We entered Thailand with a visa-on-arrival which only let us stay in Thailand for 30 days. You can obtain a longer visa for Thailand by applying in advance, but we had missed our boat when we were traveling in Europe. So, we decided to reset our visas by heading to Vietnam for Christmas, where we could apply for longer-term visas at a Thai Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We planned to be there two weeks, over Christmas and New Years.
First stop out of Chaing Mai? One night in Bangkok!
We didn’t want to bother with the city center, as we had last time (which was a lot of fun)! We had an early flight out in the morning, and didn’t want to be out late, however.
We found a hotel called Bangkok Garden Resort which had a small family suite available for $48. Not the cheapest…but certainly not the most expensive, either! Plus, it had two separate rooms…which is always a bonus!
It wasn’t really near much of anything…but the taxi took us directly there from the airport, and we found they had a nice garden for the kids to explore, and a restaurant to fill our tummies.
While we waited for our food, Ethan ran around the gardens and tried to steal the Christmas ornament boxes strewn around the palm trees. Love this version of a Christmas tree…
They had some super-old looking rickshaws throughout the property, as well as a bunch lined up in a back driveway. Were they authentic? If so, what stories could they tell?
Their restaurant menu was extensive, and we were the only ones there. We placed our order, and the cook went to work on our fresh meal of green curry and fried rice.
The employees went nuts over Ethan, and posed him for photos, etc.
We learned from the staff that there was a nearby outdoor market that evening, so we decided to buck up and go out, after all! The market did not have any other tourists…always a good sign!
Maiya immediately decided she was too tired to walk. Does anybody else’s kids do this?!
Ella and Ethan were enthusiastic about the sights and smells. Fish, anyone?
I loved the outdoor sitting area for the little eateries.
Chicken feet? Oh, and a classic example of a Thai lady boy…
The market was very large, and after finding some snacks to eat and a few t-shirts for me (men’s shirts I am hoping to tailor…because all of the women’s shirts here are WAY too tight for my taste!), we were done. I was excited when the walkway leading over the busy road gave us a fantastic view of the market!
One night in Bangkok was a success. We’ll be back!
