Bangkok,
Thailand
Friday, August 12, 2005
Bangkok was a nightmare. My friend from Spain picked up a prostitute and unluckily he was robbed while he was sleeping at a cheap hotel on Kaosan Road with the girl. He lost all the cash, passport, and digital camera. He said the girl had nothing to do with the robbery, but I was not sure. Anyway, immediately we presented a report to the police station located at the end of the Khaosan Road. We found some other victims from overseas there, although I doubt the police was helpful. Then we headed for Spanish consulate for a new passport. The consulate was just a small room in a large building, but there was a guard at the entrance and we were made to register our names. I didn't like wasting my time there, so I accused him of the fiasco, because I was very tired from the walk in the heat of Bangkok. I know I was stupid, because he was more tired from the trouble at that time. From then on, we realised that we should be very careful of seculity and safety in Southeat Asia. The main tourist spots I visited in Bangkok were Wat Phra Kaew (Grand Palace), Wat Pho, Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn), and Chinatown. There are a number of temples and scammers in Bangkok and honestly I was a little bit tired. Even when I was strolling around my hostel I was caught by a scammer speaking Thai at first, then English to me. He suggested a quick tour of Bangkok by tuktuk. However, from my experience in Kuala Lumpur, I was not decieved by the English speaking native like him. Eventually, the best thing to do in Bangkok was wandering throgh Khaosan Road Night Market.
Then we headed for Ayuthaya by train. It is close to Bangkok and a must-see in Thailand. After a few minute walk from the station, we took a boat to the island. Actually, we didn't know Ayuthaya is an island until then. Cruising around the island looked appealing, but it was fairly expensive, so we skipped it. Then, we rent bikes and travelled around the island, where several attractions were scattered. Our guesthouse in the tourist area was 10 min from the ferry port. It was a small guesthouse, but when we left there, we had a trouble about the rate. although we paid correctly, I was sorry for the landlady who made a mistake by accident. Wat Pra Si Sanphet was one of the best attractions in Ayutthaya with a lot of Buddha statues without heads.Ayutthaya historical park behind the temple was also good to relax. Wat Lokayasuttharam had a large reclining Buddha. Wat Chai Wattanaram was located just out of the island, but worth a vist. Then we headed for Laos.
