Category Archives: Bangkok

Asia day 29. Thailand day 10. Time to move on…

12 Wednesday Feb 2025

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It’s 09:00 here in Thailand and I’m savouring a last few hours around a quiet rooftop pool. I’ve picked an unfortunate day to be on the move as temperatures are forecast to hit 37 degrees by early afternoon. Just when I’ll be on the move!

Right now, it’s a balmy 27 but rising. There’s only a handful of guests up here, making it very peaceful with just the sounds of the birds and gongs from the Buddhist temple below where they’re celebrating ‘Big Buddha’ day. Many businesses will be closed today as a consequence – and no alcohol sold.

I’m going to turn this into a rolling blog and update it through the day, so feel free to keep popping back to see how my travels go…

12:48.

I checked out just before, which gave me time to have a saunter and get something to eat after leaving my case with the hotel conceirge. Dozens of others have left today, which probably explains why the pool was so quiet. Mind you, the streets are too. Many stalls haven’t bothered opening. Still, I managed to find a tasty meal. Shrimps Thai style (Still in their shells).

Now I’m enjoying the cool of the hotel’s lobby whilst waiting to see if Chris can give me lift to the station or whether I grab a Grab!

14:30.

In the end, Chris couldn’t get out of a meeting, so I booked a Grab taxi. The app is very useful out here in SE Asia. An almost brand new MG badged EV arrived and the driver expertly manoeuvred his was through the lighter than normal traffic  to deposit me at Krung Thep Apiawat staion with over two hours to spare before I depart for Malaysia.

This station doesn’t have the majesty or history of the old Hualamphong. But what it does have is scale. The place is vast, on multi levels and swallow completely the people using it as it’s been designed with a far bigger network in mind.

That said, it is slowly improving as more shops move in. Now it’s possible to buy freshly cooked food and hot drinks rather than just junk and snack food.

The problem with the station is it’s run like an airport. You’re kept corralled and not allowed onto the platform until 20 minutes before your train departs.

Steamed buns and pork dumplings were just some of the things on offer and the prices were normal, not inflated.

16:20.

Despite the usual confusion from people who’ve never used a sleeper train before everyone settled in soon enough and we left on time. Mine is one of the older sleeper coaches so it’s missing a couple of refinements, but nothing major.

17:20.

We’ve left Bangkok behind to head out into the fertile Thai countryside. It’s also a chance for me to observe the railway being rebuilt as part of the double tracking scheme. Now, little stations like Nakon Pathom have become huge, with raised platforms, footbridges, and substantial staion buildings. The surrounding roads now pass under or over the railway, abolishing all the unsafe level crossings and the traffic congestion they caused. The railway gas installed fencing along its length, but this is suffering mixed fortunes as well worn paths to sections that have vanished betray the fact some locals aren’t happy with losing their traditional shortcuts! The pace of change seems patchy. Some areas I passed through in 2023 seem to have hardly changed. I’m not sure when the project’s due to be finished, but it’s not going to be for a while…

19:20.

Most people in my coach have retired to their bunks now their beds have been made. Mostly for the privacy. Hawkers are still passing through the coach, their melodic (if raucous) cries shattering the quiet, but I doubt they’ll stop me being rocked to sleep by the motion of the train.

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If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asia day 28. Thailand day 9…

11 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Yup, there’s another day’s blogging gone missing, but that’s mainly as there wasn’t anything to report other than the fact I was lying around by the hotel’s rooftop swimming pool catching some rays whilst I have the chance.

Today was a much more interesting day as I ventured out and finally had a trip on Bangkok’s new ‘yellow line’ monorail which only opened in 2023. It was certainly an interesting experience. The size of the engineering is impressive as the route towers over the streets it runs along the centers of. But, it’s also disappointing. The ride is far rougher than conventional metro systems and the speeds are nothing to boast about. I’ll talk about it more in another blog, but for now I’ll leave you with these pictures from the trip.

All the trains are four-car sets, running on a frequent service.
There’s few seats and lots of space taken up by equipment inside the monorail cards.

This evening’s my last in Bangkok. Tomorrow I catch the train South into Malaysia, so it was lovely to meet up with my old friend Chrissorn for a meal and a drink, especially as tomorrow is a big day in the Buddhist calendar so nowhere will be selling alcohol. This was our last chance!

