60 Day Tourist Visa

For those who have not followed this blog, American citizens are able to get a 30 day visa on arrival from Suvarnabhumi International Airport.  Since I live in Bangkok and am not sure if I will want to take a trip in 30 days, I always try to get a 60 day visa for arrival in Bangkok.  Besides the obvious 30 more days, if you arrive in Bangkok with a 60 day visa, you can extend it in Thailand for another 30 days without having to leave the country.

The Easy Way and the Hard Way

I was planning on going to the Thai embassy in Kathmandu when I left Bangkok to get a new 60-day tourist visa for when I returned to Bangkok.  When I started talking to a tour/trek organizer I was offered his visa service where I would give him my passport and an agent would go to the embassy for me. It wasn’t a tough choice for the reason that I wanted to go to the embassy at all.  It was a tough choice because I had to trust my passport with a guy/company which I really didn’t know.  Secondly, I was taking a domestic flight in Nepal from Kathmandu to Pokhara in a couple days.

Using a Visa Agent in Kathmandu

I was weary of giving my passport up because I was flying to Pokhara with a couple friends.  I didn’t want to be denied entry on the flight with my friends waiting.  Bin from Treksexpedition.com told me I didn’t need it to travel within Nepal and I also had the receptionist at Hotel Paradise Plaza confirm I didn’t need it so I gave it to my guide after the 2 day Tour of Nagarkot in Kathmandu Valley.

Visa Requirements

I got my 2.5-3.5” visa photos in Bangkok which came in handy when arriving in Nepal.  These photos along with my passport and a copy of a credit card were all the visa agent needed!  A completed application was not even needed!  I remember having to provide a print-out with proof of funds in a bank account before which was annoying.

Shiny New Visa

I wanted to make sure I got the passport to the embassy as soon as possible because of the many Nepali holidays during my stay there.  Since the Thai government was running a promotion for free tourist visas I only had to pay the agent fee which was 2100 rupees ($30USD). If you would like to get a 60 day tourist visa while in Nepal it is a painless process.  Simply get your 2.5-3. Inch visa photos, make a copy of your credit card and give it to Bin.  His office is located in tourist central AKA Thamel and you can contact him at Treksexpedition.com

Getting out of Kathmandu

I was on the way to a Thamel café to meet my Nepali friend and fellow photographer Surya when I started talking to one of the many touts on the street.  Three of them ganged up on me and convinced me to head to their manager’s office in a nearby building.

I saw on the chair across from his desk in front of 2 or 3 of his touts on a couch in a small office and we started talking.  We started talking about my situation in Nepal while we were sipping some always delicious Nepali tea.   The manager named Bin was a nice guy who quickly took interest in my knowledge of websites and the internet.

He explained a few options I had as far as tours which would get me out the utter craziness of Kathmandu city.  He explained a few Nepal tourism options ranging from 21 day long treks to day hikes with his guides.  I explained to him that I was on the way to meet with friends who would ultimately determine where I was going soon so he gave me his phone number and business card and instructed me to call after I was done at the café.

After it was decided that I was going to fly to Pokhara on the Sunday (2 days later) I decided to take Bin’s offer of a 2 day, 1 night tour of Nagarkot, the area outside of the city in Kathmandu Valley.  The mini trek included a guide, a night at Hotel Viewpoint, all meals and transportation.  The cost was $250 which I could have probably bartered down but I just paid him on the spot and went back to my nearby hotel where my guide would meet me at 9am the next morning.

To Nagarkot via City Bus

I expected a private car, taxi or air-conditioned tourist bus to pick me up from the hotel the next morning but it was only my guide.  We ended up walking on foot down the street and stopped at this corner where there were dozens of vans and buses completely stuffed with people.   Each bus had a guy yelling in Nepalese.

We waited a good 10 minutes before we found a bus with enough space for me, my guide and of course my giant camera bag.  When I say “enough space” I really mean just barely enough space for me to squeeze uncomfortably in.  We drove for about 15-20 minutes and got off in another part of Kathmandu to catch another bus.

