Why I hate Bangkok – Scammed, kicked out of taxis and nearly run over.

I know it’s not ideal to claim that you “hate” a place. Hate is a strong word.

Me and Bangkok were probably never really going to get on. I’m not much of a city person, Bangkok is busy, dirty, smelly and just generally overwhelming, effectively delivering a punch to your senses.

Everybody in Bangkok seems to be on a mission to rip me off, even the mall I went to sold me a dummy charger for my broken phone.

A cab driver kicked me out on the side of the highway as it was getting dark because he realised he did not know where I wanted to go and was not interested in my map and instructions. Despite the fact I had shown him on the map, shown him the address and asked him if he knew where it was prior to getting in the cab.

Wandering down a highway in the dark with no idea where you are is really not my idea of fun.

People who can’t be bothered to wait in traffic will happily mount the pavement on their scooters with no warning and nearly run you over, expecting you to twist your ankle as you jump out of the way to avoid being hit.

There’s an abundance of scams and usually I read up on them, but one that I fell for with my sister was being talked into a canal boat ride under the pretence that the palace “was closed” until the afternoon. As soon as we got on the boat, it dawned on me and I wanted to kick myself.

The thing is, you feel guilty in a sense because you’re privileged enough to be traveling, you feel like you should be in awe of every single place.

It’s ok not to love somewhere or even to hate it! I have an aversion to Bangkok and I’ve given it plenty of chances, but after four separate visits, each with less than fun experiences, I’ve decided it’s time to call quits on convincing myself to like the place!

Have you ever been somewhere where you just couldn’t wait to leave?