Day 1: Bangkok Trip 2016

With just a few days notice, Boo, Arian and myself booked a flight to Bangkok to officially start our summer. One of the very highlights of this trip was the shopping and food tripping and we we're all quite excited about it.

We left Singapore at 6am in the morning via Scoot airlines and safely arrived in DMK airport in Bangkok at 8am. Bangkok is 1 hour behind Singapore time.

The only struggle arriving in DMK airport is that the only means of transportation to Bangkok's city proper is either thru bus or taxi. The MRT is only available in their new airport in Suvarnabhumi. Even though we went to Bangkok for shopping and food trip, it was also a budget travel at the same time. So we opted to take the bus to the city instead of taking a taxi that would costs us around 200-300 baht.

To get to the city, you can ride the A2 bus line just right outside the arrival exit of the airport. The fare costs 30 baht per person and travel time is around 45 min to the city.

Stop points of the A2 bus are the following:

1. Don Muang Airport

2. Kasetsart University (Viphawadi Rangsit Rd)

3. Chatuchak Park

4. Mo Chit

5. Saphan Kwai

6. Ari

7. Sanam Pao

8. Victory Monument

Since our accommodation, Wendy House is located in Siam, we alighted at the last stop (Victory Monument) and walked up to the overpass to get to their BTS Skytrain. Here's how to get to Wendy House from the DMK airport.

Check in time was at 12 noon in which we were 2 hours early. We were exhausted from getting lost twice on our way to Wendy House, we decided to leave our luggage and proceed to MBK Center for lunch.

The  price range of the food stalls right outside MBK Center were around 80 -100 baht. A bottle of water costs 10 baht and 20 baht for Coke.

Lunch is served!

And we are enjoying our lunch.

So finally able to checkin at 12noon, we all rested for a bit, woke up at 4pm and went to our first destination, Wat Pho (the reclining Buddha).

We took the BTS Skytrain to get to Wat Pho. From the National Stadium (W1), we alighted at Saphan Taksin (S6). The fare costs 25 baht. We walked to the Pier and boarded the riverboat to Tha Tien Pier (Pier 8). The fare costs 14 baht. It was already 5:30 pm when we arrived at Tha Tien Pier with which was also the last trip of the riverboat going back to Saphan Taksin.

Wat Pho is just a few minutes walk from the Pier. You would recognize it immediately from the outside of its gates due to the huge temples inside it. Entrance fee costs 100 baht each.

Here are our pictures:

Inside the temple of the Reclining Buddha:

Food trip on one of their BBQ stalls outside Wat Pho. BBQ in special chili sauce and sticky rice in Bangkok is definitely a must try!

Mode of transportation aside from Bus and Skytrains.

While waiting for the Riverboat:

Going back to Wendy House was another challenge as there were no longer trips going back to Saphan Taksin. It was already too late for us to know that. So the conductor suggested to stop at a random pier and take a taxi or tuktuk instead. We got lost along the way and walked around to ask for directions. You see not everyone in Bangkok understands and knows how to speak English so it was never easy asking around at 8pm. Getting lost was hard especially when no one seems to know how to help due to language barrier. Locals would always suggest to take the taxi or tuktuk instead. But since this is a budget travel, riding one would be too costly for us. Luckily a food vendor told us to take Bus 53 and alight at the MRT station in Hua Lampong.  From Hua Lampong MRT station, we alighted at the Silom interchange and went to the Green Line Sala Deng, interchanged at Siam to the National Stadium.

We arrived at Wendy House safely around 10pm, rested for a bit, walked around Siam square and then had pizza for dinner. 

It was a long and tiring day getting lost a lot of times but it's all part of the adventure. And from getting lost, we learn to find our way.

Up next, day 2 of our Bangkok trip.