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My travel experience and tips for this great destination

Chinatown at night Bangkok Thailand

Thailand 2010: Back to Bangkok — Chinatown, Patpong, Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market

Date:  26th November 2010

After a good night’s sleep, I went downstairs to have the buffet breakfast at the hotel. Then spent an hour browsing the internet on the guest computer at the lobby. After feeling quite relaxed, I checked out as the clock struck noon.

I took a moped taxi to the bus station (฿50) and bought a ticket for a bus heading to Ekamai bus terminal in Bangkok (ticket cost ฿113).

Pattaya to Bangkok highway house Thailand
Since it was dark when I left Bangkok to come to Pattaya, I sat by the window to see what I missed

In the bus, I also wondered where to stay in Bangkok. I wanted to stay on Khao San Road, Bangkok’s popular backpacker hub. I really wanted to check it out as it’s a preferred joint for backpackers, but unfortunately located on the other side of Bangkok (some even call it Old Bangkok) — which isn’t connected via the skytrain service (BTS). Trouble is, tomorrow I am to meet up with a friend arriving from Bangalore and the day after, I had a ticket for the Jay Park Fan meet in Siam Paragon Mall. Commuting back and forth by taxi, that too with Bangkok’s mid-day traffic was the last thing I wanted to do in the last 3 days left in Thailand.

Pattaya to Bangkok concrete highwaysContainer cargo Pattaya to BangkokPattaya to Bangkok hills ThailandPlus Mall Tesco Lotus Bangkok highway ThailandPattaya elevated expressway BangkokBangkok to Pattaya highway apartment buildingElevated expressway to Bangkok templePattaya to Bangkok highway buildingBangkok highway Thai village river

Yamaha factory outskirts Bangkok Thailand
Yamaha factory
Nissan factory Bangkok highway outskirts Thailand
Nissan’s factory
Metro Caterpillar factory Bangkok Thailand
Caterpillar’s factory
CPF factory Bangkok highway Thailand
Err…someone else’s factory

Bangkok Thailand highway expressway

Central City mall Bangkok Thailand
One and half hours later, we were in Bangkok city

Traffic slowed down (a lot) from here on. It took half-an-hour more for the bus to reach Ekamai bus terminal. The terminal is on Sukhumvit road and is easy to get to because the BTS station (also named Ekamai) is right in front of the bus terminal. So if you are staying in the Sukhumvit or Silom area, and want to head to Pattaya, don’t go to Mo Chit bus terminal, head to Ekamai instead.

In the end, I decided to stay on the Sukhumvit side itself, which meant Thai House Inn again. I paid for two nights in  advance and checked into the same room I stayed before. I probably should try and find another place to stay in since Thai House Inn isn’t the classiest of places, but at ฿700 a night, the proximity to Nana BTS station (a minute walk), for a single guy there’s no better deal like it anywhere else.

Absolut Iceberg lounge Siam mall Bangkok
Absolut had set up a ice bar at Siam Center

Siam Paragon mall interior Christmas tree decorations Bangkok

Siam Paragon mall levels lights
Decided to go for a movie to pass some time
Krungsri IMAX Siam Paragon Bangkok Thailand
Watched ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ in IMAX

Post-movie (which I thought was a bit of a drag), I decided to go to MBK.

Siam Paragon food court aquarium Bangkok
The Siam Ocean World aquarium is beneath the food court
Siam Paragon Christmas mall decorations
The mall was all decked up in preparation for Christmas
Siam Center Christmas decorations Thais Bangkok
Even though less than 1% of Thailand’s population are Christians

Siam Center mall fountains Bangkok

Ribbee Botique ukelele paradise shop Bangkok Thailand
There’s an exclusive ukelele store in Bangkok
Siam pedestrian skywalk Thais Bangkok
But as I tried to get to MBK via the pedestrian overbridge, none of us were allowed to… by the police
Sukhumvit road Siam MBK junction Bangkok Thailand
I looked down and I saw the roads all clear, which usually implies some VIP was passing through

I got back down to the street to see if I could cross the road but there were policemen there as well. I asked them who was passing by, and they said: “The King”.

Tidbit of valuable information when in Thailand. King Rama IX is the most ‘beloved’ man in Thailand. I put beloved in quotes because there is a law which makes it a criminal offense to say anything bad about him in public. So you have no choice but to praise him. His photos are everywhere in Thailand and his birthday is a national holiday. He is credited for developing Thailand, his influence has stopped many political coups and reportedly, he’s the richest royal in the world. (But my point is, if people truly love him, why have a rule criminalizing lèse majesté?)

Sadly for the Thai people, the King hasn’t been in the best of health lately and isn’t seen much in public because of that.

Thai king cavalcade Siam junction Bangkok Thailand
The King’s cavalcade zipped past us and in a matter of minutes, we were allowed to move again

I obviously didn’t get a glimpse of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, but then again, nobody would have. Nobody could identify in which car the King was. Maybe it was a security measure.

Bangkok buildings air condition vents

Anyway, I was hungry by this point and decided to go back to Siam Paragon because their food court has better options for fast food.

Mosburger rice burger Bangkok Thailand
Tried MOSBurger’s rice burger (yes, that’s rice pressed together to make the ‘buns’) 🙂

In the evening, I decided to check out Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Getting to Chinatown Bangkok by taxi
Took a taxi, cost ฿60 from Siam Center
Chinatown at night Bangkok Thailand
Took around half and hour to get here

Bangkok Chinatown at nightBangkok Chinatown alley street foodChinatown Bangkok street lightsChinatown Bangkok fruit vendors night

Roasted Chicken Chinatown Bangkok Thailand
As with any Chinatown, plenty of food to go around

Chinese shops Chinatown Bangkok ThailandChinese store food items Bangkok ThailandChinatown fruit vendors eateries Bangkok Thailand

Chinatown spring rolls Bangkok Thailand
Yum
Chinatown signs Bangkok Thailand
From all I could tell, there wasn’t much else to see besides the well-lit shop signs
Chinatown shop signs neon Bangkok Thailand
I kept walking down

China Town sign Bangkok Thailand Chinatown lights Bangkok ThailandChinatown main road BangkokWhen I was doing my research, I read there is even a small community where Indians reside. You could call it Bangkok’s ‘Little India’ as Singapore’s popular community is called, but don’t try asking for it here. I tried it with some Thai locals, and they looked at me with a smile… which implied they had no clue what I was talking about. I wanted to find the area mostly because there is a large gurdwara here in Bangkok (since the Indian community here are predominantly Punjabis). I knew asking for a ‘gurudwara’ would get me more puzzled stares but I did ask if anybody knew where the ‘Indian temple’ was. No luck with that either.

Chinatown alley night Bangkok
I kept walking in search of ‘Little India’ but no signs of anything remotely Indian

But just as I was about to give up and walk back, I saw a woman who looked kinda Indian (I’m guessing she was a second generation Indian resident of Thailand) and asked her where the gurudwara was. She told me I needed to get to Pahurat Road, which wasn’t very far from here. I thanked her and noted down the name of the road.

