Time for a short update straight from the city of angels. Bangkok is kind of my escape place when Udon Thani gets to boring (which it is almost 24/7 as long as I am not working).

Since the urge to escape Udon Thani hits me quite often I feel confident to say that Bangkok and I are building up a more and more intense relationship every time we meet. Now that the time of tourist attraction hopping is over I have time to experience and discover the other Bangkok. I wouldn’t dare to say that this is better or worse, it is just totally different to the Bangkok most of the tourists experience.

This time I did not choose a guest house in or close to famous backpacker road – Khao San Rd. This time I chose a guest house more close to public transport (meaning MRT or BTS railways). I stayed close to Hua Lamphong (the main train station) which is actually an ideal place to both – hit the temples (wat poh, grand palace, etc.) and enjoy shopping at Siam (Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, Central World, etc.). My guesthouse was luckily very close to Hua Lamphong MRT station but still not at the main road. It is located in a small soi and decorated with a lot of plants and trees. A little oasis in the middle of the traffic jungle. While it does not look that amazing from the outside, it is lovely decorated in the inside. The rooms are quite basic but totally ok. The amenities are basic as well but all working and not causing any troubles. The walls are a little thin but that is guesthouse style. So all in all I was very very pleased with my choice. Especially when comparing the price and what I usually get for it in Khaosan Road. I paid 320 Baht per night for a single room with fan (the rooms there are luckily not very hot) and – drum roll – breakfast is included as well as a 24/7 wifi connection. I am pretty sure I will come back to Your Place Guest House.

Starting at my guesthouse it was pretty easy to walk around china town or even walk to Wat Pho or the Grand Palace. Since I visited both sights quite often right now I enjoy sitting at Tha Tien even more. Sitting at the riverside, relaxing, seeing kids play and watching longtail boats passing by is a good way to start the day or to have a short break from hectic Krung Thep Maha Nakhon.

Besides sitting by the riverside I also enjoyed the new re-opened park area next to the Grand Palace and right beside Thammasat University. During the past year this was construction area but now the park finally opened it’s gates and provides you with a nice view of Bangkok’s temple skyline.

After walking through the ‘new’ park I met a student of Thammasat University and he invited me in to have a look, to talk to some foreign students and to simply enjoy the renovated riverside relaxing area. Nice place and I really should check out if they are in the need for another foreign teacher!

Besides those new sights I also experienced the ‘poor’ Bangkok once more. When walking around and looking for short cuts I travelled to a lot of dark and dirty sois. Somehow amazing (in a bad way) how close rich and poor live together. The main road has shiny skyscrapers everywhere, the small soi next door does not even have fresh water. Crazy and sad! Bangkok, show off city (nowadays a typical metropolitan area I guess).

Another discovery: There is no need to always go to Mo Chit 2 (the bus terminal where you can buy tickets and catch coaches to the North and North East of Thailand – quite far from the city). You can also buy tickets online or at any post office and outlet of thai ticket major. This time I bought my ticket at Siam Paragon since this is way easier to access than Mo Chit 2. Nice to know!

What is also getting better: Using the boat as a normal transport vehicle. During the first times in BKK the boat was some kind of fun and special thing but it actually is a decent transportation possibility. Busses suck since there is always a traffic jam and they usually never go where you expect them to go (even if you ask). Taxis are quite expensive and also suffer from the traffic jam problem. Tuk Tuks and Motorcycles are usually expensive as well and MRT and BTS are not available everywhere. So I really like to take the boat until I am in BTS or MRT distance. One of my main routes for example is Prah Attid Pier (obviously on Prah Attid Road) to Marina or Si Phraya. From there it is a quick walk to Hua Lamphong’s MRT station. And tada…no need for traffic jams or other annoyances. Boats rule!

Right now I have some troubles uploading the run bkk pics…soon to come though! See you all back in Udon Thani.

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