We had to wait another 15-20 minutes to find another bus as most were completely full inside and even on top, outside of the bus which was really more of a large van.  Without my guide, I would have absolutely no idea which bus to take.  Another 15-20 minute bumpy road through the low uneven paved/dirt roads of Kathmandu when we were dropped off on what seemed to be a random dirt road intersection.

Walking Through a Valley and up a “Hill”

If it’s not 20,000+ feet in Nepal, It’s a hill.  I set out along with my guide who carried my small backpack.  We started walking at the edge of a small town (may have been part of Kathmandu) and kept walking on dirt roads through the villages and farms on the way up to the peak hotel where we would be staying the night.

For the first couple hours of the walk, the scenery was pretty interesting.  Most of the area consisted of farming land.  The hills had steps carved out of them presumably for farming.  The bright green grass of the crops and orange flowers and yellow mustard plants gave the area very visually pleasing colors.  The houses in the area were also very aesthetically pleasing, some built of brick with pained window seals and others just painted bright colors.

At one point I started noticing the signs which displayed the distance to the peak.  The grade wasn’t very steep but it seemed like it took forever for each new distance sign to appear.  It got to a point where the scenery was getting tedious and my single water bottle I bought earlier was long gone.  Luckily for me, the guide asked me if I wanted to take a bus the rest of the way to the hotel which I delightfully accepted.

Typical Scenery on the way to Nagarkot in Kathmandu Valley

Checking in at the Hotel and off for some Sunset Photos

It was getting closer to sunset so I didn’t have much time to spend at Hotel Viewpoint before sunset.  Everything was paid (so I thought) for and checking in was almost instantaneous.  I simply threw my clothes backpack and laptop in my room and went to the restaurant to refuel before the sunset.

It turned out, dinner and breakfast the next morning were included but the lunch/pre-dinner was not.  My guide said he wasn’t going to eat because the restaurant was too expensive which it was.  I insisted he ordered food and I would pay.  He got a club sandwich and I got some spaghetti and the bill was around 2000 rupees ($28 USD).  After dinner, I set off with my guide for some sunset views.

I remember commenting to my guide about h ow good the sunset was going to be because of the thin clouds and it didn’t disappoint.  He walked me down to a vista point where there were a couple busloads of Indian tourists which is where I took the photo at the top of this post.   I had a bit of a dilemma because I also wanted to get photos of the Langtang Himalayan range in the sunset as well.   After I felt I got the shots I wanted of the sunset in the valley I literally ran up a hill to another hotel’s viewpoint of the mountains to get some shots of the pink clouds and mountains.

View of the Langtang Himalayan Range from Hotel Viewpoint's Roof

View more Photos from Nagarkot, Nepal at tourismPICS.com

Part II:  Hotel View Point, Sunrise and Hiking Down Nagarkot

If you missed the first post about Bhumibol Bridge you may want to read it as it gives a little background information about the bridge and talks about the view you get from the central Bangkok side of the Chao Phraya River.  I got a couple good shots from one side of the bridge but I wasn’t satisfied.  I could see there were some buildings on the other side of the first section of the bridge and I had seen a couple photos on Flickr from that location.

Getting to Phra Pradaeng

I couldn’t figure out whether or not the bridge had a pedestrian path to cross the bridge on foot or bicycle so instead of chancing it, I found a taxi driver near the Ambassador Hotel and told him I’d give him 500 baht ($15USD) to take me there and back.  Since I really had no idea where we were going I went to an internet café and showed them on a map where I wanted to go and they wrote it in Thai to show the taxi driver.

I was aiming to get some night shots of the bridge so I set out around 17:00 with the hope of getting to the bridge by sunset but the inevitable happened.  The traffic on Rama III & IV roads was at a standstill and it took over and hour and 15 minutes to go a distance that would have taken 15-20 minutes if there was no traffic.

The taxi driver knew how to drive to the bridge and get to the genera area under the bridge but he parked in a lot which was probably almost a kilometer away from the recreational area.  He accompanied me to the shooting location to not lose me and most importantly for him, the 500 baht fare.

