travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part X

{Lone Ranger Finding His Loving Wife}

......continued from part IX

Well, since I was too alone to slumped into any 'special bar' in Bangkok, I just had a couple of fine draught beer in an Irish Pub at Silom. Well, that was a 'very good view' too because the Irish Pub resided right besides a T-junction of the red-light 'hotspot' of Silom.

photo courtesy of lovelyplanetz.com

Then I hopped onto a taxi and taken me back to Best Western Mayfair Suites.

After I back to the hotel, I had to book another hotel for second day stay in Bangkok, due to that B.W.M. Suites was full house. 

Grand Watergate Hotel price @ RM113.26

Since I had a plan to bring my loving wife to Bangkok for a short (two days) tours in the very near future (to be revealed in following episode of this blog), and intend to bring her to see as many as possible attractions in Bangkok in a limited time, so I had to get familiar with the shortest & most convenient roads to reach those attractive parts. I had to start moving early on the next day.

On the next day (15th, September 2015), I checked out from my 'first' hotel's experience in Bangkok. However, the hotel was kind enough to provide their tut-tut car as a complimentary to drive me to my second hotel - Grand Watergate Hotel.

Map to Grand Watergate Hotel

By the time I reached the hotel, it was still too early to check in, so I left my luggage at one side of wall of the lobby with permission by the hotel's receptionist. Then, I started walking to the nearest BTS skytrain station. 

Map to Siam BTS Station

The BTS Siam Station is the center for transit of two skytrain lines in Bangkok - 1. Sukhumvit Line & 2. Silom Line. 

Bangkok's BTS skytrain road Map

Taken the Silom line's skytrain would driven me directly to Saphan Taksin. 

BTS road to Saphan Taksin

From Saphan Taksin BTS station, I just had to walk a few hundreds meters, then I reached at the Chao Phraya river boat pier (jetty).

Saphan Taksin river boat pier

...... to be continued

travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part I

(current page) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part X

travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part XI

travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VII

{Lone Ranger Finding His Loving Wife}

......continued from part VI

After I was 'chow-tut' a bit with the stimulus view which was new & strange to me, I get off the BTS sky-train at Phaya Thai. Then, I checked on my pre-saved map and started to walk. My pre-booked hotel was Best Western Mayfair Suites, located at Soi Phetchaburi 13.

Best Western Mayfair Suites booking @ agoda.com

According to my pre-saved map, after I walk down from BTS station, turn into left handside then go straight to the end, then turn right and straight, and I should see the Best Western Mayfair Suites. So I just follow the direction; but then until I go straight to the end, it didn't has a road turning right handside! Huh ! ? ? Then I u-turned back, and I didn't give up, and keep searching for any junction on my left this time. Found a few narrow lanes turning to left side but it were all short & dead end. Keep searching til I was totally got out to the main road again.  ?? So ?? Never mind la, I thought the google didn't update their map or maybe me myself didn't update mine. So, I started to search other way going into Soi Phetchaburi.

And I stopped by a food stall to take my lunch. Ya, it was 12:30pm (Malaysia time already 1:30pm) and I still cannot find a lubang (means hole, or way) ..

'kway teow', Thais rice noodle soup

The rice noodle in Thailand also called 'kway teow' same pronunciation with Malaysian. Taste ? ok, and I didn't add on any soy sauce (酱油). In Malaysia, when I eat noodle soup, I would add on soy sauce to make the soup more salty or sometimes even with cili-padi (a type of small chili but extremely hot). So, basically the soup of that Thais 'kway teow' was tasty and that's why no need to add on soy sauce.

After my light lunch, I asked around the local about that Best 'what-what something' hotel, but nobody seemed to have a confirm answer. Not surprising, it could be either that hotel was new or 'too small' to be 'known'. If someone ask me what is name of the hotel which is 3 streets behind my house now, I also don't know. So, no surprised. Be cool.

Alright then, "the best way now is to get on a taxi and for sure it will drive me to that hotel". So, I just hop onto a motorbike-taxi (not a tut-tut car, better don't try tut-tut, I will tell you later in another episode). 

