Phitsanulok, you came and went in a hurry. We had such a great time visiting with my wife’s family, seeing the local sights, and of course…. EATING! This morning we grabbed a light breakfast at the hotel and set to packing up our bags. My youngest sister-in-law came by a bit later to pick us up as lunch approached. Looking to have something a bit different, we mentioned if there was a decent burger place nearby.
Penang Steak Brasserie is a fairly new restaurant that features dry-aged beef among other things. It’s not a place I would have thought would find its way into Phitsanulok, but times have changed. Three of us ordered the “classic burger,” and it did not disappoint at all. It took a bit longer than other items on the menu (we were warned), but we thought it might be because they were fresh-grinding the beef. It was soooo very good. Cooked to perfection as well. My wife and I will definitely check this place out again during our next visit to Phitsanulok.
After lunch, we collected our luggage at the hotel and headed for the airport. My middle sister-in-law, youngest niece, and father-in-law were there too in order to see us off. We checked in without issue and waited a bit until time to proceed to the gate. When that time came, goodbyes were exchanged and we headed up to the departure area. We were flying Nok Air (Nok = Bird in Thai). Nok is a lower-cost, mostly domestic airline. Their largest shareholder is Thai Airways, which is a good sign. Today, as usual, they were very efficient during check-in and boarding. Their service is very good. Flight time to Bangkok is usually only about 30 minutes or so, but due to air traffic in Bangkok, we had to slow down. It probably took us an extra 10 or 15 minutes. No big deal.
At Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, we were met by our oldest niece who attends college for “aviation business,” at North Bangkok University. One of her school uniforms is actually like a flight attendant or airline check-in agent uniform. As she was waiting to greet us, tourists were asking her which way to go for a taxi – they thought she worked there! Soon after, we grabbed a couple of metered taxis, and hit the expressway for our hotel in the Silom/Sathorn area of Bangkok. In the taxi heading from north Bangkok into the heart of the city, I was reminded just how large Bangkok is. Our times in Chiang Mai and Phitsanulok – and even Phuket – were in mostly quiet places where there was some traffic occasionally, but you could largely ignore it. There’s no ignoring it in Bangkok. It’s everywhere. This city has a vibrant personality for sure, but it is a personality all together different from the places we have been since leaving here almost 2 weeks ago.
Our hotel is The Grand Sathorn. It is not a new place, but has been very well maintained. Our suite is spacious, the air is cool, and it’s very clean. The wood floors are beautiful. I found it on Agoda.com. Just around the corner is the BTS Sky Train station – another one of the reasons I booked here. It provides a great way to get around the city.
On the recommendation from a gentlemen at the front desk, we ventured just a few doors up to Baan Glang Soi restaurant. It is a delightfully quaint restaurant. The seats were just about all taken – we headed to the back banquet room initially for to review the menu and order drinks while waiting for a seat in the main dining area. That opened up in about 10 minutes. The food was very tasty. I had ground pork with chili and spicy basil. My wife had a spicy seafood noodle stir fry that she was commenting hours later how great it was. The food was very reasonably priced. If you are down in the Sathorn area, I recommend it. They also have a guest house that comes highly rated on Trip Advisor as well.
After dinner, we all walked our niece to the BTS Sky Train station around the corner. We perused some stalls in a makeshift market, then dropped into 7-11 for a few items. From there it was a short walk back to the hotel to settle in for the evening.
Today was not an overly exciting day. But as my friend so observantly said today, “Transition days are great because they are a chance to just relax and enjoy the ride.” Well-said, my friend. Indeed, today was a good day to take in some great food, spend some time with family, and relax a bit.
Tomorrow, our plans are to get to the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and take a boat ride on the Chao Phraya River. It should make for a great time during our last full day in Thailand.
Thank you again for reading this journal. Cheers.
