BootsnAll Travel Community

Alotta questons not many answers.
There is a new guesthoust on soi 1 in sukhumvit that has the best location considering the sky train is 300 meters , the canal for da trips to Koa san rd, 15 baht, everyone4 going to Bangkok needs to get on the canals at least once to get that "James Bond" Feel. the taxi to/from airport is the go. soi 1 is 1 block off exit, saves all the time working thru Bangkok streets ( can be half the cost of the trip if u happen to leave at rush hour)
the dude there speaks english whiched helped me. and he had great tips for what and when to do it ,( he was australian or a yank i could'nt tell) But he had the goss on then way to go. we ended up going to Cambodia had a Big time there. Go the Beach. his e-mail is soi1david@hotmail.com

forgot to mention the rooms there 250 baht a night. and clean as. If your paying more than 250 in a hostel in bangkok your mad.

Also staying in Bangkok at the moment -- again, was only going to be here 3 or 4 nights but it's been over a week now! I'm staying in Banglamphu and actually it's pretty nice. If you walk ten minutes up the road from KSR you can be in a really nice, pretty normal area. I'm staying on Soi 1 off Th Samsen, and I love it.

The amount of tourists around diminishes extremely rapidly once you move any distance away from KSR, it's quite impressive. There are quite a few budget places dotted around this area, I'm paying 200 baht a night for a room in a really lovely old wooden guesthouse, fan, nice furniture, clean bathroom across the hall. You can get simple 80 or 100 baht rooms in a place off soi 6, if you want really cheap.

hey man, I believe I have your answer! There is a secondary area where budget travelers stay that is much nicer than KoSanRd and in a tradional thai neighborhood. That's one of the reasons its nicer. It is the area where the National Library is, about 1 km north of KoSanRd, and just a 3 minute walk from the nearest grand canal boat stop. if you can find the Tavee Guest House in your Let's Go or Lonely Planet, than that is the street along which these other nice budget lodgings are. even though there are several lodgings in this short street, it has the feel of a quiet Bangkok, Thailand street. across the street are street vendors, and you must walk through a large waterside thai market to get to/from the boat terminal. this area is more convenient than anywhere across the river from Ko San because a great many of Bangkoks treasures are in fact on the KoSan side (east) of the river. Bangkok is heaps of fun and whenever I go there I need at least 5 days! So a week should be about right. it is also a great "base" city for trips to neighboring provinces or countries. pm me if you'd like more info..

no doubt river city soi 5

Don’t go to Khao San Road, you might as well stay at home

Here is some advice I gave to a friend of mine for his trip:

Don’t flame me if some of this is not “Politically Correct” it is supposed to be “Tongue in Cheek”

Bangkok

Visas:
Visa on arrival

Money:
1 United States Dollar = 38.1151 Thailand Baht

Thailand History/Overview:
Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in South-East Asia, and for a reason. Exotic yet safe and largely hassle-free, cheap yet equipped with every modern amenity you need, there is something for every interest and every price bracket, from beachfront backpacker bungalows to some of the best luxury hotels in the world. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential Thainess, with a culture and history all its own and a carefree people famed for their smiles and their fun-seeking lifestyle.

This is not to say that Thailand doesn't have its downsides, including the considerable growing pains of an economy where an agricultural laborer is lucky to earn $1 per day while the nouveau riche cruise past in their BMWs, and a highly visible sex tourism industry. Bangkok, the capital, is notorious for its traffic jams and rampant development has wrecked much of once-beautiful Pattaya and Phuket. In heavily touristy areas, some lowlifes have made scamming tourists into an art form, but in Thailand as anywhere the old adage is true - if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

When you arrive:
When you arrive at the Bangkok airport there will be a taxi ticket booth inside the terminal (past customs, before you exit the building, to the left) tell them where you are going and prepay for you’re ride, you can’t miss the taxi line outside, and there will be a long line of people standing by the curb being helped into taxis. Keep you’re baggage inside the taxi, not in the trunk.

