Last night I flew Asiana into Bangkok. With the time change it felt like 1am when I arrived here so I was glad to get to the hotel. With the 10pm curfew the streets where deserted with only a few taxis coming from the airport.
I picked a hotel about half way between the airport and the city and it seems to have worked out well. It’s close to a BTS sky train station, so it is easy to get into town.
From the BTS you can transfer to a ferry to get to most places. The river is pretty much the same colour that I remember it! Otherwise the ferry is a pretty pleasant way to travel and they are pretty quick.
I spent the morning doing some logistical stuff like getting a haircut and finding an English bookstore. I found a travel guide for Turkey in Asia Books near MBK, a big shopping centre downtown.
In the afternoon I went to my favourite temple in Bangkok, Wat Pho. I started thinking, and this would be the 4th time I have passed through Bangkok, sometimes briefly and sometimes longer. This is the first time I had a curfew though!
Wat Pho has the worlds largest reclining Buddha. Admission for foreigners is now up to 100 Baht, or $3.25, but comes with free drinking water and free wifi. I never thought I would see a temple install wifi, but there you go. If you happen to be Thai, it’s free to enter.
Usually I find Bangkok quite crazy in the evening with good nightlife, but since nobody can be outside after 10pm it’s quite relaxed! Locals tell me they are quite concerned about the situation and what will happen next. Thailand gets a lot of its GDP from tourists and right now most are staying away.
Here is hoping things improve for when I get back from Myanmar.