General: Bangkok

BANGKOK

INTRODUCTION

I decided to visit Bangkok following recommendations from friends and family. However, as you can imagine, not everyone agreed that it was a safe place to go, particularly as I went with another female. Many family members thought that this was a bad idea and that two females alone in Thailand, particularly Bangkok would be preyed upon by the locals. However, they couldn't have been more wrong. I ...
...the best 10 days of my life. The culture is so completely different from the UK that even if you don't necessarily enjoy your trip it will be an unforgettable experience. I have broken my review down sections so that if you don't have time to read all of it you can just pick up on the parts you are interested in. If there is anything I have forgotten that you want to know then please feel free to comment and I will do my best to answer all of your ... more

BANGKOK

INTRODUCTION

I decided to visit Bangkok following recommendations from friends and family. However, as you can imagine, not everyone agreed that it was a safe place to go, particularly as I went with another female. Many family members thought that this was a bad idea and that two females alone in Thailand, particularly Bangkok would be preyed upon by the locals. However, they couldn't have been more wrong. I visited Bangkok for 10 days and it was one of the best 10 days of my life. The culture is so completely different from the UK that even if you don't necessarily enjoy your trip it will be an unforgettable experience. I have broken my review down sections so that if you don't have time to read all of it you can just pick up on the parts you are interested in. If there is anything I have forgotten that you want to know then please feel free to comment and I will do my best to answer all of your questions.

GETTING THERE

Although Thailand is a long-haul destination, you can find some pretty cheap flights if you are willing to shop around for the best deal. Many airlines fly direct to Bangkok, but if you are willing to change planes half way then it can work out cheaper. I booked my flight on lastminute.com, where I was able to search for the cheapest flight. There are several internet sites that offer the same service and it is well worth shopping around. I booked my flight a couple of weeks before I went, and it was looking ridiculously expensive to fly direct, so I ended up flying with Qatar airlines on a flight that changed in Qatar. We had a wait of a few hours in Qatar and it was a welcome break to get off the plane and stretch my legs. This airline was excellent. The food was lovely and we had our own little TV screens in front of each seat with some fun games on the in-flight entertainment. The movies were good too, very recent releases. I ended up booking the flight and the hotel at the same time. This was in April 2005, and for the flight and 10 nights in a gorgeous four star hotel we paid under £650 each. I was really impressed with that, and it made me realise that Thailand isn't as much of an expensive destination as I thought it was. Just on a safety point though, it is a long flight and there is a risk of DVT, so I would certainly recommend purchasing flight socks.

THE AIRPORT

On arrival in Bangkok, the first thing that hits you is the heat. In April when I was there, the normal heat was about 45 degrees. It was incredibly humid too, and arriving there from the damp, cold climate of England in April was a bit of a shock! But the airport, as with virtually all buildings in Bangkok, was nicely air conditioned, so as soon as you get inside the heat doesn't affect you so much. The airport is nice and clean, and you notice straight away how friendly everybody is. However, don't be fooled by the friendly attitude of people. You must remember that the majority of people at the airport are trying to rip you off.

I would advise booking your accommodation in Bangkok whilst you are in the UK. If you haven't done so, it is possible to book accommodation from the airport. However, this is not advisable. There are many people touting for business at the airport. They are likely to charge you £10 more for a hotel than you would otherwise have paid. There are also people hanging around outside the airport offering you a taxi or a tuk-tuk to get to your hotel. Whilst it is safe to take a taxi, it is best to queue in the official taxi queue. You tell the usher where you want to go and they will translate to tell the taxi driver. You should pay about 200 baht for a taxi from the airport to the centre or Bangkok. This is only about £4 so no great hardship! It is advisable to have a card or brochure showing your hotel to show the taxi driver so they can find your hotel. This is something you should keep with you throughout your holiday, as the majority of taxi drivers don't speak much English.

ACCOMODATION

It is possible to get a fantastic hotel in Thailand for not much money at all. If you are a backpacker, it is not worth staying in a hostel, as you would pay the same for a three star hotel in Thailand as you would for a hostel in most countries. We paid £13 per person per night for a twin room in a fantastic four star hotel. The one we stayed in was the Century Park Hotel in Pratnuam, Bangkok. It was the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. It has an open air swimming pool on the 5th floor, along with a bar and air-conditioned gym! The rooms are lovely, with a bath and shower en-suite. The curtains are so lovely and dark that you don't know what time of day or night it is when they are closed, and you can't hear any traffic noise when the patio doors are closed even though you are in the centre of Bangkok. Although I would recommend a room with a pool view there, the view we had was on the other side of the hotel and we could see a beautiful Buddhist temple from our room.

