going to thailand in 2 days, need some advice please folks....

Hi, hope you are all keepin ok.

i'm off to thailand on monday with a good friend of mine. this is our
first time.

we haven't booked a hotel as of yet, and i dont think we will until we
get to bangkok. whats the best place to go straight from bangkok
airport. i want to to go to a secure hotel, where i can keep my money
etc in a safe.....

also i might be wearing a daypack throughout the day. however i have
invested in a money belt, where i can keep my money passport in etc, i
will wear this underneath my clothes.......

is the idea of a daypack stupid... i have worn daypacks in my time in
india, peru, goa and everywhere else really. i keep my guides, maps,
books, disposable cameras in there.......never been a victim of theft.

so can anyone give me any general advice on what to do or eat in
thailand...

regards

Don



ps: i've done a lot of research, and read up on stuff, was hoping any
experienced thailand travellers could give me some advice....


--
Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Don, nice to meet u!

I have been bkk many times in this 8 yrs, let me introduce something to
u.....

1) Hotel
a) Aroma Hotel - http://www.arnoma.com/
suitable for buget travellers, i can get THD1300 per night due to my
company. It just oppsite the World Trade centre n there's
so many shop inside. The shop "Big C" just next to the hotel, a big
supermall to walk around. But i dont remember they hv strong box or not?!!
its clean enough to live in, as my wife said its ok but watergate is
better.......^^

b) Amari watergate - http://www.amari.com/watergate
quit expensive, i need USD59 per night but the room is pretty good n hv
strong box in room, security ok, swimming pool ok(not big), gym ok, services
good!!!

c) Shangri-la -
http://www.shangri-la.com/eng/hotel/...ation=thailand
my friend said this is good n hv river view n near the weekend market -
Chatuchak. about HKD300 per night.

2) Sight seeing
too much to walk.....wiil be very tried!!
a)Khao San road
many silver shop inside, can bargain~~
street market, both side of street was shop, take a look if u like.

b)The Place(home for Thai King) **recommend**
u can join the day tour at Khao San road travel agent, some of them just
THD500 per head, pls choose some if u like, there's so many packages inside,
but remember....the day tour will bring u to see some diamond shop or carpet
shop, just go.... but dont buy, they will not push u to buy, dont be afraid,
its ok! just take a look... nothing lost. this is a must coz they may be
alrdy get comission from those shop.^^

c)Patpong
many A-go-go bar, resturant, gay bar, open shop, pure bar, starbuck,
seven-eleven, boost, copy watch, copy dvd, copy software, copy cd,
traditonal message**recommend**, sex show**is cheater**.............etc
-Street shop - if want to buy at open shop, remember "bargain"! if price is
100, u can try 40, n then add on some, see which price u accept.^^
-Naraya - is a shop which sell bags, is quit special, is worth to take a
look even u are not interest in, but no bargain!
-A-go-go bar - ground shop only, just pay a beer u can sit here to see the
girls dance(topless), some is good but some was not. dont go upper stairs
bar, may be they were cheater.
-sex show - dont try if no interest! 99.9999% of them is cheater, dont trust
them that pay a beer price n u can see a hot sex show, they will calulate it
show by show, last time i pay THD6000 for 4 people, but worth!!! coz i never
seen it! just HKD200. ^^
-traditonal massage - must go! i go everynight for 2 hrs last time in
Aug2003, most of them THD450 per 2 hrs, remember give some tips to the women
who massage on u, just THD50 or 100 is ok!!! recommend shop: Body Tune,
Marble House, Arima Onsen.

d)Chatuchak market
recommend go there on sat/sun, all shop fully open, many things to buy,
remember to bring a big bag!!!!

3) Eat
Mango Tree in Patpong. is difficult to locate it, u can go to the taiwanese
hotel named Ramada hotel in patpong n ask them where is it, it just oppsite
the hotel
Seafood resturant in Pratunam, just oppsite the amari watergate hotel,
better choose the no air-condition one, taste good n seafood was fresh,
curry crab must try!!
There's some noodles open shop on street, just THD50-60 per bowl, of course
is small, they hv fish ball, chicken meat. Most of the thai food was spicy,
pls note! most of the drink like coffee, ice tea was very sweet, pls note!
also can of coke was sweet than hk one.^^ last time find out a wisky drink
is quit good, is johnnie walker brand, pure glass bottle, hv word "1" red in
colour on brand.

4)Shopping mall
Expensive - Emporium
Cheap - Siam centre, Siam discovery, MBK, Chatuchak market(cant be walk over
in 1 day).

5)Transportation
Taxi - pls choose the blue/read one is much honest, the yellow/green one was
not. pls tell them use meter after u get on the taxi, if not just take
another one, or if u know the fee for a distance. better tell the bell boy
where u go n then they will translate to the driver n the bell boy will drop
down the taxi no. for u ..in case any pbm, u cant complaint the taxi driver.
Sky train - is good but taxi is cheaper than sky train, but pls take note,
bkk always hv traffic jam in every where.

