Bangkok Beyond Midnight: Internet, Express Boats and More

Thailand has been conquered by Wi-Fi technology; street signs in Bangkok advertise 64000 hot spots there, creating a reality in which most of the Western-style coffee shops in urban areas are connected.

The main Wi-Fi provider in the country is KSC; the company offers a single hour prepaid package for 150 baht, roughly ten times the price of an hour at the less expensive Thai internet kiosks; a daily unlimited account costs also 150 baht. However, for 500 baht unlimited monthly access is gained; thus the last option is the only worthy one. Cards can be purchased at Starbucks, main hotels and other places.

After Midnight in an Air-Conditioned Room Hotel

Most hotels in Bangkok provide Wi-Fi and air-conditioned rooms. Taking in consideration the city’s heat and humidity – two factors that are season independent – that makes a perfect combination: after a long day wandering around the city you can at last relax and prepare a few IgoUgo articles based on the day experiences. There is no sleeping before that.

Alas! The air-conditioner dries up the atmosphere in the room and after a while its "bzzz, bzzz" is earsplitting. The laptop is too small to be comfortable; its mouse has obvious difficulties breathing. Since Bangkok never goes to sleep and that internet kiosks are open all night, seconds later you cross the lobby in the way out into the crowds.

Meanwhile on the Nearby Streets

Most internet kiosks in town close around 10 PM, especially those in residential neighborhoods. However, along the main tourists concentrations a few stay open until later and even all night. In them, an international mix of customers provides what I have found to be an inspiring environment for writing.

Moreover, some of them feature glass walls allowing undisturbed, silent views of Bangkok’s street activity. Many of my articles about the city have been written in those. No less important is the fact that 7-Eleven branches abound in Bangkok; they became my favorite supplier of writing-enhancing, after-midnight coffees.

Who Moved My Internet Kiosk?

There are plentiful internet kiosks open after midnight; however few of them provide good computers, fast web-connections and attractive views of the surrounding area.

However, I failed finding one combining all these criteria. One of them is always missing. Over time, I found two of them, located one near the other, that complement each other and thus offer a good deal if splitting the time between them. Especially so since there are at least ten (!) branches of 7-Eleven and FamilyMart within a radius of a couple of blocks.

The Corner Kiosk

The first one is strategically located on the corner of Thanon Chakrapong with Thanon Rambuttri, one block away from the western end of Khaosan Road. Resembling an aquarium, the computers are placed facing the interior, so that the customers can check out what’s going on the street just by lifting their eyes from the computer screen.

The computers are relatively new, though the old fashioned and massive screens are small and not fan to work with. Due to its location the place is rather expensive – twenty baht per hour with a minimum of five baht – but the location compensates for everything.

The Green House

I have reported on the Green House in the past; the establishment is located on 84, Thanon Rambuttri, half a block from the kiosk described above. This is a good example of the classic Thai boutique hotel, featuring also a restaurant, a travel agency and an internet kiosk.

Behind the hotel reception's counter - by the restaurant's backside - is a luggage storage room; bags can be deposited there for 10 baht per day. The internet cafe occupies two rooms, accessed from the hotel's reception counter and near the luggage storage. The one upstairs has an air conditioner and operates between 8 AM and 1 AM. The one downstairs has just six computers at the corner of a room featuring pool tables, but it is open 24/7; its outer wall is made of glass and faces the alley leading to Khaosan Road.

All the computers feature cameras, headphones, flat screens and a single USB connection; however, there is neither access to the computer nor to many of its options. The software installed in them is minimal and files cannot be saved on them. Thus, if somebody needs to transfer a file between two memory cards - for example for the sake of a backup - that's not possible, unless carrying a USB bus. These limitations apparently led to a compromise in the price; a single hour costs 20 baht (half an hour costs 15), while a ten hours package is sold for 99 baht; much cheaper than most connections in the area.

The awkward system works with a system of chits, which include a user number and a password, which can be easily stolen since the computers are close to each other and the chits are printed in large letters. Moreover, the system uses a software named "My Cafe Cup," which collect the ID numbers of memory devices connected to it. As a result, the system is quite vulnerable to thefts and peeps into private data by unqualified strangers, as I learned after my access was denied, while the system claimed I was already logged into another computer; I was reluctantly refunded, but the event was not necessary.

