Vieng Tawan Sukhothai Guesthouse

Upon arrival at the Vieng Tawan Sukhothai Guesthouse, it is 4 o’clock in the morning and still dark. We came in by night bus from Bangkok to Sukhothai.

Obstacles until departure

This time we wanted to try out how it would work to travel through Thailand by bus. Basically, it is not a problem and very cheap. For € 20 – € 30 you can reach almost every corner of the country from Bangkok. You also save one night in the hotel. It is exact the right thing for an inexpensive round trip.

The journey from Morchit Bangkok (North Terminal, Bangkok Bus Terminal North) to Sukhothai costs Bath 346 / person = € 9,26 / person (January 2017). These are rates for booking via the internet. But it is better to buy it directly on the spot.

So far, so good, we tried this in Bangkok on the first day. We know that the bus terminal is close to the Chatuchak market. So we go there by Skytrain. From the locals, we only receive an approximate directional statement, due to the language barrier. After visiting the market, which is huge, we make another attempt to find the bus terminal. But after some wandering around, we give up.

Admittedly, the whole thing was badly prepared and ill-conceived. The bus terminal is about 1.5 km in the north. We only should have followed the road at the eastern end of the market in the northerly direction. If we would have had our electronic city map with us, we had found it. We were not clear that the Skytrain does not go to the bus terminal. This line is under construction. Unfortunately, we cannot say when the construction is finished.

So we buy the bus ticket at a travel agency, which is not much more expensive and we take the Skytrain to the Chatuchak market. Because we have a lot of luggage, we do not want to walk. Thus we persuaded a tuk-tuk driver to drive us from the Chatuchak Market to the bus terminal. He is annoyed about the short distance and constantly curses while driving. But we compensate him with a considerable tip. The other alternative would have been to take a taxi from the hotel.

Night bus from Bangkok to Sukhothai

The bus leaves on time. It is a modern normally scheduled public-transit bus with air-conditioning and comfortable reclining seats. During the journey, the bus hostess sells snacks or drinks. On the way, the bus stops at a quick service restaurant, where you get a dish for your voucher included in the ticket price. The driver drives very circumspectly and we have a safe feeling during the trip. The bus also arrives on time in Sukhothai, at 3.00 in the morning! Far and wide no more means of transport in sight.

We have chosen an accommodation nearby the archaeological places, which are are about 11 km from the bus terminal. An elderly friendly Thai who also arrives by bus notices our helplessness and asks us in English, where we want to go. After we told him our destination, he says that his nephew will come with a minivan and can take us along. Overjoyed, we breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, the nephew arrives. After he had to seek for the address, he drove us to our guesthouse. He did not want to know anything about a payment. We have not expected so much kindness.

Vieng Tawan Sukhothai Guesthouse

It is 4 o’clock in the morning when we arrive. We also find the reception which, however, is not occupied at this time yet. The Vieng Tawan Sukhothai Guesthouse lies a little outside the center, almost in the arms of nature.

We find tables and benches in front of the house and decide to use them for a short sleep. Falling asleep in the open is a bit difficult as we listen to the tropical chirping of the crickets and do not hope to be targeted by a snake. Although we have not seen any, we have heard that there are still a lot of cobras in the area.

With the first daylight, we explore the surrounding of the Vieng Tawan Sukhothai Guesthouse. The nicely decorated pigs seem to enjoy themselves amidst our cluelessness.

The orchids in the trees and the nice plants in the garden lift our mood. The guest house makes a well-kept impression and is decorated lovingly with many details. We also discover a scooter and bicycle rental. The breakfast area is in the back part of the building on a veranda.

At last, one has pity on us and we can get our room. The owners are nice and friendly. They always stay in the background, so you have the feeling of being alone in the house.

But they immediately appear if you need a taxi or a Tuk Tuk.

The rooms in the Vieng Tawan Sukhothai Guesthouse are clean. The beds are re-decorated with the towels and flowers daily. The free WiFi works excellent. A breakfast buffet ensures a good mood in the morning. And during our stay, we paid € 20.- per day for the room including breakfast. You can hardly catch it.

After a quick shower, we go on a first exploration tour to the archaeological sites in the Sukhothai Historical Park.

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