The first time I arrived in Bangkok, in my 20’s, I wasn’t a fan. It seemed loud, dirty, chaotic, overpriced and, frankly, not very friendly. I headed for the hills (literally - to Chang Mai) and didn’t look back.
The second time I visited the Thai capital, years later, warmed up to the city a little. I coped better with the chaos by taking deep breaths., took the Skytrain, ate at local night markets and explored areas most tourists never venture into.
Now, on my third serious visit to the capital, I have to say this city is growing on me.
Yes, it’s still crowded, noisy, chaotic. But it’s enormous, with something to see on every corner. Beyond the major attractions, there are colorful temples in every side street, small food hawking stalls, where you can grab a bite that’s tasty, plentiful and cheap, department stores (I love exploring shops in other countries, seeing what’s on their shelves), vintage markets, large parks, and plenty of public transport.
I do take the bus - more than once in fact. It’s a real experience - anywhere between 6-10 baht a ride ($.018-0.30), depending on the line. Some are on their last legs with creaky fans; others have air-con and electronic boards at the front (written in Thai of course), announcing the next stop.
Since I can’t read the language, I make do with personal sign language, throwing myself upon the mercy of the conductor, or locals, where I need to alight.
And it works1
Everyone’s fascinated by the fact that I’m ‘riding local’ (most tourists take cabs, since they’re so cheap) but for me there’s no better way to get the sense of a city than by observing its inhabitants going about their daily lives. Of course, there’s plenty of traffic, but that simply gives me more time to stare out of the window at the people on the streets.
The Skytrain is also a good way to zip around too. And, frankly, after a couple of days of taking buses, and dealing with traffic fumes and major congestion, it’s a gift from the Gods.
Trust me, you really have to see Bangkok congestion to believe it!
It’s an elevated transit system, and although it only covers a small part of the city, there’s a station close to me in Sathorn (a bourgeois part of town, full of diplomatic residences and costly condos).
My friend has even left me a ‘Rabbit card’ so I can jump on without going to a ticket machine.
The maximum you’ll pay for a day ticket is 140 baht ($4.20) - Bangkok’s public transport system is one of the more expensive in Asia but, in my opinion, it’s worth it.
Finally, there’s the MRT, which I’ve never had the pleasure of using before this trip. A veritable Bangkok metro - running underground - the first line (blue) opened in 2004, followed by plenty more colors in the last twenty years.
But the blue one is the longest, and will get you to all kinds of places, for the princely sum of 17-45 baht ($0.50-$1.25) depending on how far you’re going.
It’s incredibly modern, super convenient and blessedly air-conditioned (on some days, it’s positively frigid in those carriages!) It’s also clean, comfortable, gives announcements both in Thai and English (spoken and written) and there are seats set aside for the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women and - wait for it - monks. Amazingly, no-one who shouldn’t sits in these seats, even at rush hour!
I’m actually amazed at how effective it is too.
Compared to the London Underground (where trains are constantly delayed, break down, or entire lines are suspended for hours!) it runs every few minutes, on the dot.
From 6am to midnight, this is the way to go…and rather than doom scroll, you can people-watch and let yourself be fascinated by adverts for local businesses.
Dental implants seem to be really big in the Thai capital, from what I’m observing, not to mention skin cream and vitamins that purport to delay the ageing process!
Apparently, people in Thailand also dread getting old.
So do yourself a favour and eschew a cab for Bankgkok’s public transport system. You won’t be sorry.