Chinatown building Bangkok Thailand Figuring the gurudwara would be closed to the general public at this time, I decided to come back the day after. I hailed a taxi and headed to Patpong.

Patpong is famous for two things: one, it has a night market; two, it also houses Bangkok’s red light district.

Patpong night market entrance Bangkok Thailand
The Night Market

There wasn’t anything seedy about the place (at first)

Patpong night market sign Bangkok Thailand

Patpong night market stores Bangkok
The usual offerings sold here, nothing special

But as I went to the side street to get a glimpse of what the other stalls were selling…

Patpong night market Kiss bar Bangkok
…you could see the other side of Patpong
Patpong night market tourists
Which made me wonder if the ‘night market’ was just a cover up 🙂
Patpong night market live bar Bangkok
There are a few good bars with live music though

Patpong night market tattoo studio BangkokLike on Pattaya’s Walking Street, here too you will find a few touts soliciting tourists (quite aggressively) to come watch a peep show. Most them say it’s free but having read people’s experiences on Tripadvisor, I knew these are just tactics to pull you in and then slap you with a huge bill as you leave.

One of the touts, even held my hand and dragged me into one such place. Figuring I wouldn’t be coming back to an area like this again, I followed him. He was rather in a hurry saying the ‘ping pong show‘ would start soon. He led me upstairs into a bar where the girls and the mamasan welcomed me in. There weren’t many others in and the setting wasn’t what I was expecting. While I was expecting a more quiet, dark and sensual setting, this joint was just another typical low end bar with dim red lights, and where every song plays at 2x speeds blurts out from the sound system.

As soon as I was seated, I was surrounded by 3 or 4 smiling girls all of whom tried to chat me up, and when it came to ordering drinks, there was no menu. I ordered a vodka drink and insisted on knowing much it cost. The waitress said ฿100. Fair enough. I also made it very clear I was told this show was free and that I wouldn’t have to pay anything to see it. The mamasan assured me with a “yeah yeah”.

When the performance did begin, it was the amusing act of seeing the two girls shoot objects like bananas, darts (at a balloon), and ping pong balls (of course) — all using her nether region. And that’s exactly what it was, amusing… it was the least bit erotic, surely not in the setting I was in 🙂 The most amusing act was when one of the performers pulled a series of blades on a string out — and she cut a paper using the very same razor blades to prove they weren’t blunt. Now, only women know the true potential of their inner workings, but I’m sure even women in far more respectable professions would squeal if they saw this. As a guy, my face looked more like this:  😕 None the less, I had to praise these performers for their, erm, talents.

After 15 minutes and my drink nearly done, I had seen enough and wanted to leave. I could see the other patrons arguing with the mamasan over their bills and I knew what was coming my was as well. Besides the ฿100 for my drink, I wanted to tip a ฿100 each for the two performing women, so that was a total of ฿300. The bill they handed over?

฿3000.

I told the mamasan I wasn’t going to pay it and ฿300 is all she will get. She raised her voice (she had to, they wouldn’t turn down the crappy music) and threatened to call some men to rough me up if I wouldn’t pay. I replied: “Call them”. When she did, I knew things were only getting easy for me. She spoke in English to her Thai “baddie” saying there is an Indian who refuses to pay and that he better come. Now if there is one thing I’ve learned about Thais is that, you’ll never see one Thai speaking to another Thai in English. Very few in Thailand know how to speak English, that too fluently. So I knew this was just an act.

After she hung up, she said they’re coming. I replied: “Okay, I’ll wait”. I could see some of the working girls try and hide their smiles, so I knew I was going to win this one. After waiting around 2 minutes, the mamasan finally said: “Okay, give 1000!”. I said: “No, 300”. More standing still ensued. Finally she gave up and said: “Ok give!”. I handed her the ฿300 and told her ฿100 each were for the two performers. She didn’t say anything and I walked out.

And that was it 🙂

In hindsight, it made me wonder if I should have gone for all this in Pattaya’s Walking Street as the Tourist Police was right there and by now, I’m sure they heard countless such experiences from other visitors. But even if this happens to you, follow the same advice: just keep your foot down and refuse to pay. What’s the worst they’re going to do? Stab a tourist?

Walking out, I noticed there wasn’t even a name for this bar, so it surely was one of those clearly intended to scam people and only remain operational by paying off the right authorities.

Thaniya plaza Japanese clubs bars Patpong Bangkok
This alley looked like it mostly catered to Japanese

What I just experienced didn’t change my opinion of this wonderful country. If your sole purpose of visiting Thailand is just to hang out at such venues, you will most likely leave with many such stories. Even if you don’t, as with any other country in the world, shit happens — you just have to be on your guard.

The so-called ping pong show is one of those “When-in-RomeThailand” things-to-do. Many tourists, men and women alike, are eager to see it. In fact it was a girl friend of mine who told me “not to miss it,” with a laugh. Now I know why — it’s more a laugh than sensual 🙂 Trouble is, many use that eagerness tourists have to run scams like this.

Sala Daeng BTS station Patpong Bangkok
Sala Daeng is the name of the BTS station if you want to get to Patpong

Patpong doesn’t seem as big a seedy place, not based on some people’s descriptions calling it Bangkok’s largest red light district. Maybe there’s more to it, who knows, I wasn’t bothered to explore anymore of it now.

Thaniya Plaza clubs bars Patpong Bangkok If you plan to come to Patpong just for the night market, don’t. There’s nothing here you can’t find anywhere else in Bangkok for the same price (or maybe even cheaper).

I took the BTS back to Siam.

Siam Absolut ice bar concert Bangkok Thailand
Absolut’s open-air concert event at Siam Center

Once back in my area, I decided to grab dinner first and then go back to my room.

Nana arab restaurants Bangkok Thailand
Nana has a lot of Middle Eastern restaurants, which was great for me (given how much I miss this cuisine)
Foreign exchange shops Gulliver's Nana Bangkok
You get really good foreign exchange rates here, far better than the rates the banks in the malls give. I exchanged a few dollars.
Sky Inn Nana Sukhumvit Bangkok Thailand
Picked up a few shawarmas and a drink from 7-11 and called it a night

Date:  27th November 2010

Today, I met up with my friend Sawmteii and her friend, who had just arrived in Thailand. We met up at the Siam BTS and since it was their first time in Bangkok (and came with very clear intentions of shopping – a lot!), I showed them around the malls.

Krispy Kreme Siam Paragon Bangkok Thailand
I couldn’t fathom the locals’ desperation to bag Krispy Kreme donuts. There were huge lines everyday at the Siam Paragon outlet.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts sold Bangkok streets
So much was the demand, there were street hawkers who sell them in ‘black’ outside after doing the tough job of waiting in line just to bag these boxes of doughnuts.

After Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon, we walked towards Petchburi Road.

Sukhumvit road Bangkok city traffic skywalk

Pedestrian overbridge Bangkok city ThailandBangkok city river boat ThailandOn Petchburi road, the girls wanted to check out Platinum Mall, which claims to be Thailand’s largest fashion mall.

Platinum Mall shoppers Bangkok Thailand
Boy, was it crowded inside

Eight floors of fashion goodness… well, mostly for women anyway. Hardly anything for men in here.

Platinum mall shops Bangkok ThailandDespite advising the girls to keep all their shopping towards the end of their journey when they return to Bangkok, they couldn’t help but feel like kids let loose in a candy store 🙂

Who can blame them? Even as a guy, I could appreciate the stuff being sold here. Really good looking dresses and accessories at prices anybody can afford. Dresses which would easily cost upwards of Rs. 1000 in India could be had for Rs. 500 or less. You could buy one, two, three, ten or more — and prices vary accordingly.

Platinum mall women fashion clothes Bangkok Thailand
A lot of bulk buyers too

We spent quite some time in here. And when I saw ‘we,’ I mean Sawmteii and her friend Mimi. I loitered around wondering if there was anything for guys. It wasn’t until we got up to the 4th floor that I found a store selling some pretty nifty t-shirts.

After walking past pretty much every floor, the girls decided to dedicate their last few days in Thailand in here and we went up to the 6th floor to have lunch at the food court.

Post-lunch, I took the girls to Chatuchak (disembark at Mo Chit BTS).

Chatuchak park way to market Bangkok Thailand
We sat at the park for a bit before embarking on more walking through hundreds of shops

Sorry, make that thousands of shops!

Jatujak weekend market is the largest flea market in Thailand and sees most shops open on Saturday and Sunday (It is open on weekdays too, just not every shop).

Chatuchak market entrance 6 Bangkok Thailand
Took a deep breath and went in

Chatuchak market crowd Bangkok I have already written a lot about JJ market in my first visit.

DHL courier shop Chatuchak market Bangkok
In case you buy more than you can carry… there’s always DHL
Palm fap chatuchak market Bangkok Thailand
Palm… fap?
Doner kabab Turkish ice cream Chatuchak weekend market Bangkok
Plenty of food to energize you for all the walking you’ll be doing at Jatujak
Bags shop owner Chatuchak weekend market Bangkok
The famous bags salesman calling every foreigner “Michael” was still at it in 2010 🙂
Chatuchak weekend market home furnishings Bangkok
The reason I like JJ market a lot is because they sell *everything* that can be placed inside a house
Chatuchak weekend market lights store Bangkok Thailand
Bought three kinds of lamp shades

After much walking around and being clueless as to where exactly we were (it will happen), eventually it was time for the puppies to come out. (Real puppies). You’ll only see them being sold once the sun sets — which means they’re probably doing it illegally.

Sawmteii puppy Chatuchak weekend market Bangkok
Sawmteii couldn’t help but pick one up

And at the prices the puppies were being sold for (around ฿3000-฿5000 depending on the breed), she didn’t feel like putting them down either. We were seriously talking about how to bring dogs via airplanes.

Eventually we decided to call it a day.

Choconana vendor Chatuchak market Bangkok
Had one of this: cold banana on a stick dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with nuts
Mo Chit BTS station at night Bangkok Thailand
Mo Chit BTS station

We got down at Nana so that the girls could check out my area (they were staying a few BTS stations further down). Got some currency exchanged and had dinner at an Arabian restaurant before wishing each other goodnight and parting ways.

Tomorrow was going to be my last full day in Bangkok.


Next posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Sampeng Market, JJ market (again)

Thailand 2010: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tour, Cobra show… and leaving Bangkok

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Thailand 2010: Last day of Loi Krathong; Sunday Grand Parade (Day 4, Part 2)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: First day in Chiang Mai for Loi Krathong; driving up Doi Suthep

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai

Go-go bars restaurants walking street Pattaya Thailand

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Date:  25th November 2010

After managing some sleep at Little Court (the motel I was in), I got up at a decent 8am for my first morning in Pattaya. I had time to check out and move to my reserved room at Villa Panalee. So I decided to go for a walk.

Central Pattaya road Thailand
I was in Central Pattaya
Pattaya beach road fountain monument Thailand
A short walk and I was at the beach
North Pattaya beach Thailand
The water was… alright

The sand on Pattaya beach was quite coarse. Not the soft white sand you find in most of South Thailand.

Pattaya beach umbrellas speedboats
Come on, seriously? Where is there even space to walk on this beach! 🙂
Pattaya beach water morning
A lot of parasailing in the distance

Pattaya beach old man ThailandAs soon as you hit the beach, you’re confronted by touts offering the usual gamut of watersports. I wasn’t keen on doing any of them as I needed breakfast first.

Central Pattaya beach walk

Central Pattaya beach road morning walk
First observation: a LOT of old men in Pattaya
Pattaya beach walk Thailand
You can walk all the way from North to South, it’ll just take you around half an hour

Pattaya beach road walk morning Thailand

Hard Rock Hotel beach road Pattaya
The Hard Rock Hotel on Beach road

Pattaya beach facing condo Thailand

Pattaya beach road soi in morning Thailand
Pattaya’s not really a ‘morning’ city

Pattaya beach road morning traffic

Pattaya beach road cafe morning
I sat down at a cafe and had an American breakfast

I walked back to my room, checked out of Little Court and then took a moped taxi to Villa Panalee, which I expected to be closer to the beach. But instead it was more than a few lanes away from it. I booked my room using the hotel voucher worth Rs. 1500 I got from Cleartrip along with my flight ticket and as per the description, this was close to the beach. It isn’t.

Villa Panalee bedroom Pattaya
This was my room. Clearly the ‘poshest’ room this backpacker stayed in Thailand.

Villa Panalee is a fairly new 3-star hotel, and it’s just okay. The bed and the bathroom were great though — and honestly, that’s all that matters to me.

Once settled, I took out the map of Pattaya and wondered where to go and what to see. This was my first time here. I hadn’t done much research on Pattaya because, outside of nightlife, I didn’t think there was anything remotely interesting to see in Pattaya. One of my girlfriends highly recommended a ladyboy cabaret show called Alcazar, but I have little interest in broadway theatre (sorry Cherie Ann :roll:).

So as I stepped out, I was approached by moped taxi drivers who asked me if I wanted a tour of the city. Taking advantage of that, I asked them what all there was to see. As they listed the sights out, I chose to go to the hill viewpoint first.