The upstairs room offers international calls for 9 baht per minute; in the days of Skype and other related internet to phone inexpensive connections, and in a location offering proper headphones, the service is superfluous.

The Sights

May be it is the heavy heat and humidity of Bangkok that inflict a languid humor upon most visitors, or maybe the sweet fumes breathed out by cars using leaded fuel; regardless the actual reason, it seems that millions of travelers prefer to carry out all their businesses in Khaosan Road while in Bangkok, rather than travel around the city.

The road and its surroundings are spectacular. Here, travelers can settle down and still live under the illusion they are moving fast across vast distances. A face from a different corner of the planet appears every few meters; sounds in different languages create destructive interferences among the sound waves and mimic a modern Babel Tower. Nobody completely understands his alien conversation partners and yet everything seems to function properly in a modern version of the Biblical "Speaking in Tongues."

Such diversity is irresistible for any traveler; few other places provide such an opportunity to imagine he is everywhere – and nowhere – at once. Where else a Nepali restaurant flirting with Mexican food would feel comfortable? Where else a pumpkin flavored coffee would be the natural end to a meal of fried insects? Where else can Indian tailors provide an extra-elegant suit in ten minutes and for the price of a meal to a traveler about to visit semi-naked hill tribes? Where else can you sit down writing this entry while watching those wonders?

Mo Chit is Bangkok's northern bus terminal and the largest terminus in town; it serves destinations in the north, northeast and parts of Thailand's eastern coast. It is located away from the Skytrain and Metro stations of the same name, but can be approached with bus number three from near Khaosan Road and taxis.

The terminal is divided into three zones. One serves buses travelling within Bangkok, another is the arrival area and the third is the departures zone. The last is served by a four-story building. At the entrance level, tickets are sold to northern destinations, while the third one serves the northeast. Both host also waiting areas, restaurants (including fast food as KFC and Mr Donut) and basic Thai food plazas. Unluckily, Mo Chit looks nowadays as under foreign occupation, with cameras crisscrossing the waiting areas and access gates; policemen, soldiers and plainclothes policemen swarm the place.

The tickets selling windows area is an awesome sight, with dozens of tiny booths featuring larger than them Thai letters announcing the destinations served by them. The parallel English names often appear, though not always. In any case many of the staff speaks some English and purchasing the desired ticket is a breeze after the correct window is spotted. Make sure you know the departure bay number since the terminus is huge and wandering in the search of a single bus can be a lengthy affair.

Reaching Mo Chit

All the buses marked Mo Chit reach the terminal, of special importance is bus number three connecting the terminal with Khaosan Road; it passes also not far from the Grand Palace.

A point to keep in mind is that the Skytrain Sukhumvit Line features a station called Mo Chit. This station is located on Phahon Yothin Road between soi 18 and 20, next to the Chatuchak Weekend Market and Park, but it is a few kilometres away from the bus terminal. The same holds for the subway’s Kamphaeng Phet and Chatuchak stations.

If arriving by taxi, refer to it as Mo Chit Song ("Mo Chit 2") or Mo Chit Mai ("New Mo Chit") since the original bus terminal was in a nearby location.




Travelling Independently in Thailand

Learning to travel in Thailand was not easy. One of the biggest barriers was the tonal language; it took me several months to distinguish between the curiously rising and dropping sounds. Even learning the letters was a challenge, since the vowels could be placed above, below, before or after the relevant consonant. Moreover, knowing how to read was not enough because some words kept their traditional Sanskrit spelling while they were pronounced in modern Thai. To make the confusion complete, some names had several versions; for example, Thais refer to "Bangkok" as "Krung Thep," or the "City of Angels."

