Ho Chi Minh - Bangkok Wednesday Dec 11

 Wednesday Dec 11 2025 Ho Chi Minh - Bangkok

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STEPS

WEATHER

TOUR DAY 16 TRANSIT

ITALICS TOUR DESCRIPTION

After breakfast, greeting in the lobby of your hotel by our local representatives, and transfer to the airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
Dep:Ho Chi Minh City Dec 11, 2025 - Bangkok Dec 11, 2025 VN609 SGN | Dec 11 18:40 - BKK | Dec 11 20:15 ECONOMY Dur.:1h 35m
Arrival at the airport in Bangkok. You will be met by our local representatives and transferred to your hotel in Bangkok. The rest of the day is free for you to start your exploration of Bangkok, a city that never fails to amaze. (Breakfast)

Everyone from our group had moved on when we went to breakfast other than L who was leaving later tonight.
We checked out at noon, and had a 2 PM departure to the airport. I'm not sure why we always left so early for the airport, I will be asking that to the tour company.

We decided to go for coffee, I had spotted an interesting place around the corner.

It turned out that this is a coffee shop within the offices of an interior design company. It turns out it is a very exclusive company.
German-Vietnamese interior design Quách Thái Công is known for his prolific mastery over personality-filled designs, as showcased in his own villa, aptly named the Thai Cong Villa. His designs are exclusive and luxurious and certainly worth swooning over. Given his background and time spent abroad, he shows a deep understanding of merging European aesthetics with Vietnamese sensibilities, thus bringing a beautiful blend of cultures in his work.
Click here for an interesting article highlighting his work.

The cafe is stunning!




John had a latte (boring) and I ordered an espresso tonic, having no idea what it was! I almost got it right, I poured the tonic into the coffee. However the correct order is this. The espresso tonic is a popular, non-alcoholic specialty drink combining espresso and tonic water over ice for a refreshing, bittersweet, and bubbly flavor. It balances the rich intensity of coffee with the crisp, quinine bitterness and sweetness of tonic water, often highlighted by citrus notes.



John had another latte and I went for a brain booster, delicious!





John went to the bathroom and said I had to go and take my phone! It was an all gender room.

And this was plush!!









Getting into the swing of things John orders a Moet Chandon Brut Imperial and I had a cosmopolitan.


The bill!

Walking back into the hotel lobby, we spotted the other couple going with us to Bangkok, my under my breath comment was not ladylike. It was the loud guy from Bus # 1. However, he turned out to be a really nice person, just loud and touchy. Since we were all there, the guide suggested we just head to the airport.


We wanted to use the lounge however it was temporarily closed for refurbishment. So we grabbed ham and cheese croissants.
We arrived on time but the line for customs was miles long. You must submit a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) within 3 days before arriving in Thailand. Many people were only completing their E-cards as they waited, they had plenty of time. Only after snaking our way along, did we see a sign around a corner, saying "70 +" could use the special lanes!! I raised my hand to a security agent and pointed and she replied with 7 fingers, and off we went!
We grabbed our luggage and found our driver, it seems the other couple were on an earlier flight than us. The guide was a lovely older man. When we reached the van, the driver was nowhere in sight. It turned out the van was locked and he had lost the keys!!! Finally the guide got a taxi and took us to our hotel.
Funny enough, the last time we were in Bangkok, our guide never showed up, claiming the next day that he was given the wrong time.

It was gone 10 PM by the time we checked into the Mandarin on Rama IV Road, and nothing was open in the hotel. We were not impressed with the location of this hotel.





This was funny to see in the mall across the street.



There was a 7-11 across the street so we grabbed some chips and chocolate for dinner. I haven't mentioned but 7-11s were everywhere we visited.