Bangkok
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You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
Going to Bangkok next week and will be spending 8 days there with absolutely no plans. I've never been to Thailand before and the stuff on TripAdvisor looks a bit dull. I'm really interested in seeing more than just shopping malls and weird touristy temples. A day trip to somewhere interesting would be great.
Any recommendations?
There used to be some companies doing raft-trips on the Kwai, out of Bangkok. Maybe Google around. My memory is that some were expensive and some were not. This has been more than a few years back...
Thai pocky, by the way, is hugely inferior to Japanese pocky. Chocolate is amazingly flavorless.
>>1106348
A day trip to the old capital of Ayutthaya might be interesting--can do it by boat, and the boat trip is enjoyable by itself. The fancy one day tour from the Oriental Hotel (worth having a drink in, if you want to pretend to be Somerset Maugham) is the plushest, but there are dozens of operators with similar offerings.
You might also consider a day trip to Lopburi, another old capital that is now most famous for being completely overrun with monkeys.
There's Chanthaburi, where some of the River Khwae is; the province is also home to renowned tourist trap the Tiger Temple, but, hey, tigers! I find Chanthaburi a little far without overnighting, but it is possible to get there and back in a day.
All that said, you may be surprised by Bangkok. It doesn't make a great first impression (weather, air quality, and traffic are all pretty intense), but it's an undeniably vibrant city of more than eight million people. Has a lot beyond malls and temples.
Forensic Sciences Museum in Siriraj Hospital offers the country's best collection of preserved body parts.
There are some nice places to eat, drink, and look at stuff along Thanon Phra Athit, in Banglamphu, just around the corner from backpacker ghetto Khao San Road, but far less disgusting.
But what are you into, exactly?
>>1106365
>Chanthaburi
sorry, meant Kanchanaburi.
Been to bankok a couple of times, 8 days is too long imo. You should fly to the south or something for a couple days if possible.
>>1106348
Muay Thai fights
>>1106348
Have some Pad Thai while you're there.
>>1106890
Why south? He should go to north, Chiang Mai for example.
>>1106348
Hijacking this thread, going to bangkok as well next week for two weeks.
Any advice on what to take with me?
Luggage, backpack or suitcase?
Any advice of what to avoid, etc?
What wardrobe is the best for thailand in may?
>>1107577
>What wardrobe is the best for thailand in may?
May is, unsurprisingly, very hot (although April is even hotter). But most Thai adult men don't wear shorts in public, so if you want to look polite (much appreciated by locals), light slacks are your best bet. T-shirts (with sleeves; no singlets/tanks) are fine.
>>1107592
>May is, unsurprisingly, very hot (although April is even hotter). But most Thai adult men don't wear shorts in public, so if you want to look polite (much appreciated by locals), light slacks are your best bet. T-shirts (with sleeves; no singlets/tanks) are fine.
Thanks. Basically the dresscode I already used in japan.
For some reason I feel really dumb in "stupid western tourist" clothing with cargo shorts and sandals.
Ghost tower? Never been but sounds interesting.
You only need 3-4 days in Bangkok max, the city is shit and way too packed.
Jeans are too hot for a foreigner in Bangkok in April/May just wear your shorts and dont try too hard cause everyone can see your sweat stains
Check out Pattaya which is like a 1,5 hour ride from Bangkok by cab, Pattaya's nightlife is booming (Walking street and whatnot)
Interesting thing to do in Bangkok is get a tuktuk driver to drive you around the city for a "shopping tour" basically what they do is pay tuktuk drivers gasmoney for every customer they get to the shop. So if you just make a deal with the driver he'll show you a few shops and then you leave without buying anything. He gets his gasmoney you get a free tour of the city. Double profit!!! If you give the driver some food/drinks he'll be more than happy to show you the cooler spots in the city.
If its rush hour take a motorcycle cab, they can lane split and get you to your destination in no time.
Alot of the drivers will want to take you to shock 93 which is ABSOLUTE shit, youre better off at Sukhumvit Soi 11 which has alot more better clubs. If i remember correctly i went to a club called Levels. While waiting in the queue 4 guys approached us and told us if we came inside with them they'd give us a free bottle of vodka. Shit was so cash, i had one of the best nights of my life that night in Bangkok.
As for what to pack, only take your underwear and towels with you. You can buy EVERYTHING very cheap in the city. Just remember to haggle at shops you can olmost everytime get a 30% off most items. Bangkok is great for shopping, i'd start off with MBK Center. MBK Center is a big shopping center that's easily accesible by metro, so no need for cabs or whatever. They have restaurants and everything inside the shopping center. might have a muay thai fight going on outside which is free to watch.
I didn't really like Backpackers Heaven (Khao San Road). It was decent but nothing booming. Walking Street in Pattaya is way more fun.