Over time, the barriers began to collapse and I found it easier to use the local transport. Thailand has an extensive network of trains and planes, but the trains are slow and old while the aircrafts take out the fun of travelling. However, for historical reasons, Thailand has maybe the best highways network in South East Asia, which is complemented by buses of extraordinary quality. Many are scheduled so (sometimes at the price of forced stops along the way) that they leave at the first hours of darkness and reach their final destination early in the morning. Arriving around 8 AM - following a comfortable night - is a good way to begin a visit at a new place. Moreover, the bus would usually stop along its way at places that otherwise I would not have visited.

After Midnight in Mo Chit

Many Thais work at night. The hot climate favours travelling by night and thus travel hubs are open all night; all-night markets are their natural extension. Mo Chit being the largest terminus in the city led to it having the largest among these markets next to it. Inexpensive travel-related items aimed for a short term use while in the kingdom are excellent purchases here. Backpacks, T-shirts and similar items are good buys. At least two 7-Eleven branches are in the area, one next to the arrivals area, and the second next to the food market.

The food market, located between the arrival and local buses areas, is a must since it features all the main Thai snacks and simple meals. This is an excellent place for getting a few tasty lessons on the local eating habits. The first thing a traveller may note is that the servings are relatively small and that every stall specializes in one or two dishes. This is typical, probably because the heavy heat transforms big meals into unpleasant experiences. Thais eat several tiny meals during the day, most of them of the meat-over-rice or noodle soup types. Interesting snacks are offered by small griller stalls serving sausages, skewed meat (including whole tiny birds, three on a stick), and skewed lumps of flour mixed with fish, meat or insects; the last are a big hit in Thailand and can be seen in most convenience stores as well as in television and billboard advertisements all over the city.

With such prospects for an entertaining visit, who can avoid Mo Chit after midnight?

It is not possible to claim the Victory Monument is among Bangkok’s main attractions. Yet, if staying a few days in town it is difficult to avoid its central location. Moreover, the area’s view is quite distinctive; recognizing the site after one view is easy.

"Here is the where the Skytrain makes a half circle," I found myself thinking every time I crossed the area. Tired of repeating myself, I decided to explore it.

Anusawari Chai Samoraphum

The half circle the Skytrain draws around the traffic circle on one of Bangkok’s main junctions was designed to avoid the Victory Monument, called in Thai Anusawari Chai Samoraphum. At its center is an obelisk.

The monument dates back to 1941 when it was placed there in commemoration of the Thai victory against the French in Indochina. As a result of it, Thailand annexed some territories in western Cambodia, northern and southern Laos; the territories gained partially overlapped those ceded to France in 1893 and 1904.The territorial settlement after the short war fought between December 1940 and January 1941 was imposed on both parties by Japan. A few months after that, the monument was inaugurated.

The work was prepared by the Italian sculptor Corrado Feroci, known in Thailand as Silpa Bhirasi. The obelisk was created as five bayonets clasped together and representing the army, navy, air force, police and civilian bureaucracy; a few, soldiers’ sculptures adorn its base.

However, the glory was short lived; in 1945 the Allied victory forced the Thai to return the gained territories to the French. Thus, nowadays it is regarded as an uncomfortable reminder of the militaristic regime led by Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram. Nonetheless, it is one of the better known landmarks in the city.

In a modern touch of humor (or is that a subtle criticism?) bushes located on the surrounding traffic islands have been shaped as playful monkeys.

The Junction

Knowing the avenues connected to this junction is imperative for any traveler wanting to wander independently in Bangkok. Phaya Thai is the one leading southwards; nearby in that direction is Siam Square with the Siam Center and MBK, both among the best shopping malls in Bangkok.

North of the Victory Monument, the same avenue is called Phahon Yothin and leads to the Mo Chit and Chatuchak areas, which include a major transport terminus, the biggest market in the city and one of its most attractive parks.

Westwards, along Ratchawithi Road and beyond the railway, are the Chitlada Palace, and west of it the Dusit area. The last includes the Throne Hall, the Vimanmek Mansion and the Dusit Zoo. Few junctions in Bangkok can show such connections.

Reaching the Area

Being one of Bangkok's major traffic intersections reaching the area is a breeze. The Victory Monument BTS Skytrain station is on the southern side of the Monument and is the most efficient way of reaching the area from Bangkok’s central areas.

