SEA 2018 First Thoughts

26 – 28 January 2018

Toyed with the idea of heading to Asia for the Christmas holidays this year but as expected, air fares got crazy and seat availability was bad so I dropped that notion. After the new year rolled around I looked into traveling again and found a much better fare and booked a flight to Bangkok with only ten days lead time. With this being the fifth time I’ve made this trip I pretty much can do it with my eyes closed. I flew out of Orlando on Friday the 26th of January on Emirates; ten hours in Dubai; then on to Bangkok, arriving Sunday morning shortly after seven.

The two flights were 14 hours and 6 hours. Both went very smoothly. It was nice that the long flight out of Orlando was only perhaps 85% full. Interestingly, the larger plane from Dubai to Bangkok, an Airbus 380 double decker, was full! I’m not sure how long Emirates has had this policy but I only accidentally discovered during my online booking that they offer a hotel room for passengers with extended layovers. I’m not sure what the criteria is but my ten hour layover qualified me. It was great! I got my voucher when I checked in at Orlando then caught a hotel shuttle to the nearby offsite hotel, had lunch and a five hour “nap” in a basic but very nice, large hotel room. This is only my second time using Emirates but this perk makes it even more noteworthy. My time in Dubai was from noon on Saturday until 10:30pm. Before the trip I toyed with he idea of going to the Dubai Mall which is well known for it’s luxurious shops as well as the gigantic aquarium and snow skiing. 😉

I was well rested at flight time so did not have the urge to sleep. Instead I watched “Dunkirk” and “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. Started in on “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House” but ran out of time. Hope to finish that on the way home.  Saw “Victoria and Abdul” and “Loving VIncent” on first flight. I really liked all of these movies. “Loving Vincent”, about Van Gogh, was very unique in it’s form, so much so that I cannot really describe its beauty. This trailer may intrigue you. Loving VIncent link

28 January – 1 February

Landed in Bangkok at Suvarnabhumi Airport shortly after 7am on Sunday morning. Only took about 30 minutes to clear immigration and customs. I had told Wat that I likely wouldn’t be through till 8:30 but we landed a bit ahead of schedule so I was ready before he arrived.

It’s great seeing my friend of nearly four years again. The condo I had booked wouldn’t be ready until noon so we went to a coffee shop near the condo and had breakfast and talked until noon. Got checked in and caught a needed nap. Remember it’s a twelve hour time difference from home and the long journey makes for a tired traveler. LOL Slept for about three hours.

Monday afternoon I took the BTS/SkyTrain a few miles further into town to get a SIM card for my phone and meet Wat for dinner at Terminal 21 Mall. Terminal 21 seems to cater to tourists as well as locals. It’s a very modern multi-story urban shopping mall. Terminal 21 Mall

I booked the condo through the same company that I had used last summer but was disappointed in lack of preparedness. The management company is a small company owned by a young Thai man. The places are nice and very well priced but there always seems to be an excuse for things. Some of the same things happened before but I thought I’d give it another shot. After a couple days I decided to go elsewhere. Wat has a relationship through his work with a hotel that has serviced rooms… basically apartments, and was able to get a 30% discount.

Moved to the hotel on Thursday, 1 Feb.  Its costing more but is fantastic. The room is on the 41st floor of a 42 story hotel in the Asok area of Bangkok.  The Executive Studio is nearly 675sq feet with a kitchenette and washer/dryer! I love it. Column Bangkok Great location with a grocery store and restaurant next door, a gym… LOL, and only a ten minute walk to Terminal 21 and the Asok BTS station.