Finally it was just a 5 minutes short-ride and I reached my first hotel in Bangkok.

-----------------------------------------------

When I'm writing this story in this moment, I just found out from my electronic google map (which had been updated) that it still showing the same (wrong) walking-direction to the hotel; however for car-driving direction, it is correct. 

Best Western Mayfair Suites from Phaya Thai BTS

Huh! Better don't fully depend on electronic device while we traveling, you have to get smart.

Little advice to other lone ranger on traveling:- If you can't find a way to proceed, cool down yourself with a rest or food. Then ask the local people for direction, better to ask more than 2 persons to double confirm; if all have been tried and still can't find a way, just hop on to a taxi, be cool, he will drive you to your destination.

... to be continued

(back to episode 1) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part I

(current page) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VII

(click) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VIII

travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VI

{Lone Ranger Finding His Loving Wife}

......continued from part V

I reached Bangkok at 11:30am (Malaysia time 12:30pm) on the 14th September. This marked as another milestone & big step in my life. Sawadee-krup Bangkok, first time krup.

While I was overwhelming with excitement & cheerful, I checked on my [Things To Do] list. So, I need to buy early a train ticket returning back to Hat Yai. I scratched on my handy file to check for matching date & time of my Hat-Yai to Sungai Buloh (Malaysia)'s train ticket before I buying the Bangkok to Hat Yai ticket.

Malaysia train ticket Hati-Yai to Sg Buloh @ RM56

The train from Hat Yai (back to Sungai Buloh) will depart at 1745 on 28th September. Thus, I have to buy a ticket which the train must arrive at Hat Yai before 1500 on the 28th Sept, 2 hours lapse time to play little safe.

Then I asked the ticket counter which was resided at the right hand side once I passed the exit line of the train waiting area. The officer served me was very gentle and nice. He'd given few choices whilst I chosen that train which will arrive Hat Yai at 9:15am. It should given more than sufficient lapse time if the train arrives late.

Bangkok to Hat Yai Junction train ticket @ 845 TB

The ticket costs 845 Thai Bath (equivalent ~RM103, year 2015 Rawang money-changer's rate @0.123). Hmm..and it was cheaper to return compared to 945 TB ticket of Hat Yai to Bangkok, with sleeping berth too. So, why ah? They said it was a different train, not the train 36. The train I bought was train 169. Hmm 169 ? (in Cantonese say, this is a vulgar word, 69 means man's private part, dick, or means something that turn around, flip-flop, not good. And "1" in Cantonese means "must", must happening...) Errr..! However I didn't pay a lot of attention on this because I believed that I had earned & blessed to have traveled so far and now reaching here then.

Then I also asked the polite officer about the train going east to Thailand-Cambodia border and the officer was a resourceful person & given good advice to me. Everyday there got two train going east to Aranyaprathet (a Thais city nearest to border). First one will depart at 0555 and arrive at 1135 on the same day. Second one will depart at 1305 and arrive at 1735. Before I started my trip, I had checked online that the Cambodia check-point will be closed in the evening (roughly around 6 or 8pm ?? forgot), so I better get the early one. But then the officer told me no hurry to grab the ticket now, it should have plentiful on the day I want to ride on.

Hua Lamphong MRT subway train station

Alright then, after the ticket stuff, I took some precious photos with my Olympus Digital camera. Then I proceed my journey to ride on the subway train to go to my first hotel.
The MRT subway station was located at the left handside of the Hua Lamphong rail station. You will find it on your left side once you exit the main entrance of the rail station, just walk a few steps only, less then 100 meters. So, it is very convenient with their well-connecting transportation system.
And once I step down with escalator into a tunnel heading toward ticket counter, things look a bit like KLCC LRT station (KLCC located in Malaysia capital city).

Modenised design inside tunnel @ Hua Lamphong MRT station

subway train waiting area @ Hua Lamphong MRT station

Is this the same officer I saw inside the rail station just now? He was hand carrying flower ..

