Bangkok trip 2023 - Day 2


Famous Thailand 7-11 food

Naturally everybody overslept because we checked in so late last night. We only left the hotel at 8:00 AM and took another Bolt to the Lat Krabang train station and then a BTS to Phaya Thai in downtown Bangkok. From there, we walked to the Picnic Hotel some 800 meters away. On the way, we get to sample Thailand’s infamous 7-11 food. I had some halal spicy chicken burger and they were surprisingly delicious despite coming from a plastic bag.


The halal food stall on the top floor food court at Sai Tai Mai


Counter 10 where we bought van tickets to Damnoen Saduak

We left our luggage at the hotel lobby as planned. It was 11:00 AM and we asked how much for an early check in. For 700 baht each room (RM94), it was too much we thought and proceeded to walk to the Victory Monument bus stop for our next leg of the journey. We took bus number 439 to the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai). There we found a solitary halal food stall on the top floor food court and had a quick lunch. At the bus terminal, we bought tickets to Damnoen Saduak floating market at 80 baht each. You look for counter number 10.
 






The van was hot and stuffy and the aircond didn’t feel cold at all. That's the price you pay I guess for taking a public transport instead of a private hire van. It took 2 hours to reach Damnoen at 3:30 PM and as expected, the van dropped us at one of those ‘scammy’ boat jetties . The salesperson quickly approached us for boat rides but we casually walked away to find a cheaper boat. As we walked, the lady quickly offered us discounted prices up until 600 baht per boat. As it was late and we didn’t want to wast any more time, we took up her offer.
 






It’s a short 40 minutes ride on a motorized boat. As it’t almost 4:00 PM, most of the floating market sellers were gone and the only ones left are souvenir shops. The boat stopped at each and every one of them, hoping that we buy some of the overpriced things on sale. We were steadfast and refused any. Everybody knows they are much cheaper at Chatuchak or one of the markets downtown.


First songthaew ride.







After the boat ride, we took a songthaew to Samut Songkhram. It was our first time on a songthaew and I must say it’s quite hot in the afternoon sun. Samut Songkhram is where the famous Maeklong railway station is located and we get the chance to see the last train coming along the mostly closed market at 5:40 PM. From there, we walked to the local bus terminal to get a shuttle coach to Bangkok for 100 baht per pax. The shuttle coach was fast as it sped over Bangkok's bumpy roads and highways.


Samut Songkhram bus terminal.







The coach dropped us at Mo Chat BTS station where we took the train to Ratchaprarop station where Samat Muslim Food is situated. There was a queue outside the place that night but we waited anyway because halal food is not easy to find. The food was really good especially the tom yum with coconut milk. I think we bumped it Nelydia Senrose and her friends there.

First tuk-tuk ride.





After dinner, we rode our first tuk-tuk to our hotel. 140 baht for a 10 minutes ride sounds expensive but we wanted the experience. All six of as were packed into a medium-sized tuk-tuk as it zipped through Bangkok's infamous traffic. After having exhaust fumes from cars and trucks blowing at our face together with blaring traffic sound, I don't think we would want to ride them again. We didn’t check in our hotel until 10:30 at night. Picnic Hotel was a decent hotel with clean rooms and comfy beds at a very reasonable price. Next door across the street from the hotel, you can find a laundromat, a 7-11 and even a Lotus's Go Fresh mart. There's two BTS stations less than 1 kilometer from the hotel - Phaya Thai where you can take the ARL to the airport and also Victory Monument station.

If you catch a whiff of septic odour in the air, that's normal around Bangkok apparently. You can smell them everywhere coming from the sewers including outside high end shopping malls.

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