Bangkok: A City of Many Faces
Bangkok has become a magnet for tourists from all over the world who want to experience Southeast Asia. Many people also make it as a starting point for their travel or adventure on the region. It is a city of paradoxes, where we can see not only orange-robed monks all over the city walking and taking alms, but also girls (or boys?) wearing sexy outfits dwelling the streets. It is a city where we can witness the grandeur of Thai architecture along with skyscrapers making the city’s skyline.
The Grand Palace
Victorian-Style Parliament Building
Thai and Theravada Buddhism Flags
Offerings at Wat Phra Kaew
From the massive Suvarnabhumi airport, I intended to take Airport Express bus to get me to the city as recommended by Lonely Planet. Unfortunately starting from June 1, 2011 the bus company has stopped its operation. Hence leaving me with three other choices: other bus companies, taxi or train. I decided to take taxi to save time because when I arrived at the airport it was almost midnight. Actually I wanted to try the new train which some say conveniently connect the airport to the city center, but since the hostel where I stayed at was anything but close to any of the train station, then I took the taxi instead which cost me 450 bahts (including the toll fee).
Some of the most interesting places to visit are: The Grand Palace complex, Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Golden Mount. More stories and pictures of these places will be on my upcoming posts.
According to my experience, if there is one thing which every traveler need to put in his/her mind is that Bangkok has some of the worst scams and touts. There will always be people telling you that one of the places which I mentioned earlier are closed for the whole day or only open after 11 am. By telling you this, they offer to take you to go to other places instead, such as some souvenir shops, which by taking you there, they will get some money from the shops. You can call it a tourist trap. Do not trust them! The Grand Palace, Wat Pho, etc are always open everyday unless there is an official announcement which says otherwise. So, when someone comes to you and telling you those things, just walk!
I only spent two days in Thailand before going further to Cambodia, yet I managed to try some delicious Thai foods, including Pad Thai (try the ones at Khao San Road) and grasshoppers!
Pad Thai with Shrimp, Squid and Egg
One of KFC’s Local Menus
Grasshopper Snack
Khao San Road, A Backpackers’ Ghetto
Greeting from Ronald in Bangkok
That’s all for now. More stories and pictures are coming up.
Related Posts: The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew , Wat Pho: The House of The World’s Largest Reclining Buddha, Wat Arun: The Temple of The Dawn, Golden Mountain: A Peaceful Oasis at The Heart of Bangkok
COOL Bam! Makes me wanna go there! How does the grasshopper taste? I always wanna try those! And the KFC menu.. so interesting!
The grasshoppers were actually really tasty! Make sure you take off all the legs and enjoy! You can also try other insects, but that time I only bought the grasshoppers
The KFC local menu taste a bit strange for me. It’s very spicy and hot, yet sour as well. I gotta get my tongue accustomed to it for a while.
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Love your pictures, what kind of camera do you have? We have been exploring Thailand this month. It is such a beautiful country with a rich culture. WordPress wouldn’t let me log in, but you can find me at godsgifttothailand.wordpress.com.
Thanks Amanda! I only use my Canon EOS 500D with circular polarizer when I traveled to Thailand last week. I really want to go to Chiang Mai one day. I heard it’s nice there. Have you been there?
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AND WHERE THE HELL IS PAT PONG PICTURES, I DIDN’T SEE ANY… EPIC FAIL..hahahahaha…
Hahaha my time was very limited in Bangkok…I was much more relaxed in Cambodia..
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the last pic is funny
Ronald a la Thai, how cool is that?
I like your pictures of Thailand. You would love Seoul before the winter (it’s cool but not cold), Kyoto in November (it’s cold, but beautiful because leaves are gold, orange and red) and Okinawa in January (Cherry Blossom season). I’ll be looking through your blog to see the rest of your pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the tips! Actually a friend of mine is visiting South Korea this August. But I myself am much more interested in Japan. However I really want to visit both countries. Sometimes I get really confused with choosing which country to go next. So many interesting places on Earth!!!
I agree – so many places, only so much time and money! I wanted to go everywhere while I was here, but I’m thankful I went to the places I was able to go to. I’m looking forward to your future posts and pcitures.