Life in Bangkok

I never been to any countries but Indonesia. In Malaysia, only transit. So Bangkok was the first country outside of Indonesia where I stepped my foot in.

Bangkok! Home?

After stopped in Kuala Lumpur for a while, took another flight to Bangkok, finally I arrived in this elephant country. I had to wait for Ed at the airport. We almost couldn't meet each other, since he thought I was already gone to Khaosan. Since we arrived at midnight, so we decided to wait at the airport until morning comes. Suvarnabhumi Airport was a really nice place, sophisticated. Even we considered to spend our days in Bangkok at the airport, because you can sleep there, eat there, drink there, even take a shower there. And it provides you with almost everything, AC, benches, restaurants, toilet, book store, and music! hehe.. But we didn't do that, no worries.

In the morning, we went to Khaosan Road by tourist bus! Not so easy to find a hotel around Khaosan Road, especially we arrived there before 12 pm when normally people haven't checked out. So we walked to one hotel to another asking whether they still have room. And we got a hotel with discount! Not so bad.

Bangkok was pretty much the same like Jakarta. Typical of big cities. I didn't really like it. Almost same city, same buildings, same traffic, even people looked the same. Well not so interesting. And since we don't like tourist attractions, so we didn't go to any of them. We wanted to go to floating market or jatujak market, but then we had to wake up in the morning and it was far, outside Bangkok. So laziness won. :D

And Khaosan Road and around were like another shopping center. You could find almost everything there. It was good. But then it made that place fucking crowded!

Are You Local?

What the difference does it make when I leave my country just to see the place which is almost the same like home? Where people also think that you're local and give you the same label? Well, actually it's nothing wrong to be locals, especially when you can get local price. ;) But since I was there with my ex-boyfriend, and he's a german (farang in Thai), so people would think that I was a local girl with a farang! And yeah, there people always thought that I was a Thai girl and always tried to talk to me in Thai! Jeez!

Don't get me wrong, it's all pure my opinion. I think in touristic places, local people do not treat local tourists as well as they treat foreign tourists! Same like in Ubud, same like in Bangkok, same like in Saigon, everywhere the same I think! But until now, Bangkok is the worst, well especially Khaosan Road and around.

You know in every tourist places, there must be street sellers. If you recognize it, you would know that they rarely offer their stuff to local tourists! As if they do not exist! Though sometimes it's good, because mostly street sellers are annoying!

I told you already that for me the worst until now is in Bangkok. One time I was eating with my ex-boyfriend in the restaurant, but he didn't eat. He just accompanied me. After I finished my food, I asked for the bill, and the waiter gave the bill to my ex-boyfriend instead of me! Hey I was the one who ate here, did you think I couldn't afford my own food!?

Another local-look-alike experience, also In Bangkok. Mostly in every touristic places, hotels do not allow local people to get inside the room. Once, after worked and before we ate, my friends wanted to take a shower. So they must get back to their hotel. So together we went to their hotel and when I was about to get inside the hotel, the lady there asked about my id, and she asked me in Thai! Errrr... So my friends had to explain to her that I was not a Thai. She didn't believe it, so she asked for my passport. Here, you can keep it! Err I was fed up!

The funny thing was when they knew I was not a Thai, they treated me well soon after that. Funny.. So funny!

Back to Bangkok!?

I spent most of my traveling time in Pai. When it was almost close to the end, I had to go to Saigon, because my flight back home was from there. I could do overland to Saigon, but I only had 10 days left. And if I wanted to do overland, I had to pass either Cambodia or Lao, and both needed visas. It would be more expensive. So I decided to take plane, but then I had to go back to Bangkok. Oh my God!

At the beginning, I thought my another 4 days in Bangkok would gonna be soooo boring. We arrived in the morning and we directly went to Khaosan Road. Ed left for Penang on the same day, spent maybe two hours in Bangkok before leaving. After he left, I was officialy alone. I supposed to feel happy because eventually I was alone. But no, I was not so happy, because I knew I would miss him so much the next days.

