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Bangkok in 3 days with or without a driver

Bangkok in 3 days with or without a driver

Old Sep 13th, 2006, 07:58 AM
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Bangkok in 3 days with or without a driver

This is our first trip to Thailand, although we have travelled extensively on our own elsewhere. I wanted to do the following itinerary on my own by Skytrain and riverboat-Day 1-Grand Palace, Wat Arun, lunch break, klong boat tour. Any suggestions for an air conditioned restaurant for the lunch break? Day 2-Jim Thompson House, lunch at JTH, Suan Paccard Palace. Day 3-Prasart Museum-I will hire a driver for this, but was told I could take a taxi each way. I would prefer to do Day 1 and 2 without a driver using skytrain and riverboats, but is this asking for trouble in terms of getting heat exaustion going from one place to another. Is the Skytrain air conditioned? Do you think we should? hire a driver? Thanks for your help.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 08:06 AM
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shelley, I'm one of those people who doesn't hire a driver for Bangkok. I did hire a drive to go out to the Prasart. It's hard to find and I don't know that I'd trust a taxi to find it.

I've done all the sightseeing you list via water taxi, skytrain and taxi. The Skytrain cars are air conditioned. Taxis, of course, are also air conditioned.

Where are you staying? Because I stay along the river, I usually do the Grand Palace - Emerald Buddha - Wat Po - Wat Arun first thing in the morning, then go back to my hotel to cool off and have lunch nearby. By eating somewhere near the river closer to where you'll get a klong tour, you can use the water taxi from the wats. You can get a klong tour from the dock by River City Shopping Center or at Taksim (the dock near the skytrain). Near River City is the Gallery Cafe or Harmonique, closer to Taksim is Tongue Thai.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 08:40 AM
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...and I'm one of those people who will probably never go to Bangkok without a guide.

It's not that you can't navigate the city alone. Bangkok is pretty straightforward.

It's that with someone along to figure out the best times to go, tell you in detail what you're seeing, explain the culture, take you to unknown restaurants, the experience gets greatly enhanced.

Not to mention cold drinks just when you need them, cold towels when you think you're gonna die from the heat, etc.

I recommend Tong as a guide. If you decide to go that route, you can reach her at [email protected]

Just my 2 cents.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 09:17 AM
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Kathie-We are staying at the Majestic Grande, so going back to the hotel before our afternoon klong tour would waste too much time. That is why I was looking for an air conditioned restaurant in the vicinity of the klong tour to rest and cool off and relax after touring the Grande Palace and Wat Arun.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 09:23 AM
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Kathie-Of the 2 areas you mention to pick up the klong tour is one preferable to the other, and which of the 3 restaurants you mentioned would be your preference for a light lunch.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 09:31 AM
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offwego-One of the reasons I was prefering to go by Skytrain and riverboat is that I was warned about the horrendous traffic problem inBangkok, and I was trying to eliminate the frustration of sitting in traffic, even if it is in an air conditioned car. Is my take on the traffic situation correct, or is the traffic horrendous only in certain areas or at certain times. The idea of riding above the traffic in the Skytrain actually appeals to me alot. I looked at a Skytrain map, and it looks like I could get from Jim Thompson House to Suan Paccard by Skytrain. What I can't figure out is how long a walk it is to Suan Paccard from the Skytrain stop. Do you Know?
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 09:46 AM
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It's very easy to just skytrain it back to the Majestic Grande Hotel. I was just there week before last checking out the Majestic Grande while in the heart of town doing other things. Happy Travels!
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 10:11 AM
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Guenmai-Would you recommend that after we tour the Grande Palace and Wat Arun we Skytrain back to the Majestic Grande for lunch and a rest and then Skytrain back to the river for the afternoon klong boat tour? About how much time door to door would it take us from the Grande Palace to the Majestic Grande? I thought it would not be an efficient use of time, but I definitely will consider this if you think it is the best way to handle the heat, humidity and exhaustion of touring Bangkok.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 10:59 AM
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Your itinerary sounds great - you're not trying to accomplish too much in too little time. I'll try to answer some of your questions that haven't been answered:
You can catch a klong tour at any of the piers near the big hotels - the tours are all pretty much the same. People usually go for about 2 hours. You won't go wrong if you have lunch at Tongue Thai and arrange a klong tour at the Oriental Hotel pier (not the river taxi pier). If you are near Wat Arun/Grand Palace/Wat Po, it makes no sense to take the river taxi to Taksim and then skytrain (switching at Siam stop) to the Majestic for lunch - probably an hour door-to-door.

