Day 16: Kanchanaburi to Bangkok, Sunday 23rd June 2024
Cloudy, 32°
NZ$1 = THB22
THB1 = NZ$0.04
Up at 7:30am, breakfast at 8am. The plan for today was to take the 2:30pm train back to Bangkok, so we had some time to kill today. Headed back to the room, packed our bags and then checked out at 10am. We left our bags at the hotel reception and we had booked a ‘taxi’/driver to take us to the Tiger Cave Temple ( THB1000/$45 ), which was about 1/2 hour drive south in the neighbouring town of Tha Muang. So we jumped in with our driver and headed through town and south back to Tha Muang ( we came through this town on the train to Kanchanaburi ) ,then across the Mae Klong Dam and up to the Tiger Cave Temple at 10:45am. Our driver took us up to the side carpark with less steps than the main entrance / carpark where all the tourist buses go.
This complex of temples, shrines and pagoda sits on a free standing limestone rock surrounded by plains. As the name suggests there is a cave, but not actually any tigers. We walked up the 100 steps to get to the mountain top from the carpark, then walked around the complex, being respectful of the hundreds of worshipers there for the real purpose of the temple. We walked through the temple buildings, past the big buddha, and I went up the tall pagoda ( about 7 floors of a steep staircase ) and back down. The temple has a stunning view out over the plains in all directions. Back down to the car at 11:20am then drove around behind the temple for a photo across the fields.
We drove back to the hotel along the west side of the Ma Klong river ( the main towns are on the east side ), stopped for photos at the Wat Ban Tham ( we didn’t climb these steps through the dragon despite our driver thinking we should; too hot and temple fatigue ). We arrived back at the hotel at 12pm.
We walked west along the road for 10 minutes to the Tongkan Café, down a long drive beside the river, for a coffee / matcha / honey toast lunch ( THB500 ! ). Very nice but a bit busy with lots of wealthy Thai families having Sunday out. We walked out to the jetty / platform they have on the river then walked back to the hotel at 1:30pm, sat in the bar and had a beer to cool off, then got out bags, and got a Grab ( THB69/$3 ) at 2pm to the train station.
Bought 2 tickets to Thon Buri/Bangkok ( THB100 each/$4.50 ) and Sat and waited for the train which arrived at 2:46pm ( a little late ) and we jumped on. We had wooden seats with no padding this time, and we were facing backwards. It was an OK trip back ( lots of tourists on the train, but also lots of locals ) and we arrived at Thon Buri at 5:40pm ( on time ).
Got a Grab ( THB170/$9 ) to take us to our hotel for the next 3 nights : Citadines Sukhumvit 11. It was 3/4 hour of crazy busy traffic ( it is Sunday… ) then waited for the king to pass through in front of us, then nearly had a crash followed by a moving heated discussion between our driver and another driver who wasn’t happy with our driver for nearly hitting him, and finally arrived at the hotel in one piece at 6:15pm
Checked in ( Citadines Sukhumvit 11 hotel, 3 nights, continental breakfast included THB6300/$280 ), and up to room 709 ( second to top floor, at the back of the building away from the street, which was good as we had been warned about the noise from the bars/nightclubs nearby ). Our room was a suite with a separate bedroom, sitting area and a kitchen . And a view of the back of the buildings all around us, and the pigeons.
Dumped our bags, up to the roof to look at the pool then down and out to find some tea.
On our 4 visits ( so far ) to Bangkok we have stayed in 4 different parts of town and they are all different. This area ( Sukhumvit ) and especially our street ( Soi 11) is very touristy; lots of hotels, lots of pushy tuktuk drivers, lots of bars/clubs, lots of western restaurants and Western Style Thai/Indian/Chinese restaurants. And of course lots of street girls and non-tourists hanging around. Not really our type of area but it will be ok for a few days of looking around, and it is modern and there are no homeless etc.
Stopped at the first Thai restaurant we saw for tea as we were very hungry ( “I’m Aroi Soi 11” ( Aroi means delicious )), for a couple of dishes and beers THB600 / $30!. Definitely in the tourist area. Down to the end of the street where it joins the main Sukhumvit Rd at Nana Station, bought supplies at 7Eleven then back to the hotel to relax at 7:30opm.