Два дня в Бангкоке Two days in Bangkok

Rested in Thailand for the first time from 13 to 31 July 2011. I am 37 years old, my husband is 44 years old, my friend is 30 years old. Tickets and hotels were booked through asiahotels. ru. Flying Thai Airways via Bangkok - great! We just got cold, so if you fly in thai, take warm clothes (plaids are small and synthetic, they don’t help).
We were in Bangkok for 2 days. At the airport, we bought SIM cards on the 2nd floor and immediately put the money in. We went up to the 4th floor (departure) and immediately got into a taxi. I turned on the meter, but I didn’t take it on the highway, although I said that I pay for the highway. We arrived quickly (we arrived at 7 am, again thanks to asiahotels we picked up flights very well, we did not lose even half a day). But, despite the schemes, the taxi driver did not find the CITIN PRATUNAM hotel in Thai. Tried to call the given numbers - no one answered.
In general, we got off at the sky bikes (next to which our hotel seems to be located), having paid 250 baht at the counter, and with a suitcase of 30 kg we walked in circles around this fucking market (the roads there, as you might guess, are not ideal, but the suitcase is heavy on wheels) and the Thais themselves do not know anything (at every step they asked and showed the diagram in Thai! ). In general, with grief in half we found our hotel (ask for directions from the tukers or you will get there). And indeed it is located very close to the sky bike, but we learned this path only by the end of the second day (and we leave in the morning). I must say right away that I do not suffer from topographic cretinism! The hotel is cozy, the rooms are clean. For smokers - no balconies, windows do not open. Breakfasts are terrible - vegetarian, I ate only fried toast with butter and tea. I don't eat pasta, corn, etc. for breakfast. But the breakfasts did not strain - food in Thailand is everywhere and a lot and cheap.

There is a free tuk-tuk from the hotel. But: on the first day after taking a shower, we gathered in Siam Paragon and we needed a skytrain station. A tuk-tuk from the hotel took us to the main road and pointed there. In general, we walked for another 15-20 minutes (asking at every step where the metro is), and the tuker could take us in 5 minutes. What is the point of this free tuk-tuk is not clear. And on the second day, we gathered in the old city and asked to be taken to the river (this is also 5-10 minutes on a tuk), so we were asked to wait 15 minutes (although there seemed to be no one and the time was early, 8 am). In general, remembering yesterday’s b / n service, we decided not to wait and took a paid tuk-tuk for 60 baht (it’s not cheap for this distance, but taxi drivers and tukers are impudent everywhere, I’ll tell you more later) he again didn’t take us to the end and showed me where to go. And we again looked for this pier and found out whether we should sail in the right direction.
Moreover, ordinary Thais go to work on these water trams and not everyone understood Wat Saket, Wat Po, Wat Phra Kheo (the names of their own temples where we were going). I must say right away that all the routes were developed in advance by sitting on the Internet for 2 months. Public transport was preferred not because of economy - firstly, faster, and secondly, more interesting. Yes, even in the hotel, I speak good English, but not perfect, and it seems that the girls at the reception are somehow not friendly with English. We talked with a man a couple of times (I don’t know who he is by position, either a manager, or a tour agency at the hotel), and he explained to us in good English where and what, and he understood me (unlike the receptionist, who 3 times realized that I was asking for a map of the city). Before leaving, I again asked this man about a taxi - it’s not a problem to go to the reception, check out and ask for a taxi.
There is always a car near the hotel - 350 baht without a meter (I think it's very divine! ). Conclusion 1: none of this bothered us, except for the location! If I had known, I would have taken another hotel! When you understand its location, it is no longer necessary. On the first day in the evening after all the shops and the aquarium and Madame Tussauds - the legs fell off, the taxi driver asked for 200 baht to the hotel! It takes less than 10 minutes to get there. We agreed with the tuker for 60 baht (I wanted from each, but agreed on two, in Bangkok we were alone with a friend, my husband arrived later in Phuket). Conclusion 2: who wants to see Bangkok and its suburbs, you need to take more days - I liked it there, there is a lot to see, especially when you have information.
Yes, and the law of meanness worked for us. On the second day we went to the old city to see the main temples. The first to see Wat Saket (temple of the golden mountain), I advise everyone, I liked it more than others.

Then on foot (it’s not far, about 20 minutes) we went to the Royal Palace and, naturally, on the way, a couple of Thais told us in English that it was closed due to something and that you could see other temples. But, we are smart, we read everything, we know the whole scam! We come to the Royal Palace - oops! - are not allowed. Indeed, on July 15-16-17-18, Big Budda was celebrated. But the entrance opened from 12 noon, and we arrived at 10. Since the route was calculated, we did not wait and return and did not look at the main temple itself. But these days they also don't sell alcohol in Bangkok! And in the evening we had to take beer from the minibar. I must say that no one in the hotel scammed us for money - how much we drank - we paid so much.
We looked at Wat Po (be sure to do a massage there, it’s better than there, they won’t do it anywhere, you really feel professionals there, the movements are clear, on the verge of pain, as it should be with a massage, we did a foot massage and later regretted that we didn’t do a Thai massage, because that in Phuket, they realized that if they do foot massage worse, then it’s better not to do Thai massage at all - after all, Thai massage is very close to manual therapy, and they don’t joke with that).
And a little about shopping in Bangkok. We had very little time. In Siam Paragon, go only to the oceanarium, the rest are cool boutiques of Chanel, Gucci, etc. In Siam Discovery, on the 6th floor, go to the Madame Tussauds wax museum. Central World (near Siam Paragon) is an analogue of our shopping centers such as Metropolis and Golden Babylon. The prices in them are approximately Moscow. And there are no large sizes at all (the same is in Phuket). But we walked very quickly, because we were tired, maybe we didn’t see it.
In pharmacies, we bought aloe vera gel, sniffers (inhalers), balm, shampoo, shower gel - everything is somewhat cheaper than in Phuket. But in the street market, my friend (weight 50 kg) bought without measuring a sarafan - 250 baht, shorts with a tip combined - 350 baht (everything is like a glove village), summer bags made of cotton and, as it were, woven macrame for 200-250 baht, hairpins - crabs 10.20 baht, t-shirts with the inscription "thailand" for 100 baht (but my husband has already grown out of such t-shirts, so in Phuket we bought branded camel active t-shirts for 600 baht). Not far from our hotel there is a shopping complex Platinum Mall - this is a kind of indoor market. My friend bought a bunch of underwear, scarves, baby clothes for the baby. Here is a summary of 2 days in Bangkok.