Back in the Uk after a prolonged stay in Thailand due to illness, the daffodils, forsythia, wallflowers and primroses are a welcome boost to the spirits.
My enforced stay in Thailand this year has made me more aware of my own climate's benefits. For years I'd been trying to make time to spend a week in Bangkok to catch up on what's new, but this year I had the time but not the inclination. For starters, the heat was intense. Temperatures of nearly 40 degrees with high humidity do not make for pleasant sightseeing or photography.
I found the best, and cheapest, way of getting around was the Express Boat on the Chao Phraya River. I'd take the SkyTrain from Silom down to Central Pier (next to the famous Oriental Hotel) and catch the Express from there to the famous sites. This way I managed to spend whole mornings at Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn), the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Chinatown. Other days I just disembarked at interesting looking piers and wandered the streets, discovering fascinating stalls selling things like false teeth (you needed to try them before buying!), wooden legs and other oddities.
The skytrain fares are maximum 30 Baht (.48p or $1 approx.), the Express Boat costs between 25 bht. per trip (.40p. or $0.80) per trip, and with entrace to the temples and Palace never more than £2. 50 or $5, sightseeing was very inexpensive. And it left enough for a G. & T. in the Oriental after the sightseeing!
If you are planning a trip to Bangkok in the near future, do think about the Express Boat. Forget expensive tours, forget taxis, just get yourself down to Central Pier and take it from there. Pick up a map at the skytrain ticket office, or get a river map from your hotel. You won't regret it.