Pattaya 2nd road traffic Thailand
The ride cost ฿60
Pattaya third road traffic Thailand
I took these photos sitting behind the driver

Driving to viewpoint hillRoad to viewpoint hill Pattaya

Way to Big Buddha hill Pattaya
The drive took nearly 15 minutes
Road leading to viewpoint Pattaya bay
You have to ride uphill

Once I reached the top and paid the driver, I felt something on my head. The helmet was still on! Unfortunately, as I turned around and called the taxi driver back, he zoomed off. Great, now I had a bike helmet to carry around.

As for the view from top of the hill…
Pattaya bay from viewpoint hill

Pattaya bay panorama view of city and sea
Here’s a panoramic view (comprised of 6 shots)
Pattaya city buildings Thailand
Don’t know what that odd shaped building was
Pattaya new pier from viewpoint hill
That’s the pier
Pattaya neighbouring island Thailand
Wonder which island that is

Pattaya viewpoint of bay Thailand

Pattaya viewpoint hill FM104.75 station
Some radio station
Statue Admiral Prince Krom Louang Chumphon Khet monument
A famous Thai Admiral (I’m guessing)
Pattaya new pier close up boats
Took out the Tamron 28-75mm lens

Pattaya bay beach sea view Pattaya bay sunset time

Sanctuary of truth art display viewpoint hill
I’ll talk about the Sanctuary of Truth later
Pattaya viewpoint temple
There was a small temple
Weekday buddha Sunday Monday statues
A Buddha statue for every day of the week
Weekday Buddha Tuesday statue
Is Tuesday supposed to be a day of rest?

Week day Buddha Wednesday Thursday statuesWeek day Buddha Friday Saturday statuesViewpoint Temple pagoda panorama Pattaya

Coconut vendor viewpoint hill cats Pattaya
It was quite hot and felt like having ice cream — so I did

Viewpoint hill Pattaya bay

Pattaya viewpoint opening closing time
That’s the name of the admiral statue
Pattaya viewpoint temple panorama
I left the viewpoint

I walked downhill and decided to check out the Big Buddha statue next.

Walking down to Big Buddha hill Pattaya
I could see the Big Buddha statue from here, so I figured I could walk it there

Pattaya hill road

Chinese garden granite stairs Pattaya Thailand
Though the walk from hill to hill was short, there is a lot of walking uphill now

On the way up is a Chinese Garden.

Tao Teck brass bell Chinese garden Pattaya ThailandKwan Yin goddess Chinese Garden Pattaya hillChinese Garden Pattaya Thailand

Pattaya Chinese garden Big Buddha hill panorama
(Panorama comprised of 9 shots)

Chinese garden dog sleeping afternoon Pattaya
Chinese Garden stray dog afternoon PattayaChinese Garden stray dog looking afternoon PattayaChinese Garden Chao Dynasty warriors display PattayaStories of 24 gratitudes chinese garden PattayaChinese Garden golden hall PattayaChinese Garden big buddha hill Pattaya ThailandChao Dynasty warriors statues Chinese garden PattayaChao Dynasty description Chinese Garden Pattaya Thailand

Big Buddha hill Pattaya Thailand
I walked a bit further up to get to the Big Buddha statue

As I walked towards the Big Buddha statue, a hawker at the footsteps asked me whether I wanted to ‘free sparrows’ as it would bring me good luck. I initially said ‘no’ because I don’t believe in all that, but she persisted and I know it’s such a touristy thing to do — but I might as well just do it for the sake of freeing the birds.

Sparrow cages vendor Big Buddha statue Pattaya hill Thailand
I don’t remember how much I paid for the sparrow’s’ freedom, but it was less than ฿100
Sparrow cages cat Big Buddha statue Pattaya hill
Hey look, Sylvester the Cat waiting for Tweety!

Steps to Big Buddha statue Pattaya ThailandSteps to Big Buddha statue Pattaya hill Thailand

Big Buddha statue panorama Pattaya Thailand
Big Buddha himself

Big Buddha statues cat Pattaya Thailand

Pattaya hill road afternoon Thailand
I left Big Buddha hill and decided to head to Jomtien beach

Since there were signs pointing to which direction Jomtien was, I figured it was walking distance again (the signs didn’t say how far though).

Jomtien land for sale Pattaya Thailand
A lot of posters for real estate here…
Apartments for sale Jomtien Pattaya Thailand
… and a lot of them seem to be targeting Russians

Flat sale rent Pattaya ThailandJomtien real estate Pattaya Thailand

Road to Jomtien Pattaya Thailand
It was *really* hot
Road to Jomtein beach Pattaya Thailand
After walking for around 15 minutes, I decided to go by wheels

I got into a pick-up taxi and reached Jomtien beach in less than 5 minutes.

Jomtien shops Pattaya Thailand

Jomtien beach panorama Pattaya Thailand
Jomtien beach (Panorama comprised of 5 shots)

Since I hadn’t had lunch yet, I first stepped into a sea facing restaurant to eat something and have some chilled beer!

Jomtien beach road restaurants
Sat inside Sunlight Hotel’s restaurant

The one thing that struck me about Jomtien is the sheer presence of the Russians. They’re everywhere! So much so that some signs and even the restaurant menus are in Russian. It really did baffle me a bit.It’s like they essentially own this side of Pattaya.

Of course, I’ve heard the myth about the Russian mafia’s presence here in Pattaya. But how much of that is due to the influence of Western media’s portrayal Russians (as the perennial bad guys) and how much of it is actually true, who knows. After doing some research, turns out a lot of Russians do like the sun and lifestyle out here in Pattaya and therefore visit in droves. Not to mention, invest in property too. Of course, the ‘bad’ of any country makes its way among those droves and some claim many bars and hotels are run by such Russians too.

Fried stuffed crab Pattaya Thailand
Great fried stuffed crab, some fries and two beers (Chang, of course). Cost me ฿250.
Sunlight seafood restaurant hotel Jomtien beach Pattaya
Service was good and the food was nice

Stomach full, I sat there for a while before strolling the beach again.

Jomtien beach road traffic

Jomtien beach shops Russian tourists
You have the usual gamut of street stores

I came to Jomtien beach assuming it would be better than Pattaya’s main beach.

Jomtien beach Pattaya Thailand
But alas, the chairs and umbrellas take up much of the sand here as well.
Jomtien beach kid Pattaya Thailand
Though I wonder how far Jomtien’s beach extends
Jomtien beach sunset view horizon Pattaya Thailand
I got into the water for some time

You really cannot visit Thailand and not hit a beach. This country is renowned for its beaches… but I wouldn’t recommend Pattaya’s coastline if you want the best of what Thailand has to offer. Since this visit was only focusing on North Thailand, Pattaya was the easiest beach town for me to visit.

