After the relative calm of Siem Reap we entered the comparative hurly burly of Bangkok.
We got a taxi from the airport to the city centre which took around an hour in heavy traffic. Our accommodation was the Centra Central Station Hotel. The hotel itself was lovely and had great views of the city, although we personally felt the location left a little to be desired.
Having said that, it was a 10 minute walk to Yaowarat Road in the China town district. This is where we went for a couple of drinks on our first evening before heading to bed (as it was so late by the time we got in).
The next morning we set out early to head for the main sightseeing area. We walked up through China town and took in the various sights and smells as the street vendors went about their business. It was almost an hour by the time we got to Wat Pho temple (The Reclining Buddha). From there, we walked along the walls of the Grand Palace towards Khao San Road (the main backpacker district).
We thought this would be a good place to find vegan food but we were surprised that it wasn’t as easy as in Saigon or Siem Reap. Every menu is much of a muchness and serves a range of local and western food. However, Rhian was pretty much limited to bread, fries or veggie baguettes. Be aware that even vegetarian food often seems to be cooked in fish oil in Thailand so it is always best to specify that you do not want this to happen (this may require some degree of argument with the staff!).
We stayed for a bit of souvenir shopping and a few beers before heading back to the hotel.
That evening we were meeting up with a tour for the next leg of our journey. Thanks to our guide, we were shown the River View restaurant which was on the top floor of a tower block. As you may expect from the name the views of the city were spectacular and it was worth a visit for this alone. There were vegetarian options on the menu but no vegan specific. Thanks to the guide, Rhian was able to have a dish adapted to be vegan. I’m not sure we would have been so lucky if we had been dining alone however. Regardless, the food was fantastic and they served bottles of craft beer which went down well. Prices were steep though so not great if you are on a tight budget.
The next morning we had free breakfast in the hotel. It was disappointing from a vegan perspective as it was once again limited to bread (this was becoming a recurring theme!). There was a vat of boiling soy milk but when Rhian asked if she could be served some cold to have with cereal they refused. Not great customer service!
We had just enough time for a last minute bit of souvenir shopping and lunch before heading on an overnight sleeper train to Krabi.
As such, we set out to find a restaurant Rhian had read about called Mango which was supposedly located around the corner of Samsen and Rama VIII. However, it was either shut down or closed when we arrived. Consequently, we started wandering back down Samsen towards Khao San road more in hope than expectation. As it turns out, our luck was in as we stumbled upon the Cinema Wine Restaurant.
We were greeted by the friendly Texan owner as we walked in and took a seat by the window. There were a couple of tempting looking veggie options which he said could be adapted to make vegan. Rhian ended up going for the ratatouille whilst I had a home-made southern fried chicken burger. Both meals were superb and extremely tasty. To top it off, we washed it down with a delicious Chalawan IPA. You’ll pay a little extra than in the more touristy areas, but it was absolutely worth it for great food and great service. We even got some tips on places to visit in our next destinations! After that, it was to the station for our overnight train to Surat Thani and on to Krabi.
I have to say, Bangkok took a while to grow on us. We were a little disappointed with the hotel location but once we had discovered some of the amazing sights such as the Grand Palace and Khao San road we were certainly won over.
That’s not to say, however, that this is a vegan haven – far from it in fact. Even our local guide told us it could be difficult for vegans and we were fortunate that we had her input when ordering at the River View Restaurant. Having said that, find the right place, such as the Cinema Wine Restaurant, and you will be sure of a great meal and a friendly welcome.