Blogs from Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 711

Grand palace attempt 1- The appointment of the Deputy Prime Minister & Public Health Minister meant the Palace was genuinely closed in the morning & not just closed because some tuk-tuk driver is after a quick buck. We walked through the outskirts of Chinatown down cloth-sellers' street, Buddha-sellers' street and the dual purpose guitar & typewriter shopping street (correlation? adept with hands..no real idea). I have no idea how one can select which retailer to go to- I must point out, that all wares seemed identical. On our return, we detoured past the giant swing- doesn't every capital need one? Apparently it was used by the Emperor for specific ceremonies. We also past the impressive democracy monument- surrounded by several lanes of honking traffic acting rather undemocratically really. Dinner was at the fabulous Tuptims which became ... read more

I arrived in Bangkok yesterday afternoon after bidding farewell to the friendly city of Chiang Mai in the north. Bangkok is a bit crazy. It's hot, humid, busy, smoggy, huge, and impossible to navigate by foot. Right after dropping my stuff off at my guest house, I walked to the nearby road where I was greeted by a friendly tuk-tuk (pronounced took took) driver. Now for a quick introduction to tuk-tuk's. These are the small beasts that roam the streets of the large cities of Thailand. Part motorcycle, Part car, Totally Thai. These three wheeled machine are powered by small (80 or 150cc) motorcycle engines, and have two compartments- one for the driver, and the other for the passenger. It operates like a motorcycle except for a stick shift that sits between the drivers legs (which ... read more

The trip back to Bangkok was very efficient and comfortable. I caught the "fast" catamaran from the island back to the mainland and from there was herded onto a large, air conditioned bus. I was able to lay down on the area under the television and catch a few "zzz" before we hit Bangkok 8 hours later (8pm). Having been here before was helpful in that I new a good guest house on Rambuttri (Rambuttri Villiage Inn). It is a bit expensive at $11 per day but I get hot water! I have not had hot water for over two weeks. It is amazing the little things you miss. I stood in the show for about an hour letting the hot water fall on me and smiling/laughing. I met up with my friend Tamar (we met ... read more

After a long day of exploring the wonders of Thailand, it is quite natural for the traveler to sit down in a nice bar and have a drink. The second day of my Thai adventure was no exception to this behavior. Now, despite the popularity of Thailand among Westerners, as a European you quite stand out from the local crowd. For whatever reason - for your good looks, for your wallet, for your charisma, for your fertility - you attract attention from the locals. Walking past a bar in certain areas result in unison “Welcome!!!” from a number of girls sitting in the bar. Usually it is a handful of young women sitting in the bar who when they see a potential guest drop everything at hand, smile, and produce this one word in a loud ... read more

Khao San Road - Bankok Flew from Kathmandu to Bankok (superb views of the Himalayas when leaving Kathmandu from the left side of the plane!). Absolutely stinking hot in Bankok. Stayed on Khao San Road (thankfully we were able to eventually find a room that didn't look like a prison cell, wasn't bug infested and didn't smell like marijuana. At 10.30 pm when we arrived the street was swarming with people, food vendours and people selling fake ID's/degrees etc. (anything you requested really!). It was a little disturbing to see a Victorian heavy vehicle drivers licence pinned to their sample board! Lots of people drinking cocktails (from small buckets!). There was certainly lots of good people watching to be done when you combine all these things. Great phad thai noodles (20 bhat a plate or 70cents) ... read more