BKK

This country continues to fascinate me even though I cannot stand the heat and humidity here with its pulsating life of its rich culture, people personalities, the wealthy down to the street beggar all live in this city in their realities.

This is a great place to come for your medical needs, as there are hospital facilities where a heart operation is a small fraction of what the U.S. charges. Picking up hustlers, whether on the street or in the bars, may seem great at first, but tires very quickly, as there's no depth of personality other than every other line of illusion such as, "I love you," "I miss you," and "give or—better yet—send me money" given their limited English skills and vocabulary. They're playing you for an ATM machine. Press the right combination of buttons and out comes cash. Service with a smile—if you're lucky. Never take out the one that smiles the most—you'll hardly see them smile afterward.

They have some really great smiles, but when you have so many tourists go through your country with more cash for vacation than what your net worth may be, a smile can be a great asset. Their smiles may be done so much with tourists that it may not be sincere from the heart, but just for show.

If you find one that really matches your soul, better hold on to that one for the time of your life.

Quick Tips:

The best time to visit is during their "cool" months November through February, preferably December or January which is their tourist high season. The rest of the year are hot reaching to 40°C. March-May or monsoon rain June-October. Prepare for your trip by getting a yourself a copy of Lonely Planet Thailand or something comparable that you'll like and be comfortable reading. Read up on the places you would plan to visit. This would greatly help enhance your experience than it would otherwise be. Pick up a copy of Sticky Rice from one of the date spots if available or at Balcony for useful map of gay places.

After getting through customs and immigration, get cash from one of the ATMs on the ground floor and another on the second floor. Avoid the peddlers for transportation and hotel if you know where you're going. They will be swarming all over you like flies. Get natural mosquito repellent roll on to prevent bites and treatment for the bites.

Reserve 500 baht per person for the international departure fee at the airport.

Electric voltage is 110VAC 60Hz and plugs are the same used as in the U.S. and Canada.

Resources: Bangkok A to Z Guide, Dragoncastle.net Bangkok, Dreaded Ned, MD Travel Health, Sticky Rice, Utopia-Asia

Best Way To Get Around:

To leave from the airport, there's an airport bus to drop you off at major well known hotels running until midnight. For taxis, go out the main exit stage on the left where there's a taxi dispatch stand with English speaking staff to assist you for the estimated fare plus THB 50 for their service or pass the long queue of taxis and passengers waiting to get in. As you approach the main road, you'll see another queue of only taxis. Tell the driver your destination if they can understand English, better if spoken and directed in Thai or hotel card with driving directions in Thai for driver and verify that you'll be on the meter before getting in.

Sky Train, MRT subway, buses, taxis, tuk-tuk are the most common ways for visitors getting around.

This place has seen better days, but it's clean, comfortable, and a relatively good value for the money. It has an outdoor swimming pool for day use and a fitness facility where guests pay THB 100 per day of use. It's in the business district, within two minutes' walk of the hotel compound from the Sky Train station Nana.

Breakfast buffet is included with hotel stay, and a voucher is issued for each guest each day. Buffet hours are 6 to 10:30am. The food is all right, the best being the fresh fruit—papaya, watermelon, pineapple—and made-to-order omelets. High-speed Internet shops right outside the hotel are available for one THB/minute. Check the pricing, as they're not all the same. On a more recent visit, all the shops around it's compound have been eliminated due to it's reconstruction/remodelling.

Websites: Ambassador

Amtel

Rose Hotel had 105 rooms was cheap, clean but modest back in 1989 when we first visited, located in the red light district. The entrance was through an alley with a wooden sign post overhead Rose Hotel.

Now, the Rose Hotel has transformed itself into quite an impressive place to stay with 70 rooms with comfortable beds, shower and bath, phone, TV, refrigerator, mini-bar, no longer a budget place, rates starting at THB1600 if booked on the Internet, otherwise starts at THB2100 for a standard single. Their Rose suite is THB3500 booked on the Internet, otherwise THB4200/night. Rose Hip dining service provides a friendly dining ambience with Chinese, Thai, European dishes from breakfast to dinner with 24 hour room service.

email rosehotel@rosehotelbkk.com
BTS Sky Train Sala Dang station S2
MRTA Sam Yan station

Oriental Bangkok offers world-class accommodations and is the default choice for dignitaries and heads of state.

