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After 6 days in Cambodia, today we will say goodbye and head to Bangkok in Thailand for the final leg of the trip.

As our flight isn’t until 6:35pm, we have opted to lie in and take our time walking around Siem Reap to kill some time.

Out in the streets, it is very quiet.  The place is actually quite tidy considering how many people were around last night.  It looks like the street cleaners have been out overnight.

There’s a vast array of outfits being modelled by the people here.  We’ve seen quite a few wearing (what looks like) silk pyjamas.  Some are dripping in fake designer branding from to toe – the markets are full of this stuff.  Elephant pants (trousers) are also very popular with the tourists.  I bought a pair for my sister!

The water festival is meant to reach its climax today, with the final of the boat race to come later this afternoon.  Sadly we’ll not be here to see it.  The semifinals were due to begin at 8am, but I was in bad at the time.  By the time we get out (around 11am) there’s not really any sign that any racing has been taking place.

Stopping briefly on the riverbank to enjoy a few cold drinks in the hot sticky temperatures, our attention is on a mother bathing her young daughter in the dirty river.  The child is absolutely loving it!

Two other young girls walk up to us with a black bin bag to collect our bottles.  

They will sell the empty bottles back for recycling and a very small amount of money for it.  We gave them a little change and they were just so happy and thankful.  I watched them walking on down the street, and with the money, they bought themselves a bottle of water.  

As we had a lot of Cambodian notes to offload, we found a bit more money for them, and again it made them so happy.  

These are the special moments I want to remember this holiday for. 

At midday, we were met at the hotel by a driver to take us to the airport.  I noticed that there was heavy traffic coming the other way, probably heading into the Siem Reap for the holiday weekend.  

The drive, about an hour through the country side, gave ample opportunity to admire the lush green fields and tropical palm trees.  For such a warm country, it’s unusual to see such greenery, but I guess that’s it down to their proximity to the equator (and the rain the comes with it). 

Approaching Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, we drive through a toll plaza with signs including Chinese translations, and TVs showing Chinese state TV.  Inside the airport itself, Chinese flag stickers bedeck the suitcase scanning machines.  Its pretty clear who’s funded all of this!

The airport is Cambodia’s largest, and only opened in October 2023.  In that time there have been around 14,000 flights servicing over 1.3 million passengers.  The airport was funded by a Chinese private investment company – Yunnan Investment Holdings Ltd, (but likely with state backing).  If you were to ask me why? I’d tell you it’s to cater for a large uplift in visitors over the next few decades.  But if you were to ask me on a deeper level, I’d tell you this is part of a big Chinese long term grand plan to take over Southeast Asia.  We’ve already been told that Vietnam and Cambodia are in serious economic debt to China, so how long before they cash in the favour?  🤔 

In the queue for checking in, the American man in front of us has been told that he’s over the weight limit for hand luggage.  After unsuccessfully decanting his luggage from one bag to the other (to be told it didn’t make any difference), his only option is to accept a $100 charge.  He’s absolutely furious, but he’s only digging a hole for himself by trying to arguing his way out of it. 

Once we reach the top of the queue, we’re told we’re half an hour early for checking in, and to come back later.  We head to a coffee shop in the main concourse.

About 5 minutes later, I realise that I don’t have my case.  In all the drama, it seems I left it in the queue.  🤦🏻 

Thankfully it was still there when I went back!  😮‍💨 

There’s a slight delay on the flight (about 1 hour), but aside from that, it’s another very smooth flight.  I’m at the right side of the plane to see the Angkor temples through the window, but the in the sunsetty haze, the remaining light only glistens off the water.

You can just about make out the square moat surrounding Angkor Wat near up and to the left of the wing tip in the photograph above.

Our destination is the city of Bangkok.  Thailand has a population of around 66.19 million.  That’s pretty much the same population as the UK, but in an area of a roughly double the size.

Up until 1939, the country was called Siam, but was changed to Thailand by the then king meaning Land of the Free.  That’s a reference to many of the surrounding countries, which were at the receiving end of European colonialism at the time.  Sadly a few years later, World War II was in full flow, and Thailand had the Japanese to contend with. More on that in a couple of days.

At arrivals, we are met by a 30 year old female escort named Ploy (sorry that’s a clumsy choice of words), who leads us outside to the van.

It turns out that Ploy worked at a magazine before but has only been working for Asia Spirit (our tour company for this leg) for one month.  

