Bangkok – Thailand
✨ Bangkok — The Final Stop of Our Adventure
Our last few days on the road before heading home — filled with buses, markets, massages, and memories.
🚌 The Long Ride South
Once the bus left Chiang Mai, we were officially on our way to our final destination — Bangkok.
It was a lengthy ten-hour overnight ride, but I made the most of the first few hours writing and sorting through photos and videos on my laptop.
By the time I finished, it was just after midnight and time to rest. Although buses don’t make the most comfortable beds, we both managed a few hours’ sleep before arriving at Bangkok’s bus station around 6 a.m.
Getting from there to our guest house was easy — the local bus cost just 13 baht (about 28p) for two people! I was surprisingly energized, though I knew it wouldn’t last long.
📸 Almost at our final stop!
🏠 Early Morning in Bangkok
When we arrived at the guest house, the doors were still locked. Luckily, another traveler let us in, so we waited in the communal lounge until the lady arrived around 8 a.m. to check us in.
After dropping off our bags, we took things slow — organizing, refreshing, and finally heading out by 10 a.m. to explore Chatuchak Market, one of the biggest weekend markets in the world.
🛍️ Chatuchak Market — A Maze of Stalls
The bus ride there was a sleepy one, but we arrived just in time (possibly one stop too early!).
Chatuchak was enormous — endless rows of stalls heading in every direction. At first, it seemed underwhelming, but the deeper we went, the more treasures we found.
After hours of wandering, snacking on crisps, and sipping smoothies, we were beyond tired. We got lost leaving the market but eventually found the right bus — an air-conditioned one this time, still cheap as ever.
📸 The lack of sleep was quite visible on our faces.
🌙 Evening: A Taste of Khaosan Road
Back at the guest house, we finally got our room and freshened up before heading out again around 6 p.m. Despite feeling drained, we wanted one last adventure.
We walked toward Khaosan Road, the famous backpacker hub. Bright lights, blaring music, and market stalls flooded the street — fun to see but not really our vibe.
📸 Khaosan Road
We escaped the chaos and found a small, crowded local bar nearby. The food was simple but satisfying — £3 total for both meals and drinks! After dinner, we headed back around midnight, beginning to pack for our final day.
🌞 A Surreal Last Full Day
Waking up the next morning felt strange. After a whole year of traveling, this was our final full day.
We spent the early hours sewing patches, sorting souvenirs, and slowly packing.
Breakfast downstairs gave us an energy kick before we set out to walk over an hour to the Grand Palace.
📸 Very beautiful buildings along the way.
We admired the grand white walls and ornate rooftops but decided not to enter — the entry fee (500 baht per person + extras) wasn’t worth it for this final day. Instead, we peeked through the gates for a glimpse inside.
📸 Having a peek through the walls
📸 They really didn’t want us to see over the walls without paying
📸 Sneaky peaks
🍨 Ice Cream Break & Afternoon Plans
On the way back, we stopped for one last ice cream treat of the trip — a simple pleasure and the perfect cool-down.
📸 Ice cream!
Still aching from the waterpark a few days ago, we decided to treat ourselves again — this time with a traditional Thai massage later that evening.
💆♀️ Thai Massage Experience
The walk to the massage place was longer than expected, but it was worth it.
We changed into fresh clothes and spent an hour being poked, pressed, twisted, and stretched.
It was funny and painful in equal measure — my masseuse even giggled every time I winced!
📸 Massage time!
📸 Very British having tea and biscuits!
Afterward, we were served tea and biscuits — the most British ending to a Thai massage imaginable.
🍛 One Last Dinner
After freshening up again, we walked to a riverside restaurant for our final meal.
I ordered a massaman curry while Joe went for panang. Both were delicious but tasted slightly different from usual — a fitting touch of newness on our last night abroad.
📸 Cute riverside restaurant
📸 The end of the trip was getting to Joe
📸 And then he was sad his final meal arrived
A surprise service charge on the bill gave us a brief panic, as we had only just enough cash. Luckily, the staff were understanding. We ended the night with a quiet walk home, final packing, and one last game of cards before bed.
✈️ Departure Day
The final alarm of the trip went off at 4:45 a.m.
We took bus number 72, then the BTS monorail straight to the airport. Everything went smoothly, and for once, we had extra time to breathe.
📸 I wasn’t risking losing any more patches!
Bag secured, patches intact, and hearts full — it was time to fly home.
💭 Final Thoughts
Bangkok felt like a pitstop more than a destination, a bustling business hub with moments of charm.
Still, it was the perfect place to wrap up a long adventure — a transition between the chaos of travel and the comfort of home.
“To Travel is to Live” – Katie x