The choice of rooms are Superior River Wing in teak and Thai silks, Deluxe River Wing with a light and airy feel, Deluxe Stateroom for more space with a prime river front view, Garden Wing Room colonial style.

The choices of suites are: executive, deluxe, Author's, Siam, Selandia, Oriental.

Leisure activities: spa daily 7am-10pm, swimming pool, sports centre, Thai cooking school, Cultural programme, Oriental shops, day care centre.

Dining choices: Le Normandie for French cuisine; Sala Rim Naam for buffet lunch or set Thai dinner with a traditional Thai dance show or Terrace Rim Naam for Thai a la carte by the river; The Riverside Terrace for dinner buffet; Ciao for Italian pizza and ice cream; The Bamboo Bar, a jazz bar; Lord Jim's for a lunch buffet or a la carte dinner; China House just outside of the hotel for regional Chinese cuisine; The Verandah for all day a la carte dining, cakes, breakfast; Authors' Lounge for English afternoon tea.

Security was high with police and plain clothes security in the immediate area as the king of Spain was leaving. Their guidelines discourage you bringing local guests to your room when you check in, especially those wearing flip flops. The dress code are long pants and shoes for men. If you want to consider booking here for New Year's, it's already full.

Ten-minute walk from Skytrain S6, Saphan Taksin station.

River boat stops by and hotel has their own private boats.

We used Precision Reservations to book Tower Inn, we couldn’t see the hotel name from the street, so my partner got out of the taxi and went into the hotel lobby to confirm. The hotel staff spoke English, but it was still a bit hard to understand as the pronunciation of words wasn’t complete. A hotel bell boy was determined to carry a bag to our room for a tip, he informed us two bottles of water are provided free per day. My partner only had a small THB 10 coin to tip, he was satisfied or didn’t make a fuse about it.

The room was quite large, older, and the bathroom had small screened windows into the hallway—toilets here have a convenient spray nozzle attached. The room had a closet, TV, phone, mini fridge, hot water maker, mini hair dryer, air conditioning with thermostat control, furnishings looked old and dated but functional, and beds were comfortable to sleep in. The elevator and floor hallways aren't air-conditioned and the bathroom has open vents to the hallway so sound as well as the heat and humidity are felt, keep your bathroom door closed to keep the air-conditioned air in. There's a rooftop Sky Garden restaurant, rooftop swimming pool, and poolside bar on the 20th floor. There is a shower before entering the pool—with green towels available by poolside bar, fitness center on the 19th floor is complimentary for hotel guests, lobby bar, Maple Leaf Restaurant (coffee shop) 24-hours on 2nd floor – American breakfast buffet served daily 0600-1000 is included with our room, business center Monday-Friday 0900-1730, Saturday 0900-1230 offers Internet, fax, secretarial services. Thai massage is available 24-hours in your room, THB 8 for each local call. Instant coffee, tea (2 of each) are provided each day, extras will be charged to your bill, the fridge is filled with drinks—each day you consume their inventory, check the item(s) and sign off on their mini bar list. Room service for food and drinks is available plus a 10% service charge and a 7% VAT are added.

While my room card key failed to work, they gladly issued new cards and voided all old cards. I wasn't required to show ID, they just reissued me new cards. Staff is friendly and helpful but security is relaxed.

The buffet breakfast atmosphere and food quality are both very good, it is self-serve except we had to have to line up for the omelet station—unless you're willing to settle for boiled eggs. Coffee and tea must be requested from the staff. The croissants, noodles with vegetable and scrambled eggs, orange juice, and milk were all very tasty and very good.

It’s a bit farther from the red light district on foot than I anticipated, or desired. Skytrain Chong Nonsi station is about a 10 minute walk.

It's a good value by American standards, anything on Silom Rd is too expensive by Thai standards.

BTS SkyTrain Chong Nonsi station S3.

Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers is a Starwood chain hotel group and is itself quite nice and impressive from its lobby. We came here to have a drink at their bar in the lobby, which is four-times more expensive than at a typical bar but it is quite nice to relax in air-conditioned comfort. There's free WiFi access with your own laptop. Hotel guests have complimentary access to the Internet from the lobby.

