One night in Bangkok

Shawn in the infamous Khao San road
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We've heard that either you love it or hate it ........ well we didn't have the best luck there so we aren't the biggest fans.

Things we'll always remember:

• The Royal Palace - so over the top it's almost unreal. It sparkles with gleaming stupas, polished orange and green roof tiles, mosaics, figures and pillars

Forgettable:

At the Royal Palace
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• Wasting 5 hours and hundreds of baht being sent on a wild goose chase by a tuk-tuk driver - Bangkok is one big scam

Details

We got dropped of in Khao San road (main tourist drag) at 5am and started hunting down somewhere to catch up on sleep and put down our VERY HEAVY bags. It's the first time we've struggled to find a room but after 6 or so guest houses we finally found one with availability. We showered and slept with our air con on full blast for the next 3 hours.

Still at the Royal Palace
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Bangkok is incredibly hot and humid. Both days we were there there was an 11:30am downpour that lasted 15 minutes and only managed to cool things down marginally for an hour or so.

All the reading up we've done of the place has warned us not to trust anyone. Still we managed to be sent on a wild goose chase by a tuk-tuk driver who convinced us we couldn't buy bus tickets from the bus station but had to go to a 'TAT' office. Even though we didn't use his services to get there we still spent a good chunk of our first day locating this office which (for anyone going to Bangkok) ...... DOES NOT sell bus tickets.

Outside the Royal Palace
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Bangkok seems to attract a different class of tourist to the rest of SE Asia. They seem rougher around the edges and you can tell by the numerous ads on pinboards asking people to go visit Brits and Saffas who are in prison on drug charges there, that it's a place where you should watch your back.

While we were sitting minding our own business one day, a British chap came over and made himself comfortable next to us. He was dripping wet after apparently swimming in the river and bragged about how "wankered" he was, told us he had given his cell phone to a tuk-tuk driver to take him around the whole day and then showed us his new tattoo on his neck. When he sobered up I'm sure he hated himself. Anyway that pretty much sums up the type of people who enjoy Bangkok to it's fullest.

On our second day there (day 54) we tried to make our way to Chatuchak market - the mother of all markets - but apparently 8 hours to travel the 15kms out of town just isn't long enough in the traffic. After a valiant attempt we gave up and admitted that Bangkok had us beaten.

My advice to anyone going there would be ..... don't try too hard to get around and see everything. Be happy with having a few drinks in Khao San road, watching the people walk by and don't miss the Royal Palace but stop at that or you'll drive yourself mad.

Relieved to see the back of Bangkok, we boarded another overnight bus to Ko Samui.