Soldato
- Joined
- 2 Jun 2004
- Posts
- 18,423
Having recently arrived back in England after spending a few months in Bangkok, I thought I'd share a few tips for people (first-timers) on OcUK who might be considering going there themselves.
Visas
If you have a UK passport you won't need to apply for a visa. You can stay for up to 30 days. If you go over this you'll be fined 500 baht per day at the airport, and won't be allowed to leave Thailand until this is paid (in cash).
For more detailed information regarding visas see here : The Royal Thai Consulate (based in Hull).
What to take:
You won't need to take much as everything you need can be bought over there very cheaply, which will save you having to take stuff with you on the plane. Make sure you take any electrical stuff you need though like a camera/mp3 player as these types of things are often actually a touch more expensive over there. And it's worth taking a network-unlocked UK mobile phone, so you can pick up a Thai pay-as-you-go sim card for just a few quid, and it should work fine on the phone. Top-ups are cheap and last for ages.
Getting into Bangkok from the airport:
The easiest way to get into Bangkok from the main airport (Suvarnabhumi) is to get a taxi. But make sure you get a metered taxi from the public taxi rank on the second floor. You'll have to pay a 50 baht surcharge and also pay the highway tolls. The journey should cost no more than around 450 baht (£8.20) in total, and take around 40 minutes depending on traffic. Don't take a random taxi that doesn't use the meter, as they will charge up to twice as much!
Where to go first?
The vast majoriy of people will head to either Khaosan road, or Sukhumvit/Nana. The former is where all the backpackers/travellers go. And the latter is the main bar-girl/gogo district which is where to go for the nightlife. Personally I hated Khaosan road. But different strokes for different folks and all that...
Accomodation:
You can get reasonable hotel rooms from just 700 baht (£12), but if you'll be staying there for at least a month then it's worth looking into renting an apartment. You can get a decent one around prahkanong area from around 6000p/m. (or get yourself a 'girlfriend' and stay at her apartment for free!).
Getting around:
Tuk Tuks - They may be fun but they're a complete rip off. They usually cost the same (or even more) than a proper air-conditioned taxi. The only time it's worth using them if traffic is gridlocked and you need something that can get around the cars.
Motorbike taxi's - The drivers are complete kamikaze psycho's, so I'd recommend avoiding them where possible. At least unless you want to do your sightseeing from a hospital bed. As above, the only time to even consider them is if traffic is gridlocked and difficult for cars to navigate.
Taxi's - Just make sure you insist the driver uses the meter, rather than negotiating a price beforehand. The clock starts at 35 baht, and you'll rarely go much higher than 45 unless it's a particularly long journey. Also, don't let them take you to jewellers/tailors/TAT. The drivers get a petrol voucher for doing this and you'll have to spend an hour bored out of your mind while people try to sell you crap. Last tip: Common sense really, but before leaving the taxi make sure you have your wallet/phone etc. Because once the driver leaves, if you've left anything on the seat then it's gone for good. Easy enough to remember when you're sober, but at 5am after a nightclub...
BTS Skytrain - I lived in Phra Khanong for most of my time in Bangkok, so the skytrain is something I relied heavily on. It's basically an above-ground subway and tickets only cost around 25 baht (45p), even for relatively long journeys. There's no timetable, they just run from each station every 10 minutes or so. But when entering the station bear in mind that food/drink/smoking is not allowed. The skytrains finish at midnight.
MRT Subway - There is a subway in Bangkok too, but I only used once, so I can't really offer any tips here I'm afraid. The whole thing seemed a lot more hassle than skytrain/taxi's, so after my first experience I never bothered with it again.
Money:
Use the YELLOW ATM's. All the others charge 150 baht (£2.70) for withdrawals. There are less yellow ones around than the others, so when you pass one make a mental note of it's location for future withdrawals.
Make sure your bank cards are covered for loss/theft too. I *cough* 'misplaced' my wallet a couple of times, but both times I got lucky and some girls got it back for me with the contents intact, albeit minus the money (I was just glad to get my cards etc back). So have at least two cards, and try to avoid carrying them both around in your wallet at the same time.
Make sure you tell your bank about your trip, or if it's accessed from Thailand they may freeze your account as a security measure.
Oh and one thing to note: Unlike UK cash machines, in Thailand you usually get your money dispensed BEFORE the card is returned, so don't walk away and forget your bank card (as I did, twice).
Law:
It's worth doing a little homework on this, as some things you can get away with here, but not there. For example, in Bangkok you can't walk around with your top off. Gambling is illegal in Thailand too, so don't be tempted in bars. Although I think some people often gambled on pool. And small gambles when playing bar games with the girls is also very common. Plus, smokers beware - if you throw a cigarette butt on the floor you can be fined 2000 baht (£36) if a policeman see's it. This happened to me in my first week. The worst part is that I was with a girl at the skytrain station and the last thing she said to me before she left was "Don't flick your butt on the floor or you can be fined!". Oh dear...