This restaurant is associated with the Mandarin Oriental and not very far from it. When I was in Bangkok in 1990, I walked with a backpack for maybe an hour and a half in the hot climate, sweating—finding this air-conditioned place playing MTV on the monitors on the second floor was a much-welcomed relief.

After realizing that they serve fruit drinks, I must have ordered four drinks, gulping down one after another. The staff just smiled as I quenched my thirst. Not every place serves drinks like mango shakes, so it's nice to find a place like this that does a good job of it.

It's fairly expensive by local standards, but because of the favorable exchange rates, it seems a bargain for us foreigners with the right currencies.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 8am to 9pm.

Ten-minute walk from Skytrain S6, Saphan Taksin station.

Cabbages & Condoms is off the main street. A free vasectomy from the clinic next door is available for the male diners, and proceeds go to Population and Community Development Association (PDA), a non-profit organization founded in 1974 that tries to make condoms as common as cabbages (a common staple of Thailand).

Once seated, it was a while before our server took our order. There are fruit drinks available. The service was slow on the uptake, taking perhaps 10 to 15 minutes. The quality of the foods we tried was very high. Condoms are given out at the end of the meal instead of breath mints.

On another visit, we ordered deep-fried crab rolls with minced shrimp and minced water chestnuts THB 150 were good, the pan-fried salmon with payaya salad THB 300 was alright, the steamed whole sea bass THB 300, a popular dish wasn't to my taste, the service wasn't nearly as good. They served the fish with a heat source underneath with the idea of keeping the fish hot while you consume it, I don't care for this practice as the fish is overcooked.

There's a gift shop there if you feel inclined to buy something there. There wasn't anything I saw there that I really had to have. The Rubber Tree Lounge is open till 1am and offers free Internet with 3 stations or wi-fi with your own laptop.

There's another restaurant in Chiang Mai and a resort in Pattaya, both seemed more out of the way than the Bangkok location.

Hours: 11am-10pm. Credit cards accepted. Email: cabconpattaya@pda.or.th or hukwang@ptty2.loxinfo.co.th

Another Bite is a delightful little trendy air-conditioned spot for drinks and homemade cakes, and for relief from the heat. The staff is warm, friendly, and helpful. We ordered a very small blueberry pie, and a small, green and red tea checkered cake, and iced cold milk.

Open weekdays from 10am to 7:30pm.

The Balcony Pub, gay friendly place, serves drinks and pub food on two floors, or in the outside patio, with WiFi from 5:30pm-2am. The kitchen closes 1am. There's American food, Thai food, and fruit drinks. The service is friendly service.

E-mail info@balconypub.com.

Food For Fun is located on the fourth floor of the Siam Center and is worthy of a trip here at least once just for the experience of it. It's a trippy place, and I would come here again. Each person is issued a food card with THB 1,000 credit on it upon entry. You go to the food areas that appeal to you, and tell them what you wish to order, It may take 5 minutes to prepare each selection and then the food is handed to you. You give them your card to swipe, which is returned along with a paper receipt telling you how much is charged. The atmosphere here is futuristic and trendy, with lighted tables along plastic benches to sit upon and dine.

You get your utensils to eat with near where the trays are. There's Thai iced tea for THB 20, a sign says Pad Thai THB 40 but if they ask what meat and they hold up a big bowl of big shrimp and you choose shrimp, it's THB 70, the THB 40 doesn't include shrimp. I didn't realize that till they charged me already and the receipt says THB 70. I wanted shrimp Pad Thai anyways, and it did taste good. Desserts were available when we arrived, but closed for the night before we had a chance to see if we wanted anything. Afterwards, you exit, hand over your card, and pay for the purchases debited. The atmosphere is trendy, modern, and light. The food is counter service—fairly quick, and clean. It's a fun place place to be with friends. Open daily from 10am to 11pm.

