Because of a VietJet bait and switch, I ended up with a long layover at BKK instead of the 2 hour of my original booking. This is how I killed an 8 hour layover in Bangkok outside of the airport.
BKK
Busier that heck, just like last month. Because of my layover, I decided to head out of the airport to find a SIM card and some Thai Baht. That meant going thru the dreaded immigration line. After finding the end, further back than the 45-minute wait last time, I could only take it in stride.
Luckily for me, an official moved a bunch of us over to the diplomats only line, and I was thru in just under ½ hour. Lucky day!
The Paseo Mall
I exchanged €20 in the airport in order to pay for a Grab to the nearest mall. $130 TB ($4.90 CAD) later, I was dropped off at the side of the road. Not seeing anything that resembled a mall I was used to, I just started walking. The Paseo Mall was an unusual mall, the open-air ground floor was food stalls and at the back was a two story closed area for everything else.
SIM Card
I found the AIS booth that I was looking for and procured a Thai SIM card. Yay me!! I paid $350 TB ($13.20 CAD) which includes 30 days of use and 20GB of data for $300 plus $50 for the SIM card. The cost at the airport was between $900 ($34 CAD) and $1,200 ($45.30 CAD) depending on what provider you use. What a savings!
Cash Withdrawal
Next was to get Thai Baht cash. I found a building nearby, with two banks and a small grocery store. The first machine I tried asked me to accept a $220 TB ($8.30 CAD) fee. I declined seeing if it would accept the withdrawal anyways (like Mexico) or just spit my card out. Well, it spat my card out. ☹️ No cash there.
Onto the next bank. This time I accepted the fee but declined the conversion, withdrew a large to me amount, and Bob’s your uncle. Yay for me! Second chore out of the way. 😊
I had already read previously, that using the cash machines in Thailand was an expensive affair. All forums suggest I bring cash in other currencies like US dollars, Euro etc. So I was expecting the cost of the ATM to not only be steep but non-negotiable. The only way to get around this is to withdraw large sums so you don’t have to use the machine very often. Hopefully I can make this amount last half the trip, and only use the ATM’s one more time inside the country.
McDonald’s
Walking back to the highway I noticed a Maccas. I caved. Hungry was I and just wanted a taste of familiar food. I choose a double cheeseburger ‘set’ which was the cheapest this combo has been anywhere else I have travelled in the last year. Cost was $169 TB or $6.40 CAD. It was good. The best thing was the ice-cold Coke Zero to be honest.
711
By now my body was crying as I had been lugging my carry-on and purse over my shoulders for hours. With five hours still remaining of my layover, I decided to walk a small way up the highway to find a 711 to get some snacks for the next flight and a make do dinner.
I found one not too far and purchased the sushi triangle (which was too spicy for me 🤣), one soft sweet bun, 2 bags of crisps, dried jack fruit and some fresh pomelo.
Out at the highway I flagged a taxi and returned to the airport ($70 TB or $2.60 CAD), so proud of myself for getting out into the city and getting some necessary chores done. Yes, I could have waited until Chiang Mai to do both of these things, but it was a great way to kill some hours and see a minute amount of Bangkok as well.
