Anyone been to Bangkok?

[alkemyst]

She arrived yesterday, didn't realize Bangkok was 5.5 hours by jet from Seoul...that sucked for her to find out.

So far the 4 star hotel they have her at was nothing like the pictures on line. It's very dated inside and although the room is rather large, it's also rather dirty like most things she has encountered there so far. Even the temples and site-seeing areas are dirty she said.

She was surprised on how crowded and how cheap everything is and a lot of it is rather nice items (esp clothing).

The manners there would be considered rude here, but no one seems to mind and every acts similarly.

I wish I could have gone.

Anyone got any tips I can pass along to her?


Å

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Happened once when I walked through the door sideways with a boner

 

[George P Burdell]

I spent a few days in Bangkok in 2002, but I don't remember much about the city because I had way more fun in Pattaya and Phuket.

I guess you can start by gathering info off Wikitravel:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand
http://wikitravel.org/en/Bangkok

 

[Baked]

Don't drink the water, it's dirty and makes you pregnant.

 

[grrl]

I've never found the Thais to be rude.

 

[SagaLore]

Yes, was just there.

It was great. :thumbsup:

Tips... um... its really not that dirty. Stay in India for a few months, then go to Bangkok, and it will look pristine.

She's need to go the main mall that's in the middle of the city. Its HUGE and she'll never get through the whole thing. I forget which part of the mall it is, but there are several floors of art to look at. I liked that. There is a huge market she can go to where you walk around aimlessly for hours looking for cheap stuff. I wish I was good with remembering names of places, sorry I can't be more specific...

 

[venkman]

I was in Bangkok a little more than a month ago. Had a pretty decent time, they have some HUGE shopping mall with food courts bigger than a lot of American malls. This place had freaking Lambo and Aston Martin dealerships inside the mall. Plus, they have pizza in a cone.

PS Don't Eat from the street vendors and don't buy jewelry (it's pretty much all fake).

 

[venkman]

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Happened once when I walked through the door sideways with a boner

God damn you for beating me to the punch.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Yes, was just there.

It was great. :thumbsup:

Tips... um... its really not that dirty. Stay in India for a few months, then go to Bangkok, and it will look pristine.

She's need to go the main mall that's in the middle of the city. Its HUGE and she'll never get through the whole thing. I forget which part of the mall it is, but there are several floors of art to look at. I liked that. There is a huge market she can go to where you walk around aimlessly for hours looking for cheap stuff. I wish I was good with remembering names of places, sorry I can't be more specific...

the main mall is where she is opening...dirty is dirty though...much like saying because a 50 year old car is rusted straight through it's really 'mint' for it's age.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Yes, was just there.

It was great. :thumbsup:

Tips... um... its really not that dirty. Stay in India for a few months, then go to Bangkok, and it will look pristine.

She's need to go the main mall that's in the middle of the city. Its HUGE and she'll never get through the whole thing. I forget which part of the mall it is, but there are several floors of art to look at. I liked that. There is a huge market she can go to where you walk around aimlessly for hours looking for cheap stuff. I wish I was good with remembering names of places, sorry I can't be more specific...

the main mall is where she is opening...dirty is dirty though...much like saying because a 50 year old car is rusted straight through it's really 'mint' for it's age.

And your home is filthy according to German or Norwegian standards. Point is, you follow local customs and practice unless you are looking for a Darwin award. Different land, different customs, thought processes and, priorities.

You don't have to change the way you think, you just have to understand the way they think. I have always found the Thai people to be polite and hospitable. Is your wife Asian?

 

[Kaieye]

Careful paying for food. Ask first what the price is and then pay cash. Do not use credit cards especially ordering a bowl of noodles or you might get charged $50US for it. I know because it happened to someone I know personally.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Yes, was just there.

It was great. :thumbsup:

Tips... um... its really not that dirty. Stay in India for a few months, then go to Bangkok, and it will look pristine.

She's need to go the main mall that's in the middle of the city. Its HUGE and she'll never get through the whole thing. I forget which part of the mall it is, but there are several floors of art to look at. I liked that. There is a huge market she can go to where you walk around aimlessly for hours looking for cheap stuff. I wish I was good with remembering names of places, sorry I can't be more specific...

the main mall is where she is opening...dirty is dirty though...much like saying because a 50 year old car is rusted straight through it's really 'mint' for it's age.

And your home is filthy according to German or Norwegian standards. Point is, you follow local customs and practice unless you are looking for a Darwin award. Different land, different customs, thought processes and, priorities.