Park looking towards Samut Prakan

Under the Industrial Ring Road

From back home in the USA when I think under a bridge or a major highway in a big city the first thing that comes to mind is a ghetto or industrial wasteland.  As mentioned previously in Bangkok it is completely opposite as there are many nice areas under Bangkok’s various bridges.

The park which to this day I cannot remember nor find out the name of, is very nice.  In the area near Bhumibol Bridge on this Phra Pradaeng side there is rather long paved jogging path along with numerous playgrounds for kids.  Directly below the coiling Industrial Ring road at the base of Bhumibol Bridge there is a nice grass park with rubberized jogging path and basketball courts.

The park surrounded by a fence and a security guard box has a couple buildings and statue laden pools.  I do not know what the buildings are, possibly a museum or school.  The industrial ring road along with its pillars is spectacular to photography in itself as it winds all over the place giving a photographer with a wide angle lens more than enough shots.

Jogging Path under the Industrial Ring Road

Bhumibol Bridge Photos

The prize of course is the beautiful Bhumibol Bridge views in which there are multiple angles as you are able to see in both spans of the bridge.   You can even walk outside the park and explore the more of the area which includes a large temple and several shipyards to get more views of the bridge and industrial ring road.

I saw several Thai photographers when I visited this are of Phra Pradaeng but no foreigners.  I would highly recommend this area of Bangkok for anyone with a digital SLR and especially those who like shooting wide angle shots as there is more than a couple hours worth of shots.  I would recommend leaving early so you can get there in time for the sun to set as it can be spectacular like the day when I was lucky enough to get this shot.

View the full Bhumibol Bridge Photo Archive

My hometown of San Francisco is city where tens of thousands of tourists arrive to see a bridge so I thought I would write about a bridge in Bangkok that is visually impressive and grand but just doesn’t have much tourist appeal yet.

Bridge is not a huge tourist attraction in Bangkok for a couple reasons.   First off, the bridge is located pretty far away from the areas populated by foreigners and crowded with tourists.  The 2^nd reason why it’s not the most popular tourist attraction is it lacks pedestrian crossings.

Bhumibol Bridge is located towards the south side of Bangkok off Rama III Road.  In order to drive across the bridge there is a very long onramp.  Bhumibol Bridge is pronounced;  “Sa pan Poo Me Pon” in Thai in which Saphan means ‘bridge’ in Thai and Bhumibol  is the name of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Ayedeyej.

The bridge which was completed less than 5 years ago in 2006 is also known as the “Mega Bridge” or “Industrial Ring Road Bridge” but don’t expect a single Thai person to know what you are talking about unless you say it in Thai, again “Saphan Bhumibol”.

Vantage Points of the Bridge

I have found  2 different vantage points on the North side of the Chao Phraya.  The first is a jogging park which lies directly under the bridge.  I have found that many bridges in Bangkok actually have nice parks or what could be described as recreational areas under them.  This ‘recreational area’ under the bridge has a jogging path, a grassy area and a cement step seating area overlooking the river which is where I got this shot.

Under Bhumibol Bridge

The second vantage point of Bhumibol Bridge off Rama III road is at the end of Rama III Soi 34.  The first time I went there I was kind of hesitant to enter as the soi looked more like a school as it had a security guard and many stray dogs.  It turned out there were many stray dogs because there was a couple large monasteries and what I think is a school.  As you walk towards the end of the soi there is actually a stable with cows ran by monks.  Right at the end of the soi is the cement steps which make up the bank of the Chao Phraya River which you can see in this shot.

Bhumibol Bridge from the End of Rama III Soi 34

Getting to Bhumibol Bridge

The bridge is gigantic and has 2 major sections crossing the Chao Phraya River so there are many vantage points which I scouted out over several trips to the bridge.  The easiest part to get to for anyone living in the major parts of Bangkok Sukhumvit and Silom is from Rama III road.

The first time I tried to find Bhumibol Bridge I took my bicycle through Silom in the wrong direction.  The actual directions will vary greatly depending on the starting point so the general guideline is just to get on Rama III road which loops around Bangkok .

