Just a stopover on our way to Vietnam, we had two days in Bangkok. Knowing we would be back, we chose to relax and try some different foods. Enter Tesco Lotus, massage, haircut and a night out at Sukumvit Soi 23.

Getting there:  We flew with Air Asia KLIA (Kuala Lumpur) to Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) for myr310 (for both). It was delayed 15 minutes. Food (sandwich and water) on the flight was included with a small luggage upgrade. Immigration was a nightmare of long, slow moving lineups which took a little over an hour to clear.

Note: Asians are complicated to travel with – they butt in line, run over you, bump, bang and have no idea they are being discourteous. Keep it in mind and stay calm ?

Currency: Thai Baht

After finally clearing customs and getting our luggage, we were faced with a long taxi lineup. Make sure before you get in line, to get a ticket from inside the terminal. This way you get a metered taxi and avoid the overpriced fares the cheats try to get for a inclusive price. The taxi for the 32 km ride (1/2 hour) to our hotel was 120 baht (70 + 50) for toll booths, which you are responsible to pay for, + 300 baht for the fare.

Our hotel VX The Fifty was located in Sukumvit Soi 50. It has a community kitchen and livingroom, fridge on each floor and internet.  The room itself was spacious, with a big asian style bathroom, tv, desk, chair, night table, full length mirror and international receptacles.  The staff were extremely friendly and helpful with all questions and concerns. Cost: 1440 baht for 2 nights booked through booking.com.

For Dinner, we walked down the street to the Tesco Lotus Mall where there is a huge Food Court on the second floor. You fill a cash card at the cash register desk and go food shopping. Here is a breakdown of prices for what we consumed over the 2 days:
– Rice with egg, fried basil, chili and chicken – baht 55
– Rice with green curry & fried pork – baht 40
– Coke – 30 baht
– Tom yum noodle soup with pork – 50 baht
– Fried rice with green curry & chicken – 50 baht
– Water – 10 baht
– Basil Fried chicken with rice x 2 – 50 baht each

The first evening, we grabbed a taxi to Sukumvit Soi 23 for 120 baht. Soi Cowboy street as known as the Red Light Party District. After walking the way up and down, we sat at “The Corner” to enjoy a drink and people watch. The drinks were very expensive: cocktails 200 baht, beer 160 baht and Sprite 80 baht (remember a coke in the mall is 30 baht)! After a few beers, we flagged down a taxi and paid 200 baht to get the 10 kilometers back to our hotel.

Our taxi to BKK airport the next morning was 220 baht, but we shared the cab with another person, so our cost was only 120 baht. ?

Some other expenses we incurred during our Bangkok stay included:
– A coca cola from the hotel – 15 baht
– 1 hour oil massage at “Pro Massage” (across from hotel): 300 baht
– Haircut, female (across from hotel): 200 baht
– Haircut, male (across from hotel): 100 baht
– Big beer x2 (beside hotel) – 70 baht
-Smirnoff Ice Raspberry x2 (beside hotel) – 90 baht

Note worthy:
Not a lot of English in this area, so be prepared! Therefore great prices for the city.
Be wary with taxis; firmly ask for the meter to be turned on. No meter is most likely a BIG ripoff. Get out and flag another cab if necessary.
Try to not get angry, ever. Most problems can be resolved. All situations will be best if you stay calm.

Costs for 2 persons, 2 days:
Flight: €32.79 per person
Taxi: €23.03
Lodging (2 nights): €38.75
Food:  €13.35
Beauty (massage and hair):  €16.01
Total cost for a pampered 2 days in Bangkok, excluding flight: €91.14

Next Stop: Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam!