In October, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit Thailand for work. It was a gruelling 10 days, but I was able to see a bit of the two cities I was based in: Bangkok and Chiang Mai. In fact, I saw just enough to make me want to return with a lot more time to explore! And, I took part in a few once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Thailand had never been particularly high up my list of places to visit, but this trip taught me that almost any location can surprise you.
Disclaimer: if you’re looking for a post full of tourist information, this won’t be it – but it is a taster, a glimpse, of what I hope will be more to come.
To start with, Bangkok. I flew via Doha on Qatar Airways, and found the process quite straight-forward. I had a work visa which the customs official was happy with, and after a long wait for luggage I was greeted by a very kind man who took me to a waiting airport transfer. I used Grab (South-East Asia’s Uber) for most of my travel, but to and from the airport opted for a hotel ‘limo’ which was a bit more expensive but very comfortable. The car was air-conditioned and provided free bottles of water, and I had no intention of trying to drive in Bangkok.
Almost from the start I found myself enjoying Bangkok even more than I expected. I loved the odd jumble of modern architecture alongside old temples, very much an Asian feel but with some European influence. Here is the one picture I managed to take from the car ride:
I arrived in my hotel after 20 or so hours of travel during which I had not slept. All the hotel staff in Thailand are very solicitous and kind, informing me upon my arrival that there would shortly be an emergency text in the hotel. They assured me that I did not need to evacuate, but that it would be loud. Excellent news when I was desperate for a nap. Fortunately my room was lovely, with a huge walk-in shower that reminded me of those one finds a lot in Puerto Rico – more of a square stone chamber than a shower, with glorious hot water. I managed a quick shower before the alerts began – certainly loud, in a mix of Thai and English, and continuing for about 10 minutes. In this time, I managed to snap a few pictures of the view from my room and the window at the end of the hall, downed one of the several bottles of water they provide in the room, and climbed into bed.
Throughout my stay I found myself fascinated by the view across the city – the combination of architectural styles and open green areas, as well as the BTS sky train cutting through the buildings.
Side note on the sky train – is is incredibly efficient and easy to use, and once I tagged along with a colleague on one ride was confident doing it myself. When Grab taxis were occasionally hard to find or would leave you stuck in endless Bangkok traffic, the train was a speedy alternative. BTS stations in the city centre are raised at least one level above the street and often have small shops that sell snacks, as well as a direct entrance into the nearest hotel, mall, or public building. Very efficient and safe.
As I explored the city over the next few days, travelling to and from work events, it was so interesting to see spectacular views, like the on from the St Regis hotel where we had an event, to a small side-street lined with mopeds and shops. In front of many buildings, both hotels, shops and even auto mechanics were often stunningly intricate shrines, gilded and carved.
Close to my hotel were an incredibly well-stocked pharmacy – I managed to pick up some extra Vitamin C and Zinc tablets upon which I rely when travelling – and a 7-Eleven that offered the usual snacks, drinks, and some toiletry items as well as toasties and sandwiches which they would warm up for you. Most of the snacks were almost entirely labelled in Thai, but I managed to work out a few flavours and picked up some goodies to bring home for the other half. On one long night, a cheese toastie from this 7-Eleven was my slightly pathetic but incredibly tasty dinner.
Another spectacular part of the trip was of course the food (cheese toast included). I was travelling with a colleague to take part in a massive educational fair, located in one of Bangkok’s many convention centres, the Siam Paragon. The Paragon is also a mall – one of the fanciest malls I have ever seen, with floor after floor of ultra-modern shops. Some were tech-based with adjacent pods for people to record social media segments, others were high-end retailers like Gucci, Prada, Balenciaga and so forth. After one quick wander through, I realised it would definitely not be the spot for souvenirs!
But on the bottom level of the mall, which we eventually reached after making our way down numerous escalators, was a spectacular food court, bigger than any I have ever seen. It had American staples like Burger King and Pizza Hut but also every selection of Asian cuisine one could wish for, often specialised to one or two dishes.
After a long day it was a touch intimidating, but we managed to find a restaurant that would allow us to sit away from the crowds a bit. While it may be unimaginative, I ordered pad thai, which I love, as well as deep-fried basil calamari and a blueberry smoothie. To the last bite and sip, it was phenomenal. A similar meal in the UK would have cost probably four to five times as much, and never could have been as good.
By far the most memorable time I spent in Bangkok was on an evening river cruise arranged by one of the companies we worked with. Leaving from River City in Bangkok, the cruise offered open-air dining (yes, mosquito and other biting pest repellent was recommended), live music, and an exhibition of traditional Thai dance as we cruised up the river, under bridges and past temples and the Grand Palace. Very memorable (see the below video) were two bridges through which we passed that were so low – or the water was so high – that we were asked to stay seated to avoid injury. Sure enough, the boat JUST squeaked under, with a foot or two to spare.
It was stunningly beautiful at night, and provided views both of the modern Bangkok skyline but also its past, with the historic buildings lit up at night. The trip was incredibly smooth – you would hardly know you were on water – and I spent most of it completely in awe.
After the cruise, some of us were invited for one last cocktail at the rooftop bar of a colleague’s hotel – it is quite common for events such as these for many institutions to have representatives present, and there is an excellent community of people who travel together, support, work, and relax a bit together when time allows.
Though I suffer from a fear of heights and the view required me to walk up quite close to the edge of the building – a shoulder-height glass panel was all that separated us from plunging to the ground below – I admitted the view was worth the racing heart:
In fact, this night was one of my favourite times in Bangkok. I was reliably informed by a colleague who had been in Thailand frequently that the park one can see on the left of the photo has ponds with alligators in them – a good reason not to walk home.
The view from the nearby BTS station was equally excellent, if a bit less challenging for the acrophobic amongst us.
There is so much I did not have time to do in Bangkok, like visit the Grand Palace, get a proper Thai massage, walk through the parks, visit some of the markets, and actually see the temples up close. But, I was not there on holiday, and for a work trip I saw a great deal and got a feel for the city, just enough to make me want to see a lot more.
Not a small part of my lack of adventurous nature came down to jet lag – I had travelled back to the UK from California only a few days before I flew to Bangkok, and my first week there was one of the more exhausting of my life. I could not sleep at night, but my body definitely wanted to sleep around mid-afternoon, a problem for work events. The humidity and heat did not really help. By the end of my first week I was starting to adjust, in time for my next adventure to Chiang Mai – the topic of my next post!
If you want to see more of the river boat cruise and a bit of Chiang Mai, check out this short video:
And don’t forget to visit my shop!
The Wandering Medievalist 