...And the World is Your Oyster

Driving into Bangkok is similar to driving into any big city, skyscrapers, massive traffic jams, you know, the usual city life. But it wasn’t until our taxi driver, who claimed it was cheaper with the meter off, went through the middle of traffic, bumping side mirrors for a good ten meters that I realized I was definitely in Thailand. 500 Bhat later—which should have been about 300—we landed in front of our hostel.

Like most hostels, you cannot check in until 2pm so we set our bags down and roamed the streets. In a matter of minutes we were deeply lost in the hundreds of alleyways, restaurants, and vendors that crowded the streets in and around Khao San Road. Ornate temples covered in reds, oranges, blues, and yellows were wedged in between hostels and super markets but in pristine condition compared to the garbage-covered streets. It took us an hour to make it back to our hostel after finding wifi at a McDonalds two streets over. And this was only the beginning of the Bangkok adventure.

I had done my research on the history of the city, the temples to see, the major attractions, but nothing compared to the chaos that ensued stepping onto the popular Khao San Road. We were in the heart of party-town Bangkok. If you don’t know what a Ping-Pong Show is, I’ll give you a hint, it isn’t table tennis. Street food is not only less than a dollar but it is the best food you will ever have. Pad Thai with chicken, pork, shrimp, and egg noodles, rice noodles, what ever you want you can get it and it is less than cheap. Streamers and lanterns go from bar to bar with Thai foot massages on the street in front of them.

I talked to a few people who said five days in Bangkok was too much and you can be in and out in one or two days; maybe with the party streets, but definitely not with the city. There is a different monument to see every day from the Grand Palace to the Temple of Dawn to the Reclining Buddah, back the streets of the Khao San district there is always a new thing to see and a new cuisine to try—maybe a scorpion if you are feeling ambitious.

There is nothing you cannot find in Bangkok. I am not saying you could arrive to the city with nothing in your backpack but you could at least arrive with no clothes, bathing suit, camera, or selfie stick and you would be able to fill you pack within an hour of landing. They even have a Nike shirt with cats all over.

I have a little advice for the traveler headed to Bangkok: One, pack nothing but shorts and t-shirts because hot is an understatement. Bring one pair of long pants for the temples and the rest should be the lightest things you own. Two, you have no idea what cheap is until you are looking at prices in Bangkok, but everything is still negotiable. Remember, the large currency is enough to make anyone cheap. And three, take advantage of all of the things Bangkok has to offer: get a foot massage, get the cat shirt, and eat the street food, because that is what Bangkok is all about.