I’ll be spending most of tomorrow afternoon (and all of the night) on the train tomorrow, so I’ll have more time to blog then.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asia day 26. Thailand day 7…

09 Sunday Feb 2025

Posted by in Bangkok, Photography, Thailand, Travel

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Really? I’ve been here a week already? Time flies as Bangkok is one of those cities where I feel very at home – despite all its pollution and other travails. When I’m here I just slip back into its life without any stress. Bangkok is one of the world’s major and cosmopolitan cities. There’s few like it. London and New York are in the same league, but after that…

Today I moved hotels for the final time on this trip and I’ve gone ‘upmarket’, transitioning from a windowless fan room to a place with a window and a view (a double-edged sword), a fridge in my spacious room and a rooftop swimming pool. The last one matters the most. When I leave Bangkok I’m going to be constantly on the move, so this bit of the trip is the chance to kick back a bit. That said, there’s a lot to fit into the last few days. I’d hoped to meet up with my old friend Chrissorn today but he’s under the weather. Instead I enjoyed a few hours soaking up the sun by the pool. Then I nipped out for a beer at the Gecko bar (another old haunt) after having a quick video call with Dawn which wasn’t great as I was out in the street and poaching off a previous hotels internet. Cheapskate? Me? Actually .no. My hotel wifi asks far too much detail so I’m limiting what I use it for.

Remember I mentioned a monorail (or two)? I still haven’t had time to visit either of them. That’s the plan for tomorrow and tomorrow’s looking like another busy day..

Meanwhile, here’s a couple of pictures for you.

More fantastic food. Crispy fish and pumpkin with egg (plus rice) off my favourite streetfood stall – and all for £1.10.
The rooftop pool at my latest hotel. It has fantastic views over this part of Bangkok. Plus, it’s a good place to catch some rays.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asia day 23. Thailand day 4…

06 Thursday Feb 2025

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Today’s been another one where I’ve not travelled far as I’ve been too busy sorting out everyday stuff. I was awake by 07:00 when I caught up with the news – all the stuff that’s fit to print, allegedly – and some more expert and intelligent analysis that you won’t find in the mainstream media. For example, if you want considered and fact-checked information about the war in Ukraine. there’s no better place to look than the daily updates from the Institute for the study of war.

Of course, there’s plenty of ASEAN and other European news to trawl through too. After which, it was time to pack my bags and leave my cell – sorry – hotel room. To be honest, for £7 a night it wasn’t bad -it was just like going back 30 years. Well, apart from the wifi access, obviously! My only real complaint was how weak the showers in the shared bathrooms were. There was a gap of several hours between checking out and checking in, but the place I was leaving as happy to store my kit so I went for lunch and a wander. Here’s today’s first course of street-food.

My staple (squash and egg) only this time combined with chicken and bamboo shoots.

By 14:00 I could check into my new hotel. I know the Khao San Art Hotel of old. I think I first stayed here around the mid 1990s. In those days it was called ‘Happy House’ which eventually morphed into ‘Happio’. It became an ‘art hotel’ before I last stayed here in 2023. The place has been refurbished and redecorated, and for what it costs it’s a pretty good cheap-range hotel. As long as you don’t mind the fact there’s no lift – just a labyrinthine network of stairs! On the bright side I now have air-conditioning rather than just a fan, a double bed (nice but not essential), plus my own bathroom with a shower that actually showers rather than just pisses on you!

Budget luxury – as long as you don’t try to swing a cat..

So, I’m all set for the next six days of exploring Bangkok and catching up with an old friend. Oh – hang on, I’m only booked in here for three nights. Maybe I’ll go upmarket and find a place with a rooftop pool for the last few days, especially as I’ve had to cut some places out of my itinerary.

Today I booked onward rail travel through Malaysia through the KTMB (Malaysian railways) app on my phone. Mark, ‘the man in seat 61’ doesn’t recommend it but I’ve been using it for years. The app is really easy to use and lets you choose your seat, which is something many private booking companies don’t. My timetable looks rather different now. I’ll only have one night in my ‘happy place’ (Georgetown, on Penang Island) before getting a train to Kuala Lumpur, where I’ll stay three nights. I’d have preferred it the other way around, but there’s more rail stuff to see in KL. Plus, there’s a friend whom I’d like to catch up with.