The main Bangkok BMTA bus lines stopping around the traffic circle are lines 8, 12, 14, 18, 92, 96, 97, 108, 112, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 38, 39, 54, 59, 63, 74, 77 and 515. However, that’s not all, at least one shopping mall offers free transport to the area.

Shopping

Similar junctions elsewhere are often a nightmare for people attempting to cross them; however, here the Skytrain features a lower corridor open exclusively for pedestrians and allowing comfortable access to the adjacent shopping centers. Most of these are aimed for local crowds and offer cheaper merchandise than the city main shopping areas. A Robinson Department Store is located at one of the intersection sides.

The obvious exception to this rule of thumb is the King Power Duty Free, which is located a bit south of the junction under a distinctive glass dome within a metal framework. It offers a Tuk Tuk free service to and from the Victory Monument and a free pick up service from Bangkok hotels for foreign, independent travelers (call 022058888 ext 5402 between 10 AM to 7 PM). Bring passport and air ticket in order to get the merchandise free of VAT; the procedure is simple, you buy, show your passport and flying ticket and get the merchandise in the airport after the check in to the flight. The luxurious shopping mall claims to have the largest watch center in Asia and features the Aksra Theatre, the Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel and the Ramayana Restaurant. Next to it is "Century – the Movie Plaza" a large shopping center with several cinema theatres

One of the main shopping attractions in Bangkok, the Chatuchak Market, as well as the adjacent park of the same name, is north of the Victory Monument and can be easily accessed through the Skytrain. The market is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 7am until the last customer leaves; during weekdays only few stalls in the central structure are open. The market is one of the biggest in the world and offers practically every good produced in the kingdom, from high quality silk, through birds waiting to be free in the Buddhist fashion, and ending in wooden carvings. Even jewels - especially the colored stones so favored by the Thais - can be bought here.

With around ten thousand booths, it is impossible to cover the market in a single visit, but that vast richness is what makes this market unique and worthy. An entertaining aspect of the market is the endless variation of tactics used by the stalls to call the attention of potential buyers, from making unusual noises to wearing strange clothes.

Next to it, the Chatuchak Park is one of the largest parks in Bangkok and the most natural destination after visiting the adjacent market. Since the market is a main tourists’ magnet, visiting this park is an unavoidable pleasure. The park is open daily between 4:30 AM and 9 PM and features gates on strategic places along its perimeter. The most natural entry is at its southern tip, next to the market.

Beyond Bangkok: Ayutthaya and Mo Chit

The area is also almost inescapable also when traveling out of Bangkok to the north and the east. Moreover, the intersection itself is the point of departure of vans going to Ayutthaya. These ruins are a main destination for every traveler crossing Thailand, and the Victory Monument is the most comfortable departure point to there from Bangkok.

Mo Chit is the Northern Bus Terminal of Bangkok, serving destinations in the north, northeast and parts of the southeastern seashore; the way to the terminus crosses the Victory Monument. Note that the bus terminus is far from the Skytrain station of the same name; see the Mo Chit entry in this journal for further details.

Few methods of mass transport are as attractive as a speed boat roaming the main river splitting a town. In Bangkok, the Chao Phraya Express Boat Company provides five routes of public transport along the Chao Phraya River. Some of the lines offered are rather crowded and getting good views in them is a bit difficult, but if choosing the more expensive lines near the beginning or ending of their operation times, finding seats is easy.

The Lines

The five different lines can be differentiated by the small triangular flags placed at their rear side. The routes comprise three zones and crossing between zones results in a fare change. Since there are only two such points the system is simple especially since Zone 2 covers all of central Bangkok between the Memorial Bridge Pier and the Bang Po Pier in the north. Further north, Zone 1 reaches Pakkred while Zone 3 goes south all the way to Ratburana.

No Flag Line

This line runs between Nonthaburi and Wat Rajaingkorn from Monday to Friday between 6 AM and 8:40 AM and in the afternoon between 3 PM and 6 PM. Its fares are 10 baht for trips within a zone, 12 baht for trips crossing into another zone and 14 for trips crossing two zones. Also known as the "local line" (the others are called express lines), the boats in this line can accommodate up to ninety people.

