Hi guys,
Long time no sign of life from me, time for an update, before you think I died somewhere in SEA.
I flew from Georgetown in Penang to Bangkok in Thailand on the 17 May 2007. The flight only took 1 hour, and cost me no more than RM 150, roughly AUD/CHF 50.-. It is soooo cheap! I flew with Air Asia, which seems to be a well reknowned low-cost carrier flying to almost all destinations here in SEA. The only thing that might get you into trouble is that the airlines 'only' allows 15kg of checked-in baggage, and one piece of handluggage weighing no more than 7kg (latter does not get weighed when you check-in...or at least hasn't in my case, and I already flew with them twice at the time of writing this article).
And honestly, whoever travels with more than 14kg in a backpack is tortureing themsleves unnecessarily anyway...if you do, it may be time to go to a post office and send these unnecessary items such as hairdryer, umbrella etc. home (don't laugh I've seen people travelling with it...).
I stayed at the Vietai Hotel in Bangkok near Ko San Road the first 3 nights. Third night was cheaper of course as I was able to negotiate the price for the nights I hadn't booked ahead of my arrival. I guess it always pays out to go to a hotel directly and negotiate the price rather than booking through the internet. Rooms were ok and not that expensive.
However have to say that Ko San Road is probably not everyone's bag. It really is BACKPACKER alley. The street is lined with tourist shops and market stalls selling everything from clothes, jewellery and food to CDs, DVDs and souvenirs - for double the price, and none of the restaurants you find there serves authentic Thai food...it's all 'westernised'...i.e. you can order burgers and fries, and potato salad and all that crap.
As if I wanted to eat what I get at home while I'm travelling in South East Asia...pffff....oh well, I guess some (or maybe a lot) of other tourists do...
Tuk tuk and taxi drivers are also abundant and can be a total rip off:
Taxis
If you arrive at Bangkok airport, ignore all the folks approaching you as soon as you walk through the arrival hall, trying to get a taxi ride for a pre-set price. What they offer you is surely far above what the journey is worth...
Thanks god I knew, so went straight to level 1 where there is an 'official' taxi stand outside. You tell the woman/guy at the counter where you want to go, and they will write the destination down in Thai for the taxi driver and order you to follow one of their drivers (note, all streets have a name in English and one in Thai, and many taxi drivers speak hardly any English at all, so it pays off to grab a card from the hotel you are staying at, just to make sure you get home quickly if you want to).
But even at the official taxi stand you have to be careful, as most taxi drivers will try to drive off without turning the meter on. You have to be VERY persistent, and threaten them to get out again if they won't turn it on.
The trip from the airport into town (Chinatown, Ko San Road etc. - it's all pretty close) costs between THB 220 and 300, depending on the traffic and what time of the day you are travelling. Also, if you take the express highway, be prepared to have change ready for the toll which you are expected to pay, twice that is, totalling arround THB 65. On the way from the airport into town, the driver will add THB 50 to whatever is on the meter, and that seems to be the norm and legitimate, however you don't need to pay it if you go the other way round.
I did the trip from and to the airport 3 times (when I flew in, another time to pick up Andy, and a third time when we went to the domestic terminal to go the Southern Islands in the Gulf of Siam)...And I'm not joking if I tell you that there was a taxi driver offering to take us to the airport for as much as THB 1000...
Most taxi rides in town are between THB 50 - 70 (standard fee is THB 35 when you get in).
Tuk Tuk Drivers
Tuk Tuk drivers are another breed of it's own...Never ever pay more than THB 50-60 to go anywhere in town. Many of them try to charge you over THB 100, even for short trips, so negotiate beforehand.
Also be ware of tuk tuk drivers offering trips for as cheap as THB 10 or 20, as this will definitely include at least one or two 'stops' at either a tourist office (you won't get information for free, only if you intend to or pretend that you want to book a tour with them), tailor shop (which of course has a special promotion on the day you arrive, and it's only on that day...but everyday 'only today'...:-)) etc.. The driver will get a gasoline voucher from the place...and you lose time and maybe money.
Having said all that, I still think you should get a tuk tuk at least once while you're in Bangkok. The driving style is hillarious and will almost certainly get your heart pumping within seconds... It really is an experience! And if you do have time to spare on a lazy day and don't mind the heat and fumes, hiring a tuk tuk to take you around town for a morning or afternoon is actually a nice way of observing the street life and viewing the city.
What pissed me off was that most drivers don't tell you about the stops. I have no issues with the ones that are honest, at least then I can decide whether or not I have the time and patience to have a look at a few places (you only need to spend 5 mins at the place where the driver takes you, and are not obliged to buy or book anything)...and get a cheap and exciting journey in return.
I used tuk tuks a few times, especially at the beginning of the trip, but later on preferred 'METERED' taxis (again, you have to tell the taxi driver that you want him to use his meter before you get in, otherwise you will end up having an argument for sure).
I think taxis are generally quicker, safer, cheaper and more comfortable, especially in this heat...i.e. no fumes and the luxury of air-conditioning...
Eating and Drinking
As already mentioned, I wasn't particulary fond of the eateries on and around Ko San Road, but there's one place I can recommend, a bar called 'Gazebo's' which has a good atmosphere and life bands that play every night (they are good). Don't miss out on trying the 'waterpipe' if you go there...apple is really nice.
Other than that, we preferred eating at hawkerstalls which, just like in Malaysia, do the best food for the cheapest price. Chinatown has absolutely delicious seafood - don't be turned off by the dirty looking hawker places, the food and price make up for it big time!
Also, you have to go to the food court on the ground level of SIAM center if you get the chance. Meals are venomenal and there is so much to choose from. You get a 'food card' when you enter some of the corners in that food court which always consist of several food stalls, and you can order small meals from all these different stalls, get it charged to your 'food card' and then pay at the end at the 'check-out' counter.
Also, there is an absolutely venomenal gourmet supermarket on the groundfloor. There's nothing you can't get here, from fruit over vegis to meat and pastries to the most strangely coloured rice (blue, purple, green...). Many of the little food stalls within that supermarket offer samples of what they are selling. Andy and I spent a couple of hours in the place wandering around and trying stuff, and had absolutely no room left in our tummies for more afterwards.
Shopping
There's quite a few really good shopping centers near SIAM square. We went to MBK which I really liked, and if you need electronic items go to Pantib Plaza. Even if you think you don't need anything, you can be sure not to walk out empty-handed.
I bought a wireless mouse, a laptop cooler stand, a wireless travel headset and a new mobile phone (the new Ericsson K810i - thanks to Andy - and I'm really proud of it - if only I could get MMS to work here in Vietnam, then I could make you really jealous!).
Oh yes, and before I forget, the price for almost everything you buy can be bargained, even in some of the shopping malls. For the goods sold in market stalls it's a must, and don't be shy to drop the price to under 50% of what the seller wants when you start negotiating - this way you may get the article for half the price in the end...
Sightseeing
We went and had a look at the grand place and some of the big budda statues which are spread all over town on one day (hired a tuk tuk driver for THB 40 and he drove us from place to place, and patiently waited outside everytime until we had enough and were ready to move on to the next place - needless to say the journey included 2 stops:-)).
Another day we decided to wander around in some of the more local areas of Bangkok, and had a look at resedential houses and local markets, a chit-chat here and there with a hawker, then caught a ferry ride down the river for a different view of the city.
We also went up to level 81/2 (can't remember) of the highest tower in Bangkok which is also a hotel, I can't remember the name. Admission includes one cocktail and the views are breath taking.
There's quite a lot to see, but with time limited we just couldn't fit more in...