Hotel:
Stay at the Nana Hotel

• Nana Hotel
Make reservations at:
http://www.nanahotel.co.th/html/reserv.html

A suite is around 86 bucks a night, a standard room is 33 bucks a night

The Nana Hotel is pretty famous Bangkok landmark, across the street is the Nana Entertainment plaza. You will find anything you want here 24 hours a day, if you bring a girl back to your room the front desk will probably ask her to sign in or leave her ID, this is normal. Keep your valuables and cash somewhere safe (like in-between the mattress and box-spring on your side of the bed) especially if you have overnight “guest(s)”.


Getting Around/Taxis:
Use metered taxis only, insist that they use the meter, if the driver refuses get out and find another cab. The exception to this is if your drunk and it is late at night, just get him to agree on a flat fee. There is no need to hire a taxi for your entire stay, if you happen to find a driver that you like than get his business card and use him if it is late at night.

Tuk-Tuk’s
Personally I think that everyone should ride in one of these bastard children of motorcycles once in there lives. The smell of homemade diesel fuel, the smog filled wind in your hair, the burning ass S/E Asian heat and humidity in its fullest, filthy seats and being eating alive by vulture sized mosquitoes is something that you will be telling your boring friends back home about for years to come.

Bars

Q Bar
Go to the Q Bar at 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11. The Q Bar in Bangkok is a modern “hip” NY/LA style nightclub (the first Q Bar was in Saigon, Vietnam) that usually has pretty good music and DJ’s. This spot is popular with Bangkok’s upper class (yuppies) and Expats and is always filled with bad-ass local and expat girls. If you like to dance, drink and socialize this is the place to go. There are two floors, main floor is a long bar with booths (people tend to gather around the entrance) a terrace upstairs (unless you know someone you probably wont get a table here). I used to go there pretty regularly a couple years ago (was dating a Thai Airways stewardess) and it was my favorite non-sleazy place to hang out.

There is a 500 B (13USD, 10 Euro, 7GBP) cover charge that will get you 2 drinks, the cover is mostly to keep out the “common folk” and whores. Mixed drinks that are generous with the liquor will set you back 200 B (3.30USD, 4.10 Euro, 2.80 GBP) and 4000 B for a bottle (105USD, 82 Euro, 56GBP), if you are a big drinker or if you're with a group of friends buying a bottle is the way to go. If you are a vodka fan then you are in luck, they are known for there big vodka selection. Dress “snappy”.

Booze:

Mekong whisky
Looks a little like pee but fortunately it doesn’t taste like it looks, tastes more like cheep whisky with a twist (of what I don’t want to know). But you have to try some because getting drunk on Mekong whisky is as much as a part of visiting Thailand as going to massage parlors is. Don’t pay attention to anyone that tells you that the manufacturer puts formaldehyde in it, it isn’t true. Try with ice cold sweet oolong tea and ice, don’t worry about eating the ice because the formaldehyde in the whisky should kill any bacteria.

Non "naughty" Things to do in Bangkok:
Out of Bangkok's many temples, these 3 are probably the most popular:

-The Grand Palace, featuring Wat Phra Kaew (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha). If you do nothing else, you have to go the Grand Palace. Taking a guided group tour is the easiest way to see and understand everything.
-Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn)
-Wat Pho, home of the world's largest reclining Buddha and a famed massage school

Shopping Malls:
You probably won’t have time to do much else so I only listed the 2 malls that I thought you would like.

MBK Center (Mahanakorn)
The MBK Center is 6 floors of little shops that sell assorted goods. Everything can be bought here at pretty good prices. It is hectic and busy especially on the weekend, but if you are looking for a bargain or for some souvenirs this is a pretty cool place, typically middle class Bangkok

Siam Paragon
The Emporium is the leading Shopping Mall in Bangkok probably in all of Thailand. It is a modern shopping mall like in the states, and the AC is usually ice cold there. This mall is “upper class Bangkok”.