I am one that likes both the skytrain and using a driver. Drivers are great for going to out-of-the-way places. Distance-wise, Suan Packard is not terribly far (10-15 minutes?) from the Phya Thai skytrain stop. However, in the heat it might be worth taking a taxi from the skytrain. If you take the skytrain, you will have to switch at Siam - it might just be easier to take a taxi from the Jim Thompson House. Traffic is worst at rush hour in the morning and in the evening and heavy all the rest of the time. It should not be difficult to travel via taxi between JT and SP at mid-day. Note that at most skytrain stops there are stairs but no elevators - makes for a lot of climbing, all in the heat of the outdoors. Once you are on the train though, the a/c makes the ride very comfortable.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 12:09 PM
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Out of curiosity...what month are you doing this trip in? I would do all of the river things one after the other and then go back to the hotel. Due to the wait time for the river taxi...sometimes quite long...it could take an hour to get back to the hotel. I waited a good 20 minutes for the up-river taxi week before last. I didn't feel like waiting for it back down river so I jumped into a cab and had the taxi driver drop me at the nearest skytrain station. You only have 3 days in Bangkok so you might as well save your energy since you'll have a lot to get in in a short time. I wouldn't take a klong tour after lunch unless that wouldn't make you sick. I would eat at the end of it all. Just get an early start.
As for the Majestic Grand, I'd highly recommend getting a room that's at least 40 square meters big. I was shown several rooms there. I went to look to get info for friends as I live in a serviced apartment building. But, I'm always checking out hotels.
If I were you, I'd definitely have a dinner at Basil restaurant in the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit which is right at the Asoke skytrain station...about a 2-3 minute walk after exiting the skytrain station. Great Thai food. Your hotel, is on the same skytrain line and only about a couple of stops away. From stop to stop takes about a minute and a half on the Sukumvit line. I travel it all of the time. Happy Travels!
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 04:32 PM
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We will be in Bangkok during the last week of January. I did not realize that motion sickness was a possibility on the klong tour. All of the pictures I have seen of the river and the klongs make it/them look very narrow with no waves. I am glad you suggested eating lunch after the klong tour as my husband does not have great "sea legs". I jhad to twist his arm to get him to go on a Nile River cruise by promising no waves (and there weren't). I don't know if doing the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and the klong tour are too much to accomplish before lunch, but we will get an early start and try it. We are so looking forward to our first trip to Thailand. I know it will be a much better experience because of all the good advice I have gotten on this message board. Thanks so much to all of you who have responded.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 04:58 PM
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I get a bit queasy when jumping on and off the river taxi... with the movement and all. I couldn't even imagine going on a klong tour after having eaten. And having to climb into one of those bobbing klong boats would probably really make me nauseous.
As far as doing all three things on the same day, it will be intense. And since your husband doesn't have great "sea legs", then I'd definitely leave the klong tour for the last thing on the list to do that day. Happy Travels!

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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 05:16 PM
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Gunemai I noticed you said you checked out the Majestic Grande while you were there. I looked at your trip report but couldn't see a reference to it(I could be just missing it) But since shelleyk is staying there and we are also I wondered what your impression was?
Thanks J
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 05:32 PM
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A couple more notes. I ride the water taxis several times each day when I'm in Bangkok. I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes for one. I don't know if they have different summer/winter schedules or if Guenmai was at a dock where not all of them stop, or if I'm just lucky.

The longtail boats create wakes, and when you are riding in a long tail on the river, you hit wake after wake, it can be a rough ride. If your husband is really susceptible to motion sickness, you might want to pass on teh klong tour.

I'd take a taxi from the Jim Thompson House to Suan Pakkard. Judicious use of taxis will make things easier. You will quickly develop a sense of where the traffic is worst (Sukhumvit!) and choose to use the skytrain there. In all of my 20+ tripps, I've never been caught in one of those hour-long traffic jams that people complain about. Maybe I'm just lucky.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 06:30 PM
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one note....it is not always easy to get a taxi at the JT house but you can get one by walking to the end of the soi...

the klongs will have very little "surf" if any, but the river will have some....

i would not wait to eat however...you need that intake in the heat, especially the fluids...

tongue thai is perfect and so are any of the hotel restaurants and also places in river city....

i strongly suggest the driver for you however....you are new to bkk and have limited time....i think you would find it a wise investment....kathie...remember when you first visited bkk---how many mistakes did you make??
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 06:49 PM
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Bob, I love the mistakes - they take me places I didn't know I wanted to go! Actually, I'm the kind of person that wants to learn the public transportation system as soon as I get to a city. I find that gives me more contact with the locals and I get a different perspective on a city. That said, there was no skytrain when I first went to Bangkok, just the water taxis. So I didn't start using the Skytrain until recently.

Shelley, I'm sure you'll hire a driver if that's what you prefer, but I understood you to say that you'd like to do it on your own. I hope some of my instructions will be helpful to you if you choose to go it alone!
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 06:53 PM
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kathie---i fully agree and there was no train when we started going either...

my point with shelley is that she has so little time and has lots she wants to see that a driver, like ratt, would be a good alternative for her so that she could fit it all in....would you agree??

i ahve also told her that i knew she could do it all on her own but with some mistakes made and the frustration of that plus the heat overwhelm many of us and we just give up and go back to the pool.....haha
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 07:03 PM
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I am on the same page as Kathie here in that I don't really feel mistakes can be made beacuse they usually lead you to things you find facinating anyway. When my hubby & I were contemplating what to do with our few days in BKK on our upcoming trip ( we have made several previous trips) I commented to him that I could just wander aimlessly because that is what I often love doing. I do read read read before I go anywhere though so I have a good idea of the challenges I will be up against. As Bob rightly points out if someone doesn't expect the heat etc it could be awful. No trains when I started going either. This trip I am going to attempt to finally get to JT's house and the floating market. Have read all the opinions on the market but we will go anyway.
J
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 07:56 PM
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Part of what is so helpful about this message board is that it has given me a realistic picture of what to expect on our first visit. That is so much better than getting of the plane and being overwelmed by the heat, humidity, congestion,etc. Knowing about these conditions is helping me plan the itinerary and preventing me from trying to do too much, which I sometimes have a tendency to do. My husband is so happy to know that we will not be sightseeing from 8am to 10pm, as we have done on many of our other trips. I realize you just can't do that in Bangkok. Thanks for all your helpful advice.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 07:58 PM
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J --go to the market expecting to see something different...ignor all the people selling stuff on the shore--mostly junk...the usual stuff....look at the ladies and the flowers and the food stuffs....stay an hour+ and leave...go very early...leave bkk by 7...

we also love to wander but find it very difficult in SEA....its just so hot...take one wrong turn and you waste 1/2 hour or more to get back on track....its not really wasted as you see things but it cuts away from your time when you only have 2-3 days....that is my point really..
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