Ok very first impressions of Thailand – cars are right hand drive, and drive on the left side of the road.  Just like back home 🥳 🙌

That’s different from pretty much every other country in Asia.

The roads aren’t as busy as Cambodia or Vietnam, (less scooters but more tuktuk).  The drivers are so bad at keeping inside their lanes but no-one seems fazed when gaps close.  There’s a lot less horn honking.

Our Hotel is the Royal Bangkok Hotel in Chinatown.  At night this is the place to be in Bangkok and it is absolutely hiving with bodies.  As we disembark from the minivan, the first thing I notice is the sickly smell of Durian fruit from a stall right outside the hotel lobby.  I would really like to try some of this to see what it’s like.

Inside the hotel, there’s a sign on the counter, saying that Durian is banned in the hotel, and carries a 2000 Baht fine (that’s roughly £50).

We head back out to find some food in Chinatown.  There’s no shortage of options from restaurants to street vendors. I would say the food we’ve seen so far is far more exotic than anything we’ve seen in either Vietnam or Cambodia.  

Due to the busyness – the footpath has been taken over by the food stalls, and a new section of footpath is fenced off from the traffic laden main road.  This is about three lanes wide, and in one direction, with a one way system in place.  Crossing is easier than Vietnam as drivers will typically be prepared to stop to let you by.

So far, Bangkok is an experience, but I wouldn’t say it’s a particularly enjoyable one.  It’s early days though, and I’m happy to reserve judgement until I’ve seen a bit more.

I come across another durian stall, and buy the smallest piece I can, but there’s not really anywhere to sit and eat it with any privacy, so I stick it in my backpack for later.  

Elsewhere on the side of the road, we come across a nice looking crepe stall.  I fancy something sweet, so opt for a banana, chocolate and whipped cream filling.  Again, people are constantly filing past, and there’s still no space to eat.  I’m now stood standing, holding my sticky melting chocolate crepe, sweating buckets with smell of vomit coming out of my backpack; meanwhle pressed toe to tail against people on every corner.  I am not enjoying this one bit.  (The experience, not the crepe.  That was fantastic!)

As an aside, it’s here on the side-streets of Chinatown that we see our first ladyboy (didn’t catch a photo sorry) and the Thai version of Big Mo from Eastenders – must have been backpacking through Southeast Asia with Phil Mitchell.

We push our way through the crowds and find a street side restaurant which had been recommended to us by Ploy.  I’m not that hungry after the crepe, so while mum and dad eat their dinner, I head across the road to 7 Eleven to buy some wet wipes.

After the others had safely finished eating, I opened my backpack, and like Pandora’s box unleashed all of the evils of the world.  This time manifested in odour form.

The durian itself is very hard and prickly on the outside (like a pineapple) but very soft on the inside.  I can’t even think of a fruit with a texture like it.

It tastes exactly as it smells.  Absolutely rank.  I’m also picking through the pips in the squelchy mess.  

After two half spoonfuls, I decided that was quite enough of that and called it quits.

I left the remnants on the table, bud did feel a hint of remorse for anyone still eating their meal at that point.

We flee the scene before anyone comes after us, and grab the nearest tuktuk we can find.  

Tuktuk driving is definitely more civilised here.  There aren’t the sheer numbers of bikes as we had in Vietnam and Cambodia. Drivers are more understanding and don’t tend to honk.  Speed limits seem to be optional, and lighter traffic, gives drivers free rein to reach higher speeds. 

The tuktuk brings us down to the Wat Phra temple, and a literal open door is the metaphorical open door for us to enter.

Here, the sound of music fills the air, as the Melodies of the River competition is well underway.  It looks like 10 young girls are battling it out in an X Factor style singing competition.  

We explore a bit around the Wat Phra temple, and discover a lot of gold imagery, colourful tiled mosaics, Chewbacca and 5 or 6 tall stacked pagoda / pyramids.

We walk on a little further to find Wat Arun pier, on the side of the Chao Phraya river.  The pier is named after Wat Arun temple just across from us.  The name means ‘temple of dawn’ which sounds like a good name for an Indiana Jones movie!

The temple is resplendent in colourful artificial lighting – no doubt due to the Loy Krathong festival happening this weekend.  (This is the Thai festival of water and lights – very similar to the Bon om Tuk water festival in Cambodia at the same time).  Aside from the colourful lights, there’s not much else going on.  It looks like we’re in the wrong part of town for the big celebrations.

After this, we get another tuktuk back to our hotel.