Naveen’s Travel Blog

First Day out in Bangkok

Feb 02, 2008

Not sparing any moment, i started immediately my tour of Bangkok on the first day. Stepping out of the hotel, you are fully free to go anywhere and do anything but the big question is how ??

Determined to do everything yourself wasn’t a cakewalk. The first 20 mins of wandering was utter confusion; slowly panic spread and questions cropped about the wisdom of making this travel alone.

First, i found a dozen of green reflector jacket wearing motor-borne men outside the hotel gate calling for you. I dont know what its for and rushed down the road to escape them. Walking through several lanes and turns, i enquire for the nearest Subway station that i see on the map to be closer to my hotel. Nobody seems to understand English and the ones who understand do not understand what i’m asking. After several enquiries, an middle-aged women recognises what i point in the map and says “ah, the Subway?”; yes, my lady that what i said also several times !!! Its clear that my fluent English was good for nothing here. Have to pick-up the local ascent. She gives directions but it too goes nowhere.

Exhausted, i retreat back to the hotel and ask the hotel guard, he was enthusiastic and gives me the directions in the exactly opposite direction. Five minutes of walking, i reach the Metro station !

In the next hours of the day, i had catch the subway Metro to Si Lom, come overground and go overhead to catch the Sky train to Siam, switch lanes to catch another Sky train to Victory Monument, walk around the Victory Monument, catch a local bus to Democracy Monument, walked down the road to the stunning Wat Ratchanadda, roamed the buddhist market around, circled around the City Parapet, came to Golden Mount after its closing time, bargained with the Bangkok-famous-Tuk-Tuk (similar to Chennai auto) to go Hua Lamphong Metro station, catch the subway Metro again to come back to Lumphini where i stay. That was a pretty good travel by any measure.

After a break, again in the evening, i waved the green-jacket motor borne men who i discovered to be the motor-bike taxi, to take me to Silom shopping area and come back late night to the hotel by the subway Metro.

Well, looking at the city map, i had infact travelled a triangle from the South-East corner - Lumphini to the North-East - Victory Monument and to the North-West - Democracy Monument and back to Lumphini; travelling by the Subway, Skytrain, Walking, Tuk-Tuk and Motor-biketaxi.

It sounds all smooth and as if i know this city well, nope !

Every move pains like the first one i described; the first several minutes were always wasted into wrong directions, enquiries, sign-language, mis-guidance, frustration and confusion but thats the way to explore and learn the ways and means by oneself. Initiative seems very important to ask untiringly and non-hesitatingly with local Thais, checking the map, seeing directions in the road and risking to take the turn at the cross-roads.

Overall at the end of the day, i was pleased and had gained the confidence that i can make this trip of one month un-aided and un-assisted. The initial blues were all gone and now its interesting because you will not make the mistakes again, enjoy the experience of discovering and will be confident to risk even if it will waste a few mins or bahts.