Bangkok

So last time we were in Bangkok I couldn't wait to get out... the city seemed so big, but nowhere big enough for all the people and cars.. Traffic at a stand still despite all the motorways flying over and around the city, taxi drivers speaking little English it was difficult for any foreigner to get around!!

So when Terry suggested Bangkok for NYE's you can imagine my response...! However, we found some good deals on Hotels and eventually booked a 4 Star hotel at 50% discount for 4 nights to celebrate the New Year in style after backpacking for 18 months!!!

The Prince Palace Hotel lived up to expectations.... and Terry has done his homework and so after catching the sky train and a river taxi we found our way in no time....

The Prince Place Hotel is made up of 4 towers, with a swimming pool of the 11th floor terrace, 8 restaurants and a fitness center.
Our Deluxe Suite..... the most standard room in the hotel...

We were on the 24th floor, and on a corner so a brilliant view
View from the room....

First day Terry was desperate to make me less scared of this massive, dirty, busy city.... we took another river taxi out from our Hotel...

The river is so dirty.... you didnt want to get splashed!

We took the skytrain (air conditioned) to Siam Square, Central World, Nana Plaza and a few other places to see the Christmas decorations and preparations for NYE..

The police lining the streets before NYE celebrations..

We couldn't afford the prices of food or drinks in the Hotel, so for 4 nights we bought in food from outside, (street food and supermarkets)... and alcohol for NYE from 7Eleven !!

Sunrise and breakfast from our hotel room...

NYE....
STarted with running Terry a bath (first one in like 18 months)!!

Chicken and salad for dinner with a lovely view of the city from our room...

The NYE celebrations in our Hotel...

We could overlook the celebrations and hear the show put on the hotel paying guests....
so we joined the count down from our room...!!

And watched everyone else's fireworks going off all over the city..

New Years Day we relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the views over the city.

Visa Run to Burmer.....our 30 days visa ran out on the 2nd.... so another reason for staying in Bangkok over NYE was to get our border run out of the way. This was probably the most pointless exercise we have ever been through... in order to get another 30 days we had to cross over the Thai border and get a stamp in our passports for another 30 days on the way back in.... We booked a company to go with.... the journey was 4 hours each way to and from the border. At the border we drove for 10 mins around the countryside before crossing back over the same border and receiving our stamp (hence 30 days visa)!! So a whole day on a bus and ($60) each, but we got more days to spend in Thailand!!

After our last night in the Lovely Hotel we got a taxi to the bus station and hoped to get on a bus that evening to Krabi!