Advice for High Season in Thailand - Dec 2014
May 28th, 2014, 10:38 AM
#21
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Funkmonkey, I'm delighted that your plans are coming together.
The quickest way from DMK to BKK would be a taxi, as there is no rail link between the two airports (yet). BKK airport is quite busy at all hours. I'm not sure how late shops remain open, but there are flights coming and going at all hours. You will most likely be fine hanging out there. If you change your mind, the Novotel (overpriced IMO) is right at the airport. Could not be much handier!
The quickest way from DMK to BKK would be a taxi, as there is no rail link between the two airports (yet). BKK airport is quite busy at all hours. I'm not sure how late shops remain open, but there are flights coming and going at all hours. You will most likely be fine hanging out there. If you change your mind, the Novotel (overpriced IMO) is right at the airport. Could not be much handier!
May 28th, 2014, 11:08 AM
#22
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You can often get the Novotel at a good price on one of the booking engines or on the Novotel website. For me, it makes a real difference to be able to get a good sleep before boarding the place for that long flight.
May 28th, 2014, 04:48 PM
#25
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Lower Sukhumvit is tourist central and a bit sleazy. Better to be soi 20+
There are buses between airports but I would just take a taxi as they are cheap in Bangkok.
I would spend the last 2 nights in Bkk rather than making a late dash and being dead tired.
Bkk is a more interesting city than CM anyway.
A good central hotel in Bkk is Pathuwan Princess which is connected to MBK shopping centre and next to skytrain.
Pullman Hotel near victory is another good one. The food is good near there plus the Saxophone Pub and Raintree Pub have good live music. Raintree has some excellent food as well. They do Phad Phed Gop which is fried frog with green peppers. Love it.
There are buses between airports but I would just take a taxi as they are cheap in Bangkok.
I would spend the last 2 nights in Bkk rather than making a late dash and being dead tired.
Bkk is a more interesting city than CM anyway.
A good central hotel in Bkk is Pathuwan Princess which is connected to MBK shopping centre and next to skytrain.
Pullman Hotel near victory is another good one. The food is good near there plus the Saxophone Pub and Raintree Pub have good live music. Raintree has some excellent food as well. They do Phad Phed Gop which is fried frog with green peppers. Love it.
May 28th, 2014, 04:54 PM
#26
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Suvarnabhumi Airport is a rather boring airport to hang out at. Good food on ground level but apart from that not much to do. Its not as good as Singapore.
Bkk traffic is light at 6am to 7am and with toll roads easy to get to airport.
Bkk traffic is light at 6am to 7am and with toll roads easy to get to airport.
May 28th, 2014, 06:11 PM
#27
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Sukhumvit soi 4 is sleazy. It is also easy to avoid. Anything from soi 8/11 onward is fine. Plus, it is nice to have plenty of dining options very close by. Pathumwan Princess is probably a very fine place, but the location, connected to MBK mall, would be less than ideal IMO. I much prefer a lower Sukhumvit soi with a neighborhood feel to it rather than the middle of a large shopping mall. Soi 8 is a perfect example of a neighborhood feel. Dining outside at Monsoon (at Adelphi Suites) as you watch people walking by and a broom seller on his bicycle calling out his sales pitch, street food if you wish, good Thai food at Kinnaree just steps further down soi 8.
May 28th, 2014, 07:29 PM
#28
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Soi 8 is nothing special. Lots of overpriced ordinary restaurants. Siam square has loads of good street food and there are more Thais walking around there than lower Suk. MBK also has free muay thai on wed nights.
Kinnaree is one of the farang targeted restaurants that charges 3 times the price for a pretty layout. You can visit farang Thai restaurants without even leaving home. No need to visit Thailand for that.
Kinnaree is one of the farang targeted restaurants that charges 3 times the price for a pretty layout. You can visit farang Thai restaurants without even leaving home. No need to visit Thailand for that.
May 28th, 2014, 07:42 PM
#29
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If one wants to see the real Bangkok full of locals go out to Bang Khae, Om Noi and Sam Phran areas. Loads of restaurants with not a tourist in sight.
You wont find a local atmosphere in lower Suk.
You wont find a local atmosphere in lower Suk.
May 29th, 2014, 05:06 AM
#30
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Prachuap apparently hasn't noticed that there are locals everywhere in Bangkok - literally millions of them! But of course, this has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.
Given the unrest, I wouldn't stay anywhere near Victory... actually, I find that area uninteresting and wouldn't stay there anyway. But we all have different interests and preferences. What is right for Prachuap isn't right for me and vice versa. Look carefully at your options and choose what feels right to you.
Given the unrest, I wouldn't stay anywhere near Victory... actually, I find that area uninteresting and wouldn't stay there anyway. But we all have different interests and preferences. What is right for Prachuap isn't right for me and vice versa. Look carefully at your options and choose what feels right to you.
May 29th, 2014, 07:53 AM
#32
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If you went to Italy or France would you want to know the best local gems or simply hang out with other tourists in narrow zones?
