I’m on the road again, and I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes. So I take my time to sleep off the jetlag in Bangkok. Funny enough, this time I don’t feel any jetlag. At all.
The more time I spend in Bangkok, the more I like it. This October , the city is different: it is a national holiday, the cremation of the old king, who died more than a year ago. Bangkok is quiet, almost no traffic. All public transport is free today. All the Thais are in mourning, wearing black. There are long queues everywhere in front of Buddhist temples, I don’t even try to go near the palace, where the main ceremonies are held.
The next day, I take the riverboat down the klong to visit the Jim Thompson House, an assortment of old Buildings in a garden.
In the evening, I go for full contrast: The rooftop bar at the Lebua view is for free, the drinks are not. I manage to miss the almost compulsive Champagne at 2300 Baht per glass (plus tax, that’s almost the price of an airline ticket to Jakarta!!) and stick to a mocktail, which is also shockingly expensive. The view, however, is totally worth it.
Timestamp: October 25th to 28th, 2017