arriving in bkk ard noon and leaving for the islands the next day at 4pm. staying at the oriental.<BR><BR>i know its too short of time but can;t be changed so what are the must sees for this short of a time frame and the "perfect" restaurant for a dinner.<BR><BR>thanks in advance.

try cabbages and condoms for dinner. then nana plaza or patpong to see the "bangkok" nightlife.<BR><BR>longtail down the river<BR>floating market<BR>grand palace<BR>wats across from grand palace (can;t remember the name)<BR><BR>that should just about fill up your time.<BR><BR>

If you arrive at noon, you'll probably be tired, but try and get out and walk around to help the jet lag.<BR>Take the express boat from the Oriental Pier up to Wat Po, walk around there and don't miss the giant reclining Buddha. Have a traditional massage in the massage school in Wat Po. Walk over to the Grand Palace.<BR>For dinner, if you're brave, try a street stall. Point at something that looks good, sit down and the food will be brought to you. Won't cost more than a few dollars. Just make sure the food is cooked to order; don't order anything pre-cooked and sitting out.<BR>Or, try one of the restaurants along the river or a dinner-boat cruise.<BR>Check out the crazy night market at Patpong for fake goods and avoid the girlie bars unless that's your thing.<BR>Next day, walk through Chinatown and check out the open market and the chinese temple. Have lunch at a street stall.<BR>Give a miss to the floating market. Takes too much time and it's very touristy.<BR>Have fun!

Definitely go to the Palace. The most efficient mode would be to take a tour from your hotel, if the timing is right. I generally prefer to do things without a guide, but for this a tour would be better. It is a wonderful palace!

river tour can be relaxing if you're tired. patong makret is worthwhile for shopping. having some food at a street stall is worthwhile. and definitely check out the palace and/or major temples. if you're there on the wkd, the chatuchuk weekend market is amazing - they have everything, but it is hot and very crowded.

thanks for the updates. do others agree the floating market is a miss?

No, I think the floating market is a must see, yes it is touristy but its also seeing Thailand as it is. <BR>The Palace is a very must do. You could also think of a trip to Ayuttahya ( the old capital) on the paddle ferry/steamer. It is a day trip but is in very nice and if they do it as they used to you get a lovely lunch on the boat which by the way is airconditioned and then get to walk around the ruins and come back by bus. <BR>I found the sea-food market the best restaurant in Bangkok. You go and choose what you want to eat, put it in a trolly and get the veggies as well, tell the chef how you want this done and it comes to you how you like it and beautifully cooked i.e. if you like b,b,qued prawns you get those, garlic/chili/chinese veggies and ask them to b,b,que it say with coconut milk.... fantastic. Also another nice dish is fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked with Thai spices and coconut on an open fire.

Loved the floating market-taking the long boat to reach it was a camera delight!! Traffic in Bangkok can be tricky so watch that--leave lots of time to get to that airport!!!<BR>We enjoyed The Lemon Grass Resturant and although it was marked pricey it proved to be very reasonable and good. The food on street can be a stomach puncher for some-and not fun when traveling. <BR>If I had so few hours I'd hook with a tour guide before going with a list of what I wanted to see-Enjoy whatever you do!!!!

what is cabbages and condoms?

Cabbages and Condoms is a restaurant which helps fund population control, AIDS awareness, and rural development programs. It's not the easiest place to find. The food was pretty good, but we liked Lemongrass better. The Spice Market at the Regent Hotel was great too.

Hmm 28 hours, Well I've stayed at the Oriental so if your brave do like the first guy said. Just walk out the front door of the hotel and say Patpong!!! At least 4 or 5 Tuk Tuks will take you away to dinner and a massage. Patpong is more like a red light district filled with every kinda club imaginable. Now if your a God fearing Christian stick with a quick tour of the Royal Palace, grab dinner at a local 5 star restuarant, preferrably the no hand place where the girls feed you. O yah, watch for the little green pepper in the spicey food.<BR><BR>Enjoy!