I began my afternoon of sightseeing by visiting Wat Saket and climbed up to the Golden Mount. Once I left that place, I decided to head towards Chao Phraya river
I was walking up Boriphat Road
The shops here are mostly in the wood trade, some run by Chinese migrants who came to Bangkok over many waves, decades ago
A lot of wood craftsmen in this community
This is Maha Chai road, famous for its eateries
Maha Chai road is where you will find the restaurant Raan Jay Fai — famous for its goggles-wearing lady owner and her Michelin-starred crab omelette. Another bucket-list item for next time.
I walked through Rommani Nart park
Rommani Nart park isn’t too big but good enough for a walk and to take a break from the bustling Maha Chai road
I made my way through the park to get to Sam Yot MRT station
This is the Sam Yot station. MRT is Bangkok’s subway line.
To get to Chao Phraya river via Bangkok’s metro system (for a view of Wat Arun at sunset) one needs to take the MRT to Sanam Chai station.
Bangkok’s BTS lines are mostly overhead. The MRT was mostly an underground line until recently.
Once at Sanam Chai MRT station, take exit 1
If you want to get to The Grand Palace and Wat Pho using Bangkok’s metro, take the MRT to Sanam Chai station and take exit 1.
Sanam Chai is probably the most beautiful MRT station I’ve seen!
Probably because Sanam Chai is a pivotal station on the Bangkok tourism trail.
It’s a short walk from Sanam Chai MRT to landmark attractions like The Grand Palace and Wat Pho
I walked to Rajinee Pier
Rajinee Pier is a stop along the Chao Phraya river. You can take the ‘Hop on, hop off’ boat from such stations.
Single journey tickets are 30 THB and an All Day pass costs 150 THB
If you want to visit Pak Khlong Talat, the Flower Market, then cross this bridge
But the main reason for coming here was because there’s observation deck above, perfect for launching drones. And I wasn’t the only one.
I took out my drone, set it up, and took off.
Chao Phraya river is a crucial trade route for Thailand
You can see barges and goods carriers, alongside tour boats
This spot, Wat Pho Pier, is where most tourists come to for a view of Wat Arun right across the river. It’s now upgraded with viewing decks.
This is Wat Arun, just before the lights get turned on
I brought the drone back. I’ll update this post later with a video.
One thing I still have not done is take a river cruise on Chao Praya. Maybe next time.
That’s Wat Kanlayanamit Woramahawihan (another temple)
As the sun was setting, I packed up and decided to the place most tourists head to watch the sunset and Wat Arun all lit up.
I walked down the road from Rajinee Pier
I rushed to Wat Pho pier
My drone, a DJI Mavic Air, doesn’t work well in the dark so I needed to fly it while some light was still available.
I can see why watching the sunset over Wat Arun is a popular activity
It’s a great photo spot
I brought the drone back
I took some shots on my phone
One of those sunset river cruise boats which serves dinner and entertainment on board
The sun had set
Back when I was there, the Wat Pho pier was undergoing some upgrades
Tourists began to leave
There are many cafes and some residences facing the river, offering a great view of Wat Arun
If you want get to the Deck, look for Soi Prato Nokyung (soi = street)
It’s right across from Wat Pho temple complex
I took the MRT to head back to my room. By the way, no durians allowed inside trains.
Honestly, the whole evening I was rushed. I now know better and if ever I visit Bangkok again, I will try to capture Wat Arun better. I didn’t have my DSLR with me. Just my phone and drone. Next time, I will come better equipped and plan my shots better. I now know where to be.
I walked past the many, many weed shops that line Sukhumvit
For those thinking of coming to Thailand to enjoy the weed, enjoy it while it lasts — the Thai government is reversing the legalization of recreational marijuana.
For dinner, I ate at Texas Chicken for the first time
And after that, I went back to my room and called it a night after finishing some work.
I began my day covering some Hindu shrines in Sukhumvit before walking to Phetchaburi Road via Ratchdamri Road. My plan now was to head to Wat Saket, a popular temple in Bangkok that I had never been to before.
The fastest and cheapest way to get from the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok to Wat Saket is to take the San Saeb canal boat taxi service. I boarded a boat from Pratunam pier.
See the video blog at the end for instructions on how to get to the boat station
A ticket from Pratunam pier to the Wat Saket stop costs ฿14 (₹31/$0.38/€35)
The boat made stops at a few stations but each stop is barely a minute long
It took just around 15 minutes to get to my destination
Taking a taxi post lunch, on any day, would have easily taken you more than 30 minutes — just to get out of the Sukhumvit traffic. So I highly recommend taking the canal boat service to get to the Old Bangkok side!
As for why there are so many shrines for Hindu gods in Bangkok, it’s historical. Thailand used to be part of the Khmer empire, which was heavily influenced by Indian culture and Hinduism. See my Cambodia series and visits to Angkor Wat to know more about that.
