Above: Our Khao San Road area.
We landed at Bangkok’s Survanabhumi Airport at 0830. This would be my one night here in order to make a safe connection to Kuala Lumpur. I didn’t want to risk a tight connection nor have a protracted but safe wait after the longhaul night flight.
One crew in her jump seat took off her hat and stared into it then put her hand and moved it around endlessly. I gather she twas playing with her phone 🙂
We struck passport control officers changing shift at 0900 but the wait wasn’t too bad. Luggage was swift compared to my awful experience last year here. We taxied to our hotel, costing THB350 + 75 for tolls. That was super cheap by New Zealand standards at NZD15 + 3, considering it took 1h15.
It just showed that the ATM local withdrawal fee here was ridiculously expensive (even by developed world standard) at THB220!
We got to the hotel at 1100 and reception expected that a room should become available around 1200. We walked to nearby Khao San Road. It was my first time in the area ever, despite numerous visits to Bangkok over many years. Kim was getting grumpy as he only dozed for 45 mins on the flight; he hadn’t realised that my sleeping pill was the half-dose version and only took half a pill.
The Dewan Hotel was nice with an Arabian theme. It was finished cheaply to achieve this effect with no carpet on the floor and no tiles in the bathroom; all painted instead with a ragged effect in some parts.
After a cool dip in the rooftop pool I rested with Kim. I didn’t think it was a good idea to sleep as it may mean not being able to fall asleep at night (the joys of flying eastward). But I did fall alseep for 3h.
It was drizzling when we woke. Then it rained. We set out finally around 1830 for a walk around our street, Khao San Road and areas in between. The restaurants and shops were buzzing as were the hawker stalls and peddlers selling all and sundry.
Most restaurants had meals around THB100-150 but we found a shack on Soi Rambuttri which did good meals for THB50 (we had three between the both of us) and a mango shake each for THB40.
Kim wanted a haircut and I needed one too. The going rate was THB200 (NZD8/USD6) which was ridiculously expensive. I know it is half the price of my haircut in New Zealand but it is nearly three times what I pay in Malaysia. But haircuts isn’t one of those things you try to bargain otherwise it could end in tears. I had one too as it would save me a drive to the barber when I get to Kuching.
We returned to our room round 2200. It took more than a couple of hours to get to sleep. I did some writing while Kim snored. I resisted taking any sleeping pill and finally fell asleep around 0230 I reckon.