I Spent 3 Nights in Bangkok, Without a Plan
It’s been just over 2.5 years since I’ve last stepped into a plane. I couldn’t believe it myself either, but nonetheless it’s been great settling into year 3 of living in Singapore.
Last week I finally had a chance to travel again. And this time without much of a plan. Having traveled to Bangkok so many times over the last decade, there isn’t really anything I wanted to do in particular, aside from enjoying local eats. Who would pass on Thai food? Just look at it! Everything here for just about 70 Thai Baht (and that’s just under $2!).
Bangkok is one of the most mesmerising cities in Asia where a stark contrast can be seen between its local’s behaviour, and the sights and sounds tourists are exposed to. After all, The Hangover Part II - an all time favourite comedy of mine - was mainly filmed in Bangkok. Surprisingly, Thailand has also legalised the cultivation and possession of cannabis. I can only wonder how Bangkok will turnout in the near future.
The purpose of this trip to Bangkok was mainly to catch up with a really good friend who was also traveling to Thailand with his wife to visit his in-laws. As always, we had our deep and personal conversations revolving around gratitude, philosophy, future plans (and goals), and our overall life as it is at present.
I booked my flight and accommodation just about a week before the trip. If I had done it about 3-4 weeks earlier I might have gotten a better deal with the flights. Regardless, I was quite pleased with my stay at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel around Asok. It was just a few minutes walk to both the BTS station and Terminal 21 mall, where we had a few of our meals.
Here’s a rough calculation of how much I spent overall on the 4D3N trip from Singapore to Bangkok:
Flight (Scoot, round trip) — US$245 (approx. ~S$340)
Hotel (Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, 3 nights) — US$250 (approx. ~S$350)
Travel Expenses (transportation, food, chill) — US$165 (approx. THB6,000)
Total: US$660
There wasn’t much to pack for this trip. I hand-carried a sports bag with clothes for a few days - and left enough space in case I do some light shopping - and I had a backpack for camera gear. I wanted to keep it simple and light with just 2 lenses: the Sony 24mm GM prime - which I mistakenly thought was the Sony 35mm, since they look almost identical - and the Sony 16-35mm GM. Having a 35mm prime would have been perfect for candid street photography, especially in the night. The 24mm prime stayed on the Sony A7Riii most of the time, for 90% of the photos.
The series of photos below highlight several locations during the short holiday. The shots are a mix of personal, candid and street photography.
Location
Bangkok (mostly Sukhumvit and Siam areas of the city), Thailand
I hope this inspires you to go out there and shoot, even if you don’t have much of a plan. It can be quite pleasant shooting without having to visit to typical tourist attractions where you would usually run into a crowd.
Camera Stuff (Guys, do me a favour and show your support by clicking on the links below. If you purchase anything on Amazon in the next couple of days I will be getting a kickback from the sale. Thank you! 😃)
Sony A7Riii: https://amzn.to/3ozsUcd
Sony 24mm f1.4: https://amzn.to/3RND9Xx
Sony 16-35mm f2.8: https://amzn.to/3ogVi2p
Editing
Mix of retro cool, film-like and punchy, with a touch of grain for a vintage vibe.