One thing I really missed about Bangkok only the street food! Noodle soup especially. So some hours after Ed left, I went to one of the best street food stall in Rambutri Soi, near Khaosan Road. The noodle soup didn't taste the same like the last time, but it was still good. After I finished and wanted to smoke, then I had to roll the cigarette. Oh yeah this rolling thing, I coulnd't find Sampoerna A mild there, I don't like Marlboro, so the only choice left was rolling tobacco. I couldn't roll, I always messed it up. When I was trying to roll my cigarette, for maybe 5 minutes, then the guy next to me asked, "Do you want me to roll?" Oh thanks God! hehe... ;)

I didn't realize before that this guy would change my stay in Bangkok into an unforgettable one. Oh, his name was Roberto. First, we talked about cigarette, and he told me I could buy Sampoerna here. WOW! So in the evening, I met him in his work place, a club (but the club was fucked up)! There he introduced me to his partner, Diego. So we three went to find Sampoerna. But we couldn't find it. :( We went back to the club and they introduced me to their friends. But because these two guys were good looking and people rarely saw them with a girl, so many people looked at me jealously. Moreover, they must think that I was a Thai girl, ooh made everything more perfect! :|

Even a lady boy wanted to hit me at first, Diego told me the next day. Jeez! The midget always looked at me from head to toe. Another girl always looked sad everytime I was with them. People changed their behaviours to Rob and Diego when they were with me. Ooh I felt bad because of it! but they assured me it was not my fault, but they made fun of me telling I had to be careful because people might do harm to me.

So next days I tried to be friend with their friends. And it worked! Day by day, things were getting better. :) So soon my second time in Bangkok was very good! Rob and Diego have been there altogether three months, so no wonder they knew a lot about that place. And thanks God, we didn't have talk like most of tourists do, like "have you been to...?", "ah.. I've been there before, and it was...", "my plan is, I will go to..." I didn't like it. I never make plans, go with the flow. I don't have any Lonely Planet books. Everything more fun and challenging.

So did Roberto and Diego. We talked about life and people instead. Why they did like this, like that. Why they dressed like this, like that. It was a little bit funny, when sometimes I saw some people were very stylish. I didn't know whether it was the real them or not. Me myself when I'm traveling always try to be as simple as I can. So then I can carry less stuff. Another interesting thing was they even told me to distinguish between real girl and lady boy, straight guy and gay guy, hehe.. :D

Since I spent most of my time in Bangkok at Khaosan Road, soon I knew the place was crazy! Totally crazy! Even some said it's a heaven for backpackers, regardless the rate of violence which happened there. Many drunk people, people fought in the street. And for tourists, they cannot hit local guy and girl, if they do so, they could end up in jail. But they may hit lady boy.

I didn't stay in Khaosan Road though. I stayed in Phra Atit road, it was cheaper. And if I wanted to go to Khaosan Road, there was a shortcut to Khaosan Road from Rambutri Soi (the street next to Phra Atit Road) from the back door of Israeli place. There were two Israeli places and both provided free internet service and the food there was good!

When you eat something, even they give you chop stick, they must give you spoon, because it's impolite to eat without spoon. And oh yeah, Thai food was very delicious! Soooo tasty! And do not forget to try foot massage!

If you notice this, Thai language always put "cap" for men and "caa" for women at the end of every sentences to show politeness. Men always say "cap" firmly, while women say "caa" with long and low intonation. And mostly Thai people say the letter "R" not clearly. People who can speak the letter "R" clearly considered well-educated.

In Thailand, do not dare to say anything bad about The King if you don't want to end up in jail! Thai people love their king so much. Even in particular times, there will be a song being played and all Thai people will stand up to show their respect to The King.

In the end, I liked Bangkok because of the people there. They were awesome! :)

More picture from Bangkok