I get off from the subway train at Sukhumvit MRT station. Walked 300 meters, then go stair up to Asok BTS sky-train station.

Map of Sukhumvit MRT to Asok BTS

Wow ! Start getting high. 

[Sky] view ?? from Asok BTS sky-train station

Seeing the Bangkok Exchange Tower @ Asok BTS sky-train station

Park Plaza far from Asok BTS sky-train station

And the journey continue... sup..sup...sup

BTS sky train from Asok to Phaya Thai

Haha! Now I was having a good chance to see real & original Thais inside a BTS sky-train. And the view outside, hooo.. man, you have to see it (& feel it) yourself. 
(Bit of sorry, not taking any photos, cause truly enjoying the good view & moment)

...to be continued
(click) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VII

(current page) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VI

(back to episode 1) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part I

travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part V

{Lone Ranger Finding His Loving Wife}

......continued from part IV

Bangkok, how should I write about this city ? It just have plentiful of thoughts before travel to Bangkok & marvelous of feeling after then. 

Before I traveled to Bangkok, I only knew from my perception that it is a city look alike Kepong, a rural township outskirt of Kuala Lumpur; or the most, Bangkok is just alike area with old streets of the Malaysia capital city. But then, why I decided to travel there while I can easily trip down to Kuala Lumpur within a 20 minutes short-drive? Because my final destination of this trip was Angkor Wat. It had to be pass-by Bangkok if I want to travel to Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia, without flying from Malaysia. 
Eventually, I had to do some surfing online & bit of research about Bangkok besides running on lot of pages about Angkor Wat. 

Bangkok, had been selected by travelers around the world as one the “Top 10 Destinations in Asia” in 2015.

Top Destination in Asia by Travelers' Choice award

"….. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

[Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Destinations in the World]

1. Marrakech, Morocco  2. Siem Reap, Cambodia  3. Istanbul, Turkey  4. Hanoi, Vietnam  5. Prague, Czech Republic  6. London, England  7. Rome, Italy  8. Buenos Aires, Argentina  9. Paris, France  10. Cape Town, South Africa

[Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Destinations in Asia]

1. Siem Reap, Cambodia  2. Hanoi, Vietnam  3. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia  4. Bangkok, Thailand  5. Kathmandu, Nepal  6. Hong Kong, China  7. Hoi An, Vietnam  8. Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia  9. Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia  10. Beijing, China"

 quoted from TheStar, dated 30 March 2015.

There are plentiful of articles writing about Bangkok online. Among all it shown in the net, words & pictures which attract me were the ornate shrines & gleaming temples, tour by river boat shuttling in many other gypsy-like boats & riverside attractions, romantic sky-bar view, Thais original tom yam and so on … those were things that I would like to experience there.

Bangkok Hua Lamphong railway station

The Thailand train36 I ride on from Hat Yai since 7pm a day before finally stopped at Hua Lamphong, Bangkok railway station, at around 11:30am. So, it had been 17 hours lone ranger long ride on a 'comfort' train in a foreign country, with lot of greenish village rural view. Not bad.

Bangkok Hua Lamphong railway station

Bangkok Hua Lamphong railway station

Caution of "Tips on Traveling Safe"

So there you are. Seeing a lot uniformed officers & policemen gathered for a briefing. 

A month before I traveled to Bangkok, there was a bombing took place inside the crowded Erawan Shrine located in the downtown of Bangkok. So, Thai authority seem like taking serious caution on tourist crowded area.

Uniformed officer & policemen seem everywhere in Bangkok railway station

Monks seem "stand-by" for prayer in Bangkok railway station

Namo Amitabha, Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.

--------------------------------------------------------

Bangkok, attracts more tourists than any other city in the world and it doesn't take long to realise why ...

Bangkok ranked 3rd in current "Cities in Asia in [Lonely Planet] website 

Siem Reap selected as the "must go" destination in Asia

... to be continued 


(back to episode 1) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part I

(current page) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part V

(click) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VI