This is part of my travel series, Kim’s Odyssey: https://contedelibre.substack.com/s/kims-odyssey
Hi friends,
I’m writing this from a peaceful hotel terrace in Ao Nang, looking out over water, palm trees, and some monkeys climbing across the roof. My mom’s relaxing by the pool recovering from a few wild travel days. The sun is warm, the energy is slow, and we decided it was time for a rest. So, before I fully relax, here’s a little catch-up from our first stop before this one: Bangkok.
Oh, Bangkok… where to begin!
While it’s not my first time here, it always surprises me. The city is enormous, chaotic — anything can happen. It feels safe and dangerous at the same time. It’s like you’re in the future with all the newest technology, the big buildings, skytrains, and futuristic malls - but also a bit like you’re in the Wild West, going back in time. Buildings that look like they can fall apart any minute. And at any point, you might be hit by a motorbike — sidewalk or not.
And then there’s the smell — street food, heat, sewage, a hint of chaos. The moment we stepped outside the airport, it wrapped around us like a welcome.
Here we are, in the Land of Smiles.
Finding the Green Lung
We only had two nights in the city, and my mom had never been to Thailand before. So instead of diving into the madness right away, we stayed in Bang Krachao — Bangkok’s so-called “Green Lung,” a place with a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively).
Tucked across the river, Bang Krachao is a man-made island thick with jungle, mangroves, and friendly locals. A quiet place in the middle of a megacity. As soon as we arrived, my nervous traveler tension — the healthy kind — melted away. The place was green, quiet, friendly. People waved and smiled. We felt at home instantly.
Getting there was a bit of an obstacle course though: a train, jetlag, the heat that hit us, 120 steps with all our luggage, lots of sweat, saying no to all the tuk-tuk drivers… and finally we were on our way on the (wrong) boat…. But after a long journey, we made it — bags and all — after the final 20-minute walk to the homestay.
We stayed at a peaceful homestay called Baan Suan Kai Krung, where the staff greeted us with cold drinks and a fan to cool us off. After a quick freshen-up from the 12-hour flight and ferry chaos, we hopped on bikes and rode to a nearby restaurant overlooking the river.
It was beautiful. With the big Bangkok skyline across the water from us, we toasted with Chang beers and a fresh coconut. We tried to flag down one of the ten people working there to actually take our order. But… no rush. Here, time moves how it wants. We soaked it all in.
One Day in Bangkok
The next morning, we were up early to explore.
We started at the Bang Krachao Floating Market—not actually floating, but still very charming. Built alongside the canals, it had a calm, local vibe. We tried iced coffee, coconut water, and fresh orange juice. Unfortunately, we were too full from breakfast to dive into all the delicious food available at the market. We wandered around awhile, and my mom bought some elephant pants. We enjoyed the morning.
From there, we hopped on the right boat this time — a tiny longtail just for us. It was hard to get into, and that’s when my mom ripped her new elephant pants… lol. She tied a shirt around her waist for damage control, and we continued on after the longtail, to the touristy hop-on-hop-off ferry — a great way to see Bangkok without getting run over.
We stopped at Icon Siam, an enormous mall that feels more like a theme park. Food everywhere, lots of fancy stores, and even a floating market inside. We randomly picked a restaurant, had lunch, then headed off to the next stops. We floated past temples, towers, and city chaos until we reached Khao San Road.
And oh, Khao San Road… Crocodile meat. Scorpions on skewers. Buckets of booze. Weed shops on every corner. A guy singing and dancing. Street vendors selling all kinds of things. People wandering around with backpacks, a circus.
So we just sat on a terrace and stared to take it all in.
Bangkok by Night
We skipped a few places on our list — it was already getting dark and we couldn’t make it all — so we took a taxi to an important stop for us: the hotel where my brother used to live when he worked here at 19.
It was near Nana Station, in the Sukhumvit area — and wow, what a wild neighborhood. Strip clubs, street vendors, blinking lights, the whole unfiltered Bangkok package. We both looked at each other and went, “Can you imagine moving here at 19?” Seeing it in person made it all feel real. We enjoyed a cold drink on the rooftop bar he used to spend time at, looking over the city.
From there, we wandered into Soi Cowboy, Bangkok’s red-light district. We didn’t go into any clubs but sat down at a bar called Country Roads, lured in by an ABBA cover and fantastic live music. We could’ve stayed all night — really — but we decided not to overdo it. We still had to get back across the river, eat dinner, and not fall apart from the chaos of it all completely.
So, after two beers in Soi Cowboy, we ended the day at Terminal 21, a travel-themed mall where each floor is designed like a different country. It was the perfect place to grab a bite in the food court with air-conditioning.
Reflections from a Spinning Head
By the time we got back to our hotel, we were buzzing. Exhausted, but our heads were spinning from everything we’d seen, smelled, eaten, and heard.
We both had trouble falling asleep that night, replaying the entire day in our heads. The lights, the jetlag, culture shock, the heat, the boat rides, the madness of it all.
One day in Bangkok.
What a day.
Just like the song One Night in Bangkok —
Not much between despair and ecstasy.
There’s something about this city that sweeps you up and spins you around before you know what hit you.
Next, we’ll explore the province of Krabi. We’ll take it a bit slower though — more beach time, more reading, and a little dose of vacation mode.
Feel free to share or reply — I love hearing from you.
Tja, Kao San Road…was onze eerste overnachting in BKK met oordopjes naast de shampoo’s in de badkamer. Dan weet je het wel ;))
Veel plezier!