Bangkok Thailand April 2025

The cruise finished at Laem Chabang, which is a huge industrial port 80 miles from Bangkok, and the traffic around and in Bangkok is horrendous. We had treated ourselves to a one night stay at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, with our flight to Amsterdam leaving at noon the next day. It took our car transfer over two hours to get to the hotel. So we saw a lot of Bangkok at walking pace, sweltering as the car's AC struggled to keep up with the temperature and humidity

We had intended to explore Bangkok in the afternoon after checking into the hotel but the traffic jams, heat and humidity deterred us. Instead we enjoyed a late lunch on the hotel veranda - with enough shade and fans to keep us reasonably cool. The food, drinks and service were exemplary.

As you can see the hotel is right on the bank of the Chao Phraya River, which meanders through downtown. The views from our room were captivating - a bit like watching a fountain or a fire - hard to look away

The next day, KLM whisked us back to Amsterdam, from where Laura flew home and I went on to visit family and friends in England. This was a very cool trip!