Hello Bangkok! I was very excited to be back again for another eat-venture even though I was still feeling quite stuffed after spending one week in Hanoi. I actually went straight to Bangkok from Hanoi which wasn’t a very good idea as I should have given myself some time and space in between before embarking on a new holiday. Really overestimated my eating capabilities, oops.
Anyway, I took AirAsia though I didn’t want to initially because of previous bad experiences with the airline. But it was the only airline I could find that flew the Hanoi -> Bangkok route on the date that I wanted so I didn’t have another choice.
I arrived at Don Mueang Airport (DMK) which was also my first time there. For info, if you’re flying from Singapore to Bangkok via AirAsia (DMK only) or Tigerair (it offers flights to both DMK & BKK), you will also disembark at this airport.
The airport was really small with nothing much to see as compared to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). Boring.
What I want to share in this post that will kick off my Bangkok travel series, is the taxi service from Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok city centre
The moment you exit from Immigration at Arrivals, you’d see this row of telcos on the left hand side where you can buy SIM cards.
Went for this at 299 baht. Unlimited data for 7 days – exactly what we needed.
Having done prior research before arriving in Bangkok, I learned that taking the taxi would be the easiest and most convenient way to get to the city centre. So from where we were earlier at the telcos side, just walk straight ahead and look out for the Taxi sign.
This is the taxi counter where you will be assigned a taxi driver. Just let the person know where you’re heading to and you’ll be given a ticket with the driver’s details stamped on it.
We were told not to hand over the ticket to our driver even if he requested to see it. Not sure why but I guess there must have been some hanky-panky going on previously. So yes, take note – DO NOT pass the ticket to your driver.
Taxi fare is based on meter plus a 50 baht surcharge for the driver. Do note we would have to cover any toll or expressway fees as well.
The whole process of getting a taxi was really quick and smooth and in no time, we were already on our way to the city.
I really appreciate the Thai government for enforcing strict regulations with regards to taxi services because it’s really annoying if you come across those unscrupulous taxi drivers who just want to squeeze you dry (a lot of such examples in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur) and can be quite nasty to deal with. Now the whole process is very transparent and you would actually feel very at ease to travel in a taxi from the airport here.
Our journey from DMK to Pratunam Market (where our hotel was) took about 45 minutes. Didn’t go through any toll gates on the way so we didn’t have to pay extras. Initial part of the taxi ride was fast-moving and smooth and it was only when we entered the Pratunam area that we got stuck in a back alley because driver followed the exact route on his GPS. Ok, I guess it was because our hotel was located in an alleyway as well and it was a really busy and narrow road to get through. Anyway, the whole ride cost us 260 baht including the surcharge to driver. Fairly reasonable.
I liked that the overall travel time from DMK to the city was relatively short than if we were coming from BKK. I think next time when I go back to Bangkok, I would most likely book a flight that goes DMK instead of BKK, haha.
Ok peeps, stay tuned for more Bangkok travel and food posts coming your way. ?