My original plan was to continue South by rail to Johor Baru (so I could have a look at the rebuilding of the mainline railway and the LRT between JB and Singapore. That’s out of the window now. To my chagrin I’m having to take another (longer) flight – this time from KL to Jakarta. At least that gets me back in the country I’m flying home from! I’d hoped to fly to Surabaya and make my way back to Jakarta by rail, but that wasn’t to be either. At least now I can concentrate on pictures of the Jakarta rail network and take a spin to Bandung on their high-speed trains. After all, I’ll always come back to Thailand and Malaysia – with the odd side-trip to Indonesia.

Now I’ve all the planning/moving out of the way I’m going to have a day out tomorrow and check out the two new monorail lines that have been built in Bangkok. It’s not a technology that’s really caught on worldwide, although there is one in KL which I’ve travelled on a few times.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asia day 22. Thailand day 3…

05 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by in Bangkok, Food and drink, Photography, Thailand, Travel

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The Prussian General Helmuth von Moltke has a saying attributed to him, which is that (and it’s paraphrased) ‘no plan survives first contact with the enemy’. It’s the same with travelling. I’d planned to leave Bangkok on the international train to Padang Besar in Malaysia on the 9th. Only it’s full. The first available berths are on the 12th. Having checked online I’d a sneaky suspicion that I was going to be frustrated, but a trip out to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station (aka Bang Sue Grand Station) to book a ticket confirmed things. As station names go, it hardly trips off the tongue. But getting there was fun. I’ve no guide book for Thailand, I don’t really need one as I’ve been here so many time before, and the advent of the internet has eaten into their market. The fact ‘Lonely Planet’ guides are so crap they’re a waste of money is another issue (I’ll blog about that another time – honest!) There’s lots of ways of getting to Bang Sue (no sniggering at the back!)

The best way is the Chao Praya river taxi from nearby Phra Arthit pier which took me up river and delivered me at Bang Po. From there it’s two stops on the skytrain, but me being me – I decided to walk. That way, you get to explore and peer into Thai life. Like small businesses like this, which I spotted whilst passing. I haven’t got a Scooby Do what it is they’re making, but I find these places fascinating.

Having secured my onward train ticket at Bang Sue (now what did I say about sniggering?) I had a wander and found the new locomotive depot, which was full of old crocks like this.

I then paid the princely sum of 2 baht to catch a local train to the grand old terminal at Hualamphong, which is just as much a museum as a mainline terminal nowadays. All the long-distance trains have disappeared, along with a lot of the life. Instead, the tracks once used by trains to Chiang Mai and Malaysia are full of relics like this.

Still, there were some great pictures to be had – and as trains are now so infrequent I had time to pop over to and old restaurant opposite the station I know of old. I ordered a beer and the Papaya salad (Tom Sum). The cook asked me if I wanted it ‘spicy’ so I told him yes ‘Thai spicy’. ‘Kin hell – I’m very used to spicy food and regularly ladle the local chilli condiment onto my food, but this was weapons-grade! My tongue was on fire for a good half-hour!

Looks innocuous enough, doesn’t it? This Som Tum was nuclear!

My tastebuds re-appeared just before I caught the 16:30 train back to Bang Sue. Initially it seemed a fairly quiet train on departure. I was in for a surprise! One of the reasons Hualamphong was replaced as the main station is the number of level crossings in the way to Bang Sue. Trains stop at them all – and commuters know this, so stand in the tracks waiting for their train! Like this.

Oh, then there’s the poorer Bangkok residents who simply utilise the railway for recreation…

There’s so much that I could blog about today but the evening’s wearing on and I’m moving hotels tomorrow as well as working out a new itinerary. Hopefully, I’m meeting up with an old Thai friend in the evening, but a blog will still be in the offing…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asian adventure day 32. Back in Bangkok…

10 Friday Feb 2023

Posted by in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Photography, Railways, Thailand, Travel

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After an interesting and relaxing few days in Kanchanaburi I’m now back in the big city. To be honest, I enjoyed the journey back more than the one there which maybe has something to do with the light and the time of day. I was up at 05:30 in order to enjoy the sunrise and a cup of coffee before catching the 02:20 train. The early mornings where I’ve been staying are well worth getting up for – as you can see…

Looking down on the floating rooms from the communal area of the Tamarind.

I’ll miss the Tamarind hotel. It was a great place to stay, although next time I’d be tempted to upgrade to a room with a/c, but then no-one expected temperatures to hit 37 degrees!

