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About Bangkok Thailand Travel Guide and Hotels Booking Information.
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BANGKOK
INFORMATION
HOTELS
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Krung Thep - The City of Angels, canals, temples and traffic. One of the most extraordinary cities of the world. Everyone from from saints to sinners, both tourists and locals, can be found here.
Getting around can be fun on the water and hell on the roads.
Bangkok Thailand
Wat Phra Kaew - Grand Palace
Thailand Hotels from Agoda. A new window opens.
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  TIPS.   
Apart from Temple viewing, Shopping and eating are the two most common activities.
Closely followed by exploring the nightlife which has everything from concerts to sexy Go-Go Bars.
Wandering through areas like Chinatown (Yaowarat), the riverside is always interesting.
There is always a market nearby.
Visas: see Thailand Introduction page
Coming & Going:
Suvarnabhumi Airport to Downtown. Easiest cheap way (150 Baht) is the Airport Bus. Leave every 15 minutes. (5am-Midnight), four types, "A2" goes to Victory Monument, Banglamphoo, Sanam Luang. "A1" goes to Pratunam, World Trade Centre, Silom Rd. "A3" goes to all the way down to Sukhumvit Rd Soi 55. A4 goes to the main Railway Station (Hua Lamphong).

A taxi will cost about B300.
Watch out for all the hotel touts in the arrival area.
Ignore them unless you have no idea where to go, accept that you will pay too much.
Left Luggage.There is a Luggage storage room.
Getting around:
Choices are river ferries and long tail boats, taxis, tuk-tuks ( three wheeled open sided vehicles for up to 3 people, or 6-7 if you are Thai) and the buses. River and Khlong (canal) transport is recommended if it goes your way.

Metered taxis are next best for price and convenience. Tuk-tuks can be fun, negotiate hard because the best price you will get will be the same you would pay for a taxi. If your chosen transport has no meter do not start the journey without settling on the price, you will have a spirited disagreement with the driver at the end when he tries to rip you off. Try to stay polite and keep smiling.

NEWS: 2005. The new Underground Railway (MRT) is now open. The routes are on the Bangkok Map.


Motorcycle Taxi guys
Motorcycle Taxis special riders with a coloured vests can give you a fast and scary ride through the traffic. Found at almost every major intersection. Used a lot by locals. Negotiate price first
If possible know where you will be at peak hours (3:30-6pm) and where you will want to go. what looks like a short trip on the map might be nightmare. e.g. to get from Silom Rd. area (the Oriental, Shrangri-La, Patpong etc) to Pratunam (market, Amari, AsiaHotel, Hyatt, Indra etc) goes like this. 30-40 minutes to find a taxi willing to make the trip, 40 minutes for the trip which takes 7 minutes in no traffic.
Buses: the cheapest and most crowded. OK if you know the routes. There are millions of them, its so easy to get on the wrong one.
Airport Bus: one of the best things in recent years. B150 one way.
SKYTRAIN (BTS), the Overhead Rail System: now operating. Fast and convenient to the major areas. From 10-45 Baht per trip, not cheap but saves a lot of time. See the Bangkok Map
Accomodation: HOTELS Click Here
Lee 4 Guesthouse rooftop View from Lee 4 Guest House rooftop
CHEAP. About B200. Backpackers dormitories and rooms. Most popular is Khao San Rd area, Banglamphu. see Bangkok map.

CHEAP 2. B300-500. Small slightly grubby hotels, usually aircon,TV, fridge.

ECONOMY. B700-1200. Larger and cleaner. Probably small rooms. Aircon, TV, fridge. e.g. White Palace, Best Bangkok House

TOURIST. B2000-4000 ($45-90). e.g. Asia Hotel, Indra Regent, Shangri-La.

5 STAR. $100 and up. e.g. Amari, Grand Hyatt etc.
Its always cheaper to buy your hotel with your travel agent before you arrive.
Internet bookings may be about the same, but possibly more, check carefully.
APARTMENTS. by the month from B3000-40,000+. Usually 1 month deposit, some want 3 months advance and minimum 6 months lease, electricity and water are extra. Electricity can be B1500-2000 if you use a lot of aircon. B3000 is a basic room with bed and bathroom, no TV or fridge. For B7000 you get a good clean room, TV, aircon, and twice weekly cleaning and linen. Main areas are around Sukhumvit Rd., Victory Monument and Sathorn Rd for foreigners

e.g. World Residence Serviced Apartments is good value because its on the Thonburi side of the river. B450 daily, B7000 monthly. As is Krungthon Mansion from B5000 - B12000.