Jomtien beach tourists Pattaya Thailand
If you don’t mind the mostly Eastern European crowd here, Jomtien is a far more pleasant side compared to Pattaya’s main Beach Road
Jomtien beach road Oasis Pattaya Thailand
Took a stroll

Jomtien Thani hotel Pattaya Oasis Pattaya Thailand Windsurfers Jomtien beach Pattaya ThailandJomtien beach walk Pattaya ThailandJomtien beach umbrellas chairs Pattaya Thailand

Jomtien beach singers charity Pattaya Thailand
These two Europeans were singing to raise money for charity (I hope)

Jomtien beach stray dog Pattaya ThailandJomtien beach schoolgirl Pattaya ThailandJomtien beach umbrellas sunset Pattaya ThailandJomtien beach sunset Pattaya ThailandJomtien Garden hotel road Pattaya ThailandAfter much ‘strolling,’ I figured I’d only reach the far end of Jomtien by sunset. I got into a pick-up taxi and headed back to the ‘other side’.

Jomtien Punjabi Tadka Indian restaurant Pattaya Thailand
Pattaya is one place in Thailand you will easily find Indian food
Pattaya city Arab restaurant massage
… and Arabic food
Steakhouse Royal Palace Hotel Pattaya Thailand
Actually, given how touristy this place is, you’ll get pretty much every kind of cuisine
Second road bars Pattaya Thailand
I got down here
Sawadee Sabai Pattaya second road
I was on Pattaya Second Road
Pattaya Second Road street shops Thailand
I walked up the road, and into this flea market

Street store t-shirts accessories Pattaya Thailand

Pattaya street shop clothes Thailand
It was the usual selection of t-shirts and clothing you’ll anywhere else in Thailand. This was no Chatuchak.

By the time I stepped out, which was 10 minutes later, the sun had already set.

Madras Darbar Pardes restaurant Pattaya Thailand

Central Festival Mall Pattaya Thailand
Checked out the only major mall on Pattaya Beach – CentralFestival
Central Festival mall interiors Pattaya Thailand
(Mostly because they had air-conditioning :))
Central Festival mall inside Pattaya Beach Thailand
(Taken on the Nokia E72)
Central Festival mall X'mas tree Pattaya Thailand
After feeling a little cooler, I stepped out of the mall and on to Beach Road

Pattaya Bay beach at night lights

Pattaya Bay beach at night umbrellas
Walking Street was at the end of this stretch

Pattaya Bay beach at night lifeguard Beach road at night Pattaya Thailand

Tipp Plaza Beach road Pattaya Thailand

Mike Shopping mall Beach Road Pattaya Thailand
Dropped in here as well

But came out in less than 5 minutes. Usual department store fare but with lousy offerings. Saw mostly Eastern Europeans and it looked like they were dropped there by the bus loads.

Beach road McDonald's Pattaya ThailandRoyal Garden Plaza Pattaya ThailandPattaya City Walk restaurants beach road ThailandPattaya Beach Road beer barIndian food Soi Pattaya Thailand

Mike Plaza hotel jewelry Beach road Pattaya Thailand
Mike seems to be a big-shot businessman in Pattaya. Not surprised to find out he’s Chinese.
Walking street Pattaya Thailand
Pattaya’s (in)famous Walking Street 🙂

Walking Street, from its name, implies no vehicles allowed. Lined with go-go bars, restaurants, neon lights and more bars… this is essentially an adult playground.

Go-go bars restaurants walking street Pattaya Thailand
Well, most cars
Elvis show walking street Pattaya bar Thailand
Elvis is yet to enter the building. At around 7:30pm, most bars were only starting to open.
Pattaya Walking Street neon signs Thailand
Walking Street seems like it only comes truly alive as it nears midnight
Rasputin restaurant end Walking Street Pattaya Thailand
I walked all the way till the end of Walking Street
Bah-hai by the sea food restaurant
You have a few less-seedy looking avenues to have a relaxing evening
International meeting street Pattaya Thailand
It got quiet now
Pattaya City hill sign at night
Reached an open area where they often hold concerts

My legs were hurting a bit because of all the walking in slippers throughout the hot afternoon with all my camera equipment in my backpack. I limped my way to what looked like a ferry station near the pier and sat down for a while.

There was a vendor selling coconut ice cream, which looked good. So I ordered for one (cost ฿25).

Coconut ice cream Pattaya Thailand
I didn’t ‘decorate’ this photo. The vendor saw me setting up my ice cream for a shot. He placed leaves underneath and a flower, giving me the ‘nice’ hand gesture 🙂

As I had my ice cream, I wondered to myself why despite being a city famous for it’s nightlife… I was in no mood to revel in it some how. It wasn’t just that I was tired from all the walking. Right from the time I arrived in Pattaya yesterday late night, I felt a sense of unwelcomeness. Everywhere else in Thailand, I was used to being smiled anywhere I went. Whether it was a local passerby on the street I made eye-contact with or the hawkers approaching you with something or the other — even if I said ‘no,’ I would still get a smile from them.

But in a country which earned the title ‘Land of Smiles,’ I didn’t experience that in Pattaya. I don’t quite sure know why. Was it because I looked young — or do they not like Indians? To be fair, I didn’t see too many backpackers or young travellers like I met in places like Chiang Rai. The few I did see, also felt out of place.

Pattaya Bay at night Thailand watersPattaya is exactly what many people expect when they visit Thailand. It’s easy to see why. Throughout the day, I saw countless tour buses transporting hundreds of tourists from China, India, Eastern Europe — most of whom surely came on tour packages. Problem is, most of these package tours are often 4 to 5 days at best. Moderately priced and promising to offer great value to this ‘exotic’ destination, they see countless takers. Thousands in India do, annually. But in those 5 days, most aren’t taken anywhere else besides Pattaya and Bangkok. Pattaya because it’s the closest (developed) beach destination (with a nightlife) and only an hour away from Suvarnabhumi airport; and Bangkok because there’s some heritage and lots of shopping to be enjoyed (and again, a nightlife).

So when these two destinations are the only places you have seen in Thailand on your vacation, it’s no surprise the very same people go back with memories of a country with a lot to offer in terms of adult entertainment and shopping.

They don’t visit Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi (Ao Nang and Railay), the Phi Phi islands and the other provinces that make up rest of the country. And it’s not like any of these other places are hidden secrets. In fact I don’t believe there any discreet places left in Thailand ever since the release of The Beach. If you visit every other province in Thailand and then come to Pattaya, it really does feel like a whole different place.

It all started in the 1960s when the American soldiers landed in Pattaya during the Vietnam War for their “rest & recreation”. Since then, despite the Thailand government’s attempts, the country’s reputation hasn’t changed much in the eyes of the narrow-minded majority. A few months back, mobile carrier Airtel even launched a stupid (short-lived) TV ad here in India which showed a young man searching for ‘nightlife in Bangkok’ on his 3G service. Surely the Thai Embassy here wasn’t too pleased.

I’m not a judgmental person, nor a puritan. I really don’t care what adults do with their (rightfully earned) money and time. But what irritates me is when visitors (especially from India in my case) come with preconceived notion about Thailand, seek it in places like Bangkok and Pattaya — and then spread the word back home saying that’s the only thing Thailand has to offer.