I’m not sure if there are any MRT stations that go anywhere near the bridge but I’m sure there are no BTS stations.  The best way is to ask a taxi driver to take you to Rama III Soi 34 which is also within walking distance to the recreational area.  From anywhere in the vicinity you will be able to see “The Pano” the giant apartment complex which towers over the entire area.

Bhumibol Bridge highlighted Pink

Shooting Photos of Bhumibol Bridge

The Rama III Soi 34 side of the bridge allows you to get some great panoramic vantage points of the brightly lit bridge and its coiling attached Industrial Ring Road highway.  From this vantage point you can almost view 4 of the brightly lit pillars of the bridge.

I’m not 100% sure of this but I think there is an array of different patterns of light which can be emitted by the bridge.  Out of the few times I have been over to Bhumbol Bridge to take photos, the latest the bridge’s lights have been turned on is 19:00.  Any serious photographer will have more than enough subject matter for a good couple hours of shooting from both locations at the end of Rama III Soi 34 as well as the recreation area under the bridge.

View More Photos of Bhumibol Bridge at tourismPICS.com

Stay Tuned for Part II: Phra Padaeng Side of Bhumibol Bridge

Getting an Early Start

I’m typing this post about ½ way through my 3 hour non-stop direct flight on Thai Airways from BKK to Kathmandu International Airport to get a head start. When I fail to type up the posts right away they fall by the wayside (like my Shanghai e experience) as I get wrapped up in my multiple endeavors. I purchased a new Asus UL80VT laptop which supposedly gets 12 hours of battery life so no battery power can’t be an excuse anymore.

Finding a Flight(s)

If for whatever reason you find yourself in Bangkok and want to visit Nepal you should know that there is only one dependable non-stop flight which is operated by Thai Airways (more on that a little later). I didn’t know this beforehand but there is another direct, non-stop flight under Nepal Airlines but as I learned from a Nepali friend, the flight is far from a sure thing as they are often canceled and backed up for weeks and even months.  I was told it is worth the extra couple hundred dollars to book on Thai

The Thai Airways flight was listed at 3 hours and 30 minutes but upon boarding the plane they announced the flight would be 3 hours. Whether you want to spend the least amount of money as possible or visit more places along the way, there are other ways to get from Bangkok from Nepal.

I was actually looking into taking a side trip to Kolkata (Calcutta) in East India which is basically halfway between Bangkok and Kathmandu and I found it to be possible by taking Indian Airlines. When I found out I need a visa beforehand it turned me off to visiting India at this time.

Booking your Thai Airways Flight

I knew I wanted to visit Nepal for months as I had a Nepali friend who was going to be there in early November. I had been scouting out the Thai Airways tickets for a couple months and made a few observations.

I noticed that Thai Airways really messes around with their flight as seen online. I’m not just talking about ticket prices but availability. One day I would check and the website said “Sold out” for the flight on the dates I was looking for as well as close dates. The next day the flights would miraculously be available again. When I bought my ticket and was choosing my seat for the flight which was “sold out” a few days earlier there were literally a couple hundred seats available.

I’m not sure if this is common practice or whether it is purposely done by the airline but I didn’t like it one bit. The prices fluctuated between 21000 baht and 28000 baht for a round trip ticket. I ended up paying 22100 baht for my ticket.  As advised in some online forums, I made sure to get a seat on the right side of the plane as far away from the wing as possible so I could take some photos of the Himalaya mountain ranges with my Canon PowerShot S95.

Minutes before Landing at Kathmandu Airport

Arrival at the Kathmandu Airport

I had a feeling I was in for a new cultural experience when after the plane landed from a 100% smooth flight and came to a stop while taxiing and literally 95% of the people raced up out of their seats before the whole flight crew had to scold them to all sit down until the plane was done taxiing.

After I got out of the Thai Airways Boeng 777 and walked off the airplane and across the tarmac I noticed the Kathmandu airport is well past its prime. The old brick exterior and half-hearted construction projects doesn’t compare to most modern airports.

