Bangkok - (Spring 2025) - Day 1
Ahhh…Bangkok. A delightful mix of chaos and modernism, opulence and poverty, mugginess and comfy AC, all rolled up in a sprawling city that somehow works. The transit system mostly gets you where you need but you can still need a car sometimes and be stuck in nightmarish traffic. They are very liberal on some vices but then clamp down hard on others. Everything is hectic but you are always greeted with a generous friendly spirit everywhere.
Scenes Around Central Bangkok
BTS Skytrain
This is one of the transit systems that gets you around Bangkok and is convenient for getting around the central Sukhumvit area.
There is another MRT line that also serves much of central Bangkok but unfortunately it works on a different payment system.
It is also not a great walking town because of the manner in which the streets are laid out. It is not always easy to get from one alley to another.
Pot
The last time I was in Bangkok (which was a while ago), marijuana was illegal. Since then it was legalized and pot shops were obnoxiously prevalent everywhere on this visit. Since I’ve returned I’ve read that they may start putting restrictions on it again so will be interesting how that plays out in the future.
Usually places like hotels prohibit durian but apparently they don’t like mangosteens either.
I never found mangosteens to be unpleasant smelling but whatever
Eathai Food Court (Central Embassy Mall)
As soon as I landed I made a bee line to the Eathai food court. It used to house what I thought was the best soup on earth which was a Tom Yum soup variant. Unfortunately I learned that the shop had closed after Covid. This soup was an adequate replacement but was not as good as my bygone favorite. Oh well. Also got some pork ball skewers to go with the soup.
You get one of these cards when you enter the food court and they scan it every time you buy something.
You pay the balance when you leave at a cash register.
Nest
This is a fun little bar that I had been to before. Quiet on this weeknight but it is a low rooftop bar walkable from the Sukhumvit main road. The nest name refers to the big daybeds that you can perch on if you wish (which I did on a previous occasion).
I’ve never seen Harley water in the US but I guess it’s a thing here.
Humidor Cigar Bar (Intercontinental)
My new favorite cigar lounge in Bangkok - so much so I went twice. The old favorite had closed (it was the Duke Contemporary which was an art gallery that had a hidden cigar bar in the back).
This lounge is called the Humidor and you enter from a door just off to the side of the Balcony Lounge in the Intercontinental Hotel. You can bring your own stick without a cutting fee. The room itself is large and luxurious. Attendants will come from the bar to take your order and check on you but otherwise don’t bother you as you are just free to lounge. This is a comfy place to relax and escape from the constant Bangkok heat. It is a very casual atmosphere in a very fancy place. The place also has excellent ventilation so the close room is not very smoky at all.
Loft (Waldorf Astoria)
In search for more fancy cocktails, we went high up in the Waldorf Astoria hotel to this bar with great views. It was a bit hard to find the elevator but as always the staff was very helpful in guiding us in the right direction.
You can get your excellent drinks along with the fantastic view. This bar had a very chill vibe unlike some of the other rooftop bars with a more party atmosphere. You would expect it to be more classy than rowdy at the Waldorf.