Me thinks jinjok needs to relax a little. He/she seems to have much knowledge/experience, but is trying to express it all at once in a hurried and perhaps abrasive manner.
At any rate, IMO Thailand is not the place to try to find the absolute cheapest place to stay. The reason I say this is because unlike most anywhere else on the planet, you can stay in a very nice hotel for US$20.(800 baht) or less. A/C and your own bathroom, and as good or better than rooms in the US costing $100-150. It's a steal. Why try to save $10 per day and stay in a dump? Don't get me wrong. When the choice is $80-100 for nice, and $20-30 for dump, I'm likely to choose the dump, but no need for that in Thailand. Enjoy yourself!
Posts: 1502 | Location: No. CA Mountains | Registered: 01 February 2001
If you want to get a better feel for Thailand, skip KSR. Find a small gueshouse and hang with them. Small guesthouses like this abound, the best ones have signs scrawled in barely legible english. These can be found within a kilometer of KSR. Frequently that family will help you out a bit, show you around or even cook for you.
If you are new to backpacking, the third world or large asian cities, then KSR is a great place to start. Plenty of simple excitement (getting mildly ripped off by a tuk tuk driver is a classic introduction), plenty of new things (katoeys, drunken aussie girls, deep fried bugs) while still being incredibly safe and easy.
It also has the benefit of supplying all your souvenir gifts that you never bought! You can sell you books for far less than you should, you can arrange pretty cheap travel all over asia and there are plenty of other people around just like you!
That said, I still like to stay near there, and enjoy the spectacle. It amuses me to no end that girls (and some silly men) get their hair done in corn rows, or get the fake dreads. I think it's awesome that people buy silly hats made out of beer cans. I wamrs me to the the cynical cockles of my heart that if you stare all the way KSR the great shining light at the end of the road is...Burger King.
But the airport bus heads right there. If you know how to navigate the system, there is a buttload of taxis about, the river taxi is right there and mototaxis abound.
So, if you want real Thailand, go elsewhere, or dig deeper. If you want shiny lights and a great place to learn how become a travel "vet" then here's is the very best place in the world to start.
oh yeah the forensic museum is just across the river and is one of the creepiest places around!
Hi, right - am new to this so am not really sure whether to just ask questions on a relevenat forum or what? anyhow - my question is: I am off to Bangkok and like the sound of Suk (food, transport, lively) however I'm 26 year olf girl with same age husband so don't know if I'd like (or feel comfortable with ) all the girlie bars. What do you think? specific hostel / cheap hotel recommendations would be great. I'm looking for a private double, cheap but doesn't have to be dirt cheap! Thanks (Any BnA advice too!)
Posts: 9 | Location: Sydney currently | Registered: 09 January 2007
I second Suk-11. Decent free breakfast, clean rooms, decent bathrooms (the one I stayed in did not have a private bath though). Friendly service, they'll hold your luggage for you if you leave BKK on an overnight or brief excursion.
It's packed with more mid-range travelers and some well-to-do backpackers or backpackers looking for a comfort break. I normally try to go for cozy guesthouses or even homestays, but in a big city a place like Suk-11 is fantastic.
It's also far more convenient and less, err, scary than KSR. I stopped in to KSR to have a look, and was blown away...and not in a good way.
Suk 11 is an excellent choice; I lived there for six months in 2005 and currently am back there again for a month.
The bad news is that they are booked solid until February 28th. Reservations are a MUST, and should be made at least three days ahead by email from their website www.suk11.com. Hope to see you at the Suk after the 28th of Feb.
Blessings, Carolinda
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming-----WOW, what a ride!
Posts: 9 | Location: Winter Park, Florida USA | Registered: 18 February 2005
I'll fourth the Suk-11. It's long been called an oasis in Bangkok for good reason. The rooms are simple, but are clean and well kept. However the value of the the place is not in the bedrooms themselves, but in the overall ambiance of the Hostel, as well as the good people you meet there. As noted above the Suk-11 does not draw the super budget travelers much.(Ko-San-Road offers more of what they are looking for) It's now a mid range hostel, and most the people staying there are less concerned about saving money (to an extent) Also what with recent renovations (Ie: the traditional Thai restaurant, the Spa and travel agency) it's now more of a what a mid range traveler/tourist would like. It's also a haunt of long term travelers, NGO types, Teachers, and other westerners who live the rural parts of South East Asia and who come to Bangkok periodically for business or pleasure.
Hey, I'm another Thailand resident. If you enjoy sharing company with othe foreigners, being looked at by Thai girls and getting drunk, KohSan Road is the place for you.
I have been dragged there numerous times by my Thai friends, just so they can get drunk and watch 6ft falang!
Big johns on Thonglor is nice, I haven't stayed there but it is in a very more realistic (if not high-so) area of Bangkok. I won't talk about what is outside Bangkok, as there are one million things to see.
Someone mentioned the drug testing, if you are silly enough to be openly using drugs. Use the same approach most other crimes are tackled by, smile, apologise and offer money.
Bangkok is a wonderful, safe, place. Just explore it all without the use of a guidebook- It's much more fun getting lost and found, than following a trail of backpackers to some mediocre temple.
Someone else had mentioned staying at the Tavee Guest House. It was like going home each time I returned to Bangkok. Very quiet and super easy to get to other places since the water taxi is so close. It was fun to walk through the market each day to get there. There are also great food stalls just across the street from there. Each time I took a taxi to get there I just said go to Thewet and I'd end up there. Love it.
Posts: 2 | Location: California | Registered: 06 March 2007
Hey guys, I have lived in Bangkok for 5 years in total! Every time I came to Bangkok I stayed at a different area!
For short term stay I recommend Golden Inn, it is right off Pratunam a block inside of Rachaprarope! It is like 500 Baht a day! They have cable in all the rooms!
If you going to stay long time, I recommend Pet 9 appartments on Peteburi road just pass Payathai! You can get a nice furnished condominium for 22,000 Baht a month! They also have a swimming pool and a gym!
This would be enough to live in several SE Asian countires for at least 2 weeks.
My advice is to leave before you even get there. If you must stay then check out PS guest house. It's a family guest house with costing maybe 120Baht/night. Fridge, microwave, water etc etc included. Lots of expats live here alongside some long term travelers. It's far enough from KSR to feel relatively comfortable. Note: I saw on several occasions, police dudes on bikes patroling the KSR area, stop travelers and search them. This happened to me also. Be sure to see their hands first as there are cases of planting being talked of frequently. Don't mean to alarm but just be cool - u don't want to stay at the Hilton even if it doesn't cost u.
Posts: 176 | Location: Sichuan China | Registered: 31 July 2003
Sukhumvit area is the best place to stay in Bangkok in my opinion. Mainly because its easy to get anywhere else from there with the skytrain etc. Shopping is awesome there and bars are plenty. Probably not the best area for budget travellers. My fav hotel there is the Dynasty Inn Grande. Great rooms with massive walk in showers, big TV, good pool and gym. 5* luxury at 3* prices. I've stayed at the nearby Landmark hotel and the rooms are not as good there and it is so much more expensive.
Originally posted by burb: Big johns on Thonglor is nice, I haven't stayed there but it is in a very more realistic (if not high-so) area of Bangkok.
Has anybody else stayed at this hostel, I am booked to stay there for a few days in January - although it looks nice, and sounds good 0- has anyone got any ctual experience advce of this hostel?
Cheers
Posts: 39 | Location: Chester, UK | Registered: 09 April 2007