Here are some common scams in Bangkok and guidelines for avoiding them:

1. If an English-speaking Thai approaches you out of the blue and strikes up a conversation, be wary: they are almost certainly selling something. If they ask you if it's your first time in Thailand, always answer “no, I have been to Thailand many times”.
2. Beware of tuk-tuk (open 3 welled monstrosities) drivers offering all-day tours for prices as low as 20 baht. You may indeed be taken on a full-day tour, but you will only end up visiting one gem and souvenir shop after another; the driver will get a commission if you buy something and gas coupons even if you don't.
3. Likewise, be skeptical if a tuk-tuk driver tells you that your chosen destination is "closed" and offers to take you to a "special Buddha temple" (etc) instead.
4. Don’t even use tuk-tuk’s
5. The same above applies to Taxi Drivers
6. Be particularly wary of any offers to sell you gems at a "discount", especially large quantities for resale back home at vast profits. These operations can be surprisingly convincing, with some even hiring down-and-out foreigners to act as happy customers. This is one of the oldest Bangkok scams.
7. Make a photocopy of your passport and keep it with you at all times, especially at night. It is the law and police may check it at night if they setup a checkpoint to look for drunk drivers. Many night clubs will also insist on a passport (and ONLY a passport) as proof of age. But since you are pretty old I doubt that you will be carded when buying beer.
8. Cameras are not welcome in go-go bars. Attempting to take pictures of the girls, even with your camera phone, is likely to result in your camera being taken and/or you getting your ass beat.

Tips and info on S/E Asia

-You can negotiate the price of almost everything, a “rule of thumb” is to start at half the price and bargain until you get to a reasonable price. A “reasonable price” is whatever you think it is worth, if it is nice than pay a nice price. Don’t be to aggressive with your bargaining, if you want to buy something in S/E Asia and you think the price is to high it is probably still ¼ the price in the states, so just buy it.

-Gmail or Google mail requires a plug in program called “flash”, I doubt that all of the internet café computers there have that. You may want to set up an email account at hotmail for the trip.

Drink Bottled water, brush your teeth with Bottled water, watch out for ice (just drink cold beer) and don’t eat ice cream.

Pick up some Cipro and Imodium AD at any pharmacy in Bangkok incase you get a case of the shits. See www.ciprousa.com for dosage.

In Bangkok the police can make you take a Drug Urine test on the street, without a warrant and if you come up hot for dope you will be arrested for possession.

Always check the beautiful girl for an Addams Apple (or a pe-pe).

Malaria prevention in S/E Asia
I have never taken any sort of Malaria prevention before and I have worked, lived and traveled all over S/E Asia and the third world. Maybe it is something you should worry about, maybe not. For as long as I can remember travelers have been told to take some sort of Malaria prevention when traveling in the Third World (because “those savages” are dirty little people) personally I think that it is a scam by the pharmaceutical industry.

Never mind, don’t listen to me, ask a doctor.

Sunglasses and Hats
I use sunglasses never used a hat (to Indiana Jones), but if you are a really white dude and burn easily or are a vampire then you may need one.

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This fourm Rocks! Great for newbies like me.

Im slightly addicted to it!

Teresa

Hey Danny J,

I too can't stand Khao San Road that much. I have lived here in Bangkok for over 4 years now and I would be happy to give you any information I can. I would not recommend Bangkok for more than a day or two when you are coming and leaving. The rest of the country is AWESOME, but Bangkok is just another overcrowded city. If partying is your main goal you may decide that BKK is best for you, but there is so much to see and do outside of BKK. I do recommend the Grand Palace, Jim Thompson's, and even going to Khao San for a few beers and people watching. There are lots of wanna-be's and obnoxious kids, but it is a great place to line up cheap travel around the country. I also would recommend that you take a half day bike tour in Bangkok, I did my first after 3 years of living here and it blew my mind. I will be happy to point you in the right direction if you want to do that.

Make sure you visit Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi, they are both close proximity to BKK and have some incredible sights. Unless you are looking primarily for women I would avoid Pattaya, but if you are looking for beautiful beaches near Bangkok Koh Samet is a great place to visit.

