Day 13 : Bangkok, Thursday 20th June 2024
Fine / Partly Cloudy, 35°
NZ$1 = THB22
THB1 = NZ$0.04
Up at 7:00am and downstairs for breakfast in a room next tot he pool,at 7:30am ( we were the only ones there and the hotel seems very quiet / empty; we haven’t seen any other guests ); the usual range of food with the usual attentive staff
Back to the room then out at 9:15am. Walked south then east 3 or 4 blocks, through a nice quiet neighbourhood to the Giant Swing Monument ( not really a giant swing but… looks like one ). To the south of this is a massive temple complex so we walked down the side street and found an entry door that was open so we walked in; no one said we couldn’t. We later found that the main entry was by the Giant Swing and the fee was THB100/$5 each, which we didn’t pay.
We looked around Phra Ubosot Wat Suthat first ( a ‘smaller’ temple in the main complex and south of the main temple building ) with its large sitting Buddha, then walked to the Wat Suthat Thep Wararam Ratchaworamahawihan ( the main temple building ). This was even bigger, with an even bigger Buddha statue.
( Apologies for the photo overload coming…. )
We spent 45 minutes walking through the complex which was very peaceful and largely tourist free, and we walked out the front gate at 10:20am, then south to Old Siam Mall, just south of Sam Yot station where we got out yesterday on the way to our hotel. This area is full of gun shops…
Went to Starbucks for a drink and a rest at the Mall, then looked around the mall itself ( which is still being built ) then out into the heat again. We were both feeling a bit drained so we walked past the Grand Palace and Wat Pho ( and saw sooo many tourists ) and then to the Wat Pho jetty to look at the Chao Phraya river, then caught a grab back to the hotel ( THB131/$6 ). Rested for a bit, Liz went for a swim.
Out again at 1pm ( we had booked a Canal Boat tour with WanderSiam tours at 2pm, $100 for 2 people) and walked to the 7 Eleven and bought some snacks for lunch, then got a Grab to Elefin Coffee, near the Wat Pho Jetty ( where our canal tour starts ). Ate our lunch near the river then met our guide at Elephin Coffee at 2pm. Only 6 people on the tour ( a family from Hawaii who had just been to NZ, a lady from Australia here on business and us ). We walked to the jetty then jumped on a long tail boat. Headed across the Chao Phraya river, dodging the boat traffic, and then into the canals on the west/Thon Buri side of the river. We cruised west on the Khlon Mon Canal then south on the Bangkok Yai Canal at a generally gentle pace. The houses are mainly shacks, but some bigger houses in some areas, which a lot of communities obviously based on canal side living. We stopped to look at monitor lizards swimming in the canal ( a couple of metres long ), then stopped at Wat Khuha Sawan jetty, and walked along the canal through the Khlong Bang Luang market, and stopped at the Artists House and fed the fish in the canal. We had 25 minutes to explore the market. Liz bought a small ceramic elephant THB95/$4 then we met back with the tour group at 3pm, then walked along the canal further and met the boat at the next jetty.
We carried on along the canal heading south to our next stop at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen to see the nuns praying, the hug temple complex and the Big Buddha Statue ( biggest in Thailand ) which has just been finished / still under construction. The temple complex itself was not the most photogenic ( unlike most temple sites ) as it was a large functioning temple with lots of buildings packed tightly together, but the main focus is now the Big Buddha. We left again at 3:30pm, back to the boat and back out of the canal just south of where we started ( our tour took us on a loop to the west then south then east ). Back to the jetty just south of Wat Pho Jetty, disembarked then back to the main road and got a Grab back to the hotel at 4:15pm. This was a great way to see the ‘other side’ of Bangkok and whilst it is still a tourist tour it was relaxed and a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
We rested, swam, and chilled.
Out at 6pm and walked east to Dinso Rd again ( where we had dinner last night ) and went to Din Restaurant and Jazz Bar for tea; we walked in to look at the menu and got put on a table so decided to stay ( THB750/$35 for masuman curry and 2 beers…a bit expensive but it was nice! ). Back to the hotel at 7:30pm.
We booked our hotel for 23-26 June in Bangkok ( after our trip to Kanchanaburi which we were heading on tomorrow ) in a different area of town; this hotel is nice but the area is not great and we are keen to see a different side of Bangkok ( ie more touristy side ) . The hotel we booked is the Citadines Sukhumvit 11 Bangkok ( THB6200/$282 for 3 nights incl breakfast ), which is located on Soi 11 in Sukhumvit, which is area with modern buildings, lots of shops / malls and lots of other hotels.