Bangkok: The City That Never Sleeps... Because of the Rats!

I was in Bangkok from 1st to 3rd June on business and stayed at the excellent The Quarter Silom by UHG.

Credit where it's due: the hotel was fantastic. Great rooms, two swimming pools, splendid facilities, friendly staff, and prices that didn't require selling a kidney. If you're looking for a comfortable and affordable base in Bangkok, I'd happily recommend it.

Unfortunately, the city itself was an extremely diverse story.

I've visited Bangkok many times over the years, but I genuinely couldn't believe how quiet it was. Day and night, much of Silom and Suriwongse felt eerily subdued.

The loudest sounds weren't crowds enjoying the city, but staff outside empty massage shops desperately calling for customers while equally bored-looking masseuses wondered where everyone had gone.

Patpong, once buzzing with life, felt deserted. The atmosphere was flat, prices seemed higher than ever, and the overall value for money was poor. It felt less like Bangkok and more like a stage set after the audience had gone home.

What really caught my attention, though, was the rubbish. In several areas around Silom and Suriwongse, bags of garbage were piled high and baking nicely in the June heat, creating aromas that won't be appearing in any tourist brochures.

Then came my personal nightmare.

Rats.

Not the occasional rat darting across a back alley. These were organised units. Squads. Entire furry neighbourhood watch teams patrolling the streets. They were everywhere and showed absolutely no concern for humans. I genuinely started wondering whether I was in Bangkok or attending a rodent convention.

The lack of crowds seems to have emboldened them. With fewer people around, the rats appeared to have decided that they now owned the place.

By the second day I was so uninspired that I retreated to the hotel, enjoyed the facilities, and only emerged when it was time to grab a taxi back to Don Mueang Airport.

Had I not needed to visit the British Embassy, I would have happily stayed closer to either airport. In my opinion, those areas now offer better value, a more relaxed atmosphere, and far fewer opportunities to accidentally lock eyes with a rat the size of a small Labrador.

Bangkok remains a great city with plenty to offer, but the authorities really need to get on top of the rubbish and vermin problem. This wasn't a one-off sighting. There were groups of rats everywhere, and it leaves a poor impression of one of Asia's most famous destinations.

For now, I'm happy to leave central Bangkok to the rats. They seem to be enjoying it more than the tourists