My journey south today is only about three or so hours, but the ultimate destination in Thailand has to be Bangkok. I pass through Ang thong district, which has over 200 magnificent temples. There are no mountains or forests on this stretch, and the land is largely agricultural. Rice is the majority produce, and some very elaborate canals feed the fields with water from the two rivers that run through the district.
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I pass into the next district on the AH2, which is the historically important, Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand (then known as Siam) for 417 years from 1350 until 1767, when the Burmese army invaded. In the late 1600′s, the kingdom, then ruled by King Naresuan the Great, became one of the biggest traders in the south seas and even had connections with a number of European countries including Louis XIV of France.
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It’s warm today with a high of 27c, but the big problem for me is the 84% humidity. My camper doesn’t have a modern air conditioning system, so rolling down the windows just isn’t cutting it. There’s a heavy cloud cover with few breaks, which is making things look a little grey.
It is just after midday when I head into Bangkok. With a population of 14 million, according to the 2010 census, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. I have decided not to waste this opportunity and will stay over and spend tomorrow taking in the city, its food and culture. I have ‘booked’ two nights in the Nasa Vegas Hotel using Booking.com. It’s fairly central and not too far back from the coast.