Don, is too much to said in bkk, pls let me know if u need in dlts.

See ya! hv a nice trip n take care u personal belonging in bkk. I will be in
pattaya on 24sep with my friend.

Brds/william


DON wrote in message ...
Hi, hope you are all keepin ok.

i'm off to thailand on monday with a good friend of mine. this is our
first time.

we haven't booked a hotel as of yet, and i dont think we will until we
get to bangkok. whats the best place to go straight from bangkok
airport. i want to to go to a secure hotel, where i can keep my money
etc in a safe.....

also i might be wearing a daypack throughout the day. however i have
invested in a money belt, where i can keep my money passport in etc, i
will wear this underneath my clothes.......

is the idea of a daypack stupid... i have worn daypacks in my time in
india, peru, goa and everywhere else really. i keep my guides, maps,
books, disposable cameras in there.......never been a victim of theft.

so can anyone give me any general advice on what to do or eat in
thailand...

regards

Don



ps: i've done a lot of research, and read up on stuff, was hoping any
experienced thailand travellers could give me some advice....

hi William, thanks for the reply.

We have booked in advance at the nana hotel, we will probably be here
for the first night, and then move somewhere cheaper....

i have a question.

i am taking a 80 litre backpack. i want to make it fairly secure. i
have invested in combination locks for each pocket. will these be cut
off at customs?

i have heard some horror stories about zips being ripped off, but i
thought this only applied to the usa....

i dont want some greaseball plifering through my backpack. obviously the
backpack will have no valuables in. but i thought the padlocks were
still a necessity, even when i am in bangkok travelling etc...



Don


--
Posted via http://britishexpats.com

On 20 Sep 2003 10:51:01 -0700, (William) wrote:

c) Shangri-la -
http://www.shangri-la.com/eng/hotel/...ation=thailand
my friend said this is good n hv river view n near the weekend market -
Chatuchak. about HKD300 per night.

The Shangri-La is right next to the river, but its certainly not
anywhere near the Chatuchak weekend market. You can take the Skytrain
from the hotel to Chatuchak in about 45 minutes.

DON wrote in message ...
hi William, thanks for the reply.

We have booked in advance at the nana hotel, we will probably be here
for the first night, and then move somewhere cheaper....

i have a question.

i am taking a 80 litre backpack. i want to make it fairly secure. i
have invested in combination locks for each pocket. will these be cut
off at customs?

i have heard some horror stories about zips being ripped off, but i
thought this only applied to the usa....

i dont want some greaseball plifering through my backpack. obviously the
backpack will have no valuables in. but i thought the padlocks were
still a necessity, even when i am in bangkok travelling etc...



Don


Don,

may be this is done by some bad workers who work in the
terminal....but.. if i were him i will not choose the backpack to do
the bad things...^^ even in hk some of the worker will "search" the
passager bags especially the china one. I heard a story that the
chinese will put about hkd200000 in there samsonite??!! do u believe
it??

HKD90/night Cheap?!
Email:
WEBSITE: www.suk11.com

Hostel Suk 11(oppsite Ambassador Hotel), i heard from
www.thailandfans.com is very cheap but not my cup of tea. i think u
will like it. thailandfans.com is good but in chinese, if u like i can
translate some to u.....that guy Roger Wo was hkman who always work in
thai.

Thks n hv a nice trip
/ww

Hi Don, I think William pretty well covered most of it, but here is my
piece that I put together for friends. I recomment staying at the Grand
President Hotel, on Sukhumvit Soi 11. THey have individual safes in
every room. Great staff, great hotel and never had a problem at all
when there( we stayed there about 10 times on and off)

Make sure your back pack is secured, but have the keys readily
available, there is no reason for them to rip your locks off, and if
they are gone, you know someone has been through you bag and see airport
security about it.



...........

Grand Palace (Sanam Chai)

This is where the King used to reside. It is very scenic. There
is also Wat Phra Keo on the grounds. Dress Code - No shorts or
open shoes.



Wat Pho (across road from Grand Palace)

This is the most famous Wat in BKK. A must to see. Architecture and
work is fantastic. Can have your palm read here or get a Thai massage
by one of the monks.



Wat Arun(along Chao Phraya River)

Take river cruise to get there



Long Boat River Cruise (left of Sheraton River City)

Get taxi to take you here. There will be a small booth with a person
that will organise the trip for you. Barter the price. You will board
a long boat (be prepared to get a little wet at times) and they will
take you for a ride up the river through the canals, to see how a lot
of the locals live. There will be women in floating boats (only a
couple) trying to sell you things. They sell trinkets and drinks
(beer). The driver will stop at the snake farm and also Wat Arun. It
is always nice to tip the driver THB50-100 - depending on how many
people are with you.