Some would argue they don’t visit other provinces due to cost. To them I say, trust me, if you actually researched on those places, you’ll realize they are far cheaper than Thailand’s most popular destinations — Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. It all comes down to having an interest first.

Pattaya city sign sea lights
Pattaya sees over 4 million visitors every year

Thailand is one of the most visited countries on the planet, with over 14 million tourists visiting every year. Tourism is one of the biggest revenue generators and employers in this country. But unlike Europe, Thailand still offers travellers great value for their money. It’s why many love coming back. (And no, I’m not talking the sex tourists and their reasons)

Oriental star dining boat pier Pattaya Thailand
Anyway…
New pier station Pattaya Thailand
It was time to go back

I walked back through Walking Street, passing a second time, the very same touts shoving peep shows of various naughty kinds in your face (quite literally).

I know it’s hard to believe a straight, single guy didn’t step into a single go-go bar on Walking Street, but trust me, I really didn’t feel like it right now.

Dollhouse go-go bar Muay Thai boxing match Pattaya Thailand
Stopped on the way to watch some Muay Thai action

And then again, for Michael Jackson… !

Michael Jackson magician walking street Pattaya Thailand
(… the magician that is)

He was quite dandy:

As I approached a moped taxi, it quickly dawned to me that I had no idea where exactly my hotel was! The thing about Pattaya City is, there are only 4 or 5 main roads. Everything else in between are countless rows of ‘soi’ or streets. I tried just name-dropping Villa Panalee but the taxi drivers didn’t know it (or at least pretended to not know where it was).

So I ended up having to go look for an internet cafe to find the exact address.

Walking Street tourist police Pattaya Thailand
Pattaya Tourist Police — I remember seeing that big bald bloke in a British series called ‘Big Trouble in Thailand’ when I was researching on Thailand back in 2009. You can find the episodes online.
South Pattaya road at night Thailand
I had to sit 5 minutes in a rather rather expensive internet cafe on South Pattaya Road just to jot down the address

I hopped on one of those moped taxis and got dropped back to Villa Panalee (cost me ฿50). I walked back to the spot where the moped taxis were in the morning and handed back the helmet. My driver wasn’t there but I requested his colleagues to hand it back to him.

Back in the room, I relaxed a bit with the A/C on. Then gladly dumped my camera bag and stepped out again for dinner.

I decided to walk a bit one last time and see just how far Villa Panalee actually was from the beach.

House of pain tattoo parlour Pattaya Thailand
How appropriate a name 🙂
Pattaya night bars Sawadee hotels
This road was parallel to Second Road
Mike's Shopping Mall department store Pattaya Thailand
10 minutes later and I was in front of (or behind) Mike’s Shopping Mall

Back on Second Road, I walked past the may bars only to stop when I heard a Thai band play some mean rock covers. I liked their performances so much that I ended up sitting there to watch them perform.

Pattaya rock band playing bar Thailand
Aging musicians, but they were good

I was approached by the waitress, menu in hand, but no smile on her face. I ordered my vodka drink and watched the band play some classic Scorpions. Done with my drink, I got up and tipped the band. They nodded in appreciation… with a smile.

I wondered if things would have been different if I was white, a bit older… and pot-bellied. Would the treatment have been a lot better? Even in Mike’s Shopping Mall, I barely saw any smiles on the sales people’s faces. Do the Thais here feel like Pattaya doesn’t belong to them anymore? I mean, this city is so overrun with tourists, it maybe possible. It does feel like the outsiders and the few who make their money from them pretty much call the shots around here.

It’s also apparent from the many cheap long stay accommodations available, there are many who make Pattaya their home. Western men (mostly from the UK) who seem to be enjoying their final years spending their retirement money at the countless bars, from dusk to dawn.

It was the first thing that struck me in Pattaya — the bars. There’s sooooo many of them! Not go-go bars, but just plain bars. Every square inch of free space available would see a few bar stools set up and women serving liquor. It really did shock me at first. If you want your alcohol fix day and night, there’s no place quite like Pattaya. From North to South, you’ll never run short of bars to sit at. I wonder how many survive with this much competition.

Fresh pot pie pastry sausage roll vendor Pattaya
This guy on a bike was selling freshly made pastry. Bought a sausage roll and a pie. It was really good!

Oh, I also saw a few Indian newlyweds. The brides with their many bangles (a North Indian post-wedding tradition), some of whom had the look of bewilderment on their faces; while her newlywed husband had the look of disappointment — wondering why he hadn’t come to Pattaya before he got married.

Word of advice to those who choose Thailand as a honeymoon destination. If you want your serene beautiful beaches, head to South Thailand, or Ko Chang, further east of Pattaya. If you don’t mind the tranquil forests, go up north to Chiang Mai. Pattaya is where I would come for a bachelor/bachelorette party — not a honeymoon. Of course, this is all down to the couples themselves. Some say Pattaya can be enjoyed by couples, others may not.

Back in my room, I sat in the bathtub at around 11pm, considered ‘early’ in Pattaya. I wondered what to do tomorrow: stay another day and do the Coral Island tour in the morning – or – head back to Bangkok. Coral Island didn’t look good to me even in the photos, not after you have seen the islands in Krabi.

I also ignored the Sanctuary of Truth, thinking it was just another temple. Only to realize (via Reddit of all the sources!) a few weeks ago (as of this writing)  that it’s a private man-made temple carved completely out of wood! It looks mighty impressive from close up and despite the steep ฿500 entrance fee, I’m surely going to see it the next time I’m in Thailand.

Which is why I ultimately decided to leave for Bangkok tomorrow. Pattaya is a place you can easily visit when in Thailand. If you land in Suvarnabhumi (as most foreign tourists do), there are plenty of buses to Pattaya direct from the airport, as it’s only an hour away.

Though as I lay in bed, I imagined what I would have seen had I rented a bike and drove all the way till the end of Jomtien beach and the other outskirts of Pattaya.

As is the case with me and Thailand, I’ll have to do it the next time I visit the ‘Land of Smiles’.

 

Edit (14/07/2010): Shared this post on Reddit and got some good feedback from other users. Hmm, maybe I should seriously catch one of those ladyboy shows next time.

Reddit comment Pattaya


Previous posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Thailand 2010: Last day of Loi Krathong; Sunday Grand Parade (Day 4, Part 2)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: First day in Chiang Mai for Loi Krathong; driving up Doi Suthep

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai

Wat Rong Khun white temple Chiang Rai

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Date:  24th November 2010

Woke up at around 6am today. I re-packed my bags and checked out of my room as by the time I would have come back, it would have been past 12 noon. I left my bags at the hotel reception and walked to the bus station after having tea from stall serving early morning office goers.

I boarded a bus leaving for Chiang Saen at 6:30am. Mae Sai is the northern most town in Thailand. Located in Chiang Saen (which is in Chiang Rai province), it is from here you reach the Golden Triangle.

