Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is the capitol city of Thailand and is spicy, loud, chaotic, exotic, and hot.
The quickest and cheapest way into the city from the airport is the train. Metered taxis will take you straight to your hotel and don’t cost much, but only take metered ones, the unmetered ones charge a lot more.
Mini buses are very cheap but only take you to the tourist areas like Khao san road, and Sukhumvit where most of the tourists/foreigners stay before venturing off on their trips around Thailand.
If you can afford it then get a hotel with air conditioning, you will need it, Bangkok is always hot. You get very hot walking around in the day and so going back to an air conditioned room is the only way to cool off; unless there is a pool in the hotel.
The best way to travel around the city is by metered taxi, cheap and cool inside and take you right to where you want to go.
Tuk tuks can and do charge what they can get away with, and you never know what side streets they will take you down, or whose shops they will visit; but you have to do one at least once for the experience, just be ready for all the fumes.
Buses are cheapest of all and are a great experience; just keep an eye out for your stop as not much English speaking on them.
Once you find a good restaurant then eating out is a pleasure, with most anything available to you and not expensive, with good service unless they are very busy, as in the tourist areas, then they can be abrupt with your order and take a while getting it to you. The restaurants are good, safe and clean places to eat.
Eating from the road side stalls can be a thrill. You can see the food being made, and can ask not to have any sugar added or other powders that Thai people like to spice their foods with. The food is very cheap and the chances are you won’t get upset by eating it. Pad Thai is a popular dish.
In places like khao san road there are many tourist offices offering everything you could want to do, from elephant riding, temples, to diving and beach resorts. They organise everything, don’t cost much and usually are great. One note of warning: when travelling long distance at night, or day, on buses, do not put anything of value in your baggage in the hold of the bus, you may find it missing at other end of journey.
Travelling along the river to the temples and markets is a lot of fun, and is a relaxed way to travel there, with plenty to see along the way. The boat doesn’t cost much and there is so much to see as you travel along the river and you never know who will be travelling with you on the boat, such as monks in their orange robes eagerly watching things, Thais shopping, river traffic of all kinds from long passenger speed boats with a huge engine at the back, to massive barges so low in the water it is a wonder they still float. You have to be quick though; the boats come along and tie up very fast, then passengers hop off and new ones get aboard quickly, then the boat is off, all in a matter of minutes.
You can read up on everything Bangkok, but the best way to see it is to not plan too much into the day as the heat and energy of the place can wear you down, so at the start, until you get your bearings and know how much you can do, just take one trip out a day.
Wat Arun temple is along the riverside and well worth a visit. The Grand Palace is a day out on its own. The Jim Thompson house is good to see. There are so many good places to visit it could take a whole month just to see some of them. Thailand is mostly Buddhist and so there are temples everywhere, and very grand ones, even in the smaller villages the temples are well worth a visit, but in Bangkok they are magnificent.
English is being spoken more and more in Thailand so it won’t be hard to make yourself understood, but having a map to point to will help when away from the tourist areas, but the people are very friendly to farangs/foreigners.
There are mosquitoes and their bite can raise a fair size red spot that will itch for days. A natural mosquito repellent that is cheap and can be bought in the local seven eleven shops that are everywhere.
All in all a trip to Bangkok is very worthwhile, even for a few days. The sights, sounds, and colours of this oriental city will thrill and keep you amazed for the whole of your stay and leave you with memories to last a lifetime.

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