THAILAND
'BANGKOK'
We arrived at Bangkok wearing all our trekking gear, walked outside and it was like opening an oven, even at 7:30pm it was 33'c! We wasn't entirely sure what we expected Thailand to look like, but was nothing like what we actually saw on our way to the hotel. There were modern sky scrappers and buildings everywhere, highways and roads much like London and just all around state of the art. Our hotel was lovely - drinks on arrival, it was organic so all of their furniture throughout the hotel had been made from old materials. The walls were all decorated with hand paintings that were incredible, each level had its own communal fridge and tea making facilities. There were a couple of play areas for kids, an internet room and a chill out lounge with a piano....
Our room......
The hallway to our room.....
1: No shoutingThis is a wooden shrine much like a bird house, which the staff would offer food to and say prayers every morning. But it may as well be a bird house as it was only the birds that ate the food! On our second day we decided to go and find the two churches we had seen on the map. But we couldn't find them so got the river taxi to China Town. Disappointed with China Town as not at all like the London version - as the Chinese looked much like the Thai, we couldn't actually tell which part was China Town! Unless you wanted to buy any type of gun known to man there, it wasn't really worth seeing. We walked through the streets where you will never go hungry - loads of street food everywhere selling all sorts of 'don't know what' but mainly fish and pork....we think it was pork!? Mrs F bought a big bag of mango for just 50p :-) We walked back through a little exercise park where the rules were as follows......
2: No kissing
3: No holding hands
4: No frisbee's
5: No footballs
6: No fishing
7: No taking fish out of water
8: No putting fish in water
9: No feeding fish
10: No spitting.
The river taxi that took you as far as you wanted for just 30p!
We walked back towards the river taxi dock through another little market of food stalls. The Lonely Planet and other trekkers say that the street food is very trusted and very tasty, so we stopped and had lunch. Mr F had fried rice and egg and Mrs F had noodles and veg. After lunch, Mrs F purchased a coconut to wash it all down with. Mr F took a few pics of stuff on way back to our hotel on the river taxi......
This is the worlds longest single bridge suspension....
This is made purely of mosaic tiles.....
The food stall market where we had lunch.
The stall that made our lunch
Mr F looking pleased with his street food lunch
The next day, Mrs F woke up to find that the mossies had feasted on her during the night, causing very nasty reactions :-( We went in search for the churches again, one called The Church of Holy Conception, but gave up after not finding it. After giving up searching, we started walking to the river taxi dock and stumbled across both churches! One church was in mid service and full which was nice to see. We would have gone in but we felt we weren't properly attired and the service was in Thai.....well we are in Thailand after all! :-)
The Church of Holy Conception.... 
We took the river taxi to the main city centre of Bangkok. It was just as manic as London in terms of volumes of people but mainly were all Thai. Saw a few 'Lady Boys' and lots of old white blokes with young Thai women....gross!! Mrs F purchased yet more mango and once we had managed to make our way through all the people and general city mayhem, we bought some nibbles and sat in Thailand's equivalent to Hyde Park. In amongst all the noise and was a very chilled out and quiet park called Lumphini park. We saw a couple of lizard type things just wondering freely around and some turtles chilling out on a log in the water. We liked the park......
After leaving the park, we headed for the shopping malls. There were six buildings all next to each other and each mall had eight huge levels - loads of clothes shops, food galleries galore, big cinema complexes, ice rinks and loads more. One particular mall was all designer gear and had a BMW and Lamborghini showroom on the third floor!! Was tempted to go in and ask for a test drive :-) We were just in awe at how huge these shopping malls are. After looking around for somewhere to eat, we decided that some familiar food was needed....so we had KFC. After that, we went to an ice cream parlour called 'Swensens' that had a menu for all sorts of wonderful ice cream deserts. (You can Google it) We (Mrs F) had a snickers glory....yum yum yum! After stuffing our faces (Mrs F) we decided to get the sky train back to
the river taxi dock. It out-done London underground or any other London
train with its immaculate cleanliness, air conditioned to the max and a
TV.
We tried to get all of the levels in the pic....
