I habitually collect travel brochures and maps at tourist information centers. They serve as valuable resources while travelling and as free souvenirs once the trip is made. Unfortunately, these items are also dead giveaways that you are a tourist.

Most of the tourist attractions during our first day in Bangkok were closed. I only had Jim Thompson House Museum in our itinerary that day.

Helpful Locals

A couple of locals approached us. They pointed at my map, telling us which places were open. I was hoping to learn how to commute to the museum.

I wanted to utilize Bangkok’s public transport, especially the trains. Regrettably, this wasn’t the case during our first day in the busy city, for the first two places we went to at least.

One local decided our fate by hailing a tuk-tuk and haggling a price for us. He then instructed the driver, told us how much to pay, and wished us a wonderful stay in Thailand. It all happened so fast! Hahaha!

Lucky Buddha

Our first stop was the Lucky Buddha Temple. We had the entire complex almost to ourselves, except for a few locals offering their prayers.

It is a beautiful, small temple. There’s a golden Buddha inside the main temple and a reclining Buddha inside one of the smaller halls.

Looking back and having researched, I think it was Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) that the friendly fellow instructed our tuk-tuk driver to take us to, not Lucky Buddha (Wat Kaeo Chaem Fa). I remember him saying how the Buddha is made of pure gold.

Tourist Trap

Before we headed to Chinatown, our tuk-tuk driver asked us if we would like to stop by a jewelry shop. My spidey sense screamed scam.

Seeing the doubtful expression on my face, he quickly explained that they get free gas money whenever they bring tourists to the shop. He immediately showed us a small card filled with stamps. Like the ones you get at Starbucks towards the end of the year to get a planner. All the while saying that it’s okay if we don’t go.

We reluctantly agreed to go. Perhaps the jewelry designs will be attractive. The shop turned out to make custom suits, dresses, etc. It was awkward having a staff follow you around aggressively selling their services.

Should you encounter the same, I suggest politely declining. There’s a whole discussion on TripAdvisor regarding this subject. It’s not a scam per se since no one is pressuring you to part with your money for services you don’t like. I’m not sure if the suits they make are any good. As a consolation, we were able to help the tuk-tuk driver get some free petrol credits.

Chinatown

It was already midday by the time we reached Chinatown. We decided to have lunch before exploring what Bangkok’s Chinatown offers. We found a lovely little Thai Chicken Rice eatery hidden in one of the alleyways. It was filled with people, so we thought it must be good. And it was!

After a satisfying lunch, we returned to the main road with no particular place to go. We didn’t get to explore much of Chinatown. It wasn’t part of my itinerary, so I didn’t have a list of things to do and places to see.

After a few minutes of aimlessly wandering Bangkok’s Chinatown, an older man approached us, asked where we were going and suggested we see the Temple of the Golden Mountain. He assured us it was open. We rented a tuk-tuk to get us there. Unfortunately, the temple was closed.

Jim Thompson House

Instead of hailing a tuk-tuk, we decided to take the ferry. We walked a bit to the Phanfa Bridge pier and took the river bus to Ban Krua Nua pier. A short walk from the pier is Jim Thompson House. Three train lines have stations near the museum. We took the BTS Silom Line (National Stadium) to return to our guesthouse.

Tours inside the house are well-organized. We were asked what language we preferred and given a number indicating which group to join. After the guided tour, we freely roamed around the compound.

Inside are the many collections of Jim Thompson. From antiquities to odd things. As well as the process of making Thai Silk, an industry that he helped revitalize.

Jim Thompson House Museum
Hours: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm daily
Address: 6 Rama I Rd, Khwaeng Wang Mai, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
Website

Final Thoughts

It was a productive first day. We only planned to see the Jim Thompson House Museum, but we also got to visit two other places of interest in Bangkok. I also had one of the best-tasting Thai Chicken and Rice during our entire trip to Thailand.

My goal to use Bangkok’s public transport wasn’t all in vain. We get to experience one of the city’s rail lines. We were also able to ride the river bus in one of the many historic canals of Bangkok, an experience in itself. Taking the public transportation wasn’t as daunting as I initially thought. The locals are incredibly helpful.