TRAVEL DATES: February 14 - 15, 2013
Travel Budget: USD 180
My first international backpacking experience happened in Bangkok, Thailand and Siem Reap, Cambodia afterwards. Mixed feelings encapsulated me again because this was my first travel for this year 2013 and yes, my travel adventure started outside the Philippines!
I departed NAIA Terminal 3 from Manila, Philippines at 6:30AM (PHL Time) through Cebu Pacific Air carrier and arrived Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport at 8:45AM (THA Time). It was roughly a three-hour plane ride which I enjoyed a lot...sleeping!
Arriving Bangkok's Airport, I was instantly amazed with it's structural facade and how the airport itself was constructed. It was a huge airport. One of the nicest things about their airport was that they have the "Airport Rail Link" which connected it directly to central Bangkok. How I wish Philippines' government should have thought of this too. :)
Bangkok, or Krung Thep for locals, was a city central filled with various cultural races. It was like a salad bowl of every country in every continent of the world. It had made the city more vibrant with a lot of choices to offer. It's too premature to say that I fell in love with Bangkok right there and then but YES, it was a place worthy of such credit.
I've visited a lot of what Bangkok has to offer, from the city's Temples or locally known as "Wat", to Ayutthaya's historical ruins. I never missed the chance to taste what authentic Thai foods are, such as Tom Yum at Pad Thai. I've learned new Thai words which are commonly used for greetings like the "Sawasdee Ka" and "Khop Khun Khap".
I've noticed though that Bangkok men are more accommodating than their women. It's a bit weird because in the Philippines, women are more accommodating and always wearing a smile on their faces. Well, maybe because of language and cultural differences that's why their women are kinda assertive and frequently spoke fast.
Every country has it's positives and negatives and for me, Bangkok knew how to manage these. I'd love going back to this place, hopefully with some knowledge already about Thai Language. Well I admit, it's hard to communicate with them using English.
I remembered when we ate at a restaurant in Khao San Road, I asked where the nearest drugstore is because my head was aching. The waiter replied to me, "Drug Story, Sir?". I did my charade thingy explaining what I'm feeling but at the end of the day, we did not understand each other.
Well, I took this as a learning experience and nothing against Thai waiters. They are very accommodating and will surely attend to your needs at their best. Just be sure to wear your smiling face all the time, speak English slowly, and bring enough money, Thai Baht, because their foods and beers are deliciously addictive!
We stayed at Pratunam Pavilion Hotel during my 2-night stay in Bangkok. The hotel is strategically located in the heart of Pratunam, Bangkok's business center. The hotel rate per night was USD 44 and it was a very good deal because the room was very clean and spacious! Check out their updated room rates from here: www.agoda.com.
More resources about Thailand:
Travel Budget: USD 180
My first international backpacking experience happened in Bangkok, Thailand and Siem Reap, Cambodia afterwards. Mixed feelings encapsulated me again because this was my first travel for this year 2013 and yes, my travel adventure started outside the Philippines!
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| Backpack + Laptop + Camera Bag |
Arriving Bangkok's Airport, I was instantly amazed with it's structural facade and how the airport itself was constructed. It was a huge airport. One of the nicest things about their airport was that they have the "Airport Rail Link" which connected it directly to central Bangkok. How I wish Philippines' government should have thought of this too. :)
Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced as "Suvarnabhum" only)
Bangkok, or Krung Thep for locals, was a city central filled with various cultural races. It was like a salad bowl of every country in every continent of the world. It had made the city more vibrant with a lot of choices to offer. It's too premature to say that I fell in love with Bangkok right there and then but YES, it was a place worthy of such credit.
I've visited a lot of what Bangkok has to offer, from the city's Temples or locally known as "Wat", to Ayutthaya's historical ruins. I never missed the chance to taste what authentic Thai foods are, such as Tom Yum at Pad Thai. I've learned new Thai words which are commonly used for greetings like the "Sawasdee Ka" and "Khop Khun Khap".
Tom Yum Thai Family in the Train
Tuk-Tuk Bangkok Wat Pho
I've noticed though that Bangkok men are more accommodating than their women. It's a bit weird because in the Philippines, women are more accommodating and always wearing a smile on their faces. Well, maybe because of language and cultural differences that's why their women are kinda assertive and frequently spoke fast.
Food Vendors in Pratunam Area
Every country has it's positives and negatives and for me, Bangkok knew how to manage these. I'd love going back to this place, hopefully with some knowledge already about Thai Language. Well I admit, it's hard to communicate with them using English.
I remembered when we ate at a restaurant in Khao San Road, I asked where the nearest drugstore is because my head was aching. The waiter replied to me, "Drug Story, Sir?". I did my charade thingy explaining what I'm feeling but at the end of the day, we did not understand each other.
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| Ticketing Entrance at Ayutthaya with Thai words! |
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| Bangkok Traffic at 9AM |
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| Pratunam Pavilion Map |
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