The train back to Bangkok that time of morning is a local service that stops at every blade of grass but that means it’s more relaxed operationally. I bagged a seat in the rear coach next to the helpful young guard who willingly and without prompting lifted my bags up the steep steps onto the train and who was equally happy for me to take pictures from the open back of the train. Some guards get nervy about this as no-one wants a foreigner falling off the back coach, there’s too much paperwork!

Watched by a lone dog, ‘Shovelnose’ 4004 arrived from Nam Tok to head to Bangkok’s Thonburi station as ‘Ordinary train No 60.

On arrival at Thonburi I shared a taxi to Banglumphu with two young French girls who were in Bangkok for the first time. I was staying somewhere different for a change as my usual hotels were full. As my room wasn’t ready I dumped my case at the hotel and went for a wander, only to find the area’s packed. I’d only been away for a week! But in that time, the younger backpackers have returned. I couldn’t plan to do much other than a bit of shopping, work out my next day’s moves and respond to work emails from the UK. As I’m staying somewhere slightly more upmarket I’d been hoping for some decent wifi. That proved to be a disappointment – but I do have a/c! As said wifi’s rather pedestrian and I still need to eat, this is going to be a short blog. You may get more insights later but probably not. I want to have another early start checking out some of the new lines emanating from the new grand station at Bang Sue before I head South on the 15:35…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Asian adventure day 23. Bangkok day 6.

01 Wednesday Feb 2023

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I’ve certainly got my exercise in today! I was up very early as I had some UK work to do that I wanted to complete before I headed out. Having finished this by 07:30 I was wandering before the day warmed up and when many locals were still at home or on their way to wok. The streets around Banglumphu were quiet but my travels took me through the old town and Chinatown, which was anything but. It was a bit ‘mad dogs and Englishmen’ as I was walking to Hualamphong station which is nearly 3 miles and an hours walk away from my hotel. Most sensible folk would get a taxi or tuk-tuk but the beauty of walking is that you get to see so much stuff you’d normally miss. OK, ignore the fact the air pollution there and back’s probably the equivalent to smoking a pack of fags. I can understand why Thais still wear masks all the time – and it’s nothing to do with Covid!

My route took me through several districts which were especially interesting. Bangkok is similar to India in that trade guilds tended to congregate. The first place I passed was where you’d go to buy all your royal accoutrements. Need a large framed picture of the current king (or his late father) or any of the royal wives and princesses? Flags even? No problem. Here’s where you’d go -and there’s lots of shops to choose from.

The next area I passed through was the woodworkers district, full of businesses selling handmade doors, architrave and beading and all manner of decorations. As most shops don’t have fronts you get too look in (and take crafty pictures).

I’m sure he has a system and knows where everything is…

Another part of the street was full of engineering workshops, crammed with lathes, milling machines, drills and cutters. It’s a world we just don’t see in the UK anymore and it really took me back in time to my father’s workshop in the outbuildings at the bottom of my parents garden. He was an engineer, as was his brother, who had a little foundry in the backstreets of Southport. I’ll add more about that later…

This street was lined with small engineering firms like this. No job is too small. These are the skills the UKs lost as few young people want to make things, they want to be a millionaire and ‘social influencer’. SE Asia doesn’t buy into these fantasies and gets on with making things – and making money. There’s a reason China has become the workshop of the world.

Oh, there was another little artisan group I passed near journey’s end. The coffin suppliers. I suspect they’ve had a good couple of years..

Dead wood…

Eventually – after lots of detours to take pictures – I ended up at Hualamphong station where I booked my ticket back to Malaysia and then spent a couple of hours taking pictures. The loss of most long-distance trains has meant the station’s far quieter than it was, but there’s still a lot of activity out on the platforms and in the adjacent loco depot. Thai trains have always been serviced at Hualamphong, which can mean anything from a wash and clean to changing brake-blocks, fans and other minor repairs. It really is very much ‘old railway’ .

Still plenty of life at the loco depot at the station, including the derivative of a train that will be very familiar to UK viewers. The engines known as ‘shovelnoses’ were built by General Electric whilst the twin windowed engine is from Hitachi.
3rd Class coaches getting a wash and brush-up. The Chevrons on the steps are new. These are fold down steps to allow level (ish) boarding at the modernised stations where platform heights have been increased.