Here's a pic outside of MBK Center with a muay thai fight going on
>spending more than two days in Bangkok
hoo boy
>>1106348
go to Khao San Road and live the meme life xd xd
>>1107577
Expect rain, no?
>>1107753
>Expect rain, no?
Probably not a ton, but showers are likely.
>>1106348
Have spent about 7 weeks in Thailand and I think 8 days is too long to spend in Bangkok. It can be too loud, dirty and busy. Maybe just do some of the more attractive options in city like the Grand Palace. The rest of the country has a lot more to offer and you wont regret leaving Bangkok to see it. When I go back to Thailand I wont be spending too much time in Bangkok.
>>1106348
May 5th - 9th is a long break for locals, so plan your trip carefully. especially the 9th, Bangkok will be very crowded at Sanam Luang (next to KhaoSan road)
>>1108040
>The rest of the country has a lot more to offer and you wont regret leaving Bangkok to see it.
This is arguably true; I spent many years in Thailand, living primarily in smaller cities upcountry, and frankly didn't really like Bangkok much until I came to know other parts of the country. I love it now, but there's no denying that it's hot, loud, smoggy, crowded, and sort of a hassle in many ways, and as I said above, it doesn't make the greatest first impression.
It is intensely Thai, but it's also the only place like it in Thailand--none of the other bigger cities are even a tenth its size, or very similar at all. So I often recommend that people see other parts of the country before they spend time in BKK, perhaps to be left feeling better about Thailand overall. Since nearly everyone is both flying into and out of Suvarnabhumi, there's no reason not to do Bangkok at the end of the trip rather than the beginning.
But if you're a megacity enthusiast, there is more than enough in Bangkok to keep exploring for weeks if not months. I lived there for a little more than a year, and have made many visits back since repatriating, and still feel like I only know small parts of the city really well.
>>1107563
he could make a road trip via Bus on the way up hitting Ayutthaya and Sukothai as well.
Meh I live here so if anyone is curious just ask. I do agree that 8 days is too long for just a visit but that would go for literally any city in the world. There's a lot of places that most tourists don't check out though, and it has some of the best night life in the world.
>>1108301
>eight days way too much for any city
NYC
Just go south or north, depending on what you want. South for beaches and parties, north for nature/hiking etc
I've spent about 8 weeksn in Thailand and I'm going back in a week, the only day I'll be spending in Bangkok is the day before my flight.
>>1107721
>"shopping tour" basically what they do is pay tuktuk drivers gasmoney for every customer they get to the shop. So if you just make a deal with the driver he'll show you a few shops and then you leave without buying anything
had to do this to get back to my hotel with the worst hangover of my life. Never again (only had 100 baht or something)
>Levels.
yeah this club is great
I honestly hate Levels. But I would rather be in Warm Up or hell, Differ in CM listening to big ass and silly fool.
>>1108301
nightlife recs? travelling with gf so want more fun, less prozzys.
>>1108721
Share a ladyboy.
I have 30 days in Thailand. I want to see awesome natural things, see cultural shit, laze on the beach, party like a degenerate, and fuck hot bitches.
Where should I go and what should I do? So far I'm interested in BKK, Chiang Mai, island hopping, and Phuket/Krabi
>>1107577
the pad thai on she corner is delicious and cheap, but you WILL SHIT immediately after eating it
Its hot as fuck there. Bring only the lightest clothes you have.
Why would you want to go to Thailand now? Ive been many times, and each time it's obvious that the locals dislike tourist there more and more.
If they aren't trying to cheat you out of your money (they feel like it's their obvious right to cheat wealthier foreigners out of their money), then they just show outright distain for you. Worse, they might just beat the shit out you or rape and kill you. Place isn't beautiful anymore, go to Malaysia. Dirty old pedophiles, and stupid drunken backpackers have ruin it.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/29/son-beaten-british-family-never-return-thailand
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3548170/Horrific-rapes-brutal-murders-corrupt-police-holiday-isle-paradise-Koh-Tao-worst-nightmare-backpacking-youngster-s-parent.html
>>1109190
Reckon there would be animosity if I'm traveling throughout Thailand with my Thai girlfriend (met her in the West).
Or would it make my travels a lot easier, obviously it would be harder to rip me off if I'm with someone who grew up there and speaks fluent Thai...
>>1109198
I don't think they'd rip off one of their own, but I'm sure you'll get some stink eye from the locals...
>>1109198
I don't think they'd rip off one of their own, but I'm sure you'll get some stink eye from the locals...
>>1109190
This. Thailand a shit. Philippines is better in every way.
Speak English. Better beaches. Better nightlife. Money guys further. And I don't know how this is even possible but the women are easier to bang. Oh, and as long as you stay out of Mindanao it's very unlikely you'll be murdered.
