Japan 2024 - Bangkok (Day 0 of 21)

***This post is a recount of the trip after I returned to Singapore from the trip.***

Well well, here's me at the year-end travelling once again! Of course, I just returned from a short Bali trip to get me in the mood for travelling. And the country of choice this year is Japan!!! Originally wanted to buy the 3-week JR Rail Pass to travel on the trains unlimited, that's why the length of my trip is exactly 21 days. But, shit happened.

First up, I withdrew SGD $1500 for currency exchange with the Japanese Yen, as per my friends' recommendations. Turns out I spent only like 70% of the money I exchanged, but of course much more on YouTrip, but we'll get to that in a moment.

16th December 2024, the day I left house for Japan. AirAsia flight was at 11pm so I had like the entire day to pack my stuff. As usual, I packed the standard 5 sets of clothes in 2 separate ziplock bags, cramped everything into my 3L backpack and called it a day, well, night. At 5pm, I stepped out of the door, into freedom.

Arrived at Changi with plenty of time to spare, mostly because I am a kiasu traveller who just doesn't get enough of Changi Airport. Had McDonalds for dinner because Jewel was super duper crowded at this time of the year and I can't get seats anywhere. Was able to check in and just chill inside the airport walking around Terminal 4.

Here's the shit thing. My flight to Bangkok for the layover was supposed to depart at 11pm, but it got delayed time and time again and at midnight, I was still pacing around in the terminal. Finally plane took off after midnight but this means my layover in Bangkok shortened from 2 hours to a mere 30 minutes.

As if that wasn't enough, the plane landed at a domestic airport and transfers will take hours. My seat being in the 15th row means I cannot get out first, but the moment plane switched off engines, I took my bags and chiong to the front, essentially becoming first to disembark. Surprisingly, AirAsia already had a van waiting for the few of us with the connecting flight to Japan.

I got into the van like a VIP and got driven to the transfer gate only, which was a crazy 15-minute drive away. Then I sped through the transfer process and ran my way to the other departure gate. Needless to say, the other flight was also delayed, wasting my run.

On this fateful graveyard hour, my plane to Japan departed Bangkok at 2:30am. And this concludes Day 0 of my trip. GG.

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