The Pre-Covid Series is a series of posts about my trips and adventures pre-pandemic. You'll get to hear about some of the amazing places that I was able to visit before travel was extremely limited. Hopefully soon, I'll be able to return to a life of traveling soon!
Today we venture into one of my favorite party cities in the world, Bangkok!
Welcome to Bangkok
I don't know what happens when I land in Bangkok. No matter what my plans I always end up going to excess in this amazing city. From the neverending street food to the miles of shopping, I won't stop until my last baht is spent.
Once nighttime hits, I'm always out and ready to dance at some of the best nightclubs I've ever been to. The vibe here is truly amazing and one-of-a-kind.
This post will be about my last few trips to Bangkok. Going through the photos, I honestly couldn't figure out which photos went with which trip, so you guys will get a mega-post about excess in Bangkok.
Trigger and Content Warning
Listen, I like to have fun in Bangkok and we're all adults here. If you find crude humor, foul language, drug use, naked women, or debauchery offensive, you can always go somewhere else and read someone else's posts. This post is for the party people looking to enjoy their senses in Bangkok.
Let's Combine Two Trips into One Story
My Bangkok excursions are always short. Like Las Vegas, I feel Bangkok is best in small doses. As a digital nomad, I do need to get some work done, and staying in Bangkok for longer than a week would set my business back too much. I have zero self-control as soon as I land and would get no work done.
I apologize for not remembering the name of the hotel, but as soon as I arrived I knew I was in for a great time. The room was outfitted in Blues including blue neon lights that added to the ambiance as well.
The first stop was the rooftop pool and bar for a swim. The rooftop vibes and amazing views were the perfect setups for a long and exciting weekend.
A few Chang beers in and it was time to venture around downtown Bangkok. I needed to do some shopping since my only pair of shoes was stolen on my last day in Koh Phangan.
If you've never been to Bangkok, the first thing you'll be amazed at is all the god damn wires. Their electricians have to be geniuses to figure out the mess of cabling on every utility pole.
Let's Shop in Bangkok
Like I said earlier, I desperately needed a new pair of shoes. While you can get plenty of counterfeit shoes in Bangkok for cheap, I wanted the real deal and ended up at Terminal 21 and EmQuartier searching for something unique.
I found a pair of classic K-Swiss that were perfect for my nights out. Not too flashy, yet timeless beauty and comfort.
EmQuartier is a stunning mall and I always feel like I've been transported to a Cyberpunk future when shopping there. Expect to find your favorite luxury fashion brands throughout Emquartier.
After shopping, I might as well take in a free Muay-Thai streetside fight before heading out.
Chatuchak Weekend Market - Bangkok's Biggest Market
No trip to Bangkok is complete without visiting Chatuchak Weekend Market. This market is monstrous. You can easily be lost in the sea of pop-up tents for days if you're not careful. You can literally find anything for sale here. From counterfeit Gucci to vintage clothing, don't miss out on the cheap shopping in Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Are you Hungry yet? Good, Let's Eat!
Bangkok has some of the best street food in the world! There are vendors almost everywhere and every few blocks you will probably run into entire food markets. Be brave and just wander the city. You'll be sure to find the best street food anywhere.
Mall Food Courts are Amazing
If you're too timid to try street food, you can always eat at the mall food courts. There are hundreds of clean restaurants serving a variety of street foods for cheap prices. You'll also find western foods and all your favorite chain fast food if you're boring.
It's time to Party and Bullshit
You can eat and shop in any big city. That's not why I come to Bangkok. I'm here for the party! I love House Music and Techno and I always seek out the coolest, most underground clubs and parties I can find. I'm not settling for Khao San EDM bullshit on my holidays!
I'm on a Boat!
I found a crew of DJs that host an underground boat party and I was in! I was thoroughly impressed with the selection of DJs that took us on a journey through deep, dark, and tribal beats through the late-night hours.
About 10 mins into the trip I meet some fellow Americans who organized the show and want to welcome me to Thailand with a few treats. Since I have no self-control, I happily accept and was soon on an adventure of a lifetime!
The rest of the night was a total mind-bending blur but well worth it. Sorry, there are no pictures from later at night but I'm pretty sure it went something like this...
Time to Wake Up and Do It Again!
We don't have much time left in Bangkok, so let's get out of bed and start this party back up again.
Cyberpunk Coffee Shop
I always have to start my day with a cup of coffee. Since I'm in Bangkok, I'm not going to settle for a basic cup of joe. I found this amazing Cyberpunk influenced cafe in one of the malls. Unfortunately, the name escapes me at the moment.
While expensive, the service was first class and the food was to die for.
No Shopping Today, Let's Just go to Dinner Instead.
Living in Koh Phangan, there are few fine dining experiences. When I visit Bangkok I always try to treat myself. I found a wonderful steakhouse near my hotel. Steak, Oysters, desert, and Whiskey were on the menu to power up for a night of debauchery.
Time to Party!!
After a short disco-nap after dinner, it was time to hit the party circuit again. I found a local DJ crew doing a disco night at an underground bar and had to stop by. I swear you can find NYC hipsters playing vinyl anywhere in the world.
After a few hours of dancing it was time to head to the red-light districts to see what all the fuss is about.
Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza
Bangkok is world-renowned for these two areas. These sections of Bangkok consist of a sea of go-go bars, beautiful women, cheap drinks, pumping EDM music, and neon lights. If you've seen The Hangover Part 2, you've seen how wild Soi Cowboy can get.
You can find anything you like here, but I'm not going to go into details. I would encourage anyone visiting Bangkok to at least take a stroll down Soi Cowboy for the experience. Nana Plaza is a little more intense and maybe too wild for sensitive tourists. Don't say I didn't warn you.
After a few hours of fun, I was out to hear some serious techno. Beam is a world-class venue that hosts international DJs nightly. I honestly don't remember which DJs played that night but I danced until the early morning hours. Sorry, no pictures. I was too busy dancing and having an amazing time to ruin it by taking photos.
Goodbye Bangkok!
I miss trips to Bangkok more than any other locale. Due to Covid, I've been trapped in Siem Reap and it doesn't have big-city excitement like Bangkok.
Here's to hoping borders between Thailand and Cambodia open soon so I can go on another adventure!
Well, That was a Rollercoaster Down Memory Lane
I hope everyone is enjoying these posts. I'm sure everyone is anxious to get back out on the road and enjoy life the way we could before the pandemic.
I encourage everyone to do what they can to stay safe and stop the spread of Covid. This doesn't mean living in fear. Do what's right and do what you can to stay healthy! Let's beat this thing and get back to traveling!
Currently based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I'm a solo-traveling digital nomad. Due to the pandemic, I've been living in Siem Reap for almost 2 years now. While I'm hoping to get back on the road soon, I'm not in a rush.
I'd love to connect with other travelers, digital nomads, gamers, or residents of Cambodia. Don't hesitate to say hi or send me an upvote!
You can learn more about me and my company at OneZen.me.
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Man I miss Bangkok. Such a fun city, but like you said, only in small doses. Then it is time to head out to the coast and soak in the sun on the beach.
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