Standing in the Visa on Arrival Line at Kathmandu International

NOTE: Visa on Arrival Process
If you arrive to Kathmandu airport without a visa you will be required to apply for one (which is what 99% of the foreigners did). What made the process interesting is a passport sized photo is required and the currency accepted was listed at $25 dollars for a 15 day visa and $40 for a 30 day visa. I found it interesting that they didn’t accept their own money.

The good news is for those who don’t come prepared (like me) there is both a currency exchange and a photo booth about 10 feet from the visa on arrival line. The line seemed like it took forever and when I finally got there I was confused as the first booth took the payment and threw all your paperwork in this giant pile. I walked away and they summoned me back to find my papwork in the messy pile and give it to the guy in the adjacent booth where they stamped my visa and I was off.

Gotta Love Hotel Airport Pick-up

The “New” Airport Link

It seems for the longest time Bangkok’s airport link train was “coming soon.” I think I remember the elevated tracks coming from the airport the first time I visited Bangkok around 5 years ago. I had been living in Bangkok for over a year and with seemingly little fanfare the airport link finally opened.

For me the airport link was more of a curiosity than a necessity as taking a taxi to the airport will usually cost from about $8-15USD and be relatively fast.. I wanted to take it the next time I either arrived or departed Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi
airport but I arrived from the US which usually means around midnight which is the time the airport link closed.

Bangkok Airport Link Station - Asok

Same Same but Different

The above headline is a popular shirt sold in Thailand and oddly enough it applies to the way to get to BKK airport. While the mode of transit is obviously different, the primary factor which determines how long it takes to get to the airport is likely going to be the same.

The primary factor is how bad the Bangkok city traffic is. Just as taking a taxi all the way to the airport must navigate through the busy streets to find an expressway, if you want to take the airport link your taxi needs to find a station. There are only 2 airport link stations located in central Bangkok, one at the intersection of Asok and Petchaburi roads and the other in Phaya Thai.

Pick Your Train: Express or City Line

Once you arrive at the station which is spacious and aesthetically similar to the airport’s terminals you will have to find the ticket booth. There were a couple guides on duty which helped a lot as they pointed me in the right direction. From the Asok station I was at, the city line which I assumed stopped at a couple stations along the way took 30 minutes while the non-stop express line took 15.

I picked up a 100 baht express train ticket at the counter you see in the photo and it caused me to literally make the train at the last split second as they re-opened the doors to let me in after they were ready to leave.

Just in Time for Express Train

Airport Link Express Train Ride & Drop-off

The 8:30am train I was on was virtually empty. As you would expect from a brand new train system, the train was very clean, comfortable, smooth and of course very fast. There is really nothing much to say about the actual train ride but you can watch the video showing how fast the Bangkok airport link train is.

Another downside of taking the Bangkok airport express train is the drop-off point. While a taxi drops you off conveniently a hundred meters or so in front of the check-in departure area, the Bangkok Airport Link train drops you off in the bowels of Suvarnabhumi
. You have to either take an elevator which will likely be 100% filled to capacity or navigate through the next couple floors which includes the arrivals rushing past you the opposite way trying to get out of the airport.

Bangkok Airport Link Summary: Pros & Cons

Positive aspects of the Bangkok Airport Link

• Fast
• Comfortable
• Quiet
• Reliable

Negative aspects of the Bangkok Airport Link

• Only a couple of stations
• Takes time to navigate the Airport Link station
• Drops you off 4 floors down from check-in

Overall Impression

Like the mag-lev train which goes to and fro the airport in Shanghai the Bangkok Airport Link is not entirely convenient with the exception being those staying within walking distance to a station. If you are staying far away from one of the stations, the cab ride to the station is going to take up the bulk of your time.

The cost for the airport link is definitely cheaper than just a taxi as you have to pay the meter plus any fees (if you are coming from the airport) and tollway fees. Overall I would say it’s a toss up. If you are close to a BKK Airport Link station then by all means take the 15 minute express train but if your hotel/apartment is closer to a tollway entrance, it would make sense to avoid any of the crippling Bangkok traffic as the tollways are less likely to have gridlock.