Amazes me that millions go overseas and pay no attention to what the locals do. Locals know the best restaurants and bars.
Amazes me that millions go overseas and pay no attention to what the locals do. Locals know the best restaurants and bars.
May 29th, 2014, 09:52 AM
#33
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Prachuap's vacation is planned the way he/she likes it to be. Others plan their own vacations the way they like them to be. No one can tell a traveler what to do or not do. On fodors we try to present our own experiences and let the questioner make his or her own choices. Having options is the best way to travel. My own travel to Bangkok is designed around spending time with my many Thai friends. Lower Sukhumvit is where we tend to meet up. Gosh, I guess locals DO tend to meet there.
Kathie, I agree with staying away from Victory Monument area. Do you follow Richard Barrow's tweets? I read them at least twice a day now (although a tweet isn't really enough info, but at least it is a hint at what is going on). I read his tweets in the morning when I get up, as that gives me the situation in the evening, and then again before going to bed so that I know if it was a quiet night in Bangkok or if there were protests somewhere. Right now Victory Monument appears to be "closed off" for lack of a better term. Only the military and police are there. It seems there was a protest at one of the universities instead of VM.
In any case, it would appear that Funkmonkey has his/her plans mostly in place, and I'm very happy that things are moving in a positive direction.
Kathie, I agree with staying away from Victory Monument area. Do you follow Richard Barrow's tweets? I read them at least twice a day now (although a tweet isn't really enough info, but at least it is a hint at what is going on). I read his tweets in the morning when I get up, as that gives me the situation in the evening, and then again before going to bed so that I know if it was a quiet night in Bangkok or if there were protests somewhere. Right now Victory Monument appears to be "closed off" for lack of a better term. Only the military and police are there. It seems there was a protest at one of the universities instead of VM.
In any case, it would appear that Funkmonkey has his/her plans mostly in place, and I'm very happy that things are moving in a positive direction.
May 29th, 2014, 11:11 AM
#34
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Hi Carol, you know I agree with you on letting people travel the way that they want to rather than saying this way is right or this way is wrong. It gets annoying after a while.
I don't follow Barrow's tweets, as like you, I find tweets offer too little information to be useful to me.
I'm not surprised that VM is closed off.
I don't follow Barrow's tweets, as like you, I find tweets offer too little information to be useful to me.
I'm not surprised that VM is closed off.
May 29th, 2014, 03:29 PM
#35
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"...they would be predictable tourists not travellers. Travellers go exploring in new places."
Well, that's super-judgmental. All travelers I know range from dreadlocked backpacking adventurers who live by the whim of the wind all the way to "predictable" tourists looking for a package getaway and a buffet line that may or may not feel dreadfully boring to to some of us. They're all still travelers.
A traveler is defined by the traveler alone, not by a contrarian troll on a message board looking for attention.
I'm curious: do you seek solely to contradict people or are you actually trying to give helpful advice?
Well, that's super-judgmental. All travelers I know range from dreadlocked backpacking adventurers who live by the whim of the wind all the way to "predictable" tourists looking for a package getaway and a buffet line that may or may not feel dreadfully boring to to some of us. They're all still travelers.
A traveler is defined by the traveler alone, not by a contrarian troll on a message board looking for attention.
I'm curious: do you seek solely to contradict people or are you actually trying to give helpful advice?
May 29th, 2014, 04:27 PM
#37
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Filmwall,
I speak Thai and know many Thais. Im not trying to troll. Im just amazed that people think tourists know Bangkok better than locals who have lived there for 30 years.
Do tourists know Roma better than the locals cause they visited a few touristy sights?
Bangkok is a massive city and there is a lot more to it that a few busy hotel areas.
I speak Thai and know many Thais. Im not trying to troll. Im just amazed that people think tourists know Bangkok better than locals who have lived there for 30 years.
Do tourists know Roma better than the locals cause they visited a few touristy sights?
Bangkok is a massive city and there is a lot more to it that a few busy hotel areas.
May 29th, 2014, 05:04 PM
#38
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Prachuap, I'm making one last try to see if you can understand what is happening here.
There are lots of people on this board who have traveled to Thailand many times; there are Thais on this board as well. These people aren't saying they know Bangkok better than you do, but they know what they want to do in Bangkok and it isn't necessarily what you want to do. Most of us here think that's a good thing. The only person trying to tell people he knows best is you. The rest of us are just saying what we like.
The ethic on this board is to be respectful of other's choices. Offer information and advice if you have something to offer, but don't put others down because they travel differently than you do.
There are lots of people on this board who have traveled to Thailand many times; there are Thais on this board as well. These people aren't saying they know Bangkok better than you do, but they know what they want to do in Bangkok and it isn't necessarily what you want to do. Most of us here think that's a good thing. The only person trying to tell people he knows best is you. The rest of us are just saying what we like.
The ethic on this board is to be respectful of other's choices. Offer information and advice if you have something to offer, but don't put others down because they travel differently than you do.
