A Week In Bangkok - June 2018: Pre-Trip Report

[Melbatb]

Here I am again! Another solo trip - yes I have a very understanding husband and a lot of holiday leave (this week comes from last year's allowance!)

So down to business! For those who haven't had the pleasure of reading my live reports (where have you been? ) I should introduce myself. I am Mel, a 49 year old mum to two and wife to one! My kids (who feature in most of the reports) are 16 and 13. O, the 16 year old has his first French Bac (oh I should have said that we live in the south west of France) on Monday, I leave on Tuesday and get back 8 days later. O then has his oral French Bac on the following Monday. As I am of no use to him for his revision, (and he can be trusted to work!) and as F has effectively finished I felt it was a good time for a trip!

So why Bangkok? I found cheap flights and it was smewhere that had been on my radar for a while!

So onto the details...

Flights - I managed to find reasonably priced and reasonably timed flights to Bangkok with KLM for 420 euros. The flights are, obviously, via Amsterdam where I have about a 2h layover each way.

It is years since I flew with them but hopefully they will be fine! I haven't prebooked seats - I don't care for the short leg upto Amsterdam and for the long haul part, as of this week, the seat plan is wide open.

I arrive in Bangkok at about 10am so I hope that my usual sleeping skill will still be operational and I won't be too exhausted!

This is a budget week! No five star hotels for me! I liked the look of the Ibis Riverside. It was 237 for 7 nights with breakfast! It is anout 400m from the metro system and I can get a taxi boat across the river to then use the boats up and down the river!

As long as the room is clean and the loo works (see my Kuala Lumpar report ) I will be happy!

Breakfast is a buffet - though as I am currently on a low carb diet (4kg down...) I am not sure how useful it will be!

I plan on using the local boat system on the first afternoon to get an overview of the area and to just chill out. I think, if all goes well, I should get to the hotel about 12noon ish! I am going to get a taxi - about 15 euros from what I can tell. The easy option!

I figured that going up and down the river will be fun! It is very cheap so I can hop on and off at will!

There are lots of temples and palaces and I aim to hit the big three on Thursday!

The Grand Palace will be my first stop - I will get there by the boat taxi! This will be coupled with Wat Prakeaw and Wat Arun. By that stage I am thinking I may be exhausted! Any left over time will probably be spent wandering around the area of the hotel!

On Friday I have booked a tour! It is a 6am pick up! How I will cope with that I am not sure!

I will go to the train station where I will get the train to one of the famous train markets! It may be one of those - is that it type of things but I felt it needed to be done!

After we will be taken via boat to a floating market! I think these can be overly touristy but it has to be done. The tour should get me back to Bankgok by mid afternoon. After an early start I think I may be tired.

My weekend plans involve some market visiting (to Chatuchak Weekend market) and also perhaps a tour on some of the canals (khlongs) off the river! These plans are fairly flexible at the moment!

On Monday I hope to visit the old Thai capital of Ayutthaya - about 80km from Bangkok. I am being brave and will take the train to there (hopefully the tour on Friday will have helped me to get my bearings!). Then a tuktuk to the temple. There is a self guided tour on Tripadvisor I am hoping to use!

My last day on Tuesday will be doing anything I think I have missed!

My aim is not to wear myself out too much (famous last words - I managed to do 150km when in Montreal in February!) and just take things at my own pace!

I have my flight home on Wednesday about midday and then I will be back home about 11pm! Unfortuately I will have to be in work at 8am the following day! And I will have 20 speaking tests to mark (among other things I am an English language examiner!)

I look forward to having you along with me - I am usually quite good at making the report live!

See you on Tuesday!

[app]

New Photo Added by Melbatb - 15 Jun 18 8:32 PM.

[mick]

Have a fantastic time I will be following along as normal


Joan

[Jake71]

Hi Mel, you’re so brave, I’d never venture to these places on my own, but I love following along on your trips. Have an amazing time, I’ll be reading along.

[Melbatb]

Originally Posted by mick

Have a fantastic time I will be following along as normal


Joan

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Hi Joan

Thank you!
I am not really very ready Time has sneeked up on me!

Originally Posted by Jake71

Hi Mel, you’re so brave, I’d never venture to these places on my own, but I love following along on your trips. Have an amazing time, I’ll be reading along.

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Hi Jackie

I don’t feel brave! Going east is always far more out of my comfort zone than going west!

[DadToThree]

I found it!

I’ll be following along too! Looks like a great place to visit. Have a wonderful time.

[Melbatb]

Originally Posted by DadToThree

I found it!

I’ll be following along too! Looks like a great place to visit. Have a wonderful time.

See more...

Thank you DH is nagging me to pack... No use until the washing is dry ready for a rare iron

[jocat]

Well this is somewhere different for you. Somehow I must have missed your Kuala Lumpur report, so must rectify that.

Have a fab time Mel. Looking forward to following along. X

[Melbatb]

Originally Posted by jocat

Well this is somewhere different for you. Somehow I must have missed your Kuala Lumpur report, so must rectify that.

Have a fab time Mel. Looking forward to following along. X

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Thanks Jo! This is my third solo trip east - the first was to HK pre-Dibb, then Kuala Lumpur in 2016 and now Bangkok! I just realised I need to check in once I get to work (can check in 30h in advance I think!).

[OB1LukeLucas]

Looking forward to this Mel. I enjoyed the floating market just for the fun of being on the boat, it was a long day but I think we did the train & River Kwai on the same day. I was fascinated by the river and enjoyed the temples. Hope you have a fantastic trip.