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 ยฝ hour. Lucky day!
The Paseo Mall
I exchanged โฌ20 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. โน๏ธ No cash there.
Onto the next bank. This time I accepted the fee but declined the conversion, withdrew a large to me amount, and Bobโs your uncle. Yay for me! Second chore out of the way. ๐
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 donโt have to use the machine very often. Hopefully I can make this amount last half the trip, and only use the ATMโs 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 โsetโ 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 ๐คฃ), 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.
