Bangkok and Ayutthaya, Thailand

[Pinoy]

I'm heading out with some friends (all guys) to Bangkok and Ayutthaya in a couple of week's time. The main purpose of the trip is photography; to shoot landscape/seascapes (temples, architecture etc) and people (street photography).

The itinerary currently I have in mind is as follows:

Day 1 - Arrive in Bangkok by evening. Settle down after dinner. (We'll be staying in Sukhumvit area)
Day 2 - Temple Hopping. Grand Palace and Wat Arun at the very least.
Day 3 - Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (anything else to do?)
Day 4 - Whole day trip to Ayutthaya (no details on places/wats to visit yet).
Day 5 - A bit of shopping & grocery & doing some street photography at Pratunam area. Have to leave for airport by 5pm at the latest.

This will be my 2nd time in Bangkok, and a 1st for the rest of the group. My 1st trip was spent mostly on shopping, dining and a bit of tour (grand palace but didn't get to go to wat arun due to time constraint; chao phraya princess river cruise) :sweat: so this will be a bit different.

Would like to hear some tips and suggestions on how to best maximize our trip. Specifically on things like:

- Where to get a good vantage point to capture sunrise or sunset of Wat Arun
- Would it be advisable to take public transport (from Victory Monument) to Ayutthaya? I seem to have read before that going there is easy but we might run into some difficulty getting a transpo back to BKK.
- Anybody knows of a contact for a rental vehicle with driver? Might consider this for the floating market tour and perhaps Ayutthaya as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[duffydufs]

hi pinoy, on going to ayutthaya i suggest use the train. go to hua lumphong station. and from then it will cost only 11 baht for 1.5 hours ride(that was 2 years ago)
then after alighting at ayutthaya you need to negotiate with those tuktuk drivers to bring you to all areas. well they usually have a map with them you can just pinpoint where do you want to visit.
i remember its 500 baht for 2 hours. dont worry they will wait for you while you are exploring.
on going bak to bangkok its the same. the tuktuk drivers will drop you on the train station.
by the way dont expect too much on the quality of the train. when i rode that train i spent 1.5 hours standing near the open door as its jam packed the time i board it.
i have 1 suggestion if you want sunset shoot though. go to baiyoke tower. though tripod will be useless there as its a revolving platform. its 200 baht i think the entrance to get up there.
by the way during my solo trip there.i spent a lot of time walking just following the mrt/bts line around sukhumvit and mbk. also do check out erawan shrine.

happy trip

 

[faisalj]

You can try out the river kwai tour if you are adventurous enough?
But it may cos t a bomb. Around 2800 thb for the tour via oriental escape site.

 

[ricohflex]

Take BTS to Victory Monument. Alight and walk on the right hand side of elevated walkway to the minivans parked on one side of the traffic circle. The building by the side is Fashion Mall. The small side lane road name is Ratchawithi 10. You cannot fail to see the large number of minivans.

Cost about 70 to 100 Baht. Time taken on journey 1½ hours. You share the minivan with other passengers. It leaves when the minivan is full.

Photo credit: Google Street view.

 

[Shen siung]

I'm heading out with some friends (all guys) to Bangkok and Ayutthaya in a couple of week's time. The main purpose of the trip is photography; to shoot landscape/seascapes (temples, architecture etc) and people (street photography).

The itinerary currently I have in mind is as follows:

Day 1 - Arrive in Bangkok by evening. Settle down after dinner. (We'll be staying in Sukhumvit area)
Day 2 - Temple Hopping. Grand Palace and Wat Arun at the very least.
Day 3 - Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (anything else to do?)
Day 4 - Whole day trip to Ayutthaya (no details on places/wats to visit yet).
Day 5 - A bit of shopping & grocery & doing some street photography at Pratunam area. Have to leave for airport by 5pm at the latest.

This will be my 2nd time in Bangkok, and a 1st for the rest of the group. My 1st trip was spent mostly on shopping, dining and a bit of tour (grand palace but didn't get to go to wat arun due to time constraint; chao phraya princess river cruise) :sweat: so this will be a bit different.

Would like to hear some tips and suggestions on how to best maximize our trip. Specifically on things like:

- Where to get a good vantage point to capture sunrise or sunset of Wat Arun
- Would it be advisable to take public transport (from Victory Monument) to Ayutthaya? I seem to have read before that going there is easy but we might run into some difficulty getting a transpo back to BKK.
- Anybody knows of a contact for a rental vehicle with driver? Might consider this for the floating market tour and perhaps Ayutthaya as well.

Thanks in advance.

hi pinoy, on going to ayutthaya i suggest use the train. go to hua lumphong station. and from then it will cost only 11 baht for 1.5 hours ride(that was 2 years ago)
then after alighting at ayutthaya you need to negotiate with those tuktuk drivers to bring you to all areas. well they usually have a map with them you can just pinpoint where do you want to visit.
i remember its 500 baht for 2 hours. dont worry they will wait for you while you are exploring.
on going bak to bangkok its the same. the tuktuk drivers will drop you on the train station.
by the way dont expect too much on the quality of the train. when i rode that train i spent 1.5 hours standing near the open door as its jam packed the time i board it.

