TheLoneRider
a seeker in search of Easter Eggs
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30 Days - Goodbye Bangkok Nov 8, 2018

30 Days - Goodbye Bangkok

Location Google Map: Bangkok, Thailand

Packing-up
Once again, my 30-day visa expires and I have to pack-up and bid my beloved Bangkok goodbye. Despite being here 6 times, Bangkok continues to engage and excite. I am still on a honeymoon stage with this wonderful place and its wonderful people. Its flavor is always different with every visit. This one is meaningful with all the turns and upsides. I love this particular mini-life.

30 Days - Goodbye Bangkok
Bangkok street food rules !!!

Freedom on the Bus
It was empowering to gain proficiency with the use of apps about the bus system in Bangkok. In my previous visits, before the advent of these apps, taking a bus was a Russian Roulette - no telling if you'll get lost or not. Now, with 3 apps - Via Bus, Maps.Me and Google Maps, I felt like I had wings! I could go out late and come home late knowing I could rely on the bus system.

NHK World Japan
For the most part, I was just in the hostel with my laptop work. For breaks, I would watch tv. But there is only 1 English channel at the hostel - NHK World Japan. They featured mostly Japanese culture. I have to admit I learned a lot about Japanese culture from that channel alone. But I requested the hostel to add more English channels. As good as sushi is, you don't want to have that all day 24/7.

Donation
Money-wise, the biggest impact was a donation offered by a friend whom I haven't seen in years. As a general rule, I don't accept donations because my poverty is by choice. But I knew it was false-pride. Finally, I came to terms with it. It was arrogance on my part to gracefully decline when I do my fair share of giving as well (and I do get offended when my goodwill is rejected for whatever reason). I put the money all into my online bank to fund my online purchases - which still left me cash-poor. But at least it got my online finances in the black again. I just found creative ways to convert them into usable cash like asking Chai to let me do her online purchases - and she pays me the cash equivalent.

I also made a little money from an ad-placement, so it wasn't a struggle this time. My mind was calm and collected for the most part of my stay unlike the last time in Bangkok when my mind raced continuously at breakneck speed. The only drawback was when I lost a third of my cash ($30) to Thai Immigration.

Dorm Room Life
For the last so many months, I had been living in collective dorm rooms. Sleep is always unpredictable. Sometimes, it's just me in the entire room. Other times, it's full with snorers creating their own symphony. Sometimes you get guys who answer their phones at 2am with the speaker-phone. Others loudly talk like they're in a bus station. Sometimes, I look for my indoor flip-flops only to find out someone used them. There would be groups where they think it's their private room and talk loudly and incessantly until the wee hours. In extreme cases, I call their attention to it. Mostly, I resign myself to my lot - it's a dorm room and anything goes. My construction ear-muff helps a lot.

EVENTS

Chatuchak Art
Since Chatuchak Market is walking distance from the hostel, I stroll around on lazy weekends. What I realized is that despite the number of times I'd been there thinking I've covered the entire space, I find myself in a new section completely unfamiliar to me. With this particular visit, my attention was taken to the art section. This 'fat man' art series was compelling. I should have taken this artist's name and coordinates, but forgot. My bad. But you can see his work at Chatuchak Weekend Market at the art section.

It reminded me of Botero - the Italian sculpture/painter who only sculpts/paints fat people. When Botero was asked why his work is consistently about fat people, his reply was, "fat? they're not fat!".

Sampeng Market
People default to Chatuchak Weekend Market for their flee-market indulgence, but there are many unsung flea markets perhaps with cheaper prices. One such was Sampeng Market near Chinatown. An afternoon stroll along the market was a visual spectacle given all the colorful offerings. It is less manicured than Chatuchak with narrow and crowded lanes. The merchandise were essentially the same. Cheaper? Not too sure. Perhaps for some items.

La Voce del Corpo by Luca Vullo
This is one of the free events posted on Facebook by the Italian Festival Thailand. Not really knowing what it was, I signed-up. The event was done at the Chulalongkorn University near the Siam mall area. The big campus expanse reminded me of my alma matter, the University of the Philippines. The event turned out to be a one-man show by Italian film director, Luca Vullo, who talked about the Italian tradition of communicating with body language - hand gestures, body movement, facial contortions, etc. It was funny, insightful and entertaining. It's amazing how Luca could hold the audience's attention for a full 90 minutes.

Leaving Adventure Hostel for Don Mueang Airport
I was told that right in front of Adventure Hostel is the air-conditioned A2 Airport Bus that takes me on the front door of the Don Mueang Airport for B30. Whoa! I boarded it and in 30 minutes, I was at the airport. This has got to be more painless airport trip I've had on a full luggage.

Early Bird
I arrived early. I usually do just in case there are delays. No telling - bus breakdown, currency need, check-in delay, Immigration detention, overweight luggage, etc. If nothing happens, I can always pay for an overpriced airport coffee for a comfortable table to do my online stuff. That's exactly what I did. Check-in (with web check-in) and boarding went smoothly.

