Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is also nice though incomparable to HK and changi airport ( awarded 1st and 2nd best airport in the world for 2007) but at least much nicer and modern than NAIA I.
Since we, me and my girl-officemate, are doing DIY (Do-it-Yourself tour) and no one will pick us up in the airport we ended to get a metered taxi to bring us to the hotel we have reserved through the internet. For 500Baht (around 1000pesos), we arrived in Hotel De Moc. We were welcomed by a gay receptionist wearing a traditional thai dress. We were lucky that we got reservation first before we went to Thailand as many tourists go from hotel to hotel as most of them are full.
Places we saw and checked in Bangkok
1. Grand Palace – this 218,000 square meters complex was established in 1782 after King Rama’s ascension to the throne and it houses not only the royal residence and throne halls but also a number of government offices as well as the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. For 300 Baht (about 600 pesos) for foreigners (free for Thai nationals), one can get around the palace. For this place alone, we spend our half day here as we are so fascinated with the structures. It is so grandiose that you will feel how the king and his family spend their lives here during the 1700 era.
2. The Royal Thai Decorations and Coins Pavilion – Just near the ticket area of grand palace, this museum showcases the royal families’ way of life. The belts, the crowns, the jewelries, the clothes, pins, and every accessory that the royal family uses from the 1700s are displayed.
3. National Museum – Near the grand palace is thailand’s national museum. For an entrance of 40 Baht (us free since its already closing time but we were given privilege to look around first), you will trail around thailand’s history.
4. Reclining Buddha (Wat Po Temple) – For 30 baht, we saw a very big reclining Buddha. Its so big that it occupy one big temple. There’s so many people here since it was Buddha Day when we visited this place. Different rituals happen in every corner of the temple.
5. Giant Buddha- This is a very very big Buddha that we feel like we are ants who are too small. Buddhists also do their rituals here.
6. Marble Temple - This is where the monks study and live. We were able to mingle with the student monks as young as 10 years old.
7. Lots and lots of small temples which I don’t even learn the name – temples names here all starts with the word WAT. Some schools we even thought as temples coz of same structures with the temples.
8. Jewellery shops – Thailand is a land of gold and precious stones. You can see here more cheaper but good quality jewelries.
9. Pratunam market/ Platinum Mall – this is the best place to go shopping where you can see lots of goodies. Everything was just cheaper if you buy by bulk or by sets.
10. Khaosan Road – this is the popular street for tourists. Its more of the malate version but is more alive and you will encounter here more tourists from different races. Its not a good place for shopping though coz prices here are more than doubled.
Outside Bangkok
Thailand’s most important animal is an elephant and so we promised ourselves that riding an elephant in Thailand is a must in our trip.
On our second day in Thailand, we went to kanchanaburi through the help of a tour operator we got in Bangkok on our first day.
Early in the morning, the tour operator picks us up in the hotel. We still pick up 2more groups from two different hotels.
It took us about 3 hours before we finally arrived in Kanchanaburi. Our first stop is the Kanchanaburi War cemetery. As the name goes, this is the cemetery for the soldiers who fought and died during the World War II. It is also here where we met the other tourists who avail the package tour to kanchanaburi. We are more or less 60 people mostly europeans, Spanish, Australians, British and we, the three of us, are the only asian.
Our second stop is the Kanchanaburi Museum. It shows different historical objects basically used during the World War II. It was so nice that they were able to preserve different stuffs used by the Japanese like the motorcycles, the rocked vehicle and the train used in transporting their ammunitions to expand the fight to Burma and India.
Near the Museum is the River Kwae Bridge where historians say that many died here as this was bombed by the Japanese during the WW II. The bridge is rebuilt and at present trains still passes here.
Our third stop is we were brought to a train station and were instructed to get off at the fifth station. The train is third class which creates a very annoying sound like it will lose all its screws… and we are so full that we are not even able to go through inside the train. We were just standing near the door. All tourists just put that experience into a laugh. We guess, the thais really want us to experience it. On the fifth station, our service van is already waiting for us to bring us to our fourth stop…
...A lunch at a floating restaurant in Saiyoke river. It is here where we were grouped according to the tour we avail. Us in the group of those who avail only a one day tour with elephant ride. Those who have more time staying in Thailand took the two-day tour.
After the lunch , we were asked to take a boat ride which will bring us for the water rafting. We then do a little bit of trekking and passed a hanging bridge where my friend was so afraid walking on it.
Our 6th stop, we are finally going to have our elephant ride. I really got so excited when I saw the elephants that I want to run on it and hug those. I really had a big smile when I stepped on the back of the elephant. My elephant ride on the forest made me say, my tour to Thailand pays off.
On our 7th and final stop, Saiyoke Falls. It was great but Philippine falls are still are much nicer but its still good that we were able to check the place.
Things I have learned in my trip to Thailand
1. Thailand is very much similar to Philippines only that it is very evident that Thailand is very rich in culture and history. Likewise, people are proud of it and are still trying to preserve that culture.
2. Drivers, may it be taxi drivers or tuktuk drivers, are more reckless drivers than Filipino drivers.
3. Thailand has five times more tourists than Philippines. Everywhere you look, Thailand is flocked by tourists mostly Europeans. Maybe its because (a) geographically, it is connected to other asian countries that tourists can go country to country just by train (b) it is more tourist friendly coz of easy access to places, maps are everywhere for free, (c) even you are only in Bangkok, there are already many places to go to which are very interesting.(d) the downfall, is as they say, because of sex tourism in thailand( bad bad bad)
4. But, actually there are more interesting places to go to in the Philippines than Thailand. Its just that, Philippines is composed of 7,107 islands that most of the interesting places can be seen outside Manila which will require more time staying in the Philippines to be able to check out these places and making it more expensive for the tourists. Philippine tourism should be more active in promoting the Philippines bests besides Philippines should be more tourist friendly as most of the Filipinos doesn’t have hard time communicating with the tourists as most of the Filipinos can speak English.
5. Thai people and Filipino people look so much the same that we, while in Thailand, always thought of as Thais.
