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Today: Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.

29.10.2004 - South indochina, here we come!
Don Muang - Aranyaprathet

12:10 am, Airasia, Don Muang
Midnight, together with z, we arrived in Don Muang ariport, Bangkok smoothly. Of course with Air Asia (with slogan now everyone can fly).

No more bus
Asked for information to northern/eastern bus terminal (known as satanee Morchit mai in Thai) by bus after baggage claim but was told that there was no more airport bus. This is contradictory from what I know from from web and Bangkok Mass Transport Authority. There are night bus plying around Bangkok, passing by airport and Morchit.

Night city bus to Morchit Mai
Walked to terminal 1 and there is a pedestrian bridge linking airport and Don Muang train station. Saw a bus stop (for city bus) under the bridge. Checked with pedestrians and commuters around and they confirmed night bus 59 (5.5 Baht for night bus after 11pm, non air-con) can go to our destination. Quite a number of taxis around, waiting for passengers, 20 - 50 m away from the bus stop.

Bus 59
59, is that the bus we waited for so long? Yes!, we waved to stopped cream red color bus 59. Wow! Grabbed our backpack and boarded the bus. Told the bus conductor to drop us at satanee Morchit mai in broken Thai (row ja phai satanee morchit mai, bok row yoo tee satanee). Cold night breeze, observed that a few night markets still packed with people. After 20 minutes of ride, we were informed to alight at a bus stop opposite Chatuchak park.

Bus 145
Thought that it will only be a short walking distance to the bus terminal. However, we didn’t see any sign of big bus terminal after 10 minutes of walk and seems we were stuck around Chatuchak park. Asked around and someone recommended us to take bus 145 (8 Baht for night bus, air-con) to continue our remaining journery to Satanee Morchit mai (new Morchit station). Within ten minutes, we reached the bus terminal we have longed to reach.

Satanee Morchit mai
Gordon from Tales of Asia said “First-class buses depart regularly for Aranyaprathet from 4 am until 6 pm. Depending on the time of day departures are between thirty and sixty minutes apart. The first-class bus is usually 164 Baht.” This piece of informtion is really useful. Without hesitation, we went to windows 30 or 31 (can’t remember) to purchase ticket and opted for the earliest bus to Aranyaprathet. The bus will depart from platform 121.

Journey to Aranyaprathet
Slept once I was on the bus. Woke up at a checkpoint about twenty kilometers before the border. A Thai army officer came. According to Gordon, this is to grab illegal Cambodians crossing into Thailand.

7:35 am, Aranyaprathet bus station
We arrived. Bus station to the border about 6 kilometers away. Took a tuk-tuk (60 Baht).

Breakfast time, (1)kuay teow with vegetables (2)water (nam plau).

Cambodia in front

Budget
Bus: 59 Airport to opp Chatuchak Park 5.5B
Bus: 145 Opp Chatuchak Park to Morchit Mai 8B
Bus: Morchit Mai to Aranyaprathet 164B
Toilet: Morchit Mai 3B
Tuk-tuk: Aranyaprathet to Thai-Cambodia border 30B
Breakfast 25B

Acknowledgement
BMTA
Gordon’s Tales of Asia
A friend, G

To be continued…