Orange Flag Line

The Orange Flag Line runs between Nonthaburi and Wat Rajaingkorn. The service operates everyday: Monday to Friday between 5:50 AM and 7 PM, weekends from 6 AM to 6:40 PM. Note that this is the only line operating on weekends.

This line features a single fare of 15 baht regardless the distance travelled. The boats in this line are long and narrow and can accommodate up to sixty passengers in their interior; they are similar to those on the No Flag Line, though they allow less passengers.

Yellow Flag Line

Running between Nonthaburi and Ratburana, the Yellow Flag Line operates from Monday to Friday between 6:10 AM and 8:40 AM and in the afternoon between 4 PM and 7:30 PM. The tourist boat version runs between Sathorn and Phra Arthit between 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM. The fare on this line is 20 baht, or 29 baht if crossing zones. These heavy monsters of the river can accommodate up to 150 people on their single deck.

Blue Flag Line

The Blue Flag Line runs between Nonthaburi and Sathorn from Monday to Friday between 7:00 AM and 7:45 AM and in the afternoon between 5:05 PM and 6:25 PM. The fare on this line is 24 baht, or 34 baht if crossing zones. These boats can accommodate forty people on comfortable – even classy – teakwood seats.

Green-Yellow Flag Line

This line features two flags, a green and a yellow one at their rear side. It runs between Pakkred and Sathorn from Monday to Friday between 6:15 AM and 8:05 AM and in the afternoon between 4:05 PM and 6:05 PM. Its fares are 12 baht for trips within a zone, 20 baht for trips crossing into another zone and 32 for trips crossing two zones.

Crossing Ferries

Sometimes, we land on the undesired bank; if so, handy ferries cross the river for the humble fare of 3.5 baht.

Safety

The boats pose no special danger beyond pickpockets that act also on the streets. However, a point of concern are people approaching tourists and offering counterfeit merchandise – usually gems – or special deals at the shop of their uncle the tailor. Avoiding them is simple, just say: "No, thank you."

Tha - The Piers

Expectedly, many of the piers ("tha" in Thai) near downtown feature attractive markets in their surroundings. Tha Rong Mo, on the extension of Thanon Thai Wang, that separates between the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, is such an example. Due to its location next to main attractions, many stalls there specialize on souvenirs which are rather expensive. The nearby Wat Pho is the main school of Thai massage in the country; expectedly, the area is flooded with institutions led by graduated students. As most piers, this one is located on an alley connecting the nearest road to the river with the waterway; the labyrinth of alleys in those areas always holds surprises, here it is in the form of a Buddhas and Buddhist amulets market.

On the Bangkok side of the river the most remarkable pier is Tha Wat Rakhang; it is located in front of Tha Chang, at the northern side of the Grand Palace. The market surrounding it is huge and varied, however, the main attraction is a hard to spot branch of the Black Canyon Coffee, one of the leading chains of coffee shops in Thailand; they offer also snacks and meals. Hidden amidst stalls, it is located right next to the window selling tickets for the ferry crossing the river. Its ground floor is tiny and often unattended. However, a steep staircase leads to a spacious second floor looking over the river. The views from there are stunning and include parts of the Grand palace across the river and far to the south and on the same bank of the coffee shop the unmistakable shape of Wat Arun, probably the better known single temple in Thiland.

One of Bangkok's landmarks, the Giant Swing provides an unforgettable view to the visitors. Its slim, gracious shape creates a gate into a magical city where strangely shaped stuppas, giant swings and mighty stone guardians compete for a place in the travelers’ heart. I found that all of them fit well in there.

In recognition of their place in the shaping of modern Bangkok, the Giant Swing and Wat Suthat were suggested as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005; as of early 2009, there is no final decision on the issue.

Sao Ching Cha – The Giant Swing

The Giant Swing was constructed in 1784 together with the Devasathan Temple (on 268, Ban Dinsor Road) by King Rama I. The last is also known as the Brahmin Temple, and was constructed according to the ancient custom of building such a temple at each city center, as can be seen in Phimai, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. A Giant Swing was constructed in front of it in order to follow the Giant Swing Ceremony.

