Bangkok (30) Adios Bangkok!

Bangkok (1) The idea to go
Bangkok (2) Adios snowy Korea
Bangkok (3) Holiday Travelers
Bangkok (4) The drive to the hotel
Bangkok (5) P2 Boutique Hotel
Bangkok (6) The Family from SA
Bangkok (7) Breakfast on Wed morning
Bangkok (8) Pratunam, Scooters & Tuk-Tuks
Bangkok (9) Central World
Bangkok (10) Sukhumvit Road 
Bangkok (11) Himali Cha Cha
Bangkok (12) Beware of Cheating Drivers
Bangkok (13) Private Tour - for FREE?
Bangkok (14) Chao Phraya River
Bangkok (15) Chao Phraya River Vids
Bangkok (16) Stop at the Temple
Bangkok (17) Chin Jewelry Factory
Bangkok (18) FURIOUS in Bkk
Bangkok (19) Lunch at Swagath
Bangkok (20) My Thai Massage
Bangkok (21) Am I invisible in Bangkok?
Bangkok (22) Put the meter ON!
Bangkok (23) Happy New Year!

Bangkok (24) Check Out!

Bangkok (25) MBK Center
Bangkok (26) Getting to Siam
Bangkok (27) Siam
Bangkok (28) Silom Road
Bangkok (29) Health Land Spa

Day 4: Friday, January 1 2010

It's 8pm and I'm sitting in the hotel lobby charging my netbook and MP3 player. My flight is only at 01:15, but I leave for the airport at 8:30pm. A young man drives me in a white van, much like the one that drove off with my Singaporean friends yesterday! Another woman who works at the hotel is first going to be dropped off at Baiyoke Sky Hotel. She tells me she's meeting her friends for dinner. She asks me if I'm sure I have my passport and then goes on to tell me about a guest they had at the hotel who was flying back to Singapore, only to realize he had forgotten his passport in the safe in his room! Lucky, I have everything.  I triple checked.

When we arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport, I'm so early to check in, so I wait around near the check-in desk. I find an empty seat and have to sit next to a couple who's cuddling next to me. Eugh! The man sitting next to me has very dirty jeans and keeps looking at my netbook that I'm typing on. I hate it when people do that. I'm a bit annoyed that I can't access Wi-Fi from the airport's network.

When it's eventually time to check in (around 11pm) I see a sign on the electronic notice board saying to visit the Information Desk to enjoy free Wi-Fi. I make a mental note to do that after I go through Passport Control.  I walk quite a distance to the Information Desk. A woman asks me to write my name and passport number in a book and then gives me a small ticket with a login code.  I proceed to my boarding gate and go online. I send a few messages and plan to chat for a bit, only to be CUT OFF from the network. The login pin for free Wi-Fi is only valid for fifteen minutes!

By now - 00:30, I'm tired and hungry, but I'm not going to walk to find food. A few minutes later, I meet an American man who's also flying back to Seoul. He seems nice and we chat a bit before boarding. At this point, I'm feeling very happy to see Koreans around me and to hear Korean being spoken.

I fall asleep on the flight and wake up to this:

When we land at Incheon Airport, it feels strange to arrive back to icy, snowy weather. For the first time, there are no queues at Passport Control. I'm only traveling with hand luggage, so I make it out quickly. Also, I'm not stopped at Customs like I usually am!

As I walk out the airport and the crisp winter air hits my face, I smile. I know exactly where to go and what to do. I buy a bus ticket and wait for about 10 minutes before my bus arrives. I'm really so happy to be back 'home'. 

It's snowing heavily and doesn't stop all week-end. It takes a long time for the heating in my apartment to start up.  I spend all day on Saturday catching up on sleep. I'm also very grateful that I've made it back safe and sound, unharmed by tuk tuks or scooters! I don't necessarily travel to have a GOOD time. I travel for experience...and that's exactly what I got in Bangkok.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion. I feel a bit sorry that I haven't come back from Thailand excited and sharing the same sentiments of others' that have been there before me. Everyone told me that Bangkok has the BEST shopping. I can understand why they said that. As I've said on my blog before, I'm not a big shopper. Also, I've been living in Korea for the past two and half years. Shopping here is endless. From clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, electronics. You name it, Korea's got it. I didn't see anything in Bangkok that I've not really seen before. I figured that everyone who raved about Bangkok to me, have nothing else to compare it to. Granted, I've not traveled THAT much, but I've had my fair share of seeing and experiencing new things and places.

Should I ever go back to Thailand, I've decided that I won't go back alone. I am willing to give it another shot, but not in the near future. My next few holidays will be reserved for visiting new countries!