And don't insult the royal family. This is taken very seriously.
Also, be polite and respectful to police/authorities.
Girls:
I don't want to be too crude, so I'll just give you the bullet points. Avoid girls on the street completely. And If you meet a girl in a nightclub they will tell you they work 'department store' or 'coffeeshop' etc. Don't fall for it. The absolute vast majority are bar-girls or freelance prostitutes.
And as a rule, the better her English is, the more English-speaking men she's been with.
If you're ever tempted to bar-fine a girl, make sure you ask to see her ID card first (they all carry these, or at least should do).
Play safe kids.
Food:
Generally speaking, avoid the street vendors unless you want to spend a few days on the toilet, and only eat at places which look clean. Simple as that really. And for the love of god, eat Thai food. Don't be tempted like many tourists to visit western junk food chains all the time. There's not a lot of sense in going half way around the world for a Big Mac.
Most meals cost me around 450 baht for two people, which includes a couple of drinks. The most expensive restaurant I visited was one called "Cabbages and Condoms", which came to around 2500 for two people (inc. drinks).
What to see?
Too much to list here, but here's a few highlights...
- MBK shopping center
- Soi 4/Nana Plaza/Soi Cowboy for the bars/gogo's
- Khaosan Road (if you want to meet boring travellers, or buy utter crap from market stalls)
- Chao Praya River
- Temples, particularly Wat Arun and Wat Pho
- Sukhumvit Road night market + street bars (loved these bars!)
- Grand Palace
- Lumphini Park - great place to relax after a heavy session!
- Dusit Zoo
- Patpong (market + ping pong shows etc)
- Spice club [official site] - A loso buffalo meat market, but damn good fun!
- Strike bowl (seemed like almost a cross between a bowling alley and a night club - great place to take a girl in the evening).
Finally, When you get home...
Just a warning - If you spend more than a few of weeks over there, when you get back to Blighty you can expect to experience a healthy dose of PTD - Post Trip Depression. One minute you'll be living like a king in one of the most exciting places in the world, the next you'll be back to the grind in chilly cloudy England, and not too happy about it.
So if you're off to Bangkok then have a great time and I hope you grow to love the place as much as I do.
Hopefully others here will add some of their own tips/advice/stories in this thread too, but please stay on topic, this thread is about BANGKOK, not Thailand in general.
Visas
If you have a UK passport you won't need to apply for a visa. You can stay for up to 30 days. If you go over this you'll be fined 500 baht per day at the airport, and won't be allowed to leave Thailand until this is paid (in cash).
For more detailed information regarding visas see here : The Royal Thai Consulate (based in Hull).
What to take:
You won't need to take much as everything you need can be bought over there very cheaply, which will save you having to take stuff with you on the plane. Make sure you take any electrical stuff you need though like a camera/mp3 player as these types of things are often actually a touch more expensive over there. And it's worth taking a network-unlocked UK mobile phone, so you can pick up a Thai pay-as-you-go sim card for just a few quid, and it should work fine on the phone. Top-ups are cheap and last for ages.
Getting into Bangkok from the airport:
The easiest way to get into Bangkok from the main airport (Suvarnabhumi) is to get a taxi. But make sure you get a metered taxi from the public taxi rank on the second floor. You'll have to pay a 50 baht surcharge and also pay the highway tolls. The journey should cost no more than around 450 baht (£8.20) in total, and take around 40 minutes depending on traffic. Don't take a random taxi that doesn't use the meter, as they will charge up to twice as much!
Where to go first?
The vast majoriy of people will head to either Khaosan road, or Sukhumvit/Nana. The former is where all the backpackers/travellers go. And the latter is the main bar-girl/gogo district which is where to go for the nightlife. Personally I hated Khaosan road. But different strokes for different folks and all that...
Accomodation:
You can get reasonable hotel rooms from just 700 baht (£12), but if you'll be staying there for at least a month then it's worth looking into renting an apartment. You can get a decent one around prahkanong area from around 6000p/m. (or get yourself a 'girlfriend' and stay at her apartment for free!).
Getting around:
Tuk Tuks - They may be fun but they're a complete rip off. They usually cost the same (or even more) than a proper air-conditioned taxi. The only time it's worth using them if traffic is gridlocked and you need something that can get around the cars.
Motorbike taxi's - The drivers are complete kamikaze psycho's, so I'd recommend avoiding them where possible. At least unless you want to do your sightseeing from a hospital bed. As above, the only time to even consider them is if traffic is gridlocked and difficult for cars to navigate.
