going to thailand in 2 days, need some advice please folks….
Question:
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!!!!!!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 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
Response:
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