What’s the Golden Triangle you ask? It’s the point where three countries – Thailand, Myanmar & Laos – all meet, with only a river separating them.

The journey to Chiang Saen town takes one and half hours.

Small town Chiang Rai school parade Thailand
Passed through a small town
Small town school kids north Thailand
Cute kids were all dressed up and marching somewhere
Bus ride to Mae Sai town Chiang Rai Thailand
Concrete roads gave way to untarred roads. A sign of how remote a place I was heading to.

By around 8:15am, I was in the town of Chiang Saen. Now, I was expecting to see the ‘Golden Triangle’ right as soon as I got down.

Mae Sai town Thailand
But I was told it was still further away

The awaiting moped taxis offered to take me there… for ฿100. I said ‘No way!’ and instead got into a pick-up taxi going to the Golden Triangle. Cost around ฿30.

Mae Sai river road to Golden Triangle
It was still a bit chilly in the morning
Mae Sai river town Chiang Rai Thailand
That’s Mekong river
Road to Golden Triangle Chiang Rai Thailand
It’s a 10 minute drive to the Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle sign Chiang Rai Thailand
And finally, here I was
The Imperial Golden Triangle Resort Chiang Rai Thailand
The Imperial Golden Triangle Resort, the only major hotel facing the Golden Triangle

Chang Saen immigration checkpoint office Chiang Rai Thailand

Golden Triangle entrance Chiang Rai
I kept walking to see where the ‘triangle’ was

And here it was…

Golden Triangle Mae Sai Chiang Rai Thailand panorama
That’s Myanmar to the left and Laos to the right

Hmm, that’s it. That’s what I came all the way for 🙂

Myanmar Burma from Golden Triangle view Chiang Rai
Not sure what this building in Myanmar was
Golden Triangle special economic zone Laos
Across in Laos, this was some special economic zone

Golden Triangle special economic zone Laos factory

Mekong river Myanmar Laos view from Golden Triangle
The Mekong river flows all the way from China

Mekong river map Golden Triangle Chiang RaiNow, I didn’t come all the way here just to see a river. After all, Myanmar and Laos doesn’t look all that different from here.

There are boat rides that take you along the Mekong river and up to the shores of Myanmar and Laos. I approached one boatman and he told me I’d have to wait a bit for other tourists… or pay ฿1000 for the ride. Needless to say, I told him I will wait.

Golden Traingle Mekong river Chiang RaiUnfortunately, I couldn’t waste any time and so, I decided to check out the surroundings.

Golden Traingle temple park Mae Sai Chiang Saen Thailand
There was a temple-slash-park nearby

Golden Triangle mekong giant catfishGolden Triangle Mekong river Chiang Rai ThailandGolden Triangle Mekong river Chiang Rai ThailandGolden triangle buddhist temple Chiang Rai ThailandGolden Triangle buddha temple coin rollingGolden triangle temple steps to buddha statue

Golden temple coin rolling buddha statue Mae Sai
This was some contraption where in you roll a coin down to the smiling Buddha statue down there and you can hear the coin roll all the way down into his tummy

Golden Triangle temple Chiang Rai

Mekong river Golden triangle boat tour
I could see one group boat tour on their way

Golden Triangle buddhist temple near mekong riverGolden triangle buddhist temple dragon art Chiang RaiGolden triangle temple structures Mae Sai ThailandGolden traingle temple near mekong river Chiang Rai

Temple entrance near Golden Triangle
Checked this place out next

Temple entrance steps Mae Sai ThailandTemple near Golden Triangle worship areaWat Phra That Ku Phao temple steps architecture

Wat Phra That Ku Phao temple Mae Sai Thailand
Wat Phra That Ku Phao temple

Wat Phra That Ku Phao temple Mae Sai Thailand

Golden Triangle view Mekong river from hill Mae Sai Chiang Rai
You get a better view from up here

Golden Triangle view point from hill Mae SaiDragon steps temple near Golden triangleOld temple on hill near Golden Triangle

Wat Phra That Pu Khao old temple Mae Sai Chiang Rai
Checked out what looked like an even older temple

Wat Phra That Pu Khao old temple Mae Sai Chiang RaiWat Phra That Pu Khao old temple hall Chiang SaenWat Phra That Pu Khao steps Chiang RaiWat Phra That Pu Khao forest trees Chiang RaiWat Phra That Pu Khao steps down Mae Sai

Wat Phra That Pu Khao tourist Chiang Rai
Got back down

Wat Phra That Pu Khao stone art Mae SaiWat Phra That Pu Khao dragon steps tourists Mae SaiWat Phra That Pu Khao stone dragon artStone dragon art Thai engraving Chiang RaiOnce out, I went back to the river banks to see if there were enough tourists in a boat ready to embark on the river tour, but there still wasn’t any.

I waited a little bit.

Mae Sai Chiang Rai ThailandBut the heat was getting to me, and time wasn’t on my side. There was one attraction I just had to see before I left Chiang Rai. My Orient Thai Airlines flight was at 4:25pm, which meant I had to be at the airport at least by 2:30pm. Given that the journey back to Chiang Rai town was going  to take one and half hours (now considering traffic), I couldn’t hang around much longer.

I boarded a passing by pickup taxi (which itself aren’t that frequent on this stretch) and made my way back to Chiang Saen town.

Laos across Mekong river Chiang Rai
Was I disappointed I couldn’t do the boat ride? A little bit

My friend Sawmteii (whom I would meet up with in a few days) did the Golden Triangle boat tour from Chiang Mai, which cost them around ฿2000 per person. They told me the boat tour basically takes you to the shores of Myanmar and Laos for a few minutes. Doesn’t sound that exciting I know, but if I had managed to get a spot on a boat from here for a reasonable rate, I would have done it just so I can check off the ‘Golden Triangle tour’ from my list of things-to-do in Thailand.

Chiang Saen town bus stop
I got into a bus heading for Chiang Rai
Bus Chiang Saen to Chiang Rai
Bus ticket cost ฿74 (Taken on the Nokia E72)
Leaving Chiang Saen for Chiang Rai Thailand
The bus left at around 10:30am

Chiang Saen village houses Thailand

Chiang Saen outskirts farmland Thailand
Since I woke up early, with the sun hitting my eyes, I quickly dozed off

Chiang Saen local house ThailandBut I woke up to see the bus stopped and a police officer inspecting the passengers. He approached me and asked me where I was coming from. I quickly realized it was a check  for illegal immigration, in case somebody from Myanmar or Laos just waltzed right into Thailand. I had a copy of my passport and showed him my driver’s license. That was it, the officer got down from the bus and we were on our way again.

Chiang Rai new bus terminal Thailand
This is the new bus terminal, which is a bit far from the main town

I got back to town just past 12 noon, so I was good on time. I decided to have lunch from The Pizza Company, which is Thailand largest and most popular pizza chain. They have a lot of value for money meals and their pizza was quite good too (my meal cost ฿179).