MK Restaurant is a restaurant chain with more than 70 locations located throughout Thailand, and other parts of Asia offering a mix of Chinese hot pot, dim sum, and Japanese sukiyaki. This is essentially a soup from raw vegetables and optional meat, put into the boiling water pot at your table. You place your food into the boiling water, about 10 minutes or less pass by, use the ladles provided at the table to stir and serve yourself. Turn down the heat as appropriate. Your iced tea drink is constantly kept filled.

 

We also ordered a combo of roast duck and Chinese BBQ pork, a side of garlic green noodles, a watermelon shake, and a beer. Our waitress took our order via a handheld wireless device to process and bill our order. The waitress didn't speak English, friendly, it was easy enough with the menu in English and big photos showing what we would get. The roast duck and Chinese BBQ pork looked like it's been cooked or sitting in the heat too long but still tasty, the items for the soup, especially the fish shaped salmon, were all quite good. The garlic noodles were much too strong in the garlic taste, and could have done without it. Our waitress failed to entered my request for the watermelon shake, so it didn't appear till I asked about it. Order the items for the soup when there's more than one person, otherwise it'll be too much food, though they may suggest or point to items not so filling if by yourself. I'm not a hot-pot fan, but this place makes it enjoyable, it's a fun place to go and dine with friends and family.

MBK Center (Maboonklong) is one of the largest shopping complexes in Asia established 1985, with eight floors, over 2,000 merchants, over 150 eateries, and top this off with a large multi-screen cinema selection. Prathumwan Princess Hotel is attached to the center.

Floors 1-3: accessories, clothes, cosmetics, jewelries, leather items, paintings, photo studios, salons, shoes; floor 4 mobile electronics; floor 5 furniture and decorations; floor 6 food center, floors 7-8 entertainment complex, with 8 movie theatres, 28 bowling allies, Karaoke, food and drink.

Tokyo department store takes four floors on the north side: 1st floor - cosmetics, shoes, underwear, leather products and luggage; 2nd floor - women's and children's clothing; 3rd floor - men’s wear, jeans, neckties, sports, watch & clock, and stationary; 4th floor - supermarket, electric and household accessories.

We went shopping for a mobile phone on the 4th floor that was filled with many vendors offering mobile phones. We had information that a GSM tri-band phone would work all around the globe. But we were misinformed of the tri-band model. After going around to many merchants, comparing the wrong model on price, we suspended purchase of the phone, as the center closes at 9pm.

On the 6th floor there was a food court, but it was closed for the day. On the top floor there is a cineplex for movies. We stopped to eat at one of the many restaurants to eat, afterwards purchased a music CD at a music/video store.

Telephone 0-2620-9000 ext. 7438,7439 Call Center 0-2620-9111; fax: 0-2620-7000, 0-2620-7555, 0-2620-7777; email marketing@mbk-center.com

BTS Sky Train National Stadium station.

On the day we chose to come to the National Gallery, the regular exhibit was closed and a special exhibit and celebration was taking place here. The artwork displayed are more than worth the price of admission.

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 9am to 4pm.

Admission Price: THB10

Phone: +66 02 282 2639; 281 2224

Dusit Zoo houses collections of animals for the viewing audience to visit. The chilling effect my partner felt when he made eye-to-eye contact with a black leopard and felt the animal's desire to kill him was worth the price of admission.

Open till 6pm.

Admission: THB30

Phone: +66 74 325 037

Siam Paragon opened in December 9, 2005. It has a large department store as its core, with other stores and restaurants surrounding it. It is topped with a cineplex and an aquarium takes over the lower level. Its look is rather upscale, very spacious with less people going through. We noticed lots of workers, with large inventories in its department store. What's lacking are customers paying for their goods.

Telephone 0.2.658.3000

BTS Sky Train Siam station.

National Museum houses artifacts of its past in several poorly maintained buildings and requires the better part of a day to see it all. Guided tours in English and French on Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30am, Japanese on Wednesday at 9:30am, and German on Thursday at 9:30am. The main building where you start your tour is the only one that is really air-conditioned. The other buildings aren't for the most part. There are theories as to the origin of the Thai people, but nothing conclusive. The floor plan of museum lists its exhibits.

