Life in Bangkok

Bangkok is an "in your face" type of city. It's a place that melds all the sins and pleasures of life. It's a place for which I was given both recommendations and warnings. I had decided it was a love-it-or-hate-it type of place, and I fell flatly into the love-it category. The sights, sounds, cuisine, and people are unparalleled. I will go into further detail throughout this journal.

Quick Tips:

Most people spend just a few days in Bangkok on their way to other destinations in either Thailand or throughout Asia. It's a place you can certainly spend more time in, exploring the streets and sights of this wondrous city.

For quick tips and event listings, there are many websites that detail such information. Some include www.bangkoktonight.com and www.mangosauce.com.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are a variety of ways to explore Bangkok. The quickest means of travel is to take the SkyTrain (BTS) if your destination is along that route. There is also a new subway that extends that network and can be caught at the Asok BTS stop or other stops around the city. The tuk-tuks are the famous three-wheeled carts that shuttle tourists around the city. They are expensive but should be experienced at least once. The taxis are another convenient way around the city. There are two tips for taxis - the first is that you should always take a taxi that is metered (simply say "meter" when you get in and promptly get out if they disagree). If the meter is not turned on or the driver tries to negotiate a price, you will be overcharged. The second tip is not to take a taxi during rush hour if it can be avoided. Traffic in Bangkok (BKK) is horrendous! The final method of transportation is on the taxi motorcycles. It is certainly a hair-raising but incredible experience. They are dangerous, so be sure to wear a helmet.

After having spent 3 months in Bangkok, I had a craving for a nice steak. Although steaks aren't a cuisine generally thought about when in Thailand, I had to see what it was all about.

I was incredibly excited for the meal, as I hadn't had a fine dining experience yet in Thailand. The entire ambience of New York Steakhouse was indeed high-quality. The drinks were excellent (I had a martini). The food, on the other hand, left a bit to be desired.

I had the filet, which was cooked a little too much for my liking. My date had the salmon. The salmon was excellent, but not why I went there. Now, more about the steak. The food was certainly not on par with high-quality steak meals in the U.S. or Japan. In the end, I was disappointed with the steak. I'm not sure there is a better steak place in Bangkok, but I will definitely second-guess going for steak again in Thailand or elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

I loved the MBK food court. It's an area on the sixth floor of the MBK center (Siam BTS stop). It is a food court area with about 20 restaurants that serve mostly Thai food, although they do have Indian and Japanese as well. There is a wide variety of dishes to sample from. You need to purchase coupons when you enter and use them to purchase your food. It's a great place to go day in and day out to sample a wide variety of Thai food. The quality of food is excellent for the price. Don't expect to pay more than $2 for your meal. I must have gone at least three times a week. You can also get all of your shopping in at MBK.

It takes a bit of courage to eat from these vendors, but they are a step up from the street vendors.

Almost everyone has heard of the full moon party, whether they’ve been to Thailand or not. I certainly had, and when I learned I was going to Thailand, there was no doubt I would stop by for a raucous evening of drinking and debauchery.

I have been several times now, and there’s certainly no time like the first one. It was incredible. We arrived in the early evening, as night was beginning to fall. Hordes of people were streaming from the ferry boat that arrived with us from Koh Samui. We snaked our way down to the beach (Haad Rin, I believe), following everyone in front of us. We passed a great deal of shops and restaurants selling these incredible buckets of booze. They are essentially a bucket of ice with a pint of various liquors and mixers. You’ll hear it quite a bit throughout the night, but the phrase, "go get me a bucket", means to grab one of those. Vodka and Red Bull was a popular and cheap bucket, which generally ran 150 baht. I stuck with the rum and Coke for about 250 baht/bucket.

The beach was lined with numerous clubs and bars that stretched from their establishment out onto the beach. There were giant disco balls, laser shows, and light beams stretching as far as the eye can see. It was essentially a giant rave. There were fire shows that were put on and jugglers running around, and about 10,000 other people enjoying the festivities along with you. It was a truly memorable experience and one that I have had several more times after that first experience.

I’d recommend making your way down to Koh Phangan if you have time while in Thailand. And I’d recommend staying on Koh Samui (a 20-minute ferry) – it’s a bigger island with more to do than on Phangan. But that’s all up to you.