Bangkok, Thailand

1. Lobby, 2. Branches, red and yellow, 3. Tattered lanterns, 4. Wat Arun

Gavin and I went to Bangkok twice this year; the first time for New Year's Weekend and the second time nearly 12 months later for Christmas. So here is a 'lil Bangkok mini-guide, edited with updates from the latest trip and bumped up in the blog post roster.

At the beginning of '08, Bangkok was filled with festive spirit for the holidays, but some of the places we wanted to visit were closed or looked less active than usual. On the other hand, all the shops had great end-of-year sales, which on top of the already low Bangkok prices made shopping super affordable. We spent 4 days and 4 nights there and had a great time enjoying this intense and intriguing city. I felt we barely even scratched the surface.

At the end of '08, we spent another 4 days / 4 nights. Bangkok was just as we had remembered, but a little more quiet and subdued. The recent airport takeover and demonstrations, though largely finished, seem to have made tourists skittish. No worries though; we saw no protesters while we were there, and at no point did we feel threatened or unsafe. In fact, on a few occasions, random friendly locals came up to us to make sure we were finding our way properly (I guess standing on a street corner analyzing a map DOES make one look lost).

You can see photos from our first trip here and our second trip here.

We slept:
Metropolitan Hotel
Hip atmosphere and understated, elegant design. The breakfast, served in their acclaimed restaurant C'yan, is delicious.
Rates are $155 and up (at the time of this writing) and booking on their website seems to be a little cheaper than doing it through other travel portals. They're located on Sathorn Road, about a 10 minute walk from the Lumphini Subway station. Not all the cab drivers know it, so make sure to get a little directions card from the front desk. Check their packages; you might be able to take advantage of a free night offer, as we did, if you stay long enough. In Bangkok, there are a ton of accommodations for all budgets. For our future trips to Bangkok, Phranakorn Norlen Hotel and Baiyoke Boutique Hotel look like great mid-range finds while Ariyasom Villa and Seven Hotel are tempting luxury options.

We saw:
Wat Phra Kaew
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located on the grounds of the Grand Palace. Respectful attire (no shorts, jeans, miniskirts, overly revealing clothing or open-toed shoes) is necessary to enter.
Wat Pho
Wat Pho is the largest temple in Bangkok and houses a 46-meter long, gold-plated Reclining Buddha.
Wat Arun
Wat Arun is located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. It's impressive when seen up close because every inch is decorated with bits of seashells and porcelain shards that were previously the ballast in trading ships from China.
Wat Ratchanatdaram
The "Metal Palace" here is impressive with it's 37 pointy black spires.
Ayutthaya
This is a little bit further afield, about 1-1/2 hours by train, so it makes for a good day trip. Ayutthaya is a former capital of Thailand that was sacked by the Burmese in 1767. The temple ruins here are in various states of restoration and joined the roster of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1991.


