01 Jan - 22 Jan 2013 Bangkok



Kingdom of Thailand aka The Land of Conditional Smiles
Bangkok aka Krung Thep Maha Nakhon aka The Big Mango
Khlong San
58 Soi 1, Sarapee 3, Krungthonburi Road
Aiya Residence & Sport Club +6628621611 info@aiyaresidence.com
Economic double-room studio (no. 603) with kitchenette and air-con for THB 9,000.- or US$ 297.- per month (plus THB 6.85/kWh and THB 21.4/cbm for utilities), including free access to a large, 30m-long swimming pool (big enough to do laps) and a heated out-door Jacuzzi.
Friendly, helpful and very professional staff.
Wifi for THB 550.- or US$ 18.- per month.
Beer: 640-ml bottles of cold Chang Lager Beer (c. 6.4 % alc./vol.) for THB 40.- or US$ 1.35 from any of the 7-Eleven convenience stores in the neighbourhood.


Click below for an interactive road map of the Aiya Residence & Sports Club in Bangkok, which we would highly recommend, and for directions:









Exploring Bangkok’s birthplace, the glittering temples and palaces of Ko Ratanakosin and the adjacent charming Banglamphu suburb, thus, amongst others, (i) climbing up the artificial hill of the Golden Mount +6626210576 and (ii) thereafter paying a short visit to the tourist ghetto of Khao San Road with its rash of international inmates of all genders, races, religions, hairstyles and psychiatric diagnoses.



Konni: Entertaining my brother Ekki, who came from Berlin for a weeklong visit, and freelancing for him as an unlicensed personal tour guide, thus counting (i) the number of operating potteries on the low-key Mon island Ko Kret, about 7 km north of Bangkok proper, (ii) the number of tilted stupas in the former Royal capital of Ayuthaya, (iii) the number of guards armed with HK33 ("Made in Germany", agh) at the beautifully restored royal palace of Bang Pa-In, (iv) the number of transgendered sex-workers in Pattaya and (v) the number of donated brass bells on the Golden Mount - once a teacher's child always a teacher's child.

Matt: Enjoying tremendously the fascinating opportunity to listen to the almost unbearable boasting of a Teutonic civil serpent, Konni’s brother Ekki, a fat office sitter aka sesselfurzer with one of Berlin’s government departments, analysing this parasitic species’ distinctive nonvalues and attitudes, and still wondering whether all these government thugs are either criminally liable crooks or only a bunch of disturbed sickos; now this blimp is gone, thank heavens!

"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe."
(Dr. Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)




Leaving unrelenting, always hustling and smiling Bangkok, Thailand’s most populous city, thus taking the BTS Sky Train (THB 40.- or US$ 1.30 per person) to Mochit Terminal Station and thereafter an a/c city bus 510 (THB 17.- per person) to Bangkok’s revitalised Don Mueang International Airport, flying uneventfully with Thai Air Asia (“Now Everyone Can Fly”) in an Airbus A 320-200 to Nakhon Si Thammarat’s provincial airport for only THB 604.- or US$ 19.20 per person, one way, all inclusive, booked over the internet back in May 2012 CE, and eventually taking a pre-paid cab from the airport straight into Nakhon Si Thammarat’s city centre (submitting in the end to the taxi mafia’s non-metered flat rate of THB 300.- or US$ 10.- for c. 12 km).



Click below for more blog posts about our visits to Bangkok
01 Oct - 29 Oct 2014 Bangkok
13 Mar - 18 Apr 2013 Bangkok
19 Dec - 31 Dec 2012 Bangkok
08 Feb - 06 Mar 2012 Bangkok
01 Mar - 01 May 2010 Bangkok

Click below for a summary of this year's travels
2013 Map Konni & Matt

 
Recommended books - click below for your Amazon order from the United States:
 
For Amazon schnaeppchens from Germany, please click here
For Amazon bargains from Canada, please click here
For Amazon bargains from the United Kingdom, please click here  


From the 2013 Moral Travel Compass for Our Grand Children's Journey of Life:
It’ s bad to eat anything with a face; 
It’s good to chew raw veggies. 
Keep your bearings!