. 
The sky train......
On way back to our hotel Mr F bought a bag of coke......yes that's right, a bag of coke! Thailand are keen on recycling so all drinks go in what looks like a supermarket fruit n veg bag, weather it be coke or tea!
That night, Mr F found us a nice little restaurant to eat out called 'Number 5'. Mr F was quite insistent on staying veggie during our trip through Asia and so restaurant cooked him up a veggie dish that wasn't even on the menu - fat Thai noodles with veg and chilli veg with rice. Apparently it was lush!
On our third day, we went on our first Tuk Tuk to the famous 'Chatachuk Market' The worlds biggest market holding 15,000 stalls over every weekend and attracting 200,000 each day. There is even a map showing the areas of specific merchandise, including a pet section which was way too upsetting to see in full. People on trip adviser had warned us of the poor conditions the animals are kept in and they weren't wrong. The part that we saw had puppies that were far too young to be taken from their Mum and kept in a small cage with no water, panting, crying and being pulled by their tails :-( Mrs F wanted to ask the seller why they don't have water but we just walked away. We walked through the little alleys of stalls in an undercover part and we bought some cotton bracelets each. Then outside near all the food stalls, Mrs F bought a very lovely and fresh smoothie. After seeing enough of the market, we got the sky train back to the shopping malls to have lunch. We ate in Nandos!!! Not to the same standard as A London version'we'd like to add :-)
Then we had a walk around some of the other shopping malls where Mrs F had a rather large waffle with banana and ice-cream....and chocolate sauce. That was also lush! Mr F bought a T.shirt in what seemed like Thailand's TKmaxx in place of his worn out one he'd been wearing.
Our Tuk Tuk ride....
Some of the stalls by the market
Mr F with his new bracelets
Mr F with his new slimming t.shirt.....looking good!
We took the sky train again back to catch the river taxi to the hotel. When we got on the train it was gorgeous blue skies and when we got off, it was absolutely pouring down. We had to get on the river taxi during quite a bad thunderstorm...was an experience! As the weather was too bad to go to our Number 5 restaurant again, we stayed in the hotel and ate which was ok. Mrs F had a proper Thai green curry.
Our river taxi in the thunderstorm and only picture of a monk......
Mrs F enjoying her Thai green curry
The next day Mrs F decided to go for a traditional Thai massage......and was nothing like what she was expecting!! A very tiny Thai lady inflicted pain in areas Mrs F never knew she could hurt. She found every trigger point going and stretched out every muscle and ligament. She used her feet to push in the inside of the thighs and groin (very odd) It was more of a physio massage rather than a nice relaxing one that was expected. Think next time it will be a foot massage, must be the safer option.....surely???
A FEW OTHER PICS....
View of Thai statue from top of our hotel...
One of the royal palaces.....
Hundreds of fish by the river taxi dock
Muggles and Buggles enjoying Bangkok......
The majority of Thai people are huge royalists and there are photos and statues all over of their king. They have the national anthem and a recorded speech of their king playing in over loud speakers throughout the streets and shrines dedicated to him. Most places you are not allowed to visit unless you are more or less completely covered up to show respect to the king. On our last day in Bangkok, we walked to a park we had seen on the map to 'cop a squat' with nibbles, but was not allowed in unless we were covered. There are places to hire clothing but it was way too hot for that. We walked through a huge Red Cross Fair - the entire town had shut its roads off for the weekend for it. Mrs F bought a chilled Ovaltine, different but nice. Back to hotel to shower before heading off to airport and our next destination. Hotel gave us bottles of water to take with us which was a nice touch.
One of the shrines in the street
Practicing our Thai goodbye.....
FAREWELL BANGKOK, HELLO PHUKET!!!!
MR F: Loved Bangkok, loads to see and do. River taxi is the best way to get around. Hotel was different but good, would recommend as a place to stay.
MRS F: Quite surprised at how modern and up to date Bangkok is. Was good to see and experience new and different things. Struggled with what to eat as most of the food is fish based, but got by well. To sum up, I quite liked Bangkok.
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