I can help you get some ideas of where to stay, just tell me what you want to spend and what kind of accommodations you want. If you are here a short time I would recommend being close to the Mass-Transit Stations (both Subway and Sky Train). Cheers, Chris

Count me as another anti-KSR person. I have been to BKK many times and only stayed there the first time. After that, I always stayed on Sukhumvit Road, which is nice and central. (Disclaimer: haven't been to Thailand in 4 years, so this may be a little outdated)

Upsides of Sukhumvit:

- Skytrain access
- Variety of food, which is good if you've been in Asia for a while and are craving a change. There are also some excellent Thai restaurants.
- At the same time, lots of good little hole-in-the-wall restaurants and sidewalk vendors
- Has two of the best places to stay in Bangkok, the famous Suk11 guesthouse (which may be the BEST budget place in Thailand) and the historic Atlantic Hotel.
- It's quite safe; because the street life goes on all night, you can walk around freely at any time.

Downsides:

- The "nightlife" people are referring to includes a bunch of girly bars and also a lot of the kind of bar where farang men will make Thai female "friends" very easily. Hence, there are quite a few vaquely creepy old Western men who hang out in this area. But then, that's also part of BKK.
- The restaurants and shopping are definitely more expensive than on KSR, unless you find the hole-in-the-wall places.

Also, I think one week is the perfect amount of time there. Gives you one say to go to the weekend market, one day to go to the Grand Palace and the wats around there, a couple of days for day trips out of the city (lik Ayuthaya or the floating markets) and a few days to just wander and enjoy this great city.

This has been a most helpful thread. When I posted a similar question on Isolated World website, most of the the answers were encouraging me to spend much more money than I could afford. My thanks to all of you for this thread.

Here are some common scams in Bangkok and guidelines for avoiding them:

1. If an English-speaking Thai approaches you out of the blue and strikes up a conversation, be wary: they are almost certainly selling something. If they ask you if it's your first time in Thailand, always answer “no, I have been to Thailand many times”.
2. Beware of tuk-tuk (open 3 welled monstrosities) drivers offering all-day tours for prices as low as 20 baht. You may indeed be taken on a full-day tour, but you will only end up visiting one gem and souvenir shop after another; the driver will get a commission if you buy something and gas coupons even if you don't.
3. Likewise, be skeptical if a tuk-tuk driver tells you that your chosen destination is "closed" and offers to take you to a "special Buddha temple" (etc) instead.
4. Don’t even use tuk-tuk’s
5. The same above applies to Taxi Drivers


hahaha, this made me laugh! It is soo true. In fact, this happened to me many times in Bangkok (first time). Often got in tuk-tuk and ended up god knows where being asked to buy clothes/souvenirs/visiting random temples!
Coming back to SE Asia in October - I will definitely take your advice! thanks

Take a ride on a tuk-tuk for the heck of it ONE time and then stick with meter taxi cabs! Unless you speak Thai you will almost always end up paying more for a ride with a tuk-tuk than an AIR-CONDITIONED meter taxi!

Wave a passing meter taxi, tell the driver meter only - pay the meter price! Also, have small bills available in case the driver tells you "no havva change I keepa rest - okay?"

If a taxi driver wants to bargain (like at some hotels and around bus stations) just get another passing taxi - there are thousands of meter taxi cabs available in Bangkok!

When you are on a one-way road you will save some taxi fare to cross over and get a taxi going in the direction you want instead of you paying for a long U-turn.

Happy trails.

Awesome, AWESOME thread!

Great to see this on sticky as I'm planning on an Asian trip at the end of the year.

Hmmm... Now I'm torn... ;P

I decided to stay in the Silom area at Silom Soi 8. It's a great place called The Urban Age Guesthouse. It's an extremely clean place, with A/C for only 275 THB a night. There's loads to do around this area. The Skytrain is minutes away, a booming nightlife is a five minute walk, and street vendors line the sidewalks. Hostel World rates this as one of the best places to stay in Bangkok, and I couldnt agree more. What really puts this guesthouse over the top is the great staff. Two young women run the joint, doing everything in their power to make your stay in Bangkok enjoyable.