Being a glutton for punishment and wanting to get more pictures I decided to walk back the way I’d come – and discovered this delightful craft beer establishment (and hotel) en-route. Bed and brews. It was like an oasis after the hustle and bustle of Chinatwon, so I couldn’t resist popping in to have a small beer Lao IPA and rest my weary bones and swill the pollution out of my throat before walking the rest of the way home. As much as I enjoy Bangkok, the air quality is shit. Wandering the streets as I did I soon noticed it.

Now, 31,000 steps and a shower later I’m writing this blog before packing as tomorrow I leave the smog of Bangkok behind for a few days to catch the train to Kanchanaburi and take a break by the River Kwai. Yes, that river and that bridge – made famous by the David Lean film starring Alec Guinness. It really does exist.

Expect some more relaxed blogs (and lots of pictures) soon…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Asian adventure day 22. Bangkok day 5.

31 Tuesday Jan 2023

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I’ve had a relaxed day here in Bangkok after a busy day yesterday when I caught up with an old Thai friend I hadn’t seen for several years as Covid got in the way of my travels out to Asia. My chats with Chrissorn were wide-ranging but a lot focussed on Thailand and how a country so reliant on tourism is recovering from the world shutting up shop for so long. I’d realised what I’ve seen of Bangkok is far quieter of old but Chris filled out some of the details. Bangkok is normally crowded and not the place to be in a pandemic so many people returned to their home towns. Some of them set up businesses there, made them a success and realised there was no need to return to the capital with its high rents and cost of living. So Bangkok’s population has dropped (for now).

Another thing I learned was that many of the people who work in the tourist industry aren’t Thai. They’re from Myanmar, or Laos, or even Nepal and India. Indians have always been present here – providing most of the tailors you see around areas like Banglumphu, but the Nepalese were a surprise. When you get your street massage for 150 baht it’s unlikely to be from a Thai. The locals don’t want to do such arduous, low paid jobs. It’ll be an ‘economic migrant’ who fills that role. The same people the English despise and was one of the causes of Brexit. It’s one of life’s ironies. Go to most countries with a large tourist or hospitality industry (Greece is another example) and it won’t be the locals doing most of the work. Yet the UK, in its arrogance and dislike of foreigners has thought it can buck this trend and Brexit will mean more jobs for local people. The result? We now have a huge labour shortage in the UK and suffer the economic damage that flows from that – as newly released statistics show. The UK’s the only developed nation where the economy’s predicted to shrink next year. Even Russia, despite its international pariah status and awful war with Ukraine will grow faster than the UK. Of course, the hardcore Brexiters still claim any amount of economic damage is worth it to regain ‘sovereignty’ – something we never lost except in their overactive imaginations. I wish I could pay my bills with their fictional ‘sovereignty’…

Massage beds line Rambutri. A 30 minute session will cost you 150 baht, but the chances are the person massaging you won’t be from Thailand but Myanmar or Laos.

Another thing I learned from Chris was that the Banglumphu area, being crowded and full of foreigners pre Covid, suffered more Covid-related deaths than other parts of Bangkok, which could help explain some of empty shops I’ve seen and the lack of some old faces.

My time in Bangkok’s been rather sociable, partly because I’ve been going out more and also because there’s far more travellers and tourists here than in KL. Yesterday I ended up in conversation with a retired nurse from Darwen in Lancashire, a retired engineer from Heidelberg in Germany and a retired photographer from the UK who’s moved out to Asia and has a house in Pokhara, Nepal. You can spot the theme, can’t you? There’s a lot of retired people here! To leaven the mix, today I ended up sharing a table at my favourite food stall with a young lad from the Netherlands who’s been travelling around Thailand for a month.

Tomorrow life will return more to normal as I’ll be resuming my travels and exploring more of Bangkok – and making sure both camera batteries are with me! For now, here’s a few more images of life in Bangkok…

Today’s 50 baht dinner. On the right is a superb deep-fried and crispy fish with Thai basil that’s mixed with palm sugar. The dish on the left is vegetable with egg.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Asian adventure day 21. Bangkok day 4.

30 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by in Architecture, Bangkok, Food and drink, Photography, Thailand, Travel

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Having spent several hours this morning immersed in paperwork and picture editing my stomach reminded me what time it was and encouraged me to go eat. In Bangkok Monday is the day when all the street stalls have an enforced day off due to local ordnances. This means the streets are deathly compared to the reat of the week. It also forced me to find a new place to eat. I found a little cafe on Chakrabongse Rd away from the usual tourist hustle and bustle which looked quite inviting. It served the usual Thai staples including a signature dish I haven’t sampled on this trip (Pad Thai) so that’s what I plumped for, only with prawns. It was both delicious and filling.

