Dr Bob in Bangkok in January 2012

Following a great one-year journey across Australia in 2011, Dr Bob and Sandra returned to their home in Spain via Thailand and the UK. This is their account of a first visit to Thailand, a visit centered on Bangkok.

For detailed accounts of their earlier journeys in Spain, Morocco and Australia, see:

The Dr Bob Collection

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Well here we are in Bangkok, Thailand and everything better than we ever expected.

After leaving Barb and Paul's home at North Maclean (Australia) yesterday, Paul dropped us off at Brisbane Domestic Terminal. Qantas is really excellent and as we were flying to Sydney, then transferring to an international flight, we were passed straight though. It was a one hour 15 min flight to Sydney, bus transfer to the International Terminal and a mere half-hour wait before we boarded. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a BA 747 and the difference in service and staff attitudes was sickening. Next time we must ensure it's not a BA flight. The Jumbo was packed and some of those on board would have been better off travelling by wagon or donkey!

Anyway, a nine and a half hour journey and into Bangkok on time at 10.45pm local time. I have to admit that the airport is the biggest Pacific Rim facility we have ever been in. Guess we walked 3 miles to get to the Customs Officers and then a further 2 miles to get to the taxis. Everything spotlessly clean and all staff smiling and friendly.

£1   = 50 Bhat
$A1 = 32 Bhat
€1   = 38 Bhat

As expected, we were ripped off by the taxi driver but were really too tired to bother. Still £10/$15 for a half-hour taxi journey including motorway tolls is amazing when you consider the fares in UK and Oz. In Blackburn we were once charged £8 ($12) for the trip into the police station in town!

The hotel turned out as anticipated - tatty and extremely basic - but at £20/night for an en suite with A/C, complimentary soap and free breakfast! Who cares? Who stays in the room? Oh, there is telephone and satellite TV with one station in English. The Sheraton and Hilton are just round the corner, but on the river.

This morning at the complimentary breakfast we chatted to a young couple on their way to Myanmar (Burma for us oldies), having stayed just 2 nights here. They informed us of how near to the Chao Phraya River we were and how pivotal the river is/was to travellers. We are used to MRTs and Sky trains but really here in Bangkok the river ferries are far cheaper and more useful. So just a 10 minute walk from the hotel, drinking in all the local street-life, then 20 Bhats/pp took us the entire length of the river through Bangkok in one hour. We passed the Royal Palace and the various Wats (Temples) including the Temple of Dawn and the Temple of Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha.

It was just so easy to concentrate on enjoying the river trip and doing a bit of shopping before returning to the hotel for a full lunch for £3 pp. We are well and not unduly bothered with Jet Lag as it was only a 3 hour time change to here.

Tomorrow we go by taxi to the gem cutters, who have now finished cutting the stones Sandra found at Rubyvale (and sent them from Australia). Then the following day we want to visit the Elephant Park/Crocodile Farm and then sequentially The Red Cross Snake Farm, The Bridge over the River Kwai, The Royal Palace, the Wats, etc, etc.

Our only sadness is in leaving Australia and all the friends we leave behind. Still, there is always next time and we have already decided on UK- Thailand-Vietnam-Thailand-Brisbane next time. Obviously where we start the return journey is anyone's guess but then it will be Thailand-Sri Lanka-UK. We are yet to confirm the actual logistics of course and not forgetting to add 'God Willing'.