There are four main areas for tourist hotels.
1. On the River and up Surawong, Silom and Sathorn Roads. Best thing is the river ferries to the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Chinatown etc. and not far from the Skytrain.
2. Sukhumvit Rd. Very dense,busy and long stretch of road. Skytrain access. A long way from main attractions except that Sukhumvit road itself is an attraction.

3. Near the Central World Plaza (former World Trade Centre). Fairly central so its not far to Pratunam Market, MBK and Siam Square shopping.

4. Banglamphoo (Khao San Rd and surrounds) for backpackers. Close to Grand Palace / Sanaam Luang and the river. Royal Hotel is a popular mid-range choice here.

5. Other Areas. Yannawa/Soi Ngam Duphlee. A few average hotels and many backpackers Guest Houses. Good location close to Rama IV - Silom Rd - Lumphini Park.
Events:
November annually Royal Barge Procession on the Chao Phraya (River). King Bhumibol Adulyadej and other members of the Royal family are transported from the Palace to Wat Arun, where the King offers new robes to the monks

King' Birthday (December 4). A Public Holiday. Big party and free concerts and movies at Sanaam Luang (the big park near the Grand Palace). Bars are closed.

Loy Kratong. Festival of Lights. All over Thailand. November.

Songkran. Water Festival . All over Thailand. April four day holiday madness everyone throws water at everyone else and get soaked.
Shopping:
As in many Asian cities a lot of shopping areas are devoted to a particular type of goods. Flowers, electronics, cameras, clothes etc. Except the newer shopping centres designed on western style with very upmarket shops selling the best names from around the world. Very good bargains can be found at sale times.

Computer Software.
Panthip Plaza, Petchburi Rd. Rajthewi.5 Floors packed with everything. Pirate software is still available after a crackdown by police. 100-200Baht for a CD full of software. Also many video CD and DVD movies.

Also Fortune IT Mall, on Ratchadaphisek Rd just north of Rama IX, quieter and good choice of software, less police hassles. And there another mall on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Rd. north of the Airport which I haven't seen. And a new one is being built now (Feb 2005) on the corner of Vibhavadi - Rangsit Rd and Chaeng Wattana Rd, this is south of the Airport about 5km.

Clothing:
Pratunam Market, Pratunam, for all the fake labels etc. This is the main wholesale market for clothing, usually you can buy just one item as well. Hundreds of shops and stalls in a warren of lanes.
. Mahboongkrong (MBK) for discount fashion. Hundreds of shops selling everything, clothes, jewellery, shoes, phones etc.

Siam Square.Opposite MBK is very popular with the younger fashion conscious. Large mostly ground level area of roads, paths and lanes. Also just a place to hang out for theyounger set.

Central World Plaza (former World Trade Centre). Very large mall for quality department stores with genuine labels from Europe. Also many other shops for books, jewellery, art, movie theatres, ice skating etc. The forecourt has "beer gardens" and live music most evenings.

Cameras & Electronics.
Cameras are not cheap in Thailand, though some 2nd hand bargains can be found if you want to risk it. Thanon Atsadang (along the canal, near Sanam Luang Park), interesting area for new and 2nd hand stuff, cameras, guitars and musical instruments, army surplus clothing, electronic components, Hi-Fi. TV's etc.
Three or so good camera shops in MBK (ground floor and 3rd floor). One at Panthip Plaza for secondhand stuff (mezzanine floor, left side). Also Niks on Silom Rd. (official Nikon distributor) and on Charoen Krung (New Rd) but these two are expensive. You can hire professional equipment from a shop opposite the Immigration Office in Soi Suan Phlu (off Sathorn Rd).

Books:
Asia Books in the Central World Plaza (formerly World Trade Centre). Lots of books about Thailand and Asia.
Buddhism books, a good little known place for & books and tapes in Thai and English and some Pali at a shop across the road from Wat Bowon Niwet, Thanon Phra Sumen, Banglamphoo. Its a good Wat too for daily chanting if you find it open.
Asia Books and Bookazine are the two chains of English bookshops. They have outlets in popular areas, Silom Rd, Sukhumvit Rd etc.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is an ernormous array of stalls selling everthing from furniture to food, clothing, books, animals, fighting fish etc. Location is in the north on the way to the old Don Muang Airport. Mo Chit Skytrain station stops nearby. Quite an effort getting around the market, allow plenty of time.