Kick-in-the-Butt Send-off by Thai Immigration
It was almost a perfect 30-day mini-life, but a sneaky kick-in-the-butt came my way. I didn't see it coming as I was too close to leaving Thailand already. At the airport, Thai Immigration said I overstayed 2 days and charged me B1000! I pleaded leniency but to no avail. It wasn't entirely my fault. The date stamp on my passport was Nov 8 - they said it was Nov 6. I showed it to some people and they all said it wrote Nov 8. Immigration contented that I should have counted the days. I arrived Oct 8 and saw an exit date of Nov 8. Visually, it made sense to assume it accounted for 30 days. B1000 or $30 may just be a meal to some people, but to me, that was a full 1/3 of my cash! That radically changed everything for me. I know Immigration simply applied the law, but you can still apply the law with consideration to circumstances. I wasn't a repeat overstayer. It was an honest oversight. They didn't have to be too high-handed.

Ending Thoughts
Bangkok this time around offered a different flavor - like it always does. People came and went but some I'd like to keep within my energetic orbit. For abundance, I had a barter roof over my head at Adventure Hostel, barter resto deal for me and friends, and even got a spa deal that allowed me to say thank you to Eunice for all her kindness. Developing a website for Adventure Hostel kept me busy in a meaningful way - I learned new things as always. Altogether, it's been a beautiful 30-day life. Thank you Bangkok and thank you to all the wonderful people who made it happen !!!

--- TheLoneRider
YOGA by Gigit Yoga by Gigit | Learn English Learn English | Travel like a Nomad Nomad Travel Buddy | Donation Bank Donation Bank for TheLoneRider



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Revisiting DaNang, Vietnam

(Nov 8, 2018) Danang is bustling! I was here 2.5 years ago and what once were empty lots are now high-rise hotels, restaurants and cafes. It seems like a party town. It's energetic and with all the new establishments trying to get settled, I just might make a few bucks here.....more »»

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30-Day Mini-life in Danang, Goodbye and Thank You

(Dec 8, 2018) It was an unpredictable 30 days that awaited me in Danang. With just $78 in cash, my mandate was to survive and later on thrive. After 2 weeks, my cash came down to $0.32 (and some loose Thai Baht) after 2 weeks - not even enough for a meal!....more »»

Bangkok Blogs by TheLoneRider
  1. Bangkok in Pictures Mar 17-21, 2021
  2. Bangkok for Passport Renewal Mar 17-21, 2021
  3. Bangkok with $19 Dec 8-11, 2018
  4. 30 Days - Goodbye Bangkok Nov 8, 2018
  5. Revolving Peoplescape of Bangkok Oct 8 - Nov 8, 2018
  6. Food and Friendship at Dalad Vietnamese Oct 8 - Nov 8, 2018
  7. Movie Review: First Reformed (2017) Nov 6, 2018
  8. Doing Online Work at The Work Loft Nov 5, 2018
  9. Window Seat [His Precious] Nov 1, 2018
  10. Surreal Odyssey at Bangkok Float Center Oct 29/31, 2018
  11. Bangkok Halloween with Rinna and Steve Oct 27, 2018
  12. Push-Ups Oct 22/24, 2018
  13. Pad Thai at Thip Samai, Bangkok Oct 16, 2018
  14. Birthday Walkabout Oct 16, 2018
  15. Coming to Terms with Donations Oct 14, 2018
  16. Feelin' Da Blues at Adhere the 13th Blues Bar Oct 12, 2018
  17. Visiting the Grand Palace of Thailand Oct 12, 2018
  18. A Web Mandate in Bangkok Oct 8, 2018
  19. 29 Days in Bangkok: Thank You and Goodbye Aug 27 - Sep 24, 2018
  20. Calling the Bangkok Police Sep 23, 2018
  21. Movie Review: Mindfulness and Murder (2011) Sep 22, 2018
  22. Yoga Inversions at Now's Fitness Gym Sep 19, 2018
  23. Flow Yoga with Teacher Kea at Now's Fitness Sep 18, 2018
  24. Movie Review: Under Construction (2015) Sep 15, 2018
  25. Walking Tour of Little India Sep 15, 2018
  26. Vinyasa Yoga with Teacher That at Now's Fitness Sep 14, 2018
  27. Abs Workout with Teacher San at Now's Fitness Sep 13, 2018
  28. Vinyasa Yoga with Teacher That at Now's Fitness Sep 14, 2018
  29. Abs Workout with Teacher San at Now's Fitness Sep 13, 2018
  30. Exercise Ball Workout with Teacher Bie at Now's Fitness Sep 11, 2018
  31. Exploring the Amphawa Floating Market Sep 9, 2018
  32. Exploring the Tree-Engulfed Wat Bang Kung Temple Sep 9, 2018
  33. Parting of the Maeklong Railway Market with a Passing Train Sep 9, 2018
  34. Exploring Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Sep 9, 2018
  35. Horse Racing at the The Royal Bangkok Sports Club Sep 8, 2018
  36. Fight Class with Teacher San at Now's Fitness Sep 7, 2018
  37. Exploring the Bangkok Art Book Fair 2018 Sep 6, 2018
  38. Circuit Training with Mild at Now's Fitness Sep 5, 2018
  39. Gentle Flow Yoga with Nuch at Now's Fitness, Bangkok Sep 4, 2018
  40. A Yogi Lost in a Modern Gym - Now's Fitness Sep 3, 2018
  41. Abundance at On Nut, Bangkok Aug 30-Sep 1, 2018
  42. Outside Looking In Aug 29, 2018
  43. Back in Bangkok After 5 Weeks Aug 27, 2018
  44. 15 Days in Bangkok July 10-24, 2018
  45. Peoplescape: Bangkok July 10-24, 2018
  46. Hatha and Yantra Yoga Fusion July 10-24, 2018
  47. Revisiting Terminal 21 Mall, Bangkok July 23, 2018
  48. Rope Skipping, 4mins Full-on July 22, 2018
  49. Sunday Visit to Chatuchak Weekend Market July 17, 2018
  50. Fork on the Road: Abundance or Poverty by Choice? July 16, 2018
  51. Loving Bangkok All Over Again Feb 22-26, 2016
  52. Hotel Review: Adventure Hostel Bangkok July 11, 2018
  53. Hotel Review: Riva Surya Bangkok Oct 20, 2014
  54. Exploring the Shopping Malls of Bangkok Oct 6-20, 2014
  55. Bangkok's Street Food Delight Oct 6-20, 2014
  56. Bangkok Revisited 3 Oct 6-20, 2014
  57. A First Timer in Bangkok December 31, 2005 - January 3, 2006

