Soldato
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Moderate your alcohol intake and check for Adam's Apples before getting jiggy, else you're definitely going to Bangkok(s).
Thailand - your experiences - (oops wrong forum!)
- Thread starter Xire
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Soldato
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The one I went to didn't have them doing any tricks. No rides. We just fed them and gave them a mud bath.
Just had a week in Bangkok (2nd time this year). First time i was there, i twisted my ankle twice in a matter of 3 days! This time, i twisted it on my 2nd day there, it's just about recovered now, 2 weeks later! It marred my experience this time as i could hardly walk.
Anyway, ignore half the comments in here, Bangkok is a MASSIVE city and you can easily fill a week there should you wish to. I guess it depends on whether city breaks are your thing. There are certainly some eye opening sights in Bangkok, lots of culture, temples etc, the seedy spots like Soy Cowboy and Patpong night market, there's open spaces, like Lumphini park, with monitor lizards roaming free. If you like shopping, and haggling, you can get some great bargains at Chatuchak market and Psatpong night market (although, most of the stuff at Patpong is fake watches, clothes, bags and belts. A trip to the top of Baiyoke sky tower is a must for the view from the rotating platform on the 84th floor (we stayed at Baiyoke for 3 nights on the 65th floor in a luxury suite - i'll add photos at some point. However, we stayed near Khlong Tan right near Benjakitti park for the first 4 nights and i preferred the view from the 30th floor we had there at Somerset lake apartments, our room was about £40 a night and it was like a large apartment with washing facilities in room etc.
By far the easiest way to get around if you're on your own is on a motorbike taxi, they cut right through the (pretty much permanent) traffic jams, and they are dirt cheap, tuc tucs are fun but a little more expensive, i would advise you barter with them for a set price, and insist they do not stop on the way (some will agree your price but insist you stop at a tailor along the way). Taxis are dirt cheap too, we paid THB1200 (about £22 at the time) for a trip from Chinatown in Bangkok to Pattaya earlier this year which is about 100 miles away. I would recommend you insist on the meter running in the taxi too, if they say no, walk away, there are plenty of taxis.
Make sure you go for a trip along the Chaio Phraya too. It's an experience!
There are plenty of good places to eat in BKK too, from street food (which i mainly avoided as a chef, seeing raw chicken stored at ambient temperature, outside (33 degrees) all day long
to fine dining and everything in between. We went to Indulge near Terminal 21 which was nice, and theres a fantastic hidden gem called 'river view guest house' in China town, right on the Chaio Phraya with fantastic views.
I almost forgot too, in Feb, we stayed in China town at the Hotel royal Bangkok @ China town, the rooftop pool has unprecedented views over the city with a great bar, although pricy. I think half a chang was 300THB
One last thing, as soon as you get there, get a sim for your phone, get the TRUEmobile sim, it's 299thb and you get 4gb of 4g data with it and it lasts 8 days. Anything else you need to know, just ask.
Anyway, ignore half the comments in here, Bangkok is a MASSIVE city and you can easily fill a week there should you wish to. I guess it depends on whether city breaks are your thing. There are certainly some eye opening sights in Bangkok, lots of culture, temples etc, the seedy spots like Soy Cowboy and Patpong night market, there's open spaces, like Lumphini park, with monitor lizards roaming free. If you like shopping, and haggling, you can get some great bargains at Chatuchak market and Psatpong night market (although, most of the stuff at Patpong is fake watches, clothes, bags and belts. A trip to the top of Baiyoke sky tower is a must for the view from the rotating platform on the 84th floor (we stayed at Baiyoke for 3 nights on the 65th floor in a luxury suite - i'll add photos at some point. However, we stayed near Khlong Tan right near Benjakitti park for the first 4 nights and i preferred the view from the 30th floor we had there at Somerset lake apartments, our room was about £40 a night and it was like a large apartment with washing facilities in room etc.
By far the easiest way to get around if you're on your own is on a motorbike taxi, they cut right through the (pretty much permanent) traffic jams, and they are dirt cheap, tuc tucs are fun but a little more expensive, i would advise you barter with them for a set price, and insist they do not stop on the way (some will agree your price but insist you stop at a tailor along the way). Taxis are dirt cheap too, we paid THB1200 (about £22 at the time) for a trip from Chinatown in Bangkok to Pattaya earlier this year which is about 100 miles away. I would recommend you insist on the meter running in the taxi too, if they say no, walk away, there are plenty of taxis.
Make sure you go for a trip along the Chaio Phraya too. It's an experience!
There are plenty of good places to eat in BKK too, from street food (which i mainly avoided as a chef, seeing raw chicken stored at ambient temperature, outside (33 degrees) all day long
to fine dining and everything in between. We went to Indulge near Terminal 21 which was nice, and theres a fantastic hidden gem called 'river view guest house' in China town, right on the Chaio Phraya with fantastic views. I almost forgot too, in Feb, we stayed in China town at the Hotel royal Bangkok @ China town, the rooftop pool has unprecedented views over the city with a great bar, although pricy. I think half a chang was 300THB
One last thing, as soon as you get there, get a sim for your phone, get the TRUEmobile sim, it's 299thb and you get 4gb of 4g data with it and it lasts 8 days. Anything else you need to know, just ask.
