Bangkok Baby!!!!! (Again!!!!)

Once I was shown to my room, I unpacked and freshened up a bit. I was already on Thai time thanks to the sleep, so instead of being tempted to take a wee nap that would’ve thrown me completely, at 7pm I was ready to head out for the evening. I’m staying in the Silom district which is handy for most things really. Patpong Night Market is a 10 minute walk away, and Lumpini Night Market about 20 minutes.

I have really fond memories of the market near the park, lots of stalls not selling the usual tourist rubbish but work by young artists and designers, and just stuff you don’t really see elsewhere. Plus they have a brilliant food court where you can sample all kinds of SE Asian cuisine cheaply and they throw in a show! Usually it’s teenagers miming to the latest pop songs but it’s kinda cute.

That wasn’t my destination tonight though, I was off over to the far side of town to the Khao San Road to book my trip to the Tiger Temple. I did a deal with one of the Tuk Tuk drivers outside the hotel whereby if he didn’t stiff me on fares or try to take me to his ‘friend’s shop’ I would use him for all my transport needs over the coming week. He saw the sense in this and we were off.

My first time in Bangkok in 2006 I was too scared of the traffic to risk a Tuk Tuk and took cabs everywhere, but this is my third trip and I know that if you get the right driver, he will shave several minutes off every journey compared to a cab. Not to mention they are far cheaper! He dropped me at the end of the road and as I remembered it last year, it was teeming with people of all ages, mostly from Europe, either at the start or the end of their travels. The younger ones at the start, were the ones with the wide eyes, sitting patiently as they had the obligatory dreadlocks sewn into their short hair - boom! Instant traveller.

I made my way up the road to the travel agent I used to book my trip last time last time, and the same guy was there. Needless to say he didn’t remember me, in 18 months he must’ve sold a gazillion tickets. He was somewhat easier to recognise because the fingers of his left hand are missing. I remember the shock of seeing it last time because you just don’t notice it at first, the same thing happened this time! He’s a good bloke and as he wrote out my ticket for Thursday’s trip, he was also advising me on my forthcoming trip around Vietnam and Cambodia - without even trying to sell me a trip I hasten to add.

Once I was all sorted for Thursday, I took my time strolling down the road, I had some Pad Thai, that cost pennies, then I treated myself to a 15 minute session in the Fish Spa. Over the last year or so these have been popping up all over the UK, but the ones I’ve seen at home have maybe the 10 of the Garra Ruffa fish in a tank looking a bit sad and gummy, over here there’s thousands and these little fuckers are feisty!


I plonked my trotters in and immediately it looked like I was wearing fish legwarmers! Nothing can prepare you for the sensation of these mouths on your skin, nor do you get used to it. I’ve had a fair few of them now but that first couple of minutes just feels really, intensely weird!

After that I followed it up with a 30 minute foot massage which felt wonderful, especially when she gave my knackered old knees a good going over. Then it was time for dessert - mango and sticky rice with coconut milk - eating this stuff is what heaven must be like I reckon!

I found another Tuk Tuk to bring me back to the hotel and after a good hot shower and a quick check of my emails via the free hotel internet, it was bedtime.
Wednesday say me on a mission. Whenever I’ve travelled in the past one of the joys has been not using my mobile and knowing that if anyone wants to contact me it’ll have to be by email and thus at my convenience. This time, because I’m doing gigs, I decided it was time to embrace the 21st century away from home. All the time I was in India I resisted it, and there were opportunities lost as a result of not being able to contact or be contacted at times.

So off I went on the fabulous Sky Train to MBK - a massive mall that specialises in electronics. I couldn’t swear that everything sold there is genuine, but if you like a gadget this is the place to come! I was focused on my target though - a cheap pay-as-you-go mobile. It took me all of 20 minutes and 850 baht - less than £20 - for a phone and sim card. Perfect.

From there I browsed the three Siam Malls across the road from MBK - there’s all kinds of genuine designer goods for sale here but there’s also a section that features young designers doing all kinds of funky clothes at not too obscene prices. Somehow I managed to resist buying anything - even a pair of fabulous trousers I saw that I totally loved, they had that old ‘dropped crotch’ thing going on and after catching a glimpse of myself in a pair in a shop window in India earlier in the year I know they really aren’t for me!

I came back for a roof-top swim in the rain, but by the time I got to my room all I was fit for was a power nap - ahhh the joys of aging!
The stormy Bangkok sky at night.

In the evening I decided to hit both the night markets - Patpong first, then Lumpini. Luckily for me I asked at the reception before I set out. God knows why, but Lumpini Night Market is long gone it turns out! What a shame. It really was the perfect bazaar.

Just Patpong it is then. I wandered along the backstreets (look at me I know a shortcut!) and while the stalls were all out and the go-go bars all open and garish with their neon, there were surprisingly few tourists. I spoke to someone later who said that the numbers are down generally, but I also realised that I’m not actually here in the height of the tourist season either. I kinda like it to be honest.

I prowled the streets looking not for a ‘love you long time’ treat, but for the handbag that might transform my life. Well, either I am changing or the the quality of the fakes is going down, but there wasn’t one bag that tickled my fancy!

I have to say that my buzz comes from just wandering about the streets, people watching, taking in all of the sights and sounds - and smells - and this sure is a city to fulfill all of those needs.