Information is free, but food is not

Instead of giving the same boring title like Travel to Bangkok, for a change I decided to strike it different (at least in the title!). The hotel where I stayed said they have a deal with my company and as per that the Internet access at the room is complimentary, but not the breakfast! But that is a blessing in disguise, because being one of those minority people in the world (vegetarian) and somewhat picky about other tastes, I doubt I would have enjoyed the breakfast anyway.

This is my first Bangkok visit and the flight landed in state-of-the-art Suvarnabhumi Airport. When I arrived, I had a feeling that I was entering a big shopping mall, not an airport. It was so posh and so efficient that I took only 10 mins to finish immigration, collect my baggage and clear my customs (In fact I did not even talk to the man at the immigration checkpoint). Now, it took me more time to take a free shuttle bus to Public Transportation Center (which is a couple of miles away from the airport and is really a bus-cum-metered taxi stand). Those people who can pay more can get a ticket and board a limousine at the airport itself. There were a few people at the airport pestering me to take their taxi service, but I politely refused them.

Contrary to what I expected there was no fight among the taxi drivers to get a passenger. Rather the taxis were neatly parked in a row and I got the first available one to the hotel.

Now, a few quick facts about the Suvarnabhumi. It is the most modern in the world, covering an area of about 200,000 square meters. It can handle around 9000 people and around 80 flights per hour, has the tallest control tower in the world (132 meters), has two parallel runways each running about 4 km. They are aiming to build two more runaways by 2020 and then it can handle 100 million people per year, amazing!

I enjoyed the Expressway to Bangkok and it all cost me 300 Baht at the end (actual meter + service charge of 50 Baht charged from airport + toll tax of 40 Baht).

(Next: Skytrain: The easy way to commute in Bangkok)