Day 3 – Hot, Hotter, and Really F*ing Hot

Day 3 – Hot, Hotter, and Really F*ing Hot | Thailand Travel Diary

Thursday, Oct 30 – Day 3, Arrival in Bangkok
Location: Vancouver → Bangkok
Mood: Overheated, underslept, mildly delusional but thrilled to be here

The Longest Haul Flight

This was the big one. Sixteen hours from Vancouver to Bangkok. I’d been dreading it for weeks, but I’m happy to report it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected — mostly thanks to my gear lineup.

Compression socks? Non-negotiable. Anything over six hours ups your blood-clot risk, so I finally listened to my pharmacist (she’s also my cousin…so I have no excuse). Sure, they were hot as hell and made me question every life choice mid-flight, but my ankles didn’t blow up like rising dough, so worth it.

Also, my sleep setup was next-level: a TRTL neck pillow, noise-cancelling headphones, and a weighted eye mask that sits off your eyes so it doesn’t destroy your makeup. Once I had all that on, the only visible part of me was my nose. Glamorous? No. Effective? Absolutely. I’ve linked these things here in case you want any of them. This series isn’t about linking to products but, when I love something I’ll share it.

I should also note that I wear my trtl sort of on the front of my face and just off to the side enough to breethe. Again, is it sexy — absolutely not. Do I care? Sure don’t.

The woman beside me had a toddler who screamed for hours — the kind of guttural, ear-splitting cry that rattles your soul. Poor kid. Her little ears must’ve been killing her. At one point, she threw up all over herself, her mom, their seat, the diaper bag… the works. The mom was flying solo and handled it like a pro, juggling wipes, bottles, and dirty clothes while a few dickheads glared instead of helping. If there were gold medals for surviving a long-haul flight with a sick toddler, she deserved one.

By the time we landed, we’d been awake for over 24 hours, but we were buzzing. New continent, baby! Thailand is ten hours ahead of Nova Scotia, so technically I’m writing this from the future.

Arriving in Bangkok

At the Bangkok airport, we met our guide, Kitty, who’s leading the Allure of Thailand Air Canada Vacations tour — a hybrid setup with flights, transfers, hotels, some meals, and a few guided tours, plus enough free time to wander off. It’s how we did Italy and we loved it, so we’re running it back here. I’ve linked a similar tour (ours is a few days longer but you get the idea).

Kitty’s hilarious, but tour guides are always a bit… persuasive. They’ve got optional add-on tours to sell, and she’s clearly unimpressed that we’re skipping some to explore on our own. Can’t blame her, but we prefer finding our own trouble.

Good news: after a full-blown war with Alosim (OK, that’s dramatic…let’s call it a little scuffle), my eSIM finally works. (It only took two airports and ten emails).

We dropped our bags at the Mandarin Hotel and grabbed breakfast — Pad Thai, obviously — before launching straight into a half-day temple tour.

Here’s the thing: I’m grateful to be here, but maybe give people a nap before dragging them through Bangkok heat after a 16-hour flight. The Thai people joke that they have four seasons: hot, hotter, hottest, and really f**ing hot.* Today was the last one.

Still, the temples were stunning.

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) sits along the Chao Phraya River and glitters with porcelain mosaics that catch the sunlight. It’s even more beautiful in person.
Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha Temple) houses Thailand’s largest collection of Buddhas, including a massive gold reclining one that’s 46 metres long.
Wat Saket (The Golden Mount) offers panoramic city views after a steep climb — though we could only go partway because the King is visiting for the Queen Mother’s funeral, and apparently there are sniper concerns. Noted.

After the tour, we hit a buffet lunch that surprised all of us. Usually, I hate buffets, but this one was unreal: curries, dim sum, sushi, a full Halloween dessert spread, chocolate fountain, and shaved ice bar. A fever dream in the best way.

Back at the hotel, Brent went straight to bed. Mom, Steve, and I hit the pool — killer setup — then wandered over to one of Bangkok’s enormous malls for dinner. Unsexy, maybe, but necessary. The malls here are wild: spotless, stylish, air-conditioned havens that put most (OK…all) Canadian shopping centres to shame.

Bangkok First Impressions

If I’m honest, my first impression of Bangkok is that it’s a lot. Loud, busy, layered, impossible to navigate at first glance. But I always feel that way in big cities on Day One. We’ve got a plan mapped out for tomorrow — skipping the guided floating market tour to do our own food-focused wander — so stay tuned.

Oh, and when the locals tell you to bring a fan? They mean it. It’s hot AF.

Everyone we’ve met so far has been unbelievably kind. At the airport, when we couldn’t find our driver, a man from a completely different company took our itinerary, called every number on it, and found her for us. He had nothing to gain; he was just helping. That level of generosity and respect is refreshing — something we could all learn from.

Today’s Pet Peeves

People on speakerphone in public. Why. Just why.
People who don’t f*ing listen.** Case in point: a girl on our temple tour today who ignored every instruction to cover her knees and shoulders. It’s printed everywhere — on the itinerary, online, and out loud by the guide. She showed up in short shorts, got told to rent a sarong, and then whined about it for hours. “If they’d told me, I could’ve worn pants.” Girl, they did. You just didn’t listen. Own it and move on.

Photo of the Day:
📸 Sweaty, smiling, half-melted at Wat Arun.