Old Town Bangkok

We took the BTS to the Saphan Taksin station, exited and then walked to Sathorn Pier.  We then bought single-trip tickets for the hop-on/hop-off boat to Chang Pier, which is the nearest one to the Grand Palace.  On the boat ride, I pointed out many landmarks: Oriental Hotel, Peninsula, State Tower, Shangri-La, Iconsiam, River City, Wat Kalayanamit, Wat Arun, Wat Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) and the Grand Palace.

Should start at Sathorn Pier (4 min mark).  Watch until 23:15, when you see the Grand Palace.

We disembarked at the Chang Pier and walked to the new undergound adjacent to the Grand Palace.  You can learn about it here.

After hanging out a bit in the underground waiting area, we came back up and walked to Wat Mahathat, one of the most historic temples in Bangkok.

Ahhhh, our first tuk-tuk ride.  I have mixed feelings about tuk-tuks.  They are cool to experience, but they can be very dangerous and it can be a hassle dealing with the drivers.  I can manage, and my wife certainly can manage it....the negotiating and avoiding-a-scam bits.  My advice to tourists is to study on on tuk-tuks before you just start taking them.  And if you're going to take one, Old Town Bangkok is the best place for it.

We stayed on Soi Rambuttri one night.  It's one of my favorite roads, and it's adjacent to 'Backpacker Paradise' Khao San Rd.

Checking up on my business!

I went out for a little walk by myself to Wat Bowon, just to see how it's looking.  Looked as great as last time.

Just before sunset, I took my cousin out for a walk.  I wanted to show him the Democracy Monument.  And then I wanted to take him to Mont Nom Sod for toast with custard + milk.  After that, I thought it would be good to see Wat Suthat & Giant Swing (lit up at night), Jay Fai of Netflix flame cooking a stir-fry, Wat Saket and Wat Loha Prasat.  We did it!

That's custard - made with coconut milk and duck eggs - on toast.

Wat Saket

 (Temple on the Golden Mount)

We then walked back to Khao San Road and walked up and down it, and did the same with Soi Rambuttri.

We walked 7.3 miles.

The next morning we stopped off at Wat Bowon and Wat Suthat.  Made a big impression!

After the temples, we walked to the MRT (metro) station to make our way back to the 'New City.'  In Silom, we took at look at one of the newest malls in Bangkok:  Silom Edge.  It's open 24/7.