Bangkok: A Chaotic First Week

Bangkok was the perfect storm to kick off this Southeast Asia trip — hot, loud, chaotic, and unforgettable.

After a long flight through Seoul (where I reunited with Chris and tried bibimbap for the first time), we landed late at night and dove straight into the madness. Our first mistake? Getting dropped at the wrong Revolution Hostel in a red-light district. Luckily, we laughed it off and eventually found the right one near Khao San Road — the legendary backpacker strip.

The days that followed were a blur of temples, street food, and meeting people from all over the world. We wandered through Wat Pho to see the reclining Buddha, ferried across the river to Wat Arun, and marveled at the 45-meter-tall Big Buddha. We also learned quickly about the city’s famous scams — like being told temples were “closed” so tuk-tuk drivers could take us on detours to tailor shops and tourist offices. Lesson learned.

Bangkok by night was just as memorable: rooftop bars with stunning views, chaotic bar crawls down Khao San Road, and a whirlwind of music, neon lights, and street vendors. Somewhere along the way, I even completed a ridiculous bar crawl challenge list — but that story’s for another time.

The highlight of the week was diving into Thai martial arts. First, Chris and I sweated through a Muay Thai training session outside the city, kicking and sparring until we could barely stand. Later, we joined our hostel crew for a night at Lumpinee Stadium, where we watched 12 fights, most ending in knockouts. The energy was electric.

In between, we sampled endless street food (Pad Thai, spicy red curry, Chinatown noodles in the rain), got massages that were equal parts painful and hilarious, and spent hours swapping stories with fellow travelers.

Bangkok was everything people promised — overwhelming, exciting, and impossible to fully describe. It was the kind of start that makes you wonder how the rest of the trip could possibly top it. Next stop: Chiang Mai, on a 13-hour sleeper train headed north.