I find it serendipitous that a month prior to my solo trip to Bangkok, Thailand, I had an opportunity to visit Vientiane, Laos in early October and teach a weeklong academic writing course to graduate students there.
I appreciated the chance to familiarize myself a little bit with Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport before I took another flight to Laos and back to the Philippines 10 days later.
In Vientiane, one of my students gave me tips about traveling to Thailand, including where to find convenient and affordable accommodations. Olive told me she often stays at Nasa Vegas Hotel which is right across a station of the airport link train.
Once back home, I logged on to Agoda.com and searched for Bangkok hotels. I was pleased to see that a junior room at Nasa Vegas only costs around US$12.00+ (breakfast not included so I have nothing to write about this hotel's food). I booked a room for two nights and my credit card was charged a total of US$28.52 including taxes, which was equivalent to PhP1261.70.
I checked in at Nasa Vegas on the afternoon of November 9 right after arriving from Pattaya. I got off the bus at the airport and took the train straight to Ramkhamhaeng, the fourth station from the airport. I just had to cross the street under the station and walked over to the hotel.
Although the check in time was indicated at 3PM, I was allowed to check in immediately at 1:30PM after being asked for a THB1000 deposit, my passport, and the email print out of my reservation.
My room was comfortable although far in appearance from the nicer photos posted at the Agoda site. It is located at the corner of the 18th floor and overlooks the railway. I was not at all bothered by the sound of the trains passing by, even at night. It actually fascinated me.
Aside from the TV, there was a small refrigerator where I got to cool water and juices I bought from the Family Mart store outside. I did not get anything from the mini bar to lessen my expenses.
The bathroom is okay. I was not expecting a bathtub but there was one, along with hot water. There were towels, soap, and shampoo but guests would have to bring their own oral care kits because toothbrushes and toothpaste are for sale along with some snacks on the minibar.
I think the hotel have seen better days though because when you get off the elevator on the 18th floor, you’ll be greeted with the hall carpet’s musty scent. It’s a good thing the inside of my room doesn’t have any unpleasant smell and the air conditioning unit was working fine.
I guess the top (first world :p) problem I encountered was the lack of outlets for my two phones, iPad, laptop, and camera batteries' charger. There was only one electrical outlet below the bedside table mirror so I had to unplug the TV at night to be able to charge at least two gadgets at the same time.
Overall though, I am quite satisfied with my stay. After all, I didn’t spend a lot of time inside the hotel, having been busy seeing sights around Bangkok during the day. If I were to go back, I’d probably stay there again because of the price and the proximity to the train and airport.
Please take note, however, that train fares are expensive and malls and restaurants are quite far from Nasa Vegas. The only commercial establishments I saw that’s near it is the Family Mart and a massage place (that I didn't get to try, argh!) beside it. So don’t stay there if you’re looking for a vibrant nightlife.
But if you’re like me who’s afraid of not making it to an early morning flight, book at Nasa Vegas. My return trip to the Philippines was around 8AM on November 11 and I was able to easily check out of the hotel around 6AM. Travel time to Suvarnabhumi took less than 15 minutes thanks, too, to Bangkok’s efficient train system.
*To see more photos taken around Bangkok and find links to my other blog posts about Thailand, please visit this Facebook album
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