From London to Patpong

After a delicious breakfast at Premier Inn, Darrell and I made our way to terminal two of Heathrow Airport. It was quite fitting, on our last day in the UK, that we used the new Elizabeth Line to get us there. The new trains are lovely, but the waiting times between each one is terrible, and we had to sit twiddling our thumbs for over half an hour. Nevertheless, the journey between terminals was free and quick, so I couldn't really complain.

The saddest part of my brief stay in Britain has been the references to Her Majesty, the late Queen, wherever you look. Heathrow, like the rest of the country, is in mourning and the respect shown to Elizabeth II is truly heart-warming. In a way it just didn't seem real being back home, the country really does have a different feel to it after her death, and I had only been away for twelve days.

I watched as tourists gazed deeply at the banners of Elizabeth R, decorating the airport; each person taking a moment to reflect and remember the symbolism she represented. As I walked past them, in the growing queues in the terminal, I was struck by their conversations, about how much the late Queen meant to them. How can it be, that a woman they had never met, had such an impact on their and indeed my life? This was a lady known the World over, and she was a constant in all our lives, and already everything feels very disjointed and inconsistent!

This was not a trip I was looking forward to; I really do hate flying long haul. Having flown to Thailand once before, I know just how gruelling it is. It is eleven and a half hours of pure hell, and if I could have avoided it, I would.

We were waiting in the terminal far longer than usual. Having checked out of the Premier Inn at twelve, midday, we had a long wait until our flight at 9.30pm. Still, we made the most of it and done several laps of the terminal, drank copious amounts of beer and ate expensive airport food, which isn't doing any good for my waistline. When the time came for us to bid farewell to the UK once again, despite my fear of flying, I was glad to be gone. There is nothing worse than having to wait all day for a flight, that you bloody well hate having to do in the first place!

The experience was much as I expected, similar to the last time I flew to Thailand, in 2019, where I caught a connecting flight to Vietnam. This time we are going to be spending eleven days in Bangkok, experiencing this city in its full uncut glory.

I just sat and relaxed for most of the journey, preferring not to watch the movies. I can't watch anything when I am in the air, as I am more concerned about the bumps and turbulence. Each and every jolt sends me into a panic inside, and I count every second as my last - yes, really, I am that bad.

For the most part, the flight was pretty smooth. There was however a lot of turbulence as we flew over The Bay of Bengal, which the pilot did warn us about just before we left. Normally I am just nervous at this point, but the movement was so bad I actually felt physically sick to my stomach. After looking at the map of our flight progress, I did notice that the plane had climbed higher, probably to avoid the worst of the strong winds that were battering the aeroplane.

Twenty minutes later, and the jostling was over, just an hour and a half before we were due to land. The crew then quickly brought the delayed breakfast for the passengers, before we touched down at Suvarnabhumi Airport. All of those on board were fantastic. Several crew noticed I wasn't enjoying the ride and did their best to make me feel comfortable, who could ask for more; Thai Airways was a joy as ever!

Suvarnabhumi Airport is vast, bigger than any other airport I have been to before. Security is tight here as you would expect, and as I went through customs, I had to have my fingerprints taken, as well as a facial photo and warned in no uncertain terms when I had to leave. An hour and a half later, I was in the baggage hall with Darrell waiting for our cases, which took another hour to arrive. By the end I was shattered, made even worse when the driver I had employed to take us to the hotel disappeared, leaving the note with my name on behind and a rather confused colleague to explain his absence.

Outside, we waited for his car to turn up; this was one busy airport. A group of people walked past in hazmat suits, which was rather concerning for me, especially after we were given health cards, warning us of the dangers of Monkeypox, which seems to be rife here at the moment. Most people were wearing masks of some sort, which was reassuring, but I just remember thinking to myself how different the World is now, after the pandemic. Scenes like I witnessed today would have been unthinkable a few years ago; this is a new era, so far removed from the last.

Finally, the driver arrived, and we were taken to Patpong in Bangkok, where our hotel The Siam Heritage is based. It was approaching half past five when we left, and the Bangkok rush hour traffic was unbelievable. It took a further one and a half hours to get from one side of the city to the other, and I was totally exhausted when I arrived, looking forward to a relaxing evening and a few well-earned beers!

The Siam Heritage Hotel is characterful, distinctive and full of old world charm, and not what I expected at all. Dark wooden panelling adorns the walls and there is a large mahogany desk in the corner of our room, it really does feel like staying in a historic building; it even has that unmistakable musky smell. There is also a small kitchenette, if we want to cook and the luxury of a television, which sadly has no English channels at all. From first impressions, I don't think many English-speaking tourists stay here, but it has been well worth it so far, but this is only day one!

Having unpacked our bags, we popped out for a bite to eat, stumbling across a restaurant near to our hotel. It wasn't until I sat down and ordered, that I realised it was a Cannabis café, yes cannabis! I have been reliably informed it is now legally sold here in Thailand. As we tucked in to a beautifully cooked Thai meal, we were also given a brochure on the different types of cannabis they sold, at a very reasonable five pounds a time, I hasten to add. We politely declined the offer, however, preferring a beer and a coherent look around the area.

Just around the corner from the restaurant, we came across what I can only describe as a 'gay area.' there were scantly clan gentlemen, draped over tables waiting for clients. There were others, with a few more clothes on, stood outside a bar called 'Fresh Boys' and more drinking in 'The Pink Panther,' and 'Sweet Cheeks.' Glancing over my shoulder, I saw other venues equally suggestive, as the last.... I had a feeling we weren't in Kansas any more, Dorothy. It seems that Darrell and I had unwittingly booked a hotel in the red-light district of Bangkok; I have never seen anything like it, and I'm by no means a prude. Still, it will make for an interesting few days, especially as we were both propositioned by several groups of ladies as we walked back to our hotel, who were in various stages of undress along the road.

As first impressions go, they are mixed. I am absolutely in awe of this place so far and with lots to do during our stay, I will reserve judgement for now. We are both going out on the town tomorrow evening, so God knows what will happen, but for now, it's an early night and a mug of cocoa; Saturday is another day!

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