Day 31 – Bangkok to Sukhothai
Today we woke up bright and early to leave our hostel (Oh Bangkok Hostel) just after 6:15am. Luckily we had talked to the receptionist about leaving early the previous night so we could hand in the Keycard and get back our 200 Baht ($8.47AUD) deposit back. She told us she would be downstairs to meet us, which was partially true. When we got down she was asleep on the sofa so I had to wake her.
After this we proceeded to call a “Grab” (“Grab” is an Uber like App which uses private cars and taxis) via our phone, which came within 5 minutes. From our accommodation it took only around 25 minutes, due to a lack of traffic on a Sunday morning. The Grab taxi driver took a longer route down the highway which cost us 167 Baht ($7.07 AUD) which was 22 Baht / $0.92 AUD more than the previous day (which took longer due to traffic!). That being said the driver was actually friendly asking us questions and teaching us a little Thai.
Hello = Sar Vati Cup
How are you? = Sar Vati May Cup?
Thank you = Car Kun Cup
Apparently “Cup” on the end is what a Male would say. I can’t remember what a woman should say.
At the Bangkok Bus Terminal (Chatuchak) there were so many buses with over 120 platforms. All the buses are blue and double decker but passengers only sit on top level, with the bottom for the driver, assistant and the luggage. The seats were very comfortable and could recline. The bus was full so I was glad we bought the tickets the previous day. We went for the cheaper Class 1 tickets as opposed to VIP class and I don’t know what the difference is but Class 1 included a water bottle and muffin at the start of the trip and then at the lunch stop the ticket included a 20 Baht / $0.85AUD food coupon)
At around midday, we heard violent coughing from the back of the bus. It turns out an elderly gentleman was not feeling well. The bus stopped and we waited until an ambulance arrived. The man was stretched away promptly. After this we continued the journey.
At roughly 1pm we stopped at the lunch stop and had a light meal before taking off. We got back on the bus right after we ate so it didn’t leave without us but it stayed at the stop for 30 minutes in total.
The total travel time was around 7 hours and a total distance of 415km to the New town Bus stop in Sukhothai. From the bus stop we were targeted by a “friendly” taxi driver who offered to take us to the accommodation at Old Town but the multiple times I asked him for the price, he would suddenly go deaf.
After asking the Information booth for a good way to get to the old town, we were shown that a bus comes between 6am and 5pm and only costs 30 Baht / $1.27AUD. At around 4:15pm we were told the bus will come in 10 minutes. While waiting more than 10 minutes for the bus the taxi drivers kept coming and making offers. The cheapest was 100 Baht / $4.23AUD per person (We met a German back packer who was with us by this time). Once we asked the information booth again, they told us because it was a Sunday the bus may not be running….
We decided to give it a few more minutes. At 5:30pm we were delighted to see the bus got on. The driver told us the price was 50 Baht / $2.12AUD per person. After a bit of negotiation we were taken the 11.2km for 30 Baht / $1.27AUD.
The “Bus” Seating arrangements in the “bus”
When we first arrived at our accommodation at Hotel De’Peal, I was blown away. Outside is amazing and looks modern. The receptionist (who we called while stuck at the Sukhothai Bus Stand, had responded with “I speak no English” before hanging up the phone on us) spoke limited English which made things interesting. The room was large and clean but old. There is a constant “thud thud” noise coming from outside which I am hoping will not go on all night!
Hotel de’Peal Hotel de’Peal
We had dinner across the road at the Sinvana Restaurant which had an excellent meal albeit a little on the pricey side compared to other food we have had at Bangkok but we didn’t want to venture too far and be chased by more dogs after dark.
A long day on the road and we are finally within walking distance of the ancient ruins of Sukhothai.