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We left a very white and frozen Sheffield around on the 17th January 2012, the temperature when we left a balmy -2 oh what a contrast and few hours on a plane was going to make. We boarded our very pleasant Qantas livered Boeing 747 around 10pm ahead of us; not only a 11hr flight to Thailand but 12 months the otherside of the world and I have no idea what lays ahead.
The one thing that you immediately notice when you step of the plane in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport is the all out assault on your senses; the heat, the sights and sounds and the aroma are intoxicating. Having previously stayed down on the fabled Koh San Road, the travellers area of Bangkok we elected to try somewhere different and went a little up market... in Thailand a little can go a long way. We checked in to the Park Plaza in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok, and we were immediately very very happy with our decision. However, one thing struck us as clearly evident on the drive from the airport to the hotel is not only how dirty Bangkok is as a city but the vast contrast in wealth between ground level and what you can see from the freeway; homeless by the hundreds nestling under an overpass but no more than 50 yards away huge glass fronted air conditioned high rises. This is the commercial district of Bangkok not one of the poorest so I can only imagine what it is like there!
We decided to shower change and head out for a bite to eat both physically and mentally exhausted from the travelling... and then JET LAG decided to impart its wicked ways on us. So 4am wide awake lying in bed watching a film on the laptop... I knew bringing it was a good idea.
Our first proper day in Thailand one priority only, get to the apple store and buy an iPad, umm like all travellers do. b***** the temples, and historic monuments etc... capitalism rules!(sarcasm). We ventured out in to the Bangkok day and immediately with no chance of escape you come face to face with the heat and the putrid smells emanating from seemingly every direction, memories of the previous visit come flooding back. We boarded the very modern, very easy to use and navigate BTS Skytrain, London underground could learn a few things! We wandered around the numerous malls located in this area: Siam Parragon, Siam Centre, and Siam Discovery. iPad purchased Tommi a happy boy! We then decided to head over to the MBK centre having heard many good things about this mall, and whatever you have heard does not do this place justice. This place is simply enormous 7 floors of everything you can possibly imagine with each floor having its own food court and stalls selling anything and everything and more knock off stuff then you could ever believe. Jet Lag kicked back in later that day so we retired to our very civilised hotel room and settled down to act like children with a new toy... which quite frankly we are, but not after heading down to a little restaurant for dinner. We blew our budget that night on food an incredible 200THBt about £4 and the food was fantastic as it always is no matter where you eat in Thailand. And guess what Rach managed to find a load of cats in the driveway next to where we were eating and yes for some reason they all seemed to be attracted to us and came and sat by the table all night! These cats turned out to be the first of many feline friends we made in Thailand.
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