Thailand,
officially the “Kingdom of Thailand” and historically known as Siam, is a
country in Southeast Asia on the
Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 70 million, it spans 318,840
square miles. Thailand is bordered to the north by Myranmar and Laos, to the east by
Laos and Cambodia, to the south by
the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west
by the Andaman Sea. It also shares
maritime borders with Vietnam to the
southeast, and Indonesia and India to the
southwest.
Bangkok is the current capital and most populous city in Thailand and occupies 605 square miles in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand. Bangkok's 2023 population is now estimated at 11,069,982. In 1950, the population was only 1,360,000.
My Southeast Asia adventure began on October 3, 2023 when I boarded the Norwegian Jewel from Pier 66 in Seattle. The first half of my 32 day adventure would be aboard the Norwegian Jewel as I crossed the Pacific, ending in Tokyo, Japan. I will not be writing about the Norwegian Jewel in this article as I wrote about her in 2019.
DAY 1
The final port of call for the Norwegian Jewel was Tokyo Japan and it was from here that I flew to Bangkok Thailand. I wrote about the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal and my adventure getting to the airport on an earlier post.
The flight from Tokyo Narita Airport to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport was scheduled for departure at 2:45pm on Thursday October 19, 2023. I chose AirAsia flight #603 departing at 2:45pm with a scheduled arrival in Bangkok at 7:35pm. Check-in time in Tokyo began at 11:30am and the ticket cost was $235.23 for the one-way flight.
Be sure to plan ahead if you are flying AirAsia as they do not provide food, water, power outlets, USB ports or entertainment of any kind on their flights. My flying time from Tokyo to Bangkok was just under 7 hours and there is a -2 hour time difference.
We were 45 minutes late arriving into Bangkok so once I had secured my checked bag, been processed through immigration and customs, and walked out of the terminal it was 8:10pm. I had planned on taking the Airport Express Bus, unfortunately the last bus departs the Bangkok airport at 8pm - I had just missed it!
Plan B – I headed to the taxi stand which is located on baggage claim level 1 between doors 7 and 8. Not your typical taxi stand however. There are automated machines to enter your need. Once you have entered the information you are confirmed with a taxi stall number. Mine was stall #24.
I proceeded to stall #24 to find a fairly short, elderly man who spoke absolutely NO English. The trunk of his car looked more like he had just completed his grocery shopping before deciding to be a taxi driver for the night. In any event I showed him the name of the hotel – Quarter Silom by IHG.
Note: Be sure you have the name, address and phone number of your hotel BEFORE you negotiate the fare and hop in the taxi.
I was quoted 600 Thai Bahts ($17.17USD) as of the date of this article. As the driver began to exit the airport he was unable to find the name of my hotel in his GPS system. After several minutes of driving – not sure where we were going – I finally handed him my cellphone and the GPS directions to the hotel. He simply smiled and said “Ja, Ja, Ja”.
I finally arrived at the hotel, checked in, received my room key and was in my room by 9:50pm. I had been assigned room #2508 (2nd tower, room 508). I fell asleep at 11pm.
DAY 2
My first full day in Bangkok started with a complimentary buffet breakfast at the hotel at 6:30am. Today I had made plans to visit the Maeklong Railway Market and the Damnoen Sadauk Floating Market. The weather forecast was for a high of 92 degrees with a 60% chance of rain.
The Maeklong Railway Market is one of Bangkok’s most unique attractions. One minute, stalls are set up all over the railway line as hundreds of people go about their shopping. Suddenly a train approaches and the market literally folds away and lets the train pass through. Then, in a matter of seconds, it unfolds back into a busy market.
The market is cramped under fold-out umbrellas. It is quite hot with a lot of activity going on. The locals walk around slowly and are all over the place. Be patient as you walk through the market, otherwise, you will just get frustrated by the foot traffic.
It is interesting to see how half of the store owners are asleep on the ground behind their shop. I guess there is no better way to escape the midday heat than to sleep through it. Even better, no one will push cheap souvenirs in your face. This is definitely an authentic local market.
The train market is open 7 days a week from 6.20am to 5.40pm. Opening hours coincide with the first arrival and last train departure from the Maeklong Station.
It is best to visit the market in the early morning. Around midday and in the afternoon the market is hot and uncomfortable, especially in the summer. That’s why all the locals are sleeping!
This market is not actually located in Bangkok but about 1.5 hours southwest of the city. You will need to take an organized tour, taxi, minivan or multiple trains to get there.
After the Railway Market my tour guide Quinnie Nguyen made an unscheduled and delightful stop at a family coconut factory.
Leaving the coconut farm I continued on to the nearby Damnoen Sadauk Floating Market. Its history is deeply rooted in the country’s ancient trading traditions. Floating markets have been an integral part of Thai life for centuries, dating back to the time when water transportation was the primary means of travel and trade. The waterways served as the lifeblood of communities, and floating markets emerged as bustling hubs where locals could exchange goods and produce.
The Damnoen Sadauk Floating Market consists of a maze of narrow khlong canals. Female traders, often wearing traditional mo hom apparel (blue farmers' shirts) with wide-brimmed straw hats, use sampans to sell their wares and produce. These boats are often full of vegetables and colorful fruits that are photogenic, and these images are used for tourism promotion. The market is often the busiest in the morning from 07:00 to 09:00 and is active until noon. A roof was built for the market so that it could be operated every day and all day.
The floating market is crowded with tourists and is considered a tourist trap. As such, the wares tend to be overpriced and bargaining is a common practice, although the prices of souvenirs and food are generally fixed within a few baht.
The market has been featured in several films. A canal chase scene in The Man with the Golden Gun with Roger Moore as James Bond was filmed at the market, and the 2008 film Bangkok Dangerous starring Nicolas Cage included a scene that takes place at the market.
The drive back to the hotel took almost three hours due to traffic so plan for a very full day if you follow this suggestion.
DAY 3
The morning began with another substantial complimentary buffet breakfast.
Then it was off for a whirlwind day of sightseeing that included the Grand Palace, with a view of the “Emerald Buddha.”
NOTE: A visit to the Grand Palace necessitates appropriate attire - loose fitting long pants and a blouse/shirt that covers the shoulders. If stretch pants are worn be sure that you have a long tailed shirt that covers your keister.
Next, the Wat Pho "Reclining Buddha".
Then, the 5-ton Wat Traimit Temple “Golden Buddah”.
On the way back to the hotel we made our way to a local flower market and an unexpected highlight - a glimpse
of a Chinese Vegan Parade, adding cultural richness to my experience.
The Chinese Vegetarian Festival is an annual religious event celebrated for nine days in Thailand, including Bangkok, and other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The festival follows the lunar calendar, beginning on the first day of the ninth lunar month, which corresponds to September or October. It represents a set of beliefs and customs carried forward by Chinese descendants. Communities took inspiration from their forefathers who had migrated to Southeast Asia and settled down there.
Some additional of my favorite shots from the remainder of day three in Bangkok.
DAY 4
A taxi had been scheduled for a 6am departure to the airport for my 10:15am flight to Siem Reap Cambodia. The hotel staff had graciously prepared a box breakfast for me as the complimentary buffet breakfast wouldn't open until 6:30am. The taxi ride took 30 minutes but a minor detour to the wrong airport added a dash of unpredictability. Fortunately a FREE airport shuttle bus swiftly corrected my course. I was instructed to go to level 2, door 3 and board the FREE airport shuttle to the Don Menaug Airport. The ride to the Don Menaug Airport took 45 minutes. As I boarded my flight to Siem Reap Cambodia, I reflected on the whirlwind of experiences Bangkok had bestowed upon me.
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