Admission THB 50, hours 9am-4pm

Museum Education Section: phone (662)224-1333, fax (662)224-1404

Curatorail Staff Section: phone (662) 224-1402

By Bus nos. 3, 6, 9, 15, 19, 30, 32, 33, 43, 53, 59, 64, 65, 70, 80, 84

Air Condition bus nos. 3, 6, 7, 38, 39, 80, 82, 91

Airport Bus no. A2

Country Road is a rather lively, loud, smoky bar that mimicks the look and feel, but not really the understanding of, the music they're playing. Bring ear plugs, as it's volume is deafening. It's a rather low-keyed girlie bar.

Sky Train station, Nana.

This was the second tailor our tuk tuk driver detoured us to hoping we would make a purchase so he'd get a card for a free tank of gas, a common practice here with tuk tuk drivers. We were going to a tailor anyway but didn't know who would be a good tailor, otherwise this would have been very annoying. Avoid taking a tuk tuk, or negotiate no other stops if this is a problem for you before agreeing to get on.

The dealer here was decent with us but dealt with us in US dollars instead of THB prices. He mentioned Egyptian cotton and I asked "What's the thread count?" He paused, and seemed not to know what to say. I spurted out some numbers: 100, 200, 400? He replied 400. I was curious about a suit comfortable enough to wear overnight, and then take it and wrangle it into a ball and it would still be good enough to wear again like I had seen in the first James Bond movie, "Dr. No." He asked me how much this suit would cost, $1,000 or more? He showed me a suit for $500, but I declined to purchase it. Later on, he asked me to write "thread count", "James Bond", and "Dr. No" for him. Isn't that interesting?

The tailor showrooms, with the materials for the customers to select from, aren't made on the premises. The measurements are sent along with the fabric to another location, where it's actually made and dropped off later. All these tailor shops are middle men, and perhaps all use the same half-dozen factories or sewing shops. It's only a guess.

We decided to purchase cotton shirts, 100% Egyptian cotton shirts (machine washable), and pants. We asked which material would be the most comfortable feel for the pants and he selected two materials for us, one in dark blue, the other in black. We paid in full, up-front, either cash or credit card was the same to him. He took our measurements after we selected the materials to use. The measurements are kept on file for at least 5 years, and they ship worldwide via email or fax. He offered us either a soda or water to drink at this point. We informed him of our hotel, and the order was dropped off the next evening. And they fit fine. I paid cash for mine and asked for a receipt, but it didn't say the price I paid on it. There was no mention of a VAT refund, and we didn't asked the tailor about it. Open daily from 8:30am to 8:30pm.

Our tuk tuk driver was overjoyed to receive his free gas card.

Telephone +66.02.611.3377, +66.02.611.3378, fax +66.02.611.3379, email asiatailor@hotmail.com

Sky Train Ratchathewi station N1, exit 3

Siam Ocean World is a world-class aquarium attraction has seven areas to see: Weird and Wonderful, Open Ocean, Deep Reef, Rain Forest, Rocky Shore, Living Ocean, and Sea Jellies. There are two seal feeds: the first one at 12:30pm, and the second one is at 4:30pm; two shark feeds: the first one is at 1:30pm, the second one is at 5:30pm; and communication dives are every hour. We got to visit an aquarium without long lines since it's still fairly new. There's an area where you may touch some of the living creatures if you wish. There's a penguin area, but the import of penguins weren't permitted, but that is soon to be resolved. It was fascinating to watch the jellyfish move. Admission for adults is THB 450, a glass bottom boat ride is THB 150, and the combo is THB 500. Children 80 to 120cm are THB 280, and credit cards are accepted. The gift shop may have some souvenirs you may wish to bring home.

Daily: 9am-10pm

Telephone +66.2687.2000 fax +66.2687.2001

BTS Sky Train Siam station.

Siam Center is a more upscale shopping center, on four floors, with over 200 merchants to browse through, and a Food For Fun area on the fourth floor that is worth a visit by itself. Being trendy and upscale, there were less people here browsing than the MBK centre, as it's less affordable here. Daily 10am to 9pm.

Telephone +66.0.2658.1000-19 Fax +66.0.2658.1020-21

BTS Sky Train Siam station.