Bangkok Map
Google Map

Bangkok, Thailand

hotels in Bangkok HOTEL

Adventure Hostel Bangkok - N7 BTS train stop, dorm rooms, great for solo travelers, laundry, roof deck, entertainment center, kitchen, all-day tea-coffee, fridge, clean
1541 Phahonyothin Rd. Payathai

restaurant in Bangkok RESTAURANT

Dalad Vietnamese Restaurant Dalad Vietnamese Restaurant - N7 BTS train stop, authentic Vietnamese cuisine, clean & hygienic, fresh green leafy vegetables
195 Soi Pradipat 19, Pradipat Road, Phayathai

spa and wellness in Bangkok SPA / WELLNESS

Bangkok Float Center Bangkok Float Center - experience a surreal sensory immersion as you effortlessly float on 10 inches of water, 5-stars from 524 Tripadvisor reviews
99/6-9 SHOW DC Retail and Entertainment Mega Complex (4th Floor)

gyms on On Nut, Bangkok GYM| gyms on On Nut, Bangkok YOGA

Now's Fitness Bangkok - gym equipment, yoga, Muay Thai, boxing, fitness trainer, cafe, healthy food
726 Soi On Nut 14 Rd, Khwaeng Suan Luang, Khet Suan Luang, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10250


Useful Information

Bangkok Cost Index

as of Sep 4, 2018: US$1 = Baht 32 = Php 53

  • Bht 60 sm, 90 big one mug draft beer
  • Bht 13 1.5 liter drinking water
  • Bht 220 one hour massage
  • Bht 60-80 muesli breakfast
  • Bht 60-80 tom yum soup in modest eatery
  • Bht 25-30 coffee
  • Bht 30-50 pad thai
  • Bht 350 Adventure Hostel lodging
  • Bht 20-30/load laundry, coin operated machine
  • Bht 7 bus ride
Transport Maps of Bangkok
  1. Chao Phraya Express, MRT, BTS, Khlong boats, Airport Link
  2. Bus Routes: 1-14
  3. Bus Routes: 15-30
  4. Bus Routes: 32-49
  5. Bus Routes: 50-70
  6. Bus Routes: 71-88
  7. Bus Routes: 501-516
  8. individual bus routes
Bangkok to Chiang Mai by Train from Bang Sue Train Station

For more train info: Bangkok to Chiang Mai trains - departing from Hua Lamphong - MRT (Bangkok)

(I'm using Bang Sue as a starting point because I was closer to it, but you may be closer to the Hua Lamphong station)

  1. take the MRT train to Bang Sue Station. Take the #1 Exit to the north provincial trains
  2. Proceed to Counter 2. You will see an information booth, a train schedule chart and the ticket counter. Choose the train and pay at the ticket counter.
  3. daily train schedule:
    • 8:48am - #7 Train, arrive Chiang Mai 7:30pm, not sleeper, B638
    • 2:06pm - #109 Train, arrive Chiang Mai 4:05am, sleeper
    • 6:31pm - #9 Premium Train, arrive Chiang Mai 7:15am, sleeper, B938 upper deck, B1038 lower deck
    • 7:56pm - #13 Train, arrive Chiang Mai 8:40am, sleeper, B768 upper deck, B838 lower deck
    • 10:22pm - #51 Train, arrive Chiang Mai 12:10pm, sleeper, 3rd class B270 (non sleeper), 2nd class B438, B728 upper deck, B798 lower deck

Currency Converter
Currency Converter

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