Travelling from Phetchaburi to Bangkok isnt too difficult by bus or by minibus, but when there is something you want to see along the way, your options are limited. We came across Thailand Taxi Transfer and were quite happy with the price they quoted us to bring our plan to fruition. It was a bit of a damp and drizzly morning when we were collected from our hotel and the weather didnt really improve at all on the almost journey to Wat Sam Phran.
We had seen pictures of this huge red cylindrical temple with a dragon wrapped around its outside and really wanted to visit. Despite the weather, it did not disappoint. We were dropped off in the car park and walked over a wooden bridge shaped like two enormous tree trunks. On the other side there were dragons everywhere. The outside of the temple would be far more picturesque bathed in sunshine but we got the rather damper view of it instead. Inside we were mortified to find the lift was out of order and instead we had to take our shoes off and walk up the entire inside of the dragons tail as it made its way to the top.
Along the way we passed signs for the numerous heavens and, at seventh heaven, assumed we were nearly there. Oh no, there were fourteen in total! At the top there should be stunning views with Bangkok looming in the distance but we could merely see the lush tropical surroundings nearby. Despite the weather we were so pleased that we visited, and it wouldnt be too difficult a trip out from the capital itself.
Our taxi then took us directly to our hotel for the last leg of this trip, the Park Plaza Bangkok Soi 18, just 45km away. Unfortunately improvements in Bangkoks public transport system have not taken traffic on the road and it took almost two hours to make that journey. Perhaps a better idea would have been to be dropped off on the edge of the Metro system and take the train to Sukhumvit Station just a short walk from the hotel. Oh well, we arrived a bit frustrated by the time it had taken but relaxed from in which we had travelled.
There were still three things we wanted to do in Bangkok on this trip so the weather was irrelevant. Asok BTS station is very close
to the hotel and a 35 minute ride from there took us to the Thai Naval Academy station. From there its only a stones throw to the Naval Museum which you cant miss thanks to the Albatross aircraft that sits in front of it. We were waved through the gates by the sailors on duty and then I had to sign in using some Covid app online. We were then escorted around most of the museum which was a bit disruptive to our enjoyment. Having said that, there was very little information in English and even the QR codes proudly displayed pointed only to Thai websites with no translation. Theres a lot to see in the museum but it doesnt really follow much of a logical pattern. Theres certainly no journey through time which would be easy to put right, and its ripe for a bit of improvement in these days of YouTube and social media. The best display was the replica of a royal barge parade which was impressive, but surely a screen showing a video of it would be an easy improvement to make. There are lots of naval memorabilia like uniforms and medals but no real
commentary to go with it. Set on three floors, it was interesting enough but those without any military history or interest would soon find themselves very bored. It was free though!!
We also wanted to go back to Chinatown to visit the Chinatown Heritage Museum at Wat Traimit. Wow! As disappointed as we were by the Navy Museum, we were impressed by this museum. It is very interactive with lots of displays showing off the history of Chinese immigration to Thailand and the relationships through the years. We would argue that this should be on your list in Bangkok.