Looking for some info, came across Bangkok Bob and for all the information provided on this thread, Bob's site provides a good reference with a great map too.

quote:

Originally posted by static:
Since you are already in the neighborhood, why not check out the KS House?
Their best rooms are only 600 baht.

I had a lovely time at the KS House. Until I woke up at 3 a.m. to find I had visitors of the begbug variety joining me. On the bed, crawling up walls, yuck, yuck, yuck! Otherwise, the place was lovely, people friendly, great location. But ick.

hi -

i know this subject well. as a 1st time backpacker methinks ksr is for you. it actually sucks, but that is another story. the 'behind the wat' guesthouses were found out years ago and this is fully area developed now.

take a dump and then the next day look for a better spot. look on the outskirts of the ghetto and certainly not on ksr itself.

you can also try across the bridge (the old new-world bldg) up the street -channsongkram.

as for me.... i never in ksr anymore. its a poor value, crowded. but it is THE place - backpacker central perhaps for in world.

do not take advice for guesthouses - then youll search all over the place for 'it' and it might be full anyway. just find somewhere that meets your needs and drop your bag.

do NOT take any tuk-tuk while in bkk. taxis are honest and cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by Lodesafun:
forgot to mention the rooms there 250 baht a night. and clean as. If your paying more than 250 in a hostel in bangkok your mad.

i totally disagree. first you must define hostel. second, bkk is not as cheap as it used to be. third, it is very polluted and this is one place i am ok w/ an ac room. finally - cheapest youll find 'room' is a dirty cell shared toilet (dirty) for b120.

i was just checking this thread out of curiosity....the few posts above my initial posts are standard but vital for surviving bkk. the advice is well too be heeded - crazypal, suey, lunaasol (yes, suk IS better, but if your fresh off the bus and 20+...)

fact is yeah, i loathe ksr but it is now so trendy its fasionable even for young thais. i wouldnt recommend anywhere else for the 20-28set freshies. even if you dont stay there...one must experience it...why not stay the first time. arguably the easiest gig for new travelers -in asia.

james: anyone going to bangkok has NO immediate need for cipro -that is hugely irresponsible advice.

a reasonable price for a thai is 33% of what s/he asked you the tourist. there are other issues such as renting space that also factor in.

doesnt look like experience, more like a copy job from faux wikk.pedia entry.



the thing that wreks ksr:
the farang are oblivious
the thais beyond jaded
everything is 4x price
dodgy tuk-tuk and taxi
bad even phony thai food
small soi's are even polluted
no where cheap to sit and watch the world go by anymore

you might want to visist some sites and google Kanchanaburi before you have a go at it. outside the city is nice...

to recommend shopping malls...any 'luxury' good are heavily taxed - dont bother with fancy malls. mbk is central and cheap, not a bad call but 1/2 the bldg is devoted to hand phones.

you can also trapse about siam square, upscale but not posh. lots of hot chicks and a great asstment of bangkokians.

finally - another reason that ksr got its go is that it was near the palace, wat arun, museum, river... it never was convenient to anything else as it is in old/old chinatown. in fact ksr area is historic...anyway > there is a reason people started staying in that location besides open chinese doors.

exotic - no...throughly moden in large cities. one traveler told me 'more modern than costa rica (!)

chris: th enational library is hardly new but youre right, th epublic has never glomed on to the area. it has a food market, river, 7-11 and decent bus network to central. it has had issues in the past w/ dodgy gh owners.

james: load of nonsense you are toting. yes, the cops COULD take you asisde and MAY on a RARE night inside a bar - but if you are leading people to think they will be spot urine tested in the street YOU ARE WAY WRONG.

next...telling this crowd to pull up to the nana. do you really think that sage advice? its a bad joke on them right?

no james, no malaria in bangok


professional 'adventurer'????

this is classic mate:

For as long as I can remember travelers have been told to take some sort of Malaria prevention when traveling in the Third World (because “those savages” are dirty little people) personally I think that it is a scam by the pharmaceutical industry.

jinjok, no need to be nasty. people are sharing their opinions and advice- no need for personal criticisms