With only one full day in Bangkok, i was not looking to do much sight-seeing, but just to get over jet lag. I was here a few years ago and went around the main places then.
So i decided to take a boat trip, up the river and around the canals which act as suburbs of Bangkok.
At the hotel there is a boat launch which takes guests to both a local entertainment area as well as a stop for the overground subway. It also links to a jetty where there are various tourist boats. Normal Thai polite chaos with a variety of different options but its not always obvious whats being offered. I ended up paying c £20 for a two hour trip including a stop at an Orchid Farm - which i expected to be the hard sell part of the trip (all local tours i have been on in far east have included the "shopping experience" normally designed to earn the guide a few bucks in commission). But this time the farm was just that - a deserted farm as it happened with just a table with a request for small donation.
Otherwise the trip was quite interesting. Three of us, plus driver, in long boat which at times could build up some decent speed. Life jacket optional until local police boat seen when everyone asked to wear. Did include some retail opportunities as local boats joined us. Properties on the banks of the canal were both a combination of run down (looking as though they will shortly be in rather than on canal) and quite expensive looking.
So i decided to take a boat trip, up the river and around the canals which act as suburbs of Bangkok.
At the hotel there is a boat launch which takes guests to both a local entertainment area as well as a stop for the overground subway. It also links to a jetty where there are various tourist boats. Normal Thai polite chaos with a variety of different options but its not always obvious whats being offered. I ended up paying c £20 for a two hour trip including a stop at an Orchid Farm - which i expected to be the hard sell part of the trip (all local tours i have been on in far east have included the "shopping experience" normally designed to earn the guide a few bucks in commission). But this time the farm was just that - a deserted farm as it happened with just a table with a request for small donation.
Otherwise the trip was quite interesting. Three of us, plus driver, in long boat which at times could build up some decent speed. Life jacket optional until local police boat seen when everyone asked to wear. Did include some retail opportunities as local boats joined us. Properties on the banks of the canal were both a combination of run down (looking as though they will shortly be in rather than on canal) and quite expensive looking.
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