There are several fantastic restaurants in the hotel. I would definitely recommend trying them. However, they are much more expensive than restaurants elsewhere in the city, the prices are similar to those in a nice restaurant in the UK. I wouldn't pay those prices every evening when there is fantastic food so much cheaper elsewhere in the city.

GETTING AROUND

There are several ways to travel in Bangkok, and some would certainly come more highly recommended than others! Walking more than a short distance is not pleasant due to the heat and the number of people trying to sell you things on the streets. So one cheap alternative is the dreaded tuk-tuks! These are pretty different from any mode of transport I have ever seen before. They are basically three-wheel motorised objects that can have anything from 2 to 8 seats in the back. They are open air, with no roof or windows. They're not the sturdiest of objects, and they don't look or feel especially safe. The drivers will often try to persuade you to use their tuk-tuk, and they may end up charging you more than you agreed because there is no meter and they can become very aggressive. It has also been known for tuk-tuk drivers to take people to quiet areas and rob them, so if you are alone I wouldn't recommend using them. However, they are very cheap, you will often get a journey of a few miles for a matter of pence. I would just advise avoiding pushy drivers.

A better way to travel is in the metered taxis. These are more official than the tuk-tuks, and the driver will have an I.D. card to say that he is registered. These are slightly more expensive than the tuk-tuks, but you are still looking at paying the equivalent of under a pound for a few miles. The taxis are air-conditioned, and in the heat they are a more comfortable way to travel than the tuk-tuks. However, traffic can be incredibly congested in Bangkok, and your journey in tuk-tuks or taxis can take a long time at rush hour.

Public transport is an option, but you need to think very carefully about it. If you go on the train then it is advisable to pay a little bit extra so you're not in the economy class carriages, which can be very packed and very hot. Buses are similar, you find that many local buses are dangerously overcrowded with people hanging out of the windows. Not a pleasant experience. However, a nicer option is the skytrain. This doesn't go to all areas of the city, as it is still relatively new. They are intending to add more routes in the future. Again, this can be crowded, but it is air conditioned, and gets you quickly and painlessly to your destination. The cost is about the same as taking a metered taxi, but you can get day and week passes if you are likely to use it a lot, and this works out at about £1 per day. If your destination is on the skytrain route then it is worth using. All good guidebooks will have the skytrain map.

ATTRACTIONS AND DAY TRIPS

There is so much to do in Bangkok and the surrounding areas that I decided just to tell you about a few of the things I have done and give you some pointers. I would definitely advise investing in a guide book which will give you further information. The rough guide is a good one but there are many others, just look through them and find the one that is best for you. I will subdivide this section so you can pick out the trips that sound most like your cup of tea!

1. THE GRAND PALACE: This is definitely a must see whilst you are in Bangkok. It is an enormous Buddhist temple, which is both incredibly spiritual and amazingly beautiful. The place is covered in gold and beautiful colours. There are amazing sculptures including the emerald Buddha, and there are Tibetan Monks walking around. The whole place is peaceful and generally quiet. It gives you a real insight into the Buddhist lifestyle. You can get there by taxi, as it is relatively central in Bangkok. There are a couple of things to bear in mind when visiting. Firstly, out of respect you must not show too much flesh. Legs must be totally covered and you cannot show your stomach or your shoulders. You must wear a T-shirt rather than a vest-top. If you fail to do so, they will not let you in. Secondly, you will be told that the grand palace is closed. Although the place is open to the public, there are people who do not approve of this. They will send you away from the entrance to a different entrance that you can't use, and at that entrance they will tell you it's not open at all that day. Even the taxi drivers or tuk-tuk drivers taking you there may well tell you that it is closed. This is not true, it is open virtually every day, but this is such a sacred place that they don't want you to go there.

2. PATPONG NIGHT MARKET: This is an experience. I would say a must-see. Patpong is the seedy, sex trade area of Bangkok. All of the bars have live sex shows, and they all want you to visit their bar. As with the tuk-tuk drivers, they can be very pushy. You will walk past a bar and be handed a menu. The menu is not drinks or food, but shows you what sex shows are available that evening. The thing to remember about the sex shows is that the girls performing are all ex-prostitutes who are no longer young enough or pretty enough to be prostitutes. I didn't visit a sex show, not only because it wasn't particularly appealing to me as a straight female, but also because I find it degrading that women are being exploited like this. However, if you do decide to go to a show you will not be alone, and I'm sure it is an experience you won't find elsewhere. Even if you don't like the sound of the sex-shows, Patpong as an area is still well worth a visit. The night market there is fantastic. Many fake designer items are available to buy, and also some beautiful hand made items such as wooden toys, bags and traditional clothing. All of these things are really different to what you get in the UK, and make fantastic presents. Patpong is the cheapest place to buy all of these things. It is also an experience in that there are many lady boys there. Many of the women you talk to are actually men but you just can't tell! Again, something you wouldn't experience elsewhere.