Klong Toey Market. Very busy and grimy market for fresh produce, not designed for tourists. Loved by genuine Thai cooks who know their food. Open daytime and evening, active all night long with produce arriving. On Rama IV Rd. near the Freeway.

Patpong Night Market. In the centre of the famous street and along nearby Silom and Surawong roads. Can be very busy and uncomfortable. Most popular items are fake watches, jeans and sports shoes; souvenirs, luggage and lots of other stuff too. Bargaining requires knowledge of the real going prices. Jeans are 400 Baht, watches are from 200 - 500 Baht, some people pay 2000 Baht for a watch and think its a bargain.
Flowers:
Pak Khlong Market. Flowers, food and other stuff at Tha Sapan Phut ferry pier near Chinatown.
Also Thewet Flower Market (Thieves Market), north side of Khlong Banglamphoo, near Thanon Samsen
Operates most of the night and day, interesting genuine market, very few tourists but not far from Wat Pho.

Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Large new commercial venture on corner of Rama IV and Wittayu (Wireless) Roads (opposite Lumphini Park). Hundreds of unattractive prefab stalls selling all the usual junk and clothes. Large sitting area at night for eating/drinking and watching Thai bands do pop/rock music (in Thai). Actually becoming popular with locals but not with tourists. Quite good value food and beer.
Warnings:
 Do not ever take a tuk-tuk drivers offer of a cheap tour (B10), or a taxi drivers for that matter.
You will be delivered to a gem shop against your will and be very persuasive sales spiel will explain how to sell the gems in your home country for a great profit. this is a total scam and a surprising number of people have been caught.
Be careful where you store your money.

Pickpockets exist. Front and inside pockets where you can feel it are best. Hand and shoulder bags are vulnerable to motorbike drive-bys, usually at night in smaller roads (Soi), not too common but not pleasant

Sawasdee Khaosan Inn, Banglamphu. has been reported as having management sanctioned thieves. Others in the Sawasdee group may also be suspect.

  FACTS.   
Telephone Info: Country code = 66. Area Code= 2. then the 7 digit phone no.
Communications: Poste Restante is at Central Post Office (GPO) in Charoen Krung Rd. Bangrak. just north of Surawong Rd. Handy to a lot of the major hotels. Open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8-1 Sat. also at Banglamphu Post Office, east end of Trok Mayom, and others around the town.

International phone cards are readily available (B300/500 and up), different companies have their own phones to use the cards. You can find phones around the main tourist areas fairly easily, especially at 7-11 Stores.

GSM Mobile Phones. Most now work in thailand without modification. TAT removed their blocking of foreign phones. Simple as buying a SIM card from the 7-eleven, 500 Baht and refills from 50-500 Baht, MBK has a huge number of phone shops on the 4th floor, they are now cheap if you want a basic phone, from 3000 Baht up. USA phones will not work.

Internet. there are about 10 million internet shops/cafes, see Internet Page for a few.
The story of Bangkok:
Bangkok came into importance only fairly recently in Thai history. The capital of the Kingdom was at Ayuthaya when in 1767 the Burmese invaded and conquered a lot of Thailand, but only held it for a short time. The King moved to Thonburi, across the river from what is now Bangkok (Krung Thep) and has been in the Bangkok area since then.
The river (Chao Phraya) and the canals (Khlongs) are the most enjoyable geographic feature of the city. Many of the Temples and other places of interest are accessible via the river which is far more pleasant than taxis or tuk-tuks in the traffic, and cheap too.
Money:
Currency is the Baht. Coins up to 10Baht and notes up to 1000Baht.

Exchange rate at June 2009 was approx. 35 Baht to one US$.
Exchange booths and banks are littered all over the city.
Many local banks will have electronic connection to your home accounts (Cirrus, ATM Pool etc.
Ask your local bank), and nearly all will give cash advances from Visa and Mastercard (they are online so you cannot draw over your limit!).
ATM machines are everywhere.
Traveller's Cheques are easily changed - need to show passport - (cannot be used for purchases.)
Tourist Info:
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is at 327 Bamrung Muang Rd. (Tel.2260060) and at the Airport. Good for brochures etc.

Trouble: do not call regular police. Special Tourist Police are available and the best chance you have of getting some action. Regular police can be corrupt and/or lazy. If you get pulled up by police for any minor reason they pretend to want to book you but they are just waiting for you to offer some cash, usually they accept B100 but they will try for more. The excuse is that they get paid only about B45 per hour, but then they don't do much.

Never ever get angry or criticise a Thai person. This is very impolite and your chances of being helped will be close to zero.


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