Later, King Rama II discontinued the swing ceremony because the structure had been damaged by a lightning. Only in 1920 it was renovated and moved to its current location on Bumrungmueng Road in front of Wat Suthat due to the construction of a gas plant on its former location. The modern swing stands in a traffic circle between Wat Suthat’s Wihan and Bangkok’s Municipality, at walking distance from the Grand Palace. Since then until 1935 the ceremony was performed, but then it was stopped due to several fatal accidents.

The Giant Swing was renovated in 1959, and in 2006 it was completely reconstructed with the help of six teak trunks. Two were used for the main structure of the swing; they measured over 3.5m in circumference and over 30m in height. The others were used for support and were 2.30m in circumference and 20m in height. The swing was dedicated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej in September 2007; the original trunks are kept in the National Museum. It must be remarked that despite the name, the construction resembles a very tall gate, with a highly stylized upper side; it is painted in bright red.

Tri Yampawai – The Swing Ceremony

Tri Yampawai was one of the twelve royal ceremonies – each corresponding to a different Thai month – performed from the days of the Sukhothai Kingdom onwards. In those days the Swing Ceremony belonged to the first month; it was defined as the Bhramin New Year's Ceremony and thus the swing was traditionally placed next to the main Brahmin temple in the city. The event was moved to the second month of the Thai calendar during the early nineteenth century.

The ceremony reenacts a Hindu epic that tells how Brahma created the world and then sent Shiva to look after it. Naga serpents (celestial serpents) wrapped themselves around the mountains placed on either side of the seas and kept the earth in place while Shiva placed one hesitant foot on the earth with great care, fearing it was not solid enough to support him. Due to the Nagas action, Shiva found the earth solid; in celebration, the Nagas moved to the seas. In the Swing Ceremony the swing pillars represent the mountains, while its circular base represents the earth and the seas; they participants are called naliwan and represent the nagas. During the ceremony the naliwan swing from the gate-like structure attempting to grab a bag of coins hanging from one of the pillars. The ceremony attempted to create a sense of security in the city and the kingdom. The event sponsors used to spend vast sums of money on it, showing thus to the people that the economy was stable.

Wat Suthat Wararam

The temple in front of the Great Swing is literally dwarfed by the swing’s height, but it is well worth a visit, because it is one of the only six in Thailand defined as a "first grade temple." In the very strict and hierarchical classification system of Thai temples there are only six temples in the highest grade of the first class royal temples, four are in Bangkok and one of them is Wat Suthat. Its construction was begun by King Rama I in 1807 and continued by his successors, until it was completed during the reign of King Rama III in 1847.

Three Buddha images are part of this temple’s fame, namely the one called Phra Sri Sakyamuni (pronounced Sisakayamunee), which was brought from Sukhothai, the Phra Buddha Trilokachet in the Ubosot (Ordination Hall) and the Phra Buddha Setthamuni in the Sala Kan Parien (Meeting Hall). Beyond that, on the low terrace surrounding the temple, there are twenty-eight Chinese pagodas representing the twenty-eight Buddhas.

Visiting the temple is interesting since it is very active as an instruction center, meaning that many monks can be seen there and lessons can be heard if arriving at the right time. It is with no doubt one of the biggest and most representative Thai temples in the country and is worth a detailed stopover. Since it opens every day and charges only twenty baht entry fee there are no reasons for missing the place.

It is also worthy to note that the temple is known also with other names: Wat Maha Suthra Wad, Wat Suthat Thep Tharam, Wat Phra Toe, Phra Yai and more. The reason is that Thai kings have decided that Bangkok would surpass the glory of Ayutthaya and have designed it to resemble Suthat Sana Nakhon in design. This is a city located on the Mount Sumeru, the center of the universe in the Hindu mythology, where the god Indra dwells. The names of many sites in Bangkok – like several of those attributed to Wat Suthat – belong to parallel sites in the mythological city; a similar design was applied in Angkor.