Bangkok (Thailand)

Well here we are, about to take off for a trip around Southeast Asia. The countries we will visit are Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in that order, and we are planning to do this over 6 weeks. To get around, we’ll use aeroplanes, buses, trains and boats, with lots of tuktuks in between.

Map of our route around Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia

We started our tour in Bangkok, once known as Siam, the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand. We landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced "soo-wanna-poom") in Bangkok and it was a very busy place. However, being New Zealanders, we didn't require a visa, so managed to get through customs fairly quickly.

Dusk in Bangkok, Thailand

Then we had a 30-minute train ride to Phaya Thai train station where we grabbed a weaving, sputtering tuktuk to our hotel. We’d both been to Bangkok a few times so on this trip we opted to stay in an area of Bangkok that neither of us had stayed in before - not hard as the place is absolutely huge with around 11 million people - so this time we were at the Navalai River Resort on the Chao Phraya River in the Phra Nakhon area of Bangkok.

Marg at dusk in the Santichai Prakan Park, Bangkok, Thailand

We arrived around 5.30 pm so after unpacking, we headed out to explore in the fading light.  Nearby was the Santichai Prakan Park, an historic area on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River. As we walked through the park, we could see people exercising, doing Tai Chi, playing board games and making good use of this urban green space.

Marg at the Phra Sumen Fort, Bangkok, Thailand

In the Park we came across the beautifully lit up and ancient, Phra Sumen Fort. It’s an unusual octagonal shape, and dates back to the reign of King Rama I. After wandering a bit more, we were fighting off tiredness, jet lag, and the humidity so strolled back to the hotel along the river bank to catch the breezes. 

Rattanakosi, Thailand

The next morning, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast sitting in the hotel’s open-air restaurant beside the river. Then we grabbed a colourful Express Boat and headed across the river to Rattanakosi, Bangkok’s Old City. It dates back to 1782 when Bangkok was made the capital of Thailand, and contains Bangkok’s biggest temples and historic architecture. 

Marg at the Lucky Buddha Pagoda, Bangkok, Thailand

Walking around there, we saw many wats (temples) and monuments, including the impressive Lucky Buddha Pagoda. Eventually we ended up at Khao San Road, and found some tailor shops, so we decided to get a couple of shirts made…as you do in Bangkok! It was a very interesting experience and after making decisions on material, colour and style, we were measured up then given instructions to pick them up the next day.

Housing along one of the canals in Bangkok, Thailand

Exhausted by now, we decided to go on a relaxing boat cruise along the Bangkok canals. The breeze was lovely and it was so interesting to see the houses on stilts, floating restaurants, and a floating market. The next day, we headed out again. 

Us at the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand

We visited the impressive Grand Palace, built in 1782. The Palace was the home of Thai Kings and the Royal Court for around 150 years. We spent a few hours at the Palace as there was so much to see and it was all so beautiful with ornate roof tops, carvings, and gold stupas. 

The Emerald Buddha in Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok, Thailand

We also visited Wat Phra Kaew where we saw the Emerald Buddha, an image of Buddha amazingly carved from a single block of emerald. This Buddha is housed in a sacred building at Wat Phra Kaew that is beautifully decorated with inlaid mother mother-of-pearl.

Wat Arun, Bangkok, Thailand

We also visited Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn), a beautiful temple with very ornate carvings on its roof and pillars. By now it was getting late so we headed off to pick up our shirts. But, oh dear, either we had gotten much fatter in 24 hours or they had measured incorrectly. After some negotiating, we agreed that they would alter the shirts and deliver them to our hotel before we left Bangkok the next day.

The Reclining Buddha, Bangkok, Thailand

Then we carried on sightseeing a little more, seeing Wat Pho. This is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha which is a huge 45 metres long and 15 metres high. At the end of the day, tired but satisfied that we’d seen a lot of Old Bangkok, we took possession of our new and now well-fitting shirts, then hurriedly grabbed a taxi to the Mo Chit bus station to get to Khao Yai National Park; but that’s in the next blog.

This post is the first in a series about our travels through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in South East Asia.