Soon after lunch, I decided to quickly head to Wat Rong Khun, also nicknamed the White Temple. I approached a tuk-tuk and told him I needed to quickly visit the White Temple and then be back in town to head to the airport. He offered to drive me to the White Temple, wait for me there, and then drive me to the airport — all for ฿250. Figuring it sounded like a time saver, I considered it a good deal and we first went back to Ruangnakorn Hotel to collect my bags.

Chiang Rai tuk tuk driver Thailand
The journey takes around 10 minutes from the city

Chiang Rai policeman moped ThailandOnce I reached the White Temple, I left my bags in the tuk tuk and entered the premises. There isn’t an entrance fee for Wat Rong Khun.

Wat Rong Khun white temple Chiang Rai
a.k.a the White Temple
Wat Rong Khun white temple Chiang Rai Thailand
It’s an art masterpiece for which construction began in 1998
White temple Wat Rong Khun tree heads Chiang Rai
The temple is designed with a theme of passing through hell during rebirth, a chance to purify oneself. Thus the colour white.

Wat Rong Khun golden structure Chiang Rai

Wat Rong Khun White Temple hands from hell sculpture
Wat Rong Khun is easily one of the coolest works of art I’ve seen!

Wat Rong Khun white temple skull hell hands sculpture Chiang RaiWat Rong Khun white temple skull hell hands deadWat Rong Khun white temple skull hell hands sculptures

Wat Rong Khun White Temple buddhist hindu temple
The temple was designed by the same man behind the Golden Clock Tower in the city, artist Chalermchai Kositpipat

White temple Wat Rong Khun warrior sculpture Chiang Rai ThailandWhite temple Wat Rong Khun warrior sculpture Chiang Rai

White temple Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai Thailand
Photography inside the main hall, which houses the Buddha statue, is prohibited

Wat Rong Khun white temple fountainsWat Rong Khun white temple entrance pathWhite Temple Wat Rong Khun ubosot prayer hall Chiang RaiWhite Temple Wat Rong Khun Thai art design Chiang RaiWhite temple Wat Rong Khun lawn Chiang Rai ThailandWhite temple Wat Rong Khun chairs Chiang RaiWhite temple Wat Rong Khun garden Chiang Rai ThailandWhite Temple Wat Rong Khun compound wall Chiang Rai

White Temple Wat Rong Khun no alcohol Thai cut out
No alcohol allowed inside Wat Rong Khun… so says this cut out

Wat Rong Khun white temple no entryWhite Temple Wat Rong Khun architecture Chiang RaiWhite Temple Wat Rong Khun side garden Chiang RaiWhite Temple Wat Rong Khun ubosot hall Chiang RaiWhite Temple Wat Rong Khun ubosot design Chiang Rai

White Temple Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai panorama
Panorama comprised of 6 shots

White temple Wat Rong Khun ubosot Chiang Rai Thailand White temple Wat Rong Khun golden hall Chiang Rai

White Temple Wat Rong Khun white fish pond Chiang Rai
Even the fish are white!

White Temple Wat Rong Khun white fish Chiang Rai

White temple Wat Rong Khun front Chiang Rai Thailand
It was time for me to leave

I went back to my waiting tuk tuk and we headed back into the city, because the airport was in the other direction.

While in the city, I saw a sign pointing to Chiang Rai beach… which made me wonder how there is a ‘beach’ in a land-locked district. Turns out it’s just on the shores of a river.

On the way to Chiang Rai airport
The drive to the airport takes around 30 minutes

 


Dry farm land Chiang Rai Thailand Lone house on way to Chiang Rai airportHouses on way to Chiang Rai airportFarm land Chiang Rai outskirtsRoad to Chiang Rai international airportRiver on the way Chiang Rai international airport Thailand

Chiang Rai international airport Thailand
I arrived by 2:10pm, early enough

Chiang Rai International Airport is enough to serve the district and offers nothing fancy. I got my window seat and sat in the departures lounge.

Orient Thai one-two-go airlines Chiang Rai to Bangkok
My Orient Thai flight was on time as well

The ticket was cheap and the time suited me fine. Initially I was reluctant to fly Orient Thai, because they don’t seem to go by One-Two-Go Airlines anymore, because the airline apparently had a poor safety record in the past.

Aerial view Chiang Rai Thailand
But the flight was just fine

 

Aerial photograph river Chiang Rai Thailand Aerial photograph from airplane Chiang Rai farm ThailandAerial photograph from plane Chiang Rai farm landAerial photograph river Chiang RaiAerial photograph from plane Chiang Rai

Clouds Thailand aerial photography from plane
The scenery gave way to the clouds
Thailand bangkok at night from flight
By the time I was over Bangkok, the sun had set

Aerial photograph from plane Bangkok city lightsMy next stop was Pattaya but in the flight, I was contemplating whether I should stay on Khao San road tonight and leave for Pattaya early morning tomorrow. But after I got out of Don Mueang Airport (the old airport), I decided to try and get to Pattaya tonight itself so that it’ll save me the trouble of waking up early again. I took a taxi and headed to Mo Chit bus terminal. En route the taxi driver asked me where I was headed, and when I said “Pattaya,” he told me “Oh, you won’t get bus now!”. Which I didn’t pay much attention to as I figured it was his way of making me consider taking a taxi ride all the way. Once at Mo Chit, I easily got a bus ticket — though most bus companies were on their final trip for the evening. This was around 6:30-7pm.

Sukhumvit Bangkok MRT pillars at night
The bus set off past 7pm, passing Sukhumvit
Rama highway to Pattaya at night
We mostly rode on the elevated highway, the longest in the world
Bangkok port on way to Pattaya
The journey took more than 2 hours

I arrived in Pattaya, not knowing where in the city I was. This was my first visit to Pattaya, as I had zero interest in visiting the place last year on my first trip to Thailand. I only had a hotel reservation for tomorrow, so I still needed to find a bed for tonight. I got into a pickup taxi and asked the driver to just take me to a “cheap room” for tonight. It was already past 10pm and I was eager to crash, as I have been up and about since 6am today. The driver took me to a place called Little Court. A single room cost ฿250 and I checked in. After freshening up, I went out to pick up some dinner and to buy some credit for my local SIM. After updating my father, I called it a night. Well, I tried to… but the room, despite being on a higher floor was still open to the bars outside playing loud music. I guess this was to be expected with Pattaya.


Next posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Thailand 2010: Back to Bangkok — Chinatown, Patpong, Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market

Thailand 2010: Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Sampeng Market, JJ market (again)

Thailand 2010: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tour, Cobra show… and leaving Bangkok

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Thailand 2010: Last day of Loi Krathong; Sunday Grand Parade (Day 4, Part 2)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: First day in Chiang Mai for Loi Krathong; driving up Doi Suthep

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai

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