It is not a secret that tourists in Thailand are the target of anything and everything that is sold on the streets. We are harassed walking down the streets in Bangkok; every few metres someone is guaranteed to grab you to try to get you to buy an overpriced tuk tuk ride, a massage, or 'same same but different' tourist junk. Well, as we discovered today, we can't even escape it at the airport! Having passed security at the Don Meuang airport on our way to Chiang Mai we were approached by a man in uniform with an official badge declaring he was there for 'tourist information'. He asked to see our boarding passes and then proceeded to lead us to the information desk where an overly 'helpful' airport staff member attempted to get us to book a hotel through him, trying very hard if not almost forcefully to convince us that since it is high season, the prices at the destination would be seriously inflated (upon arrival we found a lovely hotel for £4 per night). He very reluctantly let us go after we convinced him we would survive just fine. Looking forward to what Chiang Mai has to offer!
After my brief Bangkok experience I came to realise the area we stayed in was like a little bubble of cuteness within a harsh and cruel city. Outside our traffic free touristy 'island' that was our neighbourhood is a very different story. I think both Aurea and I were quite surprised at how uncharming, filthy, and poor the surrounding areas were with crammed spaces, poverty, and buildings in a near collapse state (without forgetting the 8 lane streets of pure traffic chaos). Having said that, there is much more to Bangkok than what we had time to explore and next time I will make a point to see those other faces of Bangkok to see what this busy city is all about!
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