Where was that, i know there's an elephant sanctuary in Kanchanaburi but i never saw any elephants in BKK, except at the zoo, and the poor thing looked poorly looked after
1) Annie's Soapy Massage off Sukhumvit was a let down.
2) Treat all taxi drivers with extreme suspicion.
3) The Grand Palace is nice, just don't forget a top to complement purple trousers.
Maybe I'm getting old, but I'd rather spend 10 days in Phuket. The nice hotels on the islands provide AMAZING service.
2) Treat all taxi drivers with extreme suspicion.
3) The Grand Palace is nice, just don't forget a top to complement purple trousers.
Maybe I'm getting old, but I'd rather spend 10 days in Phuket. The nice hotels on the islands provide AMAZING service.
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Soldato
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Be careful - the PC brigade will soon be all over this thread! Apparently nowadays, we have to refer to it as non-binary or gender fluid (or 'genderqueer' as per Wikipedia entry) or something along those lines
I'd rather just say androgyne or unisex. That should get around the PC police and some of the debates surrounding gender topics.
Yep, going with a mate and these are the destinations we agreed on - all booked now.
29 and yes but equally there to see as much as possible.
thanks for some decent response guys especially @wez130
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Just arrived in Phuket myself last night for two weeks. Didn't get much chance to look at the scenery so far as taxi took us straight to Villa during middle of the night . Will update with pics and thoughts,so far the Villa is nicest I've ever been to.
Soldato
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Where was that, i know there's an elephant sanctuary in Kanchanaburi but i never saw any elephants in BKK, except at the zoo, and the poor thing looked poorly looked after
Doh! Chang Mai not Bangkok
Soldato
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What happens in Bangkok....Don't assume the girl on the corner is actually a girl
We spent 3 weeks doing the same in February, which consisted of 3 nights in Bangkok followed by 2 nights up in Chiang Mai and then the rest down in Phuket. The same as yourself, we definitely should have spent longer in Chiang Mai as it’s a much nicer city up in the mountains.
We did a couple of private tours in Bangkok (Wot Poh and the Grand Palace). We visited an elephant care centre outside of Chiang Mai which takes older working elephants and care for them until they pass; this was an amazing day with just the 4 of us and the elephants. There are some good evening food markets in Chiang Mai and it all feels so much safer than Bangkok.
Phuket was lovely. We stayed in the same hotel the whole time we were there, and spent a mix of chilling in the hotel, heading out for speedboat trips to Phi Phi and Banana Bay (with some parasailing and snorkelling) and an amazing kayaking trip to Phang Nga including James Bond Island - it’s an early start (like a 4am pickup) but it does mean you get to enjoy your kayaking with nobody else around and visit the deathly silent “hongs” around the islands which are beautiful, and kayaking through bat-filled caves are awesome!
Would definitely go back, but the gf and I are now 4 months pregnant so that kind of fun will have to go on the back burner for a little while
It really depends what you want from a holiday. If your idea of a a great holiday is 2 weeks in Magaluf then Pattaya will suit you fine; if you like to visit more picturesque locations then you’d be better off heading North or South.
I'll be staying in Santhiya in Feb. Looks fab, can't wait.
bangkok is nice for shopping but the heat is too much.
chiang mai is nice chilled out place ...fair amount of westerners as well
pattaya - imagine nana plaza except everywhere haha. You can get a place either north or south of the centre for a bit more laid back and away from the madness with better beaches. (though not as nice as other places in thailand)
In both pattaya and chiang mai the food was amazing....i think they permanently changed my taste buds because i dont really like western food now..
chiang mai is nice chilled out place ...fair amount of westerners as well
pattaya - imagine nana plaza except everywhere haha. You can get a place either north or south of the centre for a bit more laid back and away from the madness with better beaches. (though not as nice as other places in thailand)
In both pattaya and chiang mai the food was amazing....i think they permanently changed my taste buds because i dont really like western food now..
Best option is to get with a local girl so they can show you around.
Found a really nice one when I went. She ended up spending 2 weeks with me and my friends (and their girls) while we went on trips to Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Bangkok etc. Only paid for the first night, after that just covered food and drink etc.
She always got me local rates when buying stuff as opposed to tourist rates. I even took a 5 hour bus ride with her to her hometown in the countryside to meet her family. Was a great experience.
The best thing? After Thai I went to Malaysia, but wasnt really feeling the locals. So she flew over and chilled with me till I left. She paid for her own ticket.
Found a really nice one when I went. She ended up spending 2 weeks with me and my friends (and their girls) while we went on trips to Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Bangkok etc. Only paid for the first night, after that just covered food and drink etc.
She always got me local rates when buying stuff as opposed to tourist rates. I even took a 5 hour bus ride with her to her hometown in the countryside to meet her family. Was a great experience.
The best thing? After Thai I went to Malaysia, but wasnt really feeling the locals. So she flew over and chilled with me till I left. She paid for her own ticket.