>>1109166
1 week in BKK - big city cultural shit, street food, night clubs and bitches
1 week in the north - rural cultural shit and natural thing
1 week in the south - Krabi is great for natural and shit, Phuket is for sex and islands are for parties, drugs and sex.
the last week you can stay in the south.
>>1109202
>I don't think they'd rip off one of their own
Something tells me they probably would, Asian peoples aren't exactly known for their selflessness.
>>1108387
>case in point NYC is a shithole
That what you meant goof?
>>1109209
I gotta somewhat agree...only Asians that give a damn about respect are the Koreans and Japanese. Everyone else is all about the $$$.
>>1109215
Ehhh, Thais have the "I have $$$, so you better give me respect" mentality.
>>1109190
Almost 7 years of living there and I never had a problem. That might be because I didn't feel like it was a playground where l can do whatever I want without reciprocity... Manuly times shitheads get
What they deserve.
>>1109198
She is with you, thus they expect you to be able to afford more. Don't be upset if she handles things alone or without you.
And honestly, more responsibility falls on you not to dress like a backpacker etc. If you dress respectable 90% will,view you as a legit couple, the other 10% are too dumb from their glue huffing and yaabaa use between taxi fares.
>>1109395
>more responsibility falls on you not to dress like a backpacker etc
How do I do this?
>>1109422
Are you serious right now?
>>1109198
>Reckon there would be animosity if I'm traveling throughout Thailand with my Thai girlfriend (met her in the West).
I know a lot of Thai women married to foreigners, and most of them complain that people (shopkeepers, restaurant owners, etc) are rude as hell to them when traveling with their husbands. They assume they're prostitutes, and Thai people who don't make money off the industry mostly treat real and suspected hookers like shit. You might not notice, but she will.
That said, it depends a bit on where you are--when I went out with my local GF in Khon Kaen when I lived there, we got very little of that, because there are hardly any sex tourists, or really, tourists of any stripe, in Khon Kaen. This was a long time ago, but there weren't even many expats there back then--I passed a lot of days without seeing another foreigner.
Phuket, worth hitting up? Assume I'm not a "real traveler" and like having fun on beaches.
>>1110227
Phuket beaches are second tier
but the good part is there's a city and you can have night fun easily, rent a bike and drive through the island, etc.
>>1106348
Get on Tinder and ask every girl you match with (it will be hundreds) to show you around the "cool" parts of bangkok.
>>1110227
If you're not a "Real Traveler" you will probably like phuket. Go to some of the smaller islands
>>1106348
Bangkok is great for that long if you don't mind doing nothing in particular. just go to random parts of the city. Make sure you take the cheapest river taxi. it's really nice and relaxing. Get a massage but outside of the tourist area. not for sex. a legitimate thai massage is amazing. Going to Khaosan is fucking stupid but kind of funny to go to if you're bored and it's late. Try to make some friends with Thai girls and ask them for spots that only Thais go to.
Anywhere to get kratom in bangkok without having to go to a drug dealer?
>>1109422
Dress well. Shave.
>>1110310
>Anywhere to get kratom in bangkok without having to go to a drug dealer?
Doubtful. It's illegal there, as you probably know, and kratom consumption isn't really a cultural phenomenon in urban or central Thailand--it's more common in rural areas further south.
Has anyone done the flight of the gibbon zipline stuff?
Do you have enough time to do everything?
>>1106348
i know a bitch down in BKK,
is ur ass good looking?
>>1109777
I live in Hat Yai and I rarely see anyone give us a dirty look. Usually most people are quite friendly toward my fiance and I. But like Kohn Kaen, not a lot of tourist or sex tourists. Plus now that's she's almost 8 months pregnant people are just always smiling and wanting to touch her belly.
When we lived in Chiang Mai it kinda sucked. My landlord called her a hooker to her face one morning. In reality she was a virgin, hard working good girl. But they see a foreigner with them and they assume hooker immediately. I feel more offended for her than she actually is.
How much english to the girls / organisers at the massage parlours know?
Is it easy to make your wishes known without resorting to gaijin smash?
Check out whorist.com, offers an experienced guide
>>1108721
Slow ass reply, sorry. Well depends on what you like. Khao San is worth a night cuz lotsa backpackers n drunken goodiness. Other than that there's basically everything from sleazy prozzyclubs to beautiful roof top bars and packed clubs.
>>1109777
Lot of foreigners in Khon Kaen now, a whole bar area has grown around the sofitel, whores and everything. Drunk Sweeds 24/7.
My wife is from Thailand, Chiang Rai. We have traveled a bunch over the past 15 years, and no one has said a thing negative to us.
>>1112890
Indeed--they were actually building that complex when I lived there. Can't figure out what all the foreigners can possibly have to do there. But I think they're more sexpats than sex tourists.
