A foggy day when the Sri Lankan Air from Dammam landed in Colombo airport at 6:15am. I immediately headed to Gate 7 for my quick connecting flight to Bangkok. Passengers were called and boarding was already started. This was my second time in this airport, so it didn’t take long finding the boarding gate.
Seated at the window side but I couldn’t took pictures on the airport facilities as what I always did because the moisture blurred the mirror. But when the aircraft was already up the sky, the mirror became clear and I was happy seeing Sri Lanka as a green country which was covered mostly by coconut trees.
After 3 hours, the plane landed in Suvarnabhumi International Airport, 12nn in Bangkok. I was amazed of its wide airport and its unique building frames. It’s so huge that took me few minutes before reaching the immigration queues. I directly changed my dollar bills into baht at the money exchange counter before engaging into a long line of immigration. Thailand has so many visitors! As what a tourist normally did, I filled up the immigration arrival form. I was entertained after an hour of waiting.
It was too easy to visit as tourist in Bangkok. Aside from the long queue (usual in most countries), the immigration officer was smiling and very welcoming. She stamped my passport without throwing a single question.
At bag collection area, I found my luggage on the floor. The assigned baggage conveyor was rolling with baggage from different flight. I remembered, I spent more than an hour at immigration.
I bought a tourist mobile sim and contacted my wife. She will arrive at night from Manila. I hired an airport taxi to bring me at Resort Bangphlat. I was surprised. It was very far and with heavy traffic because of on going road and rail constructions. It took us more than one hour before reaching the hotel which I booked in Agoda.
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Where I Stayed: Resort Bangphlat Hotel
Buddies: Solo
The Resort Bangphlat is a boutique hotel with traditional wooden old Thai houses. A very quite place which was far from the noisy sound of the city. All staffs were very approachable and accommodating. They spoke hardly in English except for the lady receptionist. Though language seems a barrier, they helped and guided me on how to stroll in Bangkok in the fastest and cheapest way.
The fastest and economical way to go to the airport was by the train. From the hotel, as advised by a staff, I hired a taxi to Phayathai. Payathai is the last train station connecting straight to the airport but the driver didn’t understand me. I pronounced it incorrectly, so he dropped me. Again I stopped another taxi, and lucky he understand the words “airport link”. In Phayathai, I went in a wrong train station, so I asked the lady inside the information booth about the correct station linking to the airport. I was surprised that she replied using a microphone and her voice was heard throughout the area. Even I was very far from the booth, I still heard her guiding me the directions which I didn’t understand. Her help was deeply appreciated but I was more confused. I asked a thai student nearby and she answered me perfectly.
I paid the taxi for 145 baht and 45 baht from Phayathai to Subarnabhumi airport by train. Also, I always brought a hotel pamphlet or anything showing the hotel name and address written in English and Thai. I handed over the pamphlet to the driver to make the dialogue shorter anytime we misunderstood each other.
My wife’s flight from Manila was delayed so I waited for her in the airport for almost three hours. We finally met around 11pm and we headed to Bangphlat with the same route. In Phayathai, just below the station, there was a seafood restaurant. We tried their spicy lobster menu and pineapple seafood rice. After a heavy dinner, a “tuk-tuk” driver offered to bring us to the hotel. He asked for 400 baht. Expensive but it was ok because it was our first time. The tricycle speed was so fast and we felt nervous after a long ride. However, we arrived in the hotel safe and alive.
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