minutes, after which we headed out and went to find a 7-Eleven as I wanted a cold drink and we headed back in the direction of the Grand Palace so we could go and find out Airbnb and drop our stuff off and just chill for a bit. On our way back we found a lizard-type animal on the grass. It was fun to see it. I don’t think it was a fan as it ran away from us as we got close. You can see the size of it in the pictures below.
We headed to the Airbnb and it was confusing as to where it was. We couldn’t find the entrance so I had to call the owner and have him direct us. It was so good to finally be there and chilling. It was an entire apartment with a roof terrace just for us. As soon as we got in the air con went on so we could cool down.
The Airbnb owner had given me a lot of recommendations for food and places to see and one of them was a weekend market. We decided that we would go there. I told Ken I wanted to go on the riverboat. We walked across the bridge and to the pier on the other side and waited for a boat in the direction of Bang Pho pier. It was cool to sail down the Chao Phraya River. They have commuter boats and you get on and a conductor comes and takes your money and gives you a ticket. It is really cheap too. It was about 20p per journey. We got to the pier and then headed to the metro which was just as cheap. They calculate your fare based on the distance you travel and it gives you a token and you validate it on the reader as you enter and then pop it into a slot when you leave. It’s pretty cool how it works it all out.
We got to the market and I think we were a little early as the stalls were only just setting up. We had a walk around and then went to the indoor mall they had there and found somewhere for food a drink. You guessed it – a 7-Eleven. We walked around all floors in the mall before heading out to walk around the stalls some more and then headed back to the metro.
By the time we were done at the market, the river boats had finished so we had to either use Grab (which I didn’t want to do as they weren’t exactly cheap) or a metro to Bang Sue station and then a bus to near the Airbnb. I opted for a bus and we got to the bus stop and waited for the bus. We saw a bus and assumed it was the one we wanted. We got on and waited for the conductor and it turned out it was the right bus number but going in the wrong direction. We waited for what seemed like forever for the one we wanted. I really wanted to use the bus here as it was all part of an authentic experience. The bus had windows but no glass – it needs it in the heat. It was cool to be on it. I kept checking the map to see how close we were to the stop we needed and I said we should get off a couple of stops early to get some food.
We found the party street just around the corner from the hotel and we had a wander to McDonald’s and then a wander around the market before heading back to the hotel. We stopped for a coffee and a bathroom break. We carried on walking and we saw some Lady Boys. I knew then the Bangkok trip was authentic and complete. Haha. We got back to the Airbnb and went up to the roof and got some pretty good night shots. After this, it was definitely bedtime for me. I was absolutely shattered. I had to pack my stuff up though as we were checking out tomorrow and then leaving to go back to Kuala Lumpur.
Total steps: 14,976
Total miles: 7.50
Below are some pics from today
I was glad to be at the airport close to the toilets as I was still feeling a bit rough. I just wanted to sit down until it was time to leave. We headed through security and to the direction of the gate. Ken said he still had some Bhat left and wanted to spend it. He saw some fruit and I spied a Dairy Queen. The DQ won. I knew it was a bad idea to get one but I did it anyway.
Thankfully my stomach held off whilst we were on the plane – even though we had some not-so-fun turbulence. We landed in KLIA2 and it seemed to take as long as the flight to get out of the airport. Just when you thought you were near immigration you weren’t. I think it took about a 25-minute walk from the gate to immigration.
We headed out to the arrivals hall and it seemed to take another age and a day to find the door we needed for the Grab. We went to find some drinks and food but there wasn’t much on offer that late at night. We got the Grab and headed back to the Airbnb. Just as we were leaving the airport I told Ken to tell the driver we needed to find a bathroom as my stomach started playing up again – most likely the DQ Blizzard I had at the Bangkok airport. Luckily there was a service station just after leaving the airport grounds. He went to it and it didn’t seem like he was going to stop by the toilet. Luckily I made it in time and then we just headed to the Airbnb and I was ok the rest of the way.
I was so glad to be back there and somewhere I could just relax. I am also so glad we decided to do Bangkok. It was an awesome place to see and experience. I think if I was that way again I would definitely go back to Bangkok.
Total steps: 32,674
Total miles: 15.73
You can view all of my Bangkok pics here