Pad Thai, well it’d have been rude not to!

Having stuffed myself my plan was to walk across town to Hualamphong station in order to book a train ticket. It’s a 50 minute walk but you get to sample a lot of Bangkok. Plus, the weather’s warm, but it’s not sticky the way it gets in a few months time. So, I set off, with the idea of getting pictures on the way. Then it all went a bit ‘Pete Tong’. I dug the camera out to get a shot and found the thing was dead as a Dodo. Problem was, I didn’t have my spare battery with me as that was recharging, back at the room. There was no option but to hoof it back to the hotel and pray that the problem really was the battery and not something more serious. I’d been taking pictures last night and thought I still had a few bars life left in this battery. Once I swapped them over the camera sprang back to life – much to my relief! Now I’m hoping the second battery will recharge. By then it was too late to head to the station so I’m having another day exploring locally. I’ll try to get out to Hualamphong early tomorrow as I have a ‘teams’ call with the UK later in the day regarding some work.

Anyways, I’m out with Chris tonight, so pottering locally isn’t a problem. In the meantime, here’s a couple of phone pictures.

It’s a dogs life! These ‘strays’ are actually well looked after by the shopkeepers in this particular Soi – as are their puppies…
Living in a gilded cage? Sometimes local architecture makes you do a double-take…
At least this hotel around the corner from where I’m staying has tried to go for green. I must admit, I’m envious of the swimming pool…

I’ll add a blog update later.

What a lovely evening. I met up with Chrissorn and the two of us spent several hours catching up after so many years that were interrupted by Covid. As usual, I learned a heck of a lot about life in Thailand and Bangkok. It certainly won’t be our last meeting of the trip.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Asian adventure day 20. Bangkok day 3.

29 Sunday Jan 2023

Posted by in Bangkok, Photography, Railways, Thailand, Travel

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I’ve had another fairly relaxed day here in Bangkok, insofar as I’ve not really moved out of the local area where I’m staying. I’m still exploring and trying to reorientate myself in an area I knew well but that’s undergone a lot of changes due to the pandemic. Tourism was such a vital part of the Thai economy it’s hardly surprising that the world shutting down for so long would have a major impact. The good news is that now tourists are starting to return it’s having a positive impact on economic activity. Even so, it’s sad to see what’s been lost. I spent several hours just wandering the streets earlier and found that an upmarket hotel on the river which I stayed in several times is now derelict. The Navalai was a great place to stay because it had a rooftop swimming pool and was right next door to one of the water taxi piers. Hopefully, it will reopen under a new guise. Today I wandered down the Khao Sarn Road for the first time. This was the original backpackers street which I first stayed on in 1992. It’s changed a bit since then. I wouldn’t dream of staying there now as it’s got far too hedonistic and crowded – and that was 10 years ago. It’s a lot quieter now. Even so, I prefer the Soi’s to the West where I’ve been staying these past few years as they’re much more relaxed.

In between wanderings I’ve been holed up in my hotel, busily editing pictures. I’ve now got all my Malaysian pictures online. You can find the travel ones here and the railway ones here. I’ve still got to edit all my Thai pictures, but you’ll find railways here and travel shots here. One little project I have planned whilst I’m out here is to rationalise the galleries on my Zenfolio website. I’ve far too many from previous travels which are a mix of rail and travel shots, which makes finding stuff messy. Maybe when I find a beach somewhere next month…

It won’t be soon because some work came in on Friday and it looks like I’m going to have to change plans slightly in order to deal with some UK stuff. I’ll know more at the beginning of next week. Tomorrow’s going to be another busy day sorting out bits and rejigging my trip, but in the evening I’m meeting up with an old Thai friend. I’ve not seen Chrissorn since 2017. I’d been planning to come out this way again but then Covid put the mockers on that idea. Where does the time go?

In the meantime, here’s a couple of pictures from todays explorations. Expect more tomorrow…

Here’s something I’ve neglected to mention. Cannabis is now legal in Thailand. Well – ‘ish’. The law’s actually rather confused as it was meant to be about medicinal use rather than recreational use. But that hasn’t stopped an awful lot of places springing up to bring dope to the masses!
There’s also some excellent and imaginative pop-up street bars if alcohol’s still your poison.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!