An Impromptu Trip To Bangkok

What happens when there's a typhoon in Japan and your flight gets delayed? Thanks to Typhoon Hagibis. We had an impromptu visit to Bangkok.

I was returning to Japan after my vacation in India with transit in Bangkok.

Our flights were delayed due to the typhoon that struck Japan. Lucky for us. Our transit at Bangkok became a one day trip.

I'm glad we visited most of the places in a day. If you love Budhha and the shrines, Bangkok is the place for you.

We had our cousins put up in Bangkok. So we started exploring after keeping our luggage at their place. However, Airbnbs and hotels are also affordable in Thailand.

Getting a cab from the airport:

Finish your formalities at the airport and head over to the public taxi counter that you will find towards the left end once you step out of the airport.

Get the tokens for taxis from the machine and hand it over to the attendant in the counter with your drop location.

Head off to your room, get refreshed and start your journey with the below itinerary.

We used cabs for our entire travel and found it to be easier and affordable. Download the go app to book taxis.

You can search for free wifi available or you can also buy the data sim card available at airports. Download the Wiman app so that you get connected to free wifis automatically.

Few more tips before we head off to the itinerary:

• Thailand has hoardings with pictures of the king. Do not pass any comments on such photos. It is considered as a defaming or an insult and people will be sued and jailed for approximately 17 years without question. Even your respective country embassy can't help you in bringing out.

  

• Most of the temples do not allow shorts or sleeveless. So watch your dress code while visiting shrines.

• All the tourist attractions are quite nearby and can be easily covered in a day. You can find tourist agents trying to get you into their ferries or riverboats.  You can choose the ride which you prefer. For instance, the entire ride to all the shrines in Bangkok might cost you 4000 baht approximately. I personally consider it expensive though you can enjoy your ride and prefer taking the cab (quick transportation and cost-effective).

Itinerary:

Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan

Our first stop from our accommodation was to the Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan which cost us around 192 baht by cab.

Wat traimit holds the 5.5-tonne statue of a seated Golden Buddha. The Buddha was covered in plasters for many years hiding the gold. The originality of the Buddha was revealed when the plasters began to chip off during the relocation of the statue.

Entrance fee to the golden Buddha: 40 baht

Time to spend: 15-20 minutes

The place also holds a museum where one can understand the history behind it.

Entrance fee to the museum: 100 baht

Wat Arun Ratchavararam (Temple of the dawn)

Our next destination from Wat Traimit was the Wat Arun Ratchavararam (also known as the Temple of the dawn) - 160 baht by cab.

It is one of the stunning temples, beautifully decorated with tiny pieces of colored glass and Chinese porcelain pieces placed delicately into intricate patterns.

Entrance fee: 50 baht

Timings: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Time to spend: 1 hour

Once you come out of the temple, you will find many shops where you can shop for souvenirs and handicrafts and also enjoy Thai coconuts and coconut ice creams.

Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

Check out for the riverboat to reach Wat Pho from Wat Arun. You can find it towards the end. Join the queue and reach Wat Pho for just 4 baht - super cheap. The ride by boat takes a maximum of 10 minutes.

Entrance fee: 100 baht

Timings: 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM

Also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, this temple holds the massive reclining buddha - 15 meters tall, 46 meters long. I would say this is a must-visit place. I personally loved it.

Also, it has beautiful courtyards in which there are many stupas beautifully decorated with tiles and porcelain similar to Wat Arun.

The Grand Palace and the temple of the emerald buddha

The grand palace can be reached from Wat Arun by a 15-minute walk.

This dazzling architecture is undoubtedly the best landmark in Bangkok. Though the Kings don't live in the palace anymore,  the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings.

The place explains where the king, his sons, and daughters lived.

The Central Court is where the residence of the King and meeting rooms used for conducting state business were located.

The Inner Court is where the King's royal consorts and children lived.

Towards the other end, at the outer court, a small, but beautiful emerald Buddha statue can be seen inside the temple of the emerald buddha. It is considered as Thailand's sacred temple.

Timings: 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Price: 500 baht

Time to spend: Varies accordingly. (1.5 hours to half a day)

Squeeze in if you want to visit all the other places within a day. It is better to make this as your first location to visit due to the early closing hours.

Finally, we ended the day by shopping at one of the popular malls - the Siam mall.

Thailand is a place where you can enjoy street food. So look out for them. We enjoyed the authentic Thai green curry with rice (missed to take a picture because I was super hungry) and also look out for grilled crocodiles!

I am a big lover of Thai soaps. If you are someone like me, do not forget to buy them in the markets. The soaps are hand made with beautiful designs. My favorite is the coconut soap. You can find those in all shapes and flavors. Try them out!

So, when are you heading to Bangkok?

Follow me on  Instagram for live updates