Day 22 Let´s go Bangkok
- Heike Panagoulias
- Feb 9
- 5 min read
The hotel did not have its own breakfast service. But a restaurant a few doors down was recommended by the hotel owner. As my airport shuttle didn't arrive until around 10am, I had enough time to have a hearty breakfast there.
Like almost everywhere else, there was an English breakfast to choose from, but of course there was also a Thai one. My choice was clear! It was such a delicious soup and was served with fresh fruit. I was the only tourist with a Thai breakfast in the whole restaurant. I thought that was a shame, but the restaurant owners were all the happier for it!
For me, it's just part of the experience to at least try the local dishes. Whether it tastes good is of course one thing, but I think you should at least try it. It's part of experiencing, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting this country.
After breakfast, I packed up the last of my things and checked out. The hotel owner bid me a very friendly farewell and carried my luggage down to the garden gate.
As expected, the airport shuttle arrived very punctually. We picked up a few other tourists before heading to the airport in Krabi.
I was really impressed by a tourist on this shuttle.
I got in and sat next to her. She immediately asked me where I was from and told me that she was from Australia. She babbled a bit hysterically and I immediately realized that she was different. She has Tourette's syndrome. Although the driver was just as likely as I was to notice that she had something special about her, he behaved completely normally. She translated something to the driver with her translator and he just said “everything is ok”. That was something I really appreciated over the last few weeks here in Thailand. No one stares at you here, no matter how different you are, how unusual you look or how differently you behave. And this young woman was traveling alone, with a rucksack just like me. I was deeply impressed. It's hard to imagine the challenge she was taking on. I took my hat off to her with the utmost respect. Another moment that made my heart soar. A special encounter, a special experience.
I very much hoped that this trip was something very special for her too and that she experienced what she expected from her adventure.
I arrived at the airport very early and on time. Another airport shuttle would have run later, but I didn't have enough time and it wasn't compatible with checking out of the hotel.
So I had plenty of time. When you have a lot of time, you have the most incredible ideas. I was sitting right next to the Thai Airways office. It doesn't cost anything to ask. I had the great idea that I could extend my stay in Thailand here. My flight left on Thursday and I didn't have to go back to work until Monday.
But rebooking was too expensive for me. The visa would also have been a problem. But, as unreasonable as it may sound, I was right to make enquiries. We all know the thoughts afterwards. I wish I had...
And so I made a conscious decision that although the idea sounded great, the additional cost of 2 days was not worth it after weighing it up.
Airports always offer a lot of culinary delights... I opted for Thai cuisine. The staff were delighted, most tourists opted for the restaurants opposite with pizza, burgers & co. I enjoyed my rice dish with chicken, which was really delicious and freshly prepared! I enjoyed my time here, not only because the food was delicious and the staff had fun with me, but also because you could get electricity for your cell phone here ;)))
Something that is still rare in Germany or only possible in busy places is available everywhere, even in Thailand. Sockets at the seats and free wifi.
It was time to check in my luggage and check in. However, my flight did not appear on the board. Okayyyy! So I asked the nice staff at the airport. I showed them my ticket. It was just an Ah! Viet Air! The plane left at 9 pm instead of 4 pm. Ufff
That was much later and also the first and only time in the whole weeks that something didn't go quite smoothly.
So I went back to my new Thai friends from the restaurant and ordered a coffee and made myself comfortable.
Fortunately, the time passed relatively quickly. However, I then had to eat something again. As the plane left so late, my arrival in Bangkok was also relatively late. Until I got to the hotel and then went out again to eat something... No, I didn't feel like that!
I ordered something tasty and a beer, or two...
Then it was finally time to check in my luggage. The staff in the restaurant said goodbye to me as if I had spent the last few weeks there! They joked “see you later, you'll be back because the plane isn't leaving after all”. Hahaaa. It was so funny and they were so incredibly friendly. A lovely encounter!
But the plane left!
When I arrived in Bangkok, I ordered a Grab cab while I waited for my luggage. There was a lot of hustle and bustle at the airport. So far there was no official Grab Taxi stand here. Those who know their way around, and there are a lot of them, book a Grab Taxi and so there was a lot going on at the exit. You book this cab via an app that tells you the price and when a Grab cab driver accepts the ride, you get the car number. Then you have to keep an eye out.
It was almost midnight by the time I sat in the cab and drove to the hotel. It had been a long day and I was looking forward to going to bed.
I was very curious about this hotel. This was my last one and I decided to treat myself again when I booked, as a farewell.
I found a great hotel on Tiktok, very centrally located and with a fantastic rooftop pool! My room was on the upper floors, so my view should have been accordingly good. I got a huge discount on this room as I had booked almost all the hotels through the same portal. Platinum status gave me the room at half price.
My room was on the 19th floor and I had a fantastic view of Bangkok! And the room was really first class.
I settled into my hotel for a while, took a refreshing shower after the long day and enjoyed this incredibly large and super comfy bed.
I was excited and very curious about tomorrow's day in Bangkok. I had a few sights on my list, but no real plan. Where do I start? What should I see first? I googled a bit about what was near my hotel and discovered a relatively large shopping center, the Siam Paragon. Now a shopping center wasn't exactly my top priority, but this is where a hop-on hop-off bus departed from. This seemed like the perfect way to get an overview.
Conclusion of the day:
I would have loved to stay longer in Thailand. The idea of extending my stay at short notice was great! Too bad it was so expensive in the end. If it had been cheaper, I would have done it, even if many people would have thought it was “over the top”.
Although I was disappointed, I felt good. I felt like I had exhausted everything. We all know the situation where we can't get rid of the thought afterwards that we should have tried something, should have done something, should have asked...
I was satisfied.
And that Tourette's tourist was still on my mind for quite a while...
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