Taxi's - Just make sure you insist the driver uses the meter, rather than negotiating a price beforehand. The clock starts at 35 baht, and you'll rarely go much higher than 45 unless it's a particularly long journey. Also, don't let them take you to jewellers/tailors/TAT. The drivers get a petrol voucher for doing this and you'll have to spend an hour bored out of your mind while people try to sell you crap. Last tip: Common sense really, but before leaving the taxi make sure you have your wallet/phone etc. Because once the driver leaves, if you've left anything on the seat then it's gone for good. Easy enough to remember when you're sober, but at 5am after a nightclub...
BTS Skytrain - I lived in Phra Khanong for most of my time in Bangkok, so the skytrain is something I relied heavily on. It's basically an above-ground subway and tickets only cost around 25 baht (45p), even for relatively long journeys. There's no timetable, they just run from each station every 10 minutes or so. But when entering the station bear in mind that food/drink/smoking is not allowed. The skytrains finish at midnight.
MRT Subway - There is a subway in Bangkok too, but I only used once, so I can't really offer any tips here I'm afraid. The whole thing seemed a lot more hassle than skytrain/taxi's, so after my first experience I never bothered with it again.
Money:
Use the YELLOW ATM's. All the others charge 150 baht (£2.70) for withdrawals. There are less yellow ones around than the others, so when you pass one make a mental note of it's location for future withdrawals.
Make sure your bank cards are covered for loss/theft too. I *cough* 'misplaced' my wallet a couple of times, but both times I got lucky and some girls got it back for me with the contents intact, albeit minus the money (I was just glad to get my cards etc back). So have at least two cards, and try to avoid carrying them both around in your wallet at the same time.
Make sure you tell your bank about your trip, or if it's accessed from Thailand they may freeze your account as a security measure.
Oh and one thing to note: Unlike UK cash machines, in Thailand you usually get your money dispensed BEFORE the card is returned, so don't walk away and forget your bank card (as I did, twice).
Law:
It's worth doing a little homework on this, as some things you can get away with here, but not there. For example, in Bangkok you can't walk around with your top off. Gambling is illegal in Thailand too, so don't be tempted in bars. Although I think some people often gambled on pool. And small gambles when playing bar games with the girls is also very common. Plus, smokers beware - if you throw a cigarette butt on the floor you can be fined 2000 baht (£36) if a policeman see's it. This happened to me in my first week. The worst part is that I was with a girl at the skytrain station and the last thing she said to me before she left was "Don't flick your butt on the floor or you can be fined!". Oh dear...
And don't insult the royal family. This is taken very seriously.
Also, be polite and respectful to police/authorities.
Girls:
I don't want to be too crude, so I'll just give you the bullet points. Avoid girls on the street completely. And If you meet a girl in a nightclub they will tell you they work 'department store' or 'coffeeshop' etc. Don't fall for it. The absolute vast majority are bar-girls or freelance prostitutes.
And as a rule, the better her English is, the more English-speaking men she's been with.
If you're ever tempted to bar-fine a girl, make sure you ask to see her ID card first (they all carry these, or at least should do).
Play safe kids.
Food:
Generally speaking, avoid the street vendors unless you want to spend a few days on the toilet, and only eat at places which look clean. Simple as that really. And for the love of god, eat Thai food. Don't be tempted like many tourists to visit western junk food chains all the time. There's not a lot of sense in going half way around the world for a Big Mac.
Most meals cost me around 450 baht for two people, which includes a couple of drinks. The most expensive restaurant I visited was one called "Cabbages and Condoms", which came to around 2500 for two people (inc. drinks).What to see?
Too much to list here, but here's a few highlights...
- MBK shopping center
- Soi 4/Nana Plaza/Soi Cowboy for the bars/gogo's
- Khaosan Road (if you want to meet boring travellers, or buy utter crap from market stalls)
- Chao Praya River
- Temples, particularly Wat Arun and Wat Pho
- Sukhumvit Road night market + street bars (loved these bars!)
- Grand Palace
- Lumphini Park - great place to relax after a heavy session!
- Dusit Zoo
- Patpong (market + ping pong shows etc)
- Spice club [official site] - A loso buffalo meat market, but damn good fun!
- Strike bowl (seemed like almost a cross between a bowling alley and a night club - great place to take a girl in the evening).
Finally, When you get home...
Just a warning - If you spend more than a few of weeks over there, when you get back to Blighty you can expect to experience a healthy dose of PTD - Post Trip Depression. One minute you'll be living like a king in one of the most exciting places in the world, the next you'll be back to the grind in chilly cloudy England, and not too happy about it.
So if you're off to Bangkok then have a great time and I hope you grow to love the place as much as I do.
Hopefully others here will add some of their own tips/advice/stories in this thread too, but please stay on topic, this thread is about BANGKOK, not Thailand in general.
Last edited:
No wonder English people get a bad reputation around there.