3. ELEPHANT RIDING: You can book a day trip to go elephant riding either in your hotel or in a travel agents. Most of the larger hotels have a booking office, and although a little more expensive it is very convenient, they will pick you up on a bus from your hotel. The trip I chose was visiting a market, riding in an ox cart and then elephant riding. This was amazing. The elephants are very well looked after, and they are incredibly gentle. Two of you can go on the same elephant sitting on a seat behind the driver, but I would recommend taking the opportunity to drive the elephant, sitting on the back of its neck where the driver usually sits. The elephant knows where it's going so no worries there. This is a magical experience that you won't forget in a hurry. When you get off the elephant you can feed it bananas which you can either put straight into its mouth or into its trunk. They say elephants never forget, so you've got a friend for life if you feed bananas to an elephant! On the subject of food, on all these day trips they will give you local food to try. The food is amazing, and all cooked fresh for you so I'd definitely recommend trying it. Particularly the unusual fruit, which tastes great!

EATING

I love Thai food, so I must say I will be biased! However, if you are a fan of thai cuisine, you haven't experienced a good Thai meal until you have one in Thailand. This is because they buy everything fresh on the day they cook it. I am vegetarian, and contrary to popular belief, there is masses of choice for vegetarians in Thailand. I would particularly recommend the Thai hot and sour soup, Thai green vegetable curry and mango and sticky rice for desert. The mango is served with rice cooked in coconut milk. Simple but tasty! And to top it all off, you will eat like a king for the equivalent of a couple of pounds. If you are not a fan of Thai food, don't panic. As with most countries, there is a wide selection of international cuisine available, all cheap and of a high standard. My friend who was with me in Bangkok is the worlds biggest junk food addict and she managed. And in the process I found out that even the pizza is good in Thailand!

SHOPPING

The shopping is very good in Bangkok. As you can imagine, it's not quite New York, but it does have some normal designer shops. However, these bring normal designer prices, and such things are not sold much cheaper there than in the UK. A better idea is to look for the traditional Thai shops selling beautiful wooden items, traditional clothing and other souvenirs. These can be found in the air conditioned shopping malls, or in the many street markets, night markets and floating markets. Such places also sell the usual designer fakes at very cheap prices, and visiting them is an experience even if you don't make a purchase. In small shops and markets, haggling is expected. You are not expected to pay much more than a quarter of the price they initially ask for. But don't forget to convert prices into pounds sterling when you are haggling, because you may make a purchase and later find that you have haggled someone from 50p to 25p for something you would pay pounds for in the UK. The best shopping centre I found was the Pratnuam Shopping Centre. However, the shopping centres are all pretty similar, so I would just advise going to the one that is the most convenient to get to. They are all air conditioned and can be a welcome break from the Thai heat.

Whilst we are on the subject of shopping, I must recommend getting an outfit made whilst you are there. The tailors are incredibly professional and the Thai silk is beautiful and of fantastic quality. You can design your own suit, dress or outfit and they will measure you up and make it for you. You then have to go for another fitting, and they will then deliver it to your hotel. If you are not completely satisfied with the outfit then, they will take it away and make any alterations you want before bringing it back to you. I paid £110 for a beautiful, floor length, halter neck, Thai silk dress. It is amazing quality and of course completely unique, as I designed it myself so nobody will ever turn up in the same dress as me again!

CONCLUSION

I think I had better come to an end there. I hope I have covered everything you need to know, I could go on for hours but it would just be too much information to take in. If there is anything further you need to know then you are more than welcome to ask in my comments and I will try to answer any queries that you have. Just in conclusion, I must mention that although I have told you how pushy the Thais can be in trying to sell you things and that they do sometimes try to rip you off, they are as a whole a lovely bunch of people! They are so friendly, polite and cheerful that they will make your holiday memorable just by being there. Bangkok is an amazing place, and I hope one day to visit more of Thailand. However, I wouldn't recommend it for kids. My brother and sisters went to Thailand recently and they are all under the age of 15. Much as they enjoyed Thailand as a whole, Bangkok was just too much for them, and ruined their holiday. I hope you have enjoyed my review, and if you're off to Thailand yourself, have a lovely time and take care!

Nat.xx
 

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