The train to Ayutthaya is a bit slow in my opinion.
I also took the train, I think I bought a 'slightly high class tix" (forgot the detail) I got a seat. It was full (the seats) but no people standing.
I took bus back to Bangkok (I left around 3.30 pm, reach northen bus terminal around 4.45 pm) - but then northen bus terminal took another 10-15 min taxi ride back to Hua Lamphong station area.

in my opinion Day 1 you can do some night market street photography. Can do it on the floating market that day also.
Also, can go Yao Warat area (China town). for some street photography.


Also, really just to take note, the Grand Palace open daily (not sure about grand holiday, check here: Bangkok City Life Style | The Grand Palace Information Travel Guide)
closed at 3.30 pm.
DO NOT trust anybody that approach you to tell you the palace is closed; they have other agenda to direct you to those gem / jewelry shop, etc.

 

[Pinoy]

Take BTS to Victory Monument. Alight and walk on the right hand side of elevated walkway to the minivans parked on one side of the traffic circle. The building by the side is Fashion Mall. The small side lane road name is Ratchawithi 10. You cannot fail to see the large number of minivans.

Cost about 70 to 100 Baht. Time taken on journey 1½ hours. You share the minivan with other passengers. It leaves when the minivan is full.

Thanks. I've read about this. My concern is the return trip. I guess we just have to leave Ayutthaya early.

Since there will be 3 of us in this tour, I checked for a private transpo and was quoted 3500 baht. Seems quite pricey to me.

 

[Pinoy]

hi pinoy, on going to ayutthaya i suggest use the train. go to hua lumphong station. and from then it will cost only 11 baht for 1.5 hours ride(that was 2 years ago)
then after alighting at ayutthaya you need to negotiate with those tuktuk drivers to bring you to all areas. well they usually have a map with them you can just pinpoint where do you want to visit.
i remember its 500 baht for 2 hours. dont worry they will wait for you while you are exploring.
on going bak to bangkok its the same. the tuktuk drivers will drop you on the train station.
by the way dont expect too much on the quality of the train. when i rode that train i spent 1.5 hours standing near the open door as its jam packed the time i board it.

Read about this too. It seems the Minivans in Victory Monument is more convenient/comfortable. Bobby Earle loves taking the train though.. hmm.

i have 1 suggestion if you want sunset shoot though. go to baiyoke tower. though tripod will be useless there as its a revolving platform. its 200 baht i think the entrance to get up there.

Thanks. Been to this place actually. Had dinner with wifey at the Sky Restaurant last year.

by the way during my solo trip there.i spent a lot of time walking just following the mrt/bts line around sukhumvit and mbk. also do check out erawan shrine.

happy trip

Thanks. Will put Erawan Shrine in my list.

Thanks again.

 

[Pinoy]

The train to Ayutthaya is a bit slow in my opinion.
I also took the train, I think I bought a 'slightly high class tix" (forgot the detail) I got a seat. It was full (the seats) but no people standing.
I took bus back to Bangkok (I left around 3.30 pm, reach northen bus terminal around 4.45 pm) - but then northen bus terminal took another 10-15 min taxi ride back to Hua Lamphong station area.

Noted. At this point we're quite leaning towards getting a private transpo. Let's see...

in my opinion Day 1 you can do some night market street photography. Can do it on the floating market that day also.
Also, can go Yao Warat area (China town). for some street photography.

We'll be arriving in Suvarnabhumi at 7.05pm. I guess we'll be checking in only at around 8pm. Hmmm... yeah. street photog in Khao San or at a night market might be a good idea.

Also, really just to take note, the Grand Palace open daily (not sure about grand holiday, check here: Bangkok City Life Style | The Grand Palace Information Travel Guide)
closed at 3.30 pm.
DO NOT trust anybody that approach you to tell you the palace is closed; they have other agenda to direct you to those gem / jewelry shop, etc.

Haha. Yup. I'm aware of this. I remember running into these scam artists like 3 times when we were on our way to Grand Palace.

Thanks.

 

[ricohflex]

If you return from Ayutthaya to Bangkok, sometime in the evening to Victory Monument area, walk across the road to eat at this Thai style kway chap stall in the Victory Point open air food court. Cheap and good. Then walk over about 15 metres away to Saxophone Jazz Pub for beer/whisky and music.

 

[Pinoy]

@ricohflex: Thanks for the tip.

Anybody knows where -- and how to go there -- we can take night shots (long exposure) of Wat Arun and Bhumibol Bridge? For Wat Arun I think it's gonna be at the opposite bank of the river (saw it when we were riding the Chao Phraya Princess Cruise) but no idea what that place is called and how to go there.

 

[ricohflex]

Anybody knows where -- and how to go there -- we can take night shots (long exposure) of Wat Arun and Bhumibol Bridge?

I have seen photos by nikexposure.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/land-city-scapes-travel/1193836-bangkok-cityscape-3.html

Maybe you can send him a PM.

 

[Pinoy]

I have seen photos by nikexposure.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/land-city-scapes-travel/1193836-bangkok-cityscape-3.html

Maybe you can send him a PM.

I did and he replied the other day.

 

[swordfishninja]

Wat Arun is really really nice! I went there after a boat ride around the different areas, and it was close to the evening. Most of the shots I took were of the light against it, and I took it on film (crossed processed velvia) which enhanced the colors like crazzyyyy (in a really good way)