Traveling overnight from Malaysia yesterday, I woke up as our train was approaching Hua Hin railway station. All the coach attendants put on their coats and hats and waited at the door of each coach. This station is one of the oldest in Thailand, famous for its iconic bright red and yellow wooden Royal Waiting Room, which was originally built during the reign of King Rama VI. The halt wasn’t too long, and soon we resumed our journey to Bangkok.


One thing we didn’t notice the previous night was that our coach was the last coach on the train. There was a door with a big glass window at the end, so I spent some time standing there and watching the track fly backwards. The rhythmic clatter of the International Express IE 36 felt like the perfect soundtrack to the changing Thai landscape rolling away behind us.


We reached Bangkok Hua Lamphong Train Station at around 10:00 AM. The station’s massive vaulted iron roof and neo-Renaissance style were quite a sight, designed by Italian architects to resemble the Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof. We eventually found the person who was going to pick us up for our transfer to Pattaya. Unfortunately, he didn’t really speak any English. He transferred us to a hotel, and from there, we were transferred to a bus stop.


We had a nice noodle soup for breakfast and then boarded the bus to Pattaya. The journey took about two hours, and the ride was smooth and comfortable. We were booked to stay at the Baiyoke Pattaya Hotel, a high-rise property situated conveniently near the beach and shopping areas.


The room was big and clean, though the view wasn’t all that great. We didn’t have anything planned for the day, so we decided to visit the Royal Garden Plaza. This shopping mall is hard to miss because of the giant red airplane that appears to have crashed into its side, an eye-catching entrance for the Ripley’s attractions inside. We had a late lunch of Pad Thai and some Duck Fried rice at the food court on the terrace, overlooking the bustling streets below.


We then went to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! and explored the various attractions, including Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, Ripley’s Infinity Maze, and Ripley’s 4D Moving Theater. The museum is filled with oddities and curiosities from around the globe.


Out of these, the Infinity Maze was the most exciting. It used mirrors and light effects to create an endless, disorienting environment that was both challenging and fun to navigate. Royal Garden Plaza even had a multiplex, so we caught a show of The Golden Compass there. Although it was more of a children’s movie, both of us liked it.


We went to Oishi Ramen, a popular Japanese noodle bar, for dinner. The open kitchen allowed us to watch the chefs expertly preparing the ramen bowls, which were a perfect way to end a long day of travel. We then walked back to our hotel, ready for our day tomorrow.

🛏️ Baiyoke Pattaya Hotel
🍽️ Food Wave
🏛️ Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
🍽️ Oishi Ramen