thailand :: bangkok :: general

[Tisswat]

I never understand why people go to Thailand and then skip out of Bangkok after a few days....BKK is one of the coolest,craziest cities in the world. Its intense sure, but thats the charm. I could spend weeks there. Beaches are nice, but I would rather spend a week in one of the world"s most happening cities, and then a weekend at the beach, rather than the other way round? Like flying to the US and spending a weekend in NY, before heading for a couple of weeks in San Diego!

Don't get me wrong - I love Bangkok. But don't forget that Thailand arguably has some of the best islands/beaches in the world. Comparing San Diego with Thailand's beaches is a bit ludacris in this sense if you ask me (no disrespect to San Diego).

[coinlockerbaby]

Yeah, Thailand has GREAT beaches. But still - there are good beaches in a lot of places. Thailand, Australia,Hawaii, Okinawa, the Mediterranean, the carribean, the pacific... Its really not that hard to find a nice beach.

But there is only ONE Bangkok, and its pretty unmissable, especially for superfuture urban types...

I totally get why people wanna hit the beaches. Me too, dude!! But I dont understand why the beach would be the only focus of your trip. Like I say - dont squash Bangkok into your "extra" days, give it the time it deserves. How many days do you really need to lie on a beach anyway?

[Tisswat]

Oh I could spend the rest of my life lying on a tropical beach - but I guess that's just me.

[Analyst]

It's pretty amazing. If I went back to that bar, I would definitely ask the talented lady how she accomplished the feat..It's the one trick that still sticks in my mind..

They should make a sequel to the Prestige and have it set in Patpong

[ericdw]

this chick in the show i saw put an egg up her snatch and then slammed her body against the floor several times and then took the egg out unbroken. the fine lady then put the egg back up there and shot it out, cracking it over the edge of a bowl on the floor.

also, i always thought the muay thai on the islands was just a big tourist trap, more of a show than a real fight. better off checking it out in bangkok.

[coinlockerbaby]

Really? I love the beach but after three, four days max Im ready to roll. Especially if Bangkok is calling. Its so crazy there:

Hangin with the Spanish/Israeli/German/Swedish/Korean/Canadian/Aussie/Brit hordes on Soi Rambuttri, reclining on couches in those open-air restaurants

Buying little voodoo-doll figures (you know the ones) and checkin out the dreadlocked hippies, Indian fortune tellers and 40 year old acid casualties on Khao San

Chatting with the monks at Wat Po, and getting a massage

Walking down crazy-tiny-Sampeng Lane market street to buy Hello Kitty pencil cases in the most claustrophobic alleyway known to man

Hangin with the beautiful party people at Koi or Bed, or in a cafe in Thonglor

Eating at a really good egyptian restaurant and smoking a hookah, while a call to prayer sounds from a mosque and a boy on the street corner is selling glowing-Satan horns, in "Little Arabia" Soi 3

The Godzilla statue on Soi Thaniya Japanese street

Dodgy African dudes at Pratunam

Boys in Silom Soi 2

Chatting to the funky designers selling their shit at JJ....

Mannnnn....I miss it

[brissyboy]

ooh nice I'm so excited!

I would love to spend more days in bangkok but don't have enough work leave. Atm I'm there for 3 days then to ko phi phi for another few then to ko pha ngan for the full moon party over new years then up north to Kanchanaburi to pat the tigers then up north to chang mai for few days and back to bangkok for another couple.

Is there anything I should do or shouldn't do? Was thinking about checking out the red-light district. Also, what's the best night to go to the bed supper club?

[simcoo]

For Bed Supperclub, I think most nights its House and Electronic Dance Music

except for tuesday(Not too sure) which is RnB. so it depends on your taste in Music.

You should try the dinner package at Bed. A good experience.

Nothing much in Kachanaburi imo, unless you're a history buff.

for Bkk, I would recommend Khao San road for sure. Amazing place. Eat from the carts on the road side. 20bht gets you a plate of phad thai. and for a total of less than 150bht, you get that plus dessert and even a drink.

if you wanna party, just take a taxi to RCA, thats where all the clubs are. alcohol is so cheap. rem to bring your passport.

I was told by a local to head to Entertainment Plaza if I was looking for a "Good" Time. supposedly you tell a cab driver that, he knows where to take you.

[coinlockerbaby]

Yeah - but Khao San Rd (or at least the area around it) should be experienced at least once. It may not be quite "your scene" but still...there is nowhere like it. Those party-hearty swarms of Eurotrash, the babel of all those languages, everyone in goddamned fishermans pants, the circus of fortunetellers and women selling those friggin wooden frogs... And its close to the Palace and the river which you definitely wanna check out...

I recommend thinking of BKK as two parts - both great, but distinct, with different strengths and qualiies. The "old Bangkok" is near the river and includes the palace, the hella-atmospheric Chinese and Indian districts , the canals around Thonburi and the Khao San backpacker ghetto. The only public transport here is boats and buses.

And then the "new half" (so to speak...) is around Siam/Sukhumvit with lots of shopping, nightlife and errrr..."new halfs" . The gay, Arab and Japanese neighborhoods are around here too as is the financial district, and the skytrain, as well the trashiest red light districts, the plushest malls and the toniest Thai nieghborhoods.

Its all good

Ideally, if you are gonna be in BKK twice (as the OP is) , try to stay in a different part of town each time and keep your activities fairly localized to avoid the cross-town trawl...

Just an idea...

[brissyboy]

Thinking about hooking up with a thai chick but have been warned against it. Anyone have any tips on actually getting a thai girl as opposed to a thai 'girl'

[brissyboy]

bahahahaah that's hilarious comments about the runny tummy and the lady boys. Can anyone recommend a good place to get a leather bag for work? Doesn't have to be brand name just something that's durrable?

