hopkinsonfamilytravels: Hello Bangkok

After a turbulent flight - in which we managed to persuade Joseph to sleep rather than watch back to back films, we arrived into Bangkok at 11pm (local time) which is 2.30am Australian time. We were certainly glad to be disembarking - the prospect of a 2 hour wait on the ground then a further 12 hours onto London was not appealing.

Thai immigration was ultra efficient - (unlike the hour long queue when we arrived in Darwin). Jim had booked an airport hotel with a free pick up - but had no real confidence that the pick up would happen. However there was a man waiting in the arrivals hall with a sign saying "Mr J Hopkinson" - the first time this has ever happened to us, so very exciting.

On going to the airport car park we were struck by the humidity and heat (after the relative chill of Sydney) and were glad to get into the air conditioned car (despite Joseph needing to sit on Liz's knee) for the 10 minute trip. Also a bit unnerving how the driver also took calls on his mobile phone - but we will let that one go!

The hotel was very new (only opened earlier this year) and cost us just £48 for 2 rooms. We all could not wait to get to bed!

In the morning Eleanor was not too well (as indeed she was not in Singapore) - so clearly her pattern of reaction to jet lag. For the rest of us, we were not in a huge hurry to leave the hotel as we could not check into our Bangkok hotel until midday. This gave us the opportunity for a cooling swim in the hotel swimming pool. I have no idea how many other guests were staying there, but I suspect very few. Jim tried to speak to a couple of people about taking a train into Bangkok - they were both Russian with little English.

In the event we settled for a taxi into central Bangkok (about £12) - another taxi driver who took calls on his mobile as he travelled. This time we checked into the Chatrium Riverside Hotel - a 5* hotel which we hasten to add costs on the "special offer" we got off the Internet half the price of the YHA in Sydney. Again a new experience of being shown to the room, bags taken up etc. We are in a 2 bedroom apartment with a river view, lounge area, kitchen area, dressing gowns, tooth brushes, scented soaps, 3 TVs etc. It just does not feel quite right for us Hopkinsons after cheapskate living in Australia - but we will enjoy it, and the girls were squealing for pleasure with it all. Eleanor who had been pretty poorly all day perked up for the first time!

After cooling off in the air conditioning (its 35 degrees Celsius, hot and sunny outside), we took the free hotel shuttle boat to Saphan Taskin pier. From there we got the super efficient river ferry up the huge fast flowing Chao Phraya river to the Banglamphu area - a trip that lasted about half an hour. The river is incredibly busy with ferries, river taxis, and huge barges - the congestion in Bangkok has for many years made it the quickest way to get about - although parts of the grid lock have now been alleviated by the sky train which was not there when we were last here.

The Banglamphu area is the main back packers area - when we were last here we stayed in some grotty tiny rooms just off the Khao San road. It has gone a bit more upmarket since we were last here but was as congested with backpackers (or flash packers as they are now called). It was good to go into a traveller restaurant and be able to tell the kids they could eat and drink anything they wanted - for the first time in 6 weeks everything was very affordable. As we explained to the kids this is all about the cost of labour being cheap - so they need to consider the ramifications of this. A can of coke (and with the temperature we are desperate to ensure the kids keep drinking what ever it is) costs around 25p from a street stall - somewhat cheaper than the £2 it cost from street stalls in parts of Australia!

After our leisurely meal and a bit of window shopping in the Khao San road markets, we all sat side by side outside a shop for a 30 minute foot massage. Very pleasant - but scary when you think that the shop could produce 5 masseurs immediately, and that it cost less than £2 per person. It does not take too much maths to show how little the daily take home pay of the average worker will be.

Following this Joseph was desperate to get back to the hotel swimming pool. This we did, but not before Jim had insisted that we ditch the hotel free shuttle ferry back from Saphan Taskin pier in favour of a walk back so we could investigate where to eat later from street stalls. This "short walk" in the heat and humidity took more than 30 minutes so Jim was slightly less popular than he otherwise might have been!

The hotel swimming pool is exceptional - it's outside on the 6th floor of the hotel overlooking the river and has been designed as an infinity pool. Joseph has never had so much fun.

In the end we were all too exhausted to go out, but there is a small supermarket in the hotel complex, so we ate a Thai microwave meal - (actually not too bad). By the time Jim had fetched it from the supermarket Joseph was fast asleep.

Stayed at Avion Apart - Hotel, 1646/99, Ladkrabang Road, Ladkrabang 10520 Bangkok/Thailand

Stayed at Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok 28 Charoenkrung Soi 70, Bangkholame, Bangkok 10120