Tawan, established 1986, is a men's bar filled with muscle men who are primarily straight but will "perform" for money. There's a show at 10:30pm and a second show at midnight, but I personally found it too "macho," graphic, and frankly a turnoff. I did stay for the whole show, but as soon as it ended I couldn't wait to get out of there. The management is pushy, trying to see who you might be interested in. Not my type nor scene here. The police are paid off for basically an illegal operation so the customers aren't harassed. Daily 8pm-1am.

Telephone +66.2.634.5833

BTS SkyTrain Sala Dang station S2

Dream Boys is one among a slew of similar places in the immediate area along Soi Duangthawee for drinks, to see a show, and pick up a boy if you're interested. Or else, just pay for the drinks when you're done and leave.

Telephone +66.2.234.0830

E-mail dreamboy@thaiboy.net

BTS SkyTrain Sala Dang station S2

BKK - former Bangkok (Don Mueang) International Airport is a large hub airport with two international terminals and one domestic terminal, 25 kilometers north of Bangkok. The new Suvarnabhumi Airport and replaces the former Don Mueang Airport.

The domestic terminal is 500 meters from Terminal 2, connected with an air-conditioned walkway and shuttle bus. For Western food, go to Terminal 2, floor 4; for Thai food, Terminal 1, floor 4; and for Japanese food, Terminal 2, floor 2. Banking/ATM: The Thai Military Bank is located on the central block, floor ground; the Bangkok Bank is in Terminal 2, floor 2; and Krung Thai Bank can be found in Terminal 1, floor 2. ATMs and currency exchange are available in the arrival and departure halls of all three terminals.

Get enough cash from the ATM, before doing anything else, after getting through customs and immigration. Find out how much is the departure fee, and put that amount aside for when you leave, else you'll need to find an ATM, bank, or currency exchange to pay the departure fee then.

There's other ground transportation available: limousine, taxi, buses, train, and riverboat. We were fortunate enough to run into one of our flight attendants after getting cash from the ATM and asked her how to get to our hotel. She lead us out of the airport, where there are large crowds lined up for taxis and taxis lined up for passengers. We walked past all of that, veering toward the ten o'clock position, toward the road. We informed her of the hotel we wanted. By the road, there was another long line of taxis, but without the large crowds of passengers. She instructed the driver in Thai of our destination before disappearing in a taxi for herself.

There are buses going to different parts of Bangkok that will drop you off at your hotel, with service from 6am to midnight. We did go to the airport by train once. Don Muang train station is 500 metres from the airport's Terminal 1 and goes to Hua Lumpong Railway Station in central Bangkok, a hub station for the rest of the country. Service is much more frequent in the morning, and waiting for the next train can be up to one hour.

There's a bus/riverboat service from 6am to 9pm that costs 700 baht. Going to the Oriental, Royal Orchid Sheraton, and Shangri-La hotels takes about an hour. Reserve 500 baht per person for international departure for when you leave. You may exit the country once the fee is paid. There is also a Thai food court on the walkway between the international and domestic terminals.

BTS Sky Train has helped relieve some of the traffic congestion, and has made travel in Bangkok easier and more bearable in air-conditioned comfort.

You access any of its stations by ascending a couple of flights of stairs. There are coin machines that dispense single journey tickets by entering the correct fare for your zone of travel. Beginning and ending destinations are broken up into fare zones. If you have questions or bills to change, queue-up for a station agent. The single journey tickets have a time limit valid for travel that depends on the number of stations you're traveling.

There are also: a day pass, good for the same day till midnight for THB100; a stored-up value ticket initially THB100, valid for 2 years, and refillable; and a 30-day pass for students or adults at varying prices.

There's usually a security guard on either end of the platform for each direction.

Hours of service are 6am to midnight.

Taking one of these tuk tuks may be fun, but they're not air-conditioned and the cost depends on how good your negotiating skills are and, most important, the knowledge of how much you should be charged to get from one point to the other and even the color painted on a tuk tuk may be a more expensive fare. The tarp overhead blocks most of your view of the streets, necessary when it's raining. They're trying to make a living, but some are aggressive in their behavior while trying to get customers. You may try a polite "no," or ignore them, which usually works for me but is considered rude.

