Trip to Thailand

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

There''s a permanent sale of sorts on the 6th floor - from Tissot watches to baby push carts with discounts from 5% to 70%.

Once you''ve made your selection in say, British India, you''ll need to follow the salesperson to the cashier. Tourists get a 5% discount when initially paying (you just have to fill out a very short survey form) - no passport necessary. And then you get a 5% discount coupon for your next purchase. Then you can either lug the stuff around to Calvin Klein, or drop them at Bag Deposit.

When you''re done for the day head for the VAT refund (7%) area, in the store, if you''ve spent + 2000 Baht. Passports are requested, but I only had my driver''s licence which they accepted. Check the receipts next to the form before signing (as the purchases are recorded in Thai). Remember to fill out the form on the same day as the purchases. You get your actual refund (minus 100 Baht service fee) at the airport - be sure to follow the signs before going to check-in, and have the purchases on hand for inspection.

We hopped onto the BTS skytrain to the end of the Silom line. A short walk from the station was a boat terminal of sorts. We paid about 4 Baht each for a ticket to ride the boat up the river. There was no indication of how regularly the boats came, or which one to take. We simply waited and hopped on the one that seemed to be going up river.

Make sure you keep your ticket stub (as they do check), or buy a ticket on board. The boat trip was a noisy one. There was some seating, but no signs stating how many passengers were the limit. The ride took about 15-20 minutes. We then had to take another 2-Baht boat ride to get across the river to Wat Arun. The boat terminal seemed rather shaky, so watch your step.

Wat Arun has a rather stately look to it from the river. There seemed to be preparations for some festivities on the day we arrived. We didn't ask because there were quite a few vendors waiting to empty our wallets. We almost got into a dispute as we'd been about to take photos with some cardboard cuttings of Thai dancers--we didn't see the sign about the cost to do so until we were just about to take the photo. Fortunately, we had a digital camera and could prove we hadn't taken a photo.

The Wat itself is decorated with pieces of porcelain procured and donated by Bangkokians to the Emperor of the time. The steps are steep (the road to enlightenment is not an easy one) and one can't climb all the way to the top.

Our trip ended with an offer to take a photo with a rather large snake, resembling a python. The lack of photos here speaks for itself.

The exhibitions are in different parts of the hospital--there's a brochure with a map and descriptions one can refer to (once you find the first exhibition). There is no entry fee, but donations are accepted.

There's the exhibition on human anatomy abnormalities, including unborn babies with two heads, or a stomach on the outside in glass containers. Also, the effects of certain nicotene addictions on the human body, as well as cancer-ridden limbs.

The next exhibition, focused on why it's important to not eat before coming to see this exhibition. Vivid pictures of what the wrong tape worm in your intestines can do to you. Amplified photos of what those little bacteria that eat, when you don't rinse food properly, look like.

The last exhibition was less . . . stomach curdling. Granted, the mumified remains of a notorious Thai rapist/murderer can be somewhat uncomfortable for some. We were also treated to the effects of not wearing a seat belt when a car crashes (well, there were the broken bones). And holes left by bullets streaking right through someone's skull. The entrance is also near the emergency room entrance, with vivid pictures taken of actual accident victims and others that experienced excurtiating pain.

The whole experience is not recommended for everyone. But, it is frequented by young Thai students . . . great school day trip, huh?

One of the other downsides was trying to cross the main roads - almost like Paris' Champs Elysee *grin*. Once you master the art of ignoring the persistent tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, you can marvel at the weaving and maneuvering Bangkok drivers indulge in to avoid traffic jams. The traffic officers are pretty strict - with their tight brown uniforms and white gloves - we saw a good deal of taxi drivers getting pulled over.

Generally the quickest way to get around central Bangkok seemed to be the BTS Skytrain. Alternatively a meter taxi once traffic thins out in the later hours.