Floating Markets(Wat Sai)

There are many permanent shops and plenty of people in small boats
selling things. Quite a big tourist attraction



Chatuchak Weekend Markets (Phahon Yothin)

You can take the Skytrain to the markets. The train stops right outside
the market.

This is very big and very crowded, but you can get some incredible
bargains here.



Bridge Over The River Kwai (see hotel or travel agent)

This is a 2 - 3 hour trip north of BKK. On a tour you will leave about
6am and not return until 7pm. It is a great trip, very touristy. You
can ride the train over death valley, board the train asap as everyone
pushes and shoves to get on and you may miss out. Don't go in the first
carriage as some times it is reserved and you'll have to get off. Try
and get a private tour guide to take you, then you can go to the War
Memorials as well.



Jim Thompson House

This is a house that belonged to a "silk king" millionaire that
mysteriously disappeared in 1967. It is a display of this private
collection of antiques, silk etc.



Lumpini Park (cnr Rama IV & Ratcharamri) -

Nice for a stroll around or do some paddle boating in the lake in the
middle. They have an outdoor gym, aerobics and many other activities.
This is the main Park and has a lot of greenery.



Crocodile Farm (Samut Prakan Province)

Here they do Crocodile wrestling and silly things like putting their
heads in their mouths. They also have elephant shows (with crowd
participation), tigers, snakes etc. Have small change to throw in to
the Croc Pit.



Patpong Road (off Silom)

This is the Nightlife spot where all the "girly" bars are, where they
have the "ping pong" shows. There is a strip of them, make sure there
is no cover charge to go in. The women flock to the men as soon as you
get in there. They will massage your shoulders, hands, whatever. Then
they will ask you to buy them a drink. If you buy them one they will
come back for more. If you are not interested tell them to go away. It
can be a real eye opener. When we went to one bar, there were people
having sex next to us on the chair. We soon left. It is very crowded
around this area and is absolute chaos at times.

Thai Boxing

They have boxing at Lumpini Park and there is another major stadium, but
I can’t remember the name of it. It is somewhere off Phetchburi Road,
but 5 mins out of town.



There are many touristy things to do here, way too many to list. When
you get there buy a tourist map. The hotels should have booklets (they
are issued every month) free at the front desk. They list just about
every restaurant in BKK.



There are hundreds of restaurants there from every culture.

For the best local food I highly recommend Suda. It is an open
restaurant located on Sukhumvit Soi 14. The food is really cheap a full
meal with beers cost around THB500-600. Try the Pandanus Chicken
(Banana Leaf Chicken - non spicy), Thai Fried Rice and Mango Sticky Rice-
for desert.



There is a seafood restaurant (cnr Phaya Thai & Phetchburi). There are
around 6 different vendors here, so check for the one with the best
prices. I recommend the spicy squid salad, chilli crab and prawns from
here. They also do other meat dishes. Pay for the meal at the end, but
pay for beer as you go.



There are stalls everywhere. Mostly along Sukhumvit and Silom Road.
You can buy just about anything from these stalls. Just remember to
Barter. Start at atleast half of the price they start with and try to
stick to it as long as possible.



Tuk-Tuks are everywhere as well as taxi's. If going in a taxi make sure
it has a meter. It is illegal not to have one. In tuk-tuks always
negotiate a price first. Price from Silom to Sukhumvit should be around
THB60. We negotiated as low as possible, then would always tip the
driver. This seems to make them pretty happy.



If you want to see BKK from above, I recommend taking the skytrain.
What we did was get on at one station and took the train all the way to
the end, then came back and went all the way to the other end, then took
the connector to the silom end. Came back and got off. This way you
only pay minimum fare (as long as you don't leave the station anywhere
along the way).



If you are going in November through February the whole city transform.
This is dry season and overnight beer gardens will appear everywhere.
They have tree lights everywhere and outdoor settings on the sidewalks
and in car parks. Thousands of tourists flock to these places. They
have a live band at a lot of them and usually close around 1am.


--
suebo


Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Hi Don - most points covered by other replies except to say that for certain
"amenities and services" you have booked into exactly the correct hotel for
your 1st night!!!!!!

"DON" wrote in message
...

Hi, hope you are all keepin ok.

i'm off to thailand on monday with a good friend of mine. this is our
first time.

we haven't booked a hotel as of yet, and i dont think we will until we
get to bangkok. whats the best place to go straight from bangkok
airport. i want to to go to a secure hotel, where i can keep my money
etc in a safe.....

also i might be wearing a daypack throughout the day. however i have
invested in a money belt, where i can keep my money passport in etc, i
will wear this underneath my clothes.......

is the idea of a daypack stupid... i have worn daypacks in my time in
india, peru, goa and everywhere else really. i keep my guides, maps,
books, disposable cameras in there.......never been a victim of theft.

so can anyone give me any general advice on what to do or eat in
thailand...

regards

Don



ps: i've done a lot of research, and read up on stuff, was hoping any
experienced thailand travellers could give me some advice....


--
Posted via http://britishexpats.com