tl;dr Explored the city, checked out a couple of malls, Jim Thompson house, Hostel hang out, alcohol buckets, and scorpions for dinner?! – 4 activities
Activity 1 – Exploration
Apparently, Bangkok has quite a few massive malls – so I decided to meander around the city with the goal of eventually ending up at a mall. I found my way to Lumphini Park, but looked up at the sky and saw the signature clouds indicating RAIN! I quickly left the park and made it to a covered walkway that leads to the malls right as the sky opened up. Sure enough, the malls are huge and there are many of them. One shopping complex is called Central World and it is the 10th largest shopping complex in the world. I also went to the MBK Center. Inside one of the malls, I came across a Maserati, Rolls Royce, and McLaren showroom (not too shabby).
Activity 2 – Jim Thompson House
So, Jim Thompson was an American businessman (known for founding the Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company). Jim Thompson collected a tremendous amount of Southeast Asian art, much of which is housed at the museum. The museum is one of the most popular tourist sites in Bangkok (it has guided tours). It was interesting to hear about Jim Thompson and his influence in the region, but I was not wowed.
Activity 3 – Hostel Hang Out
On the way back to the hostel, I stopped by Khao San Road to sign up for a tour to the floating village. I realized that most of tourist Bangkok can be done in 1 full day or 2 relaxed days…so being that I had a 3rd day in Bangkok, I decided I would sign up for the floating village tour (THIS TOUR LEAVES EARLY IN THE MORNING…UGH).
Once back at the hostel, I find out that the hostel has arranged a trek to the Chinatown/Khao San Road area for guests to get to know each other over dinner. We had some delicious food, thanks to the suggestion of our Hostel hosts from Lub D, and then made our way to Khao San Road.
Activity 4 – Khao San Road Partying
Khao San Road is much different at night than during the day. Bars are packed and people are everywhere. People walk by selling scorpions and other items that one would not normally eat. Two of my hostel friends gave the scorpions a try…they survived and kind of sort of enjoyed it?
We went bar hopping across Khao San Road, having an alcohol bucket at various bars. The alcohol buckets are exactly what they sound like…a bucket of alcohol, some mixer, and straws. The bars were fun, crowded, and touristy. By the end of the night, the parties fill up the street and the music from the various bars coalesce together.
It should be noted, I had quite possibly the best Pad Thai of my life from a late night street vendor on Khao San Road. It was so good that, after sharing the it with my friends, I got a second one for myself. Next up, an over-loaded Tuk Tuk ride back to the hostel…Bangkok is a big city, the ride took 20 minutes?, and we fit 5 people into one tiny Tuk Tuk…I’m surprised the Tuk Tuk was able haul us all the way to the hostel.
Andrew's Activities 