On our latest visit, a tuk tuk driver wouldn't take no for an answer and was following us in his tuk tuk until we entered an air conditioned restaurant nearby just to be rid of the pest of a man.

On one journey we thought we had negotiated and agreed to a THB20 fee to take us to a river boat station, but we were en route to another destination we had talked with the driver about earlier. He spoke with another driver en route, and asked us to get on this other tuk tuk and pay the other driver THB200. We got out, paid the first driver THB20 but refused to get on the other tuk tuk or to pay that to the other driver and started walking away. The first tuk tuk driver may not have been licensed to carry passengers, and my partner noticed police looking at us. We ended up taking a taxi and insisting that the fare be on the meter.

On another journey, this was the second tailor our tuk tuk driver had detoured us in hope that we would make a purchase so he'd get a card for a free tank of gas, a common practice here with tuk tuk drivers. We were going to a tailor anyways, but didn't know who would be a good tailor, otherwise this would have been even more annoying and unacceptable. Avoid taking a tuk tuk, or negotiate no other stops if this is a problem for you before agreeing to get on.

MRTA, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand is operational in Bangkok, with expansion projects ongoing. We visited and took a ride in this large, clean, air-conditioned system. You determine what the correct fare is for your single journey token, pay, the token is read, the gate opens for you to pass, the platform is glass sealed, the double doors open when the subway train is on the platform, and it opens its doors at the same time. At your destination, you insert your token at the gate and it is collected, the gate opens, and you exit the gate. You may also purchase a stored value ticket for an adult or child. We found the system being under utilized in the evening when we visited.

There are numerous sidewalk carts throughout the country, not just Bangkok, serving meals from THB 20 to 200, depending on the merchant, the food, and the location. The higher-end scale is aimed at foreigners with a taste for seafood. But for the local Thai, it's the low-end of the price around THB 20 to 30 that will satisfy the palate for a low cost. Most of the carts disappear by late at night. We had to look for one that looked a bit better stocked than most of the smaller vendor carts. We came across an alley with a couple of places that are really too big to move around on a cart easily, though it's still a sidewalk meal.

These two places that both offered seafood and prices up to THB 200. They both start on the high-end to a foreigner, hoping to get the most money. My partner was turned-off by this proposition from the first vendor of the high price, and left her. We looked around the area and went to the second large one, right across from the first one. She also started on the high-end, when my partner again balked at the price, she quickly and smartly flipped the other end of the English menu with prices around THB 30, which was what my partner had expected to pay for a sidewalk meal.

We sat down, ordered two dishes: a beef noodle soup and a chicken noodle dish dry, a large 750ml Chang beer, and enjoyed our meal. Surprisingly, this typical meal is filling and satisfying for the quantity provided in a typical Thai meal, given that an American usually consumes a much larger quantity of food in order to be satisfied, which also is why most Americans are obese and why the Thai are so thin (besides the overly uncomfortable hot climate). The Thais may have to eat more frequently, but I can adapt to this diet very easily... especially since it's so tasty, and as long as I have them leave out the hot spices and cilantro.

They typically have low overhead costs, the cart is mobile and can be moved, the vendor usually has their regular spot, and the tables and chairs are put down and taken up each night. The more successful you are the more tables you have and the bigger your cart, to offer more and higher priced items.

Chao Phraya River Express Boats are just one of several water transportation sources running along the river route providing a cheap alternative to the road traffic or Sky Train. Fares range from THB4 to 10. The standard express boat service 20 minute intervals is daily 6am to 6pm, special express boats Monday-Friday rush hours 6am to 9am, and 12pm to 7pm fare THB10.

Chao Phraya Tourist Boat service was started in 2003, THB75 for an all-day ticket for unlimited rides on the same day with limited stops only of interest to tourists. Sky Train Taksin Bridge station is right above the River Express Pier. Just hop onboard when the boat stops and find a seat if you can, the fare collectors will come by shaking their coin box asking for fares. You tell them your destination, they tell you how much the fare is to pay and a small thin paper receipt is issued as proof of payment. Avoid using this boat service during rush hours as it would be uncomfortably overcrowded.

Telephone: +66.0+2623.6001-3, +66.0.2225.3003
Fax: +66.0.2225.3002, +66.0.2623.6342