Day-1: BKK evening
June 13, 2009
A statement is made
Arrived in BKK in the evening on saturday night and I headed to Khao Sarn road directly. Air Asia – Jakarta – BKK flight landed around 7 pm in the evening and because I only had 1 backpack and 1 small sling bag to carry I can just walk out from the plane directly. The immigration line was a bit hectic with another check for swine flu and soon I was out of the airport. I went downstairs to catch an Airport Express Bus direct to Khao Sarn. The sign was clear and not confusing. I bought a ticket of 50 baht (~2 USD) and waited for 30 min. The A2 bus straight to Banglampoo area came and I hopped in. It was almost empty, only myself and probably another 5 people.
Bugs for dinner, anyone?
The trip was fast and soon I arrived in Khao Sarn area and went off from the bus, trying to find the famous Khao Sarn road. I went around the road and try to find the hostel as what a friend of mine suggested. It is called Fourson hostel and located in the junction between Rambutri and Khao Sarn. After briefly checked myself in, I went outside again, explore the area. Khao Sarn road was very packed that evening, the weather was humid and no wind at all, but people didn’t look bothered with that (of course they didn’t!). the road was flooded by people who just walked around like me, or hanging out in front of a certain restaurants or bars, with their hands holding beers or the famous “somsam bucket” (which I later had a quite-personal thing happened with this bucket:p). Street sellers sells many kind of stuffs, mainly clothes, street foods and accessories, one sells fried bugs – the delicacy from Thailand. I went around and wasn’t sure to enter one bar, so I just bought a Singha and continue walking. Several times I stopped and tried different kind of snack – fried spring rolls and fried noodles. I wanted to try the bug but decide to postpone it for tomorrow as now I don’t have anybody who can take my picture while I am eating it:p. At least I walked past Khao Sarn road 3 or 4 times when I decided I saw enough for the first evening and just went back to the hostel and sleep as the next day I plan to start very early.
A statement is made
Bugs for dinner, anyone?
Khao Sarn street food
Sunset from the plane
Huge guy in BKK airport
Khao Sarn Road - BKK backpacker
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Singha!
Khao Sarn street food
Fruits - a healthier option
A decent selection to be close to Khao Sarn
This guest house was recommended by a friend of mine when I asked for an advice where to stay around the Khao Sarn area. Located in one end of Rambutri Road and in front of this place there is a small alley which connects it to Khao Sarn road. It has several options for the room (all completed with air-con) and I took a single room for 400 baht (12 USD). The hotel staffs are very helpful and look that they’re used to serve the backpackers with all our agenda and meeting plan, as they are so understating if my friend will come a day later – thus I need to switch to the double room without need to check out and check in again. Double room costs us 550 baht.
All the room I stayed in has no window, which initially felt a bit weird but it was easily forgotten soon (as I didn’t spend too much time inside). Downstairs they have a restaurant and internet café.
Worth to try, at least one good point, as it has strategic location – your friends didn’t really have to carry you a long distance when you’re being sick after endless partying:).
Cheap and convenient
As a cheap and reliable option to get out from Suvarnabhumi Airport in BKK. The Airport Express buss serves the purpose. Getting out from custom and then follow the sign to do down 1 floor to Airport express bus. We will be out from the terminal building and have to wait for ~30 min. We can purchase the tickets at the counter and costs ~150 baht (5 USD). They have 4 different route for the bus.
A-2 is the bus goes to Banglampoo area / Khao Sarn area - this is normally where the backpackers are heading to. We can ask to stop somewhere in the middle of the route as well.
The service starts from early morning till close to midnight.
Airport Express routes to downtown
• AE1 Suvarnabhumi – Silom (by expressway)
• AE2 Suvarnabhumi – Banglamphu (by expressway)
• AE3 Suvarnabhumi – Sukhumvit 3 or North Nana
• AE4 Suvarnabhumi – Hua Lamphong (by expressway)
Food and food
Khao Sarn as a concentrated backpacker area in Bangkok - has plenty of choices in terms of food and drinks. Along Khao Sarn street and Rambutri (the street adjacent to it) are full bars with different kind of shapes and concepts:).
Whereas the street food vendors are lining up and find themselves their corner or spots in between clothes and accesories sellers.
As I observed, the most popular food is a kind of fried noodle (pad-thai) and a type of fried spring rolls - not a healthy food for sure - but surely it's the best match after a couple of Singha and Songsam buckets.
The taste is not really extraordinary good, but it comes handy to grab a fast snack from your seat.
For the brave hearted - there are also some options such as fried bugs and cockroaches:) - all those creepy crawley - you name it - are there!
Spring rolls
Pad-thai (fried noodle)
Fresh fruits - at least they hav
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And falafel also!
Any kinds of creepy crawleys
bbq