1. Street corner, 2. Alleyway

We shopped:
VAT Refund & Tourist Discounts
Ok, we were kind of unprepared and didn't realize that we could have saved a few bucks until we were at the airport, leaving. But here's the low down. You can get a refund of the sales tax (7%) you paid if you spend at least 5,000 THB (about US $143) and the individual purchases are at least 2,000 THB (about US $57). But purchases must be made at places that display the 'VAT Refund for Tourists' sign (most malls and high-end stores) AND you need to get a form from each store (or mall) on the same day as purchase. You'll probably need to present your passport (or at least have your passport number ready) in order to get the form. Bring all the forms and receipts to the VAT Refund counter at the airport to get your moolah. More details here.
Sampeng Lane
It probably goes without saying that a VAT Refund doesn't apply here. If you're looking for all manner of wholesale made-in-China cutesy toys, both plastic and plush, head over to Sampeng Lane in Chinatown. Before you go, mentally prepare yourself. Take a deep breath, let go of whatever silly hang-ups you have about personal space, lose those bizarrely Western notions about walking in straight lines or getting to specific places in timely fashion, and plunge in. Get lost and go with the flow.
Pahurat Market
To quell my craft supply / fabric / sewing notions addiction, I dragged Gavin to the fabric stalls in Little India. As for navigating this crowded marketplace, the recommendations listed in the above paragraph also apply.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
If you go to one market at all in Bangkok, go to Chatuchak. It's HUGE. If you want to approach it in an organized fashion, you can attempt to use a map. Or you can just dive in and get lost in piles of clothes, electronics, pets, fabric, housewares, groceries and more... The clothing selection is more fashionable than you might expect; a lot of young Thai designers get their start here. The pets section might hold some surprises...
Siam Paragon
One of the newer and fancier malls in Bangkok, it has all the usual-suspect luxury brand names on the first floor. If you're into that sort of thing. Local Thai designers Flynow have a couture shop here which is a fun browse even if you're not looking to make a grand entrance at the Acadamy Awards à la Björk.
Siam Centre
Adjacent to Siam Discovery Centre (and connected by a hallway), Siam Centre has a range of Thai designers on their third floor: Greyhound, Flynow III, Senada and more...
MBK
Crowded and claustrophobic, MBK is where the locals get their shopping done. Here, and Harajuku-inspired Siam Square across the street, is where the cool kids hang these days. From what I hear.
Central World Plaza
Inside Central World Plaza is the design department store ZEN, which is sort of a whole bunch of stores inside a store. It's a great collection of cool design stuff, a lot of it by local Thai designers.
Gaysorn
Another fancy-pants mall. Mainly notable because I really loved Myth, a bizarre little collection of design and fashion goodies. Cloud 9 is cool too, but kinda pricey.
Playground!
A 2-story design shop featuring the work of various Thai designers. They have an art & design bookstore, cafe and restaurant inside too. [*EDIT: Regrettably, this cool store is now closed...]


1. Chair, pipes, 2. Painting

We ate:
Oh, Thai food, how I love thee... ^_^
I'll save this for the another post... There'll be a lotta pictures....

We got around:
On foot
It's hard to navigate Bangkok by foot. It's pretty spread out, the traffic doesn't stop, the air is dusty and hot. If only we could figure out the bus system... but we can't read Thai! Oh, and as for crossing street amidst never-ending traffic with nary a traffic light in sight? Shadow a local! On more than one occasion, friendly BKKers actually took pity and helped us cross the street!
By taxi
Not a bad way to see the city. Air conditioned, and cheap compared to other cities. Well worth it to not worry about getting run over by a crazy scooter... A lot of the drivers didn't speak much English, so if you can't speak Thai it might help to carry a map or directions to your destination written in Thai. Also, some taxi drivers, especially ones loitering around touristy spots, will insist there is some reason why they can't turn on their meter and try to negotiate a price with you. Unless you want to pay way more than necessary, get out and find another taxi.
Skytrain (BTS)
It's not an extensive public transport line, but a good way to get from point A to point B. You can buy a card for each trip from a vending machine. Also walking along the Skytrain walkway is a good way to get from mall to mall without having to brave crowds and traffic down on the street.
Subway (MRTA)
There are transfer points between the BTS and MRTA systems. But they are different systems, so you have to go all the way down (or up) the stairs and pay again. You can buy a single round-trip token from a vending machine. Like the BTS system, prices depend on how far you're traveling.
River Taxi
These make stops along the west and east banks of the Chao Phraya River. At first we thought this might be considered the "scenic route," but... well there's really nothing all that scenic to see. However, it does seem to be the most convenient way to get to certain points along the river. There are local, semi-local and express tourist boats. If you want to take the express boat to get to your destination faster, bear in mind that you might be subjected to the annoying banter of the boat guide....

We navigated:
Lonely Planet Maps
Sometimes their recommendations can be off, but their maps are always good. You can download just the maps using the Lonely Planet website's Pick & Mix feature.
Nancy Chandler's Maps
I keep hearing about Nancy Chandler's maps of Thailand, so I just might purchase the Bangkok one for our next visit to the BKK...