[sybaritical]

Can't say I've ever found the attraction myself, but I know from observation that hooking up with Thai girls is like dynamite fishing - Simple and with guaranteed results, but equally unpredictable and dangerous.

[englandmj7]

Thinking about hooking up with a thai chick but have been warned against it. Anyone have any tips on actually getting a thai girl as opposed to a thai 'girl'

Yes. Hit on girls that AREN'T in the likes of Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza, Patpong, Soi Bang-La, or pretty much the entire town of Pattaya.

[englandmj7]

bahahahaah that's hilarious comments about the runny tummy and the lady boys. Can anyone recommend a good place to get a leather bag for work? Doesn't have to be brand name just something that's durrable?

Bangkok has tons of generic leather goods stores. Make sure to bargain.

Chaopraya Boots on Soi 4 is fairly well known. They custom make boots, belts, bags, etc.

[xcoldricex]

pattaya sucks. avoid.

[Guest supernoob]

is ladyboy population REALLY that big???

[poly800rock]

is ladyboy population REALLY that big???

don't pretend you don't know/

[englandmj7]

pattaya sucks. avoid.

Take it back. PARTS of Pattaya suck.

[brissyboy]

hehehe ok. Do any of you guys still go back regularly?

[brissyboy]

great thanks! Anything else you recommend buying in Thailand?

[englandmj7]

great thanks! Anything else you recommend buying in Thailand?

Definitely get a suit made. Tom's International in Bangkok is decent ONLY if you make sure to negotiate a reasonable price from them; all Thai tailors, no matter how honest/nice they are will always quote a higher price to start with. Somewhere under or around $300 for a nicer fabric and up to 3 fittings is what you should aim for.

Then there's always traditional silks/textiles for family gifts. By your mom a table runner or an evening wrap/sarong...............

[englandmj7]

hehehe ok. Do any of you guys still go back regularly?

Analyst lives in Thailand. I go once a year.

[sybaritical]

I'm back there for another study jaunt 2008/9 for sure.

Plu sall my thai fakes are going to be wrecked by then so I have to hit Chatuchak.

[englandmj7]

I'm back there for another study jaunt 2008/9 for sure.

What's the top transgender modelling school over there right now, anyway?

............just messing monkey..........

[poly800rock]

Definitely get a suit made. Tom's International in Bangkok is decent ONLY if you make sure to negotiate a reasonable price from them; all Thai tailors, no matter how honest/nice they are will always quote a higher price to start with. Somewhere under or around $300 for a nicer fabric and up to 3 fittings is what you should aim for.

Then there's always traditional silks/textiles for family gifts. By your mom a table runner or an evening wrap/sarong...............

i was just thinking about how retarded i was for not getting a suit made last year when i was there. Analyst even walked me by the shop that has made suits for all the ambassadors and shit. and now i just bought a shitty h&m suit.

[xcoldricex]

syb's reupping on his fake genitals from the back alley's of JJ.

[Analyst]

i was just thinking about how retarded i was for not getting a suit made last year when i was there. Analyst even walked me by the shop that has made suits for all the ambassadors and shit. and now i just bought a shitty h&m suit.

Oh yeah...we were actually on our way to grab a drink at Rainbow 2, before heading over to the Champagne Room. Good times!

The tailor you're referring to is Rajawongse, which is run by a father and son team. They have quite a reputation among the expat, private sector and intelligence communities (both in Thailand and in the US), as is evidenced by the pictures and letters from George Bush and the executive business cards on the dressing room walls: Secret Service, Dept of Homeland Security, Lufthansa, Deloitte, Google, United Airlines, etc. Victor also has an uncanny ability to remember everyone of his customers' names as soon as they walk in the door.

Their shirts are excellent and run around $25 a piece. Reams of fabric line the walls, so you just mark the reams you like with some chalk when buying shirts. Turnaround time is about a week.

They do a pretty good job on suits, too. Prices are about $350, which is slightly higher than most of the other tailors in Bangkok. I just gor a suit cut for my engagement and had to "firmly" reiterate several times about what I wanted done: working buttons, double vents, no cuffs, etc. Jesse, the dad, will usually be more likely to "tell" you what you should want, which comes from cutting suits for the last 20+ years. If you know what you want, be direct and specific from the beginning. Two fittings are standard.

[Analyst]

Bangkok has tons of generic leather goods stores. Make sure to bargain.

Chaopraya Boots on Soi 4 is fairly well known. They custom make boots, belts, bags, etc.

Damn, England. You got Bangkok wired!

[brissyboy]

k Toms it is then. I'm completely new when it comes to getting a tailored suit. Should I post in another thread or do u guys have some pointers? I've been told to get them to burn the fabric to test the authenticity? Would that even be necessary in Toms? It will be for work, so would it be better to get 2 or 3 button, single or double breasted? Cashmere or pure wool? I've noticed that some suits have different shaped lapels, should I take in a picture or will they have examples?

[Analyst]

Yes. Hit on girls that AREN'T in the likes of Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza, Patpong, Soi Bang-La, or pretty much the entire town of Pattaya.

It's gotten to the point where Patpong and Nana Plaza just isn't hardcore or sleazy enough anymore. One's tolerance definitely goes up the longer that you're here. Lines start turning into eightballs.

These days, Soi Cowboy is one of the few "legit" places that still has a pulse.

Anyone seen this blog before?

http://morallydiminished.blogspot.com

That's how I know that I've been here too long now. Sigh......