Bye bye Bangkok!

On our last day in Bangkok for now, we took a boat tour and walked through a neighborhood known for its street art: Talat Noi.

Narrow alleys, trendy cafés – and everywhere colorful street art on the walls.

You could wander through the tight paths for hours, discovering new artworks again and again. Sometimes political, sometimes artistic, and sometimes so large they cover an entire building wall.

We just let ourselves drift and enjoyed paths away from the tourist hotspots. A peaceful last day – before heading further south.

We are traveling comfortably by bus towards the coast – from there, the ferry will take us to an island. More details in the coming days. 😊

But speaking of the travel bus: How does one actually get from A to B here?

The answer is as colorful as the country itself. Whether Tuk-Tuk, Songthaew (these are modified pickups with benches), ferry, train, or the classic travel bus – the options are vast. Bangkok also has a well-developed public transport system with BTS (SkyTrain), MRT (subway), and ferries on the Chao Phraya.

On our last vacation in Thailand, we continuously had a rental car – a decision that had many advantages. We were flexible at all times, could set off spontaneously and head exactly where we felt like going.

Especially with our little daughter and all the luggage, the car quickly turned into our “little apartment on wheels.” The seat could easily transform into a changing table, the trunk served as an open wardrobe, and the shelf at the back became our improvised dryer, where wet swimsuits could dry in the sun.

However, traffic in metropolitan areas can be intense – especially in Bangkok, but also in Phuket. Traffic jams, chaos, and a certain degree of stress are almost part of everyday life here.

It becomes particularly frustrating when you miss an exit – then you often find yourself back in the same traffic and lose a lot of time.

Additionally, there is the left-hand traffic, which you quickly get used to, but still requires a high level of concentration.

This can quickly lead to losing a part of the well-deserved vacation relaxation just from driving.

This time, we wanted to try managing without a rental car and exclusively using public transport. 🙃

In Bangkok, this worked wonderfully, as the transport network is excellently developed. As already mentioned, there are countless ways to reach your destination – by land, underground, on the water, and “virtually in the air” with the Skytrain.

We traveled by Skytrain, metro, bus, and also by boat. Everything went smoothly, and each mode of transport had its own advantages. Our personal favorite was definitely the boat taxi: traveling on the water with a light breeze just feels the most pleasant in the hot temperatures. Plus, the view of the skyline along the shore – simply perfect.

For our next stop, we booked tickets for a travel bus. Again, everything went smoothly: plenty of space, wide seats with the possibility to sleep – and of course, pleasantly air-conditioned. Since it is a night ride, we can sleep on the bus, saving us a hotel night. Along the way, there are breaks, drinks, and later even a meal. Tomorrow morning, we will continue directly at our destination with the ferry to the island.

A night ride on a travel bus is certainly not for everyone. And the most exciting question for us was: How does this all work with our one-year-old daughter?

The short answer: She sleeps. 😄

If you're interested in how traveling with a child works for us, I’d be happy to share more details and answer your questions – just write to me in the comments!

See you soon,

Ira