You don't have to change the way you think, you just have to understand the way they think. I have always found the Thai people to be polite and hospitable. Is your wife Asian?

my wife is a Japanese citizen.

Also your conclusion that my home must be filthy is absurd. What basis do you have?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Yes, was just there.

It was great. :thumbsup:

Tips... um... its really not that dirty. Stay in India for a few months, then go to Bangkok, and it will look pristine.

She's need to go the main mall that's in the middle of the city. Its HUGE and she'll never get through the whole thing. I forget which part of the mall it is, but there are several floors of art to look at. I liked that. There is a huge market she can go to where you walk around aimlessly for hours looking for cheap stuff. I wish I was good with remembering names of places, sorry I can't be more specific...

the main mall is where she is opening...dirty is dirty though...much like saying because a 50 year old car is rusted straight through it's really 'mint' for it's age.

And your home is filthy according to German or Norwegian standards. Point is, you follow local customs and practice unless you are looking for a Darwin award. Different land, different customs, thought processes and, priorities.

You don't have to change the way you think, you just have to understand the way they think. I have always found the Thai people to be polite and hospitable. Is your wife Asian?

my wife is a Japanese citizen.

The Thai don't like other Asian peoples. something to do with being screwed by every other Asian country they've come into contact with. That may account for the perceived "rude" behavior.

Also your conclusion that my home must be filthy is absurd. What basis do you have?

I said, "your home is filthy according to German or Norwegian standards." I base this on the fact that you live in the U.S. The point is the general outlook/perception of people is different around the world. There is no standard for cleanliness or anything else in the world and there are perfectly good reasons for what works in another country, not working 'here' wherever here is.

 

[RU482]

I once heard that...
"...One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster..."

huh huh...clam

 

[lupi]

Tell her not to play smiles.

 

[Cabages]

Love Thailand.

Especially Phuket.

 

[andylawcc]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Yes, was just there.

It was great. :thumbsup:

Tips... um... its really not that dirty. Stay in India for a few months, then go to Bangkok, and it will look pristine.

She's need to go the main mall that's in the middle of the city. Its HUGE and she'll never get through the whole thing. I forget which part of the mall it is, but there are several floors of art to look at. I liked that. There is a huge market she can go to where you walk around aimlessly for hours looking for cheap stuff. I wish I was good with remembering names of places, sorry I can't be more specific...

the main mall is probably Ma Boon Kong (MBK), it's more of a bargain type mall with literally everything available for sale (electronics, cell phones, pirated games, clothes, jewelry, food court). Next to MBK is the Siam Square and Siam Center, not as large but a bit nicer; then, moving along westward and 5 minute walk away is the Paragon Center which is the real high class (or Hi So as thai ppl call it [hi so = hi society]) place to be. All the aforementioned are located in the heart of city, and can be reach by MRT (the sky train) and get off at the center, main station (Siam Square I think).

for me, it's perfectly okay to eat from street vendors. If it seems too much to bare with, check out the food court in either MBK or Paragon. They serve ALL type of thai food you can imagine.

 

[meltdown75]

South Korea's got Seoul.

 

[ElFenix]

MBK is pretty huge. damn near anything you might want to buy is sold there.

don't drink beer chang. drink singha (pronounced sing). beer chang can give you bangkok belly.

street vendors are fine as long as they're cooking stuff fresh. the street vendors in the backpacker district are probably cleaner than the restaurants there.

tuk tuk drivers will rip you off asap.

 

[BladeVenom]

If she's looking for a dominatrix try Chateau Jade.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
I said, "your home is filthy according to German or Norwegian standards." I base this on the fact that you live in the U.S. The point is the general outlook/perception of people is different around the world. There is no standard for cleanliness or anything else in the world and there are perfectly good reasons for what works in another country, not working 'here' wherever here is.

And with that assumption you'd be wrong. I was not looking at a lesson in the mores and cultures of a society, son.

Like I had said, although to my wife and her friends they seemed rude...everyone acted that way and no-one was bothered. My wife accepted this just fine.

This is not the first country outside the US or Japan she has been too.

 

[wwswimming]

Originally posted by: venkman

that's what i was going to say !

 

[God Mode]

find out where tung po trains

 

[alkemyst]

I would avoid this hotel even though it looks nice and reports a 4 diamond rating: http://www.baiyokehotel.com/ it was very old inside and had bugs in all five rooms they had reserved.

She's moved to http://www.granddiamondbkk.com/ which is much nicer, only a little more money a night and very proximal to eateries and stores. Has a variety of breakfast buffet selections from westerner food to sushi and miso. It's very clean as well.