Bangkok Trip Report (Long but in Chapters)
 

Chapter 1 - Prelude

My wife and I spent the last 3 weeks in Thailand and, given all the great information I have received from folks on this board, I figured I'd try to return the favor. As a bit of a caveat so that you know the context, I worked at the U.S. Embassy for 2 years in the late 1990s and my wife is originally from Thailand - so this likely shapes my outlook and this trip report somewhat.

Rather than chronologically going through the trip, I've decided to break it up into topics.

I hope you'll enjoy!

Shade

Chapter 2: Where to Vacation – Thailand or Hawaii

The first real question was where we’d take our long vacation this year and eventually narrowed it down to Thailand and Hawaii. I have lived in both for several years and my wife is originally from Thailand. Ultimately we chose Thailand, largely to visit family but in part because, for me at least, Thailand offers incredible bargains (food, hotels, shopping, events) while I always found Hawaii to be very overpriced. To be sure, Hawaii can be much more relaxing and carries less baggage than Thailand or Bangkok. That said, Thailand is much more diverse and interesting. So off we went!

Chapter 3: How to Get There and Back

I ended up using 180,000 United miles for 2 x roundtrip business class tickets on Star Alliance. If you ever have trouble finding award seats on line, simply call your airline. Given there are 4-5 Star Alliance airlines that fly into Bangkok, and we were not picky about the routing, it was easy to get saver award tickets.

The outbound flight was TG 791, which is a direct flight from JFK to BKK – 17 hours in total! Now I will say that while I don’t like flying, I was looking forward to the Thai flight given the reputation for quality service. Was I wrong! The fist problem was at check-in where TG refused to honor our e-ticket by saying they do not accept any e-tickets. What a complete joke. Had they been filming an airline show, I’m confident as I would have been on tv later. I am a frequent flyer who has seen about everything, but I was livid. I had to go all the way back to another terminal and then back to TG. Once on board, the service was on par with United – meaning quite poor overall, particularly given we were in Business Class and that area was only 1/3 full. In short, the hosts and hostesses essentially disappeared for most of the flight and did not provide any service whatsoever. Very disappointing. That said, the seat was outstanding and flattened into essentially a full bed. At 6’7’’, I found it very comfortable. They also whirr whenever adjusted so to some degree there was a constant whirr in the cabin as folks adjusted and readjusted positions to get completely comfortable. The food was solid. The IFE quite good once you figured out how to operate it. Movies on demand, which is key for a 17-hour flight. Landed an hour or so early at around 3:30 in the afternoon, which was outstanding. Compare this to NH or UAL where we would have landed at 11:00 at night given the stops. All in all, I was happy.

NH in business class
All Nippon in business class was, put simply, in many ways the opposite of Thai Airways. The seats were quite poor for the class, but the service impeccable. On the seats, the recline was only about halfway making it tough to sleep – although better than coach. We did manage to get an Exit row with no seats in front so there was unlimited leg room. The hostesses were incredibly polite and attentive – a real change after a full year on United and the one Thai flight. The flight, of course, goes through Narita on the way back to IAD so it’s much longer than the TG flight. Plus, it left at midnight which was strange. All in all, a better experience than the Thai flight however.

Chapter 4: Lodging

We gave a lot of thought as to where to stay while in Bangkok (we stayed with family while in their province but were in Bangkok for a total of 2 weeks). After making reservations through Asiarooms.com for the Landmark, we canceled those and settled on the Mayfair Marriott serviced apartments. Note…I still haven’t received my refund from Asiarooms in spite of an immediate confirmation. So, I’ll never use them again.

The choice between serviced apartments or a hotel, particularly in Bangkok where the value of top tier hotels is excellent is an interesting one. In short, we know our way around Bangkok very well so didn’t think we’d need the tourist support a hotel would provide. Plus, we wanted a bit of quiet that we knew the serviced apartments would provide. That said, next time I’d opt for the high end hotel as the apartment makes you feel more like you’re living in Thailand as opposed to on vacation (e.g. no huge breakfast buffet, etc.) On the Mayfair Marriott:

Room – incredible for the price ($100 a night all in). Essentially a beautiful studio apartment that must have been ~65 m^2. Simply immaculate. Several televisions; a separate bedroom; rooms are completely noise-proofed; great bathroom; kitchen; etc.). Great.

Staff – solid, but not up to par with the top tier hotels. Polite, friendly, competent.

Breakfast – the food was good, but the buffet was much smaller than what you’ll get in a hotel. That said, whenever we ate there were only 3-4 other patrons so you’re not waiting in any lines either.

Location – Halfway down Soi Langsuan which is near the point were Sukhumvit becomes Ploenchit. I know there is a long-standing discussion between Sukhumvit vs. the River. If you’re going to be doing a lot of shopping, I’d go with Sukhumvit. If you’re mainly visiting historic sites and temples, go with the River.

Gym – equipment was world class (on par with the gym I use back home at $170 a month) and there was a solid range of machines. Top notch all the way. At most, saw two other people in the gym at the same time. I used it a lot. A great addition.

Laundry – I had thought the room would have a washer and dryer, and I’m sure the larger rooms do, but ours did not so we had to use the laundry room near the gym. 100 baht for washing and 100 baht for drying. Very expensive by Thai standards, but a good deal given how fast we were going through clothes.

*Pool – incredible. It’s on the 25th floor and is a covered, outdoor tile pool that overlooks the city. Simply incredible and beautiful.

Overall – solid with no complaints, but next time we’ll probably go for a hotel

Shopping – Men’s Suits
Okay, let’s stipulate that Bangkok offers some of the best shopping bargains in the world. Below are some highlights.

My favorite place to shop in the world, by far, across about 20 countries visited, is Rajawongse (Jesse and Victor’s) Clothier on Sukhumvit near the Landmark hotel. Jesse and Victor have been in the business for years and, legitimately, make suits for leading government officials such as President Bush 41 and 43, Tom Ridge, essentially the entire U.S. embassy, etc. You get something between a MTM and bespoke suit for $250 (not a typo). The material and craftsmanship is on par with the top end suits you’d see on Wall Street (Kiton et al). It is, without doubt, one of the best bargains anywhere and a tremendously fun shopping experience. Choose your fabric. Choose your options and customizations. Get a world class suit. I have been a client of Jesse and Victor’s for the past 10 years. Never a single disappointment. This trip, I bought 4 wool-cashmere suits with 2 x trousers each; 15 shirts; a navy blazer; and a sports jacket. Everything was perfect. Immaculate. I love going here each trip to Thailaind. Simply love it.

Below is a USA Today article on this clothier:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2...9-tailor_x.htm

Chapter 5: Shopping – Jewelry

Like high end suits, there are a lot of options in Bangkok and, in my opinion, like the suits I have a long-standing preference – in this case for Venus Jewelry on Wireless Road between the U.S. Embassy and the Lumpini Night market. Great service and an incredible selection, plus the ability to do high-quality custom work. I’m sure there are cheaper stores, but when in Thailand I prefer not to take risks and only want quality. Venus is great and my wife found the perfect ring and pendant to remember the trip by.

Restaurants – Rang Mahal

Rang Mahal is a high end Indian restaurant located on top of the Rembrandt Hotel on Sukhumvit 22 or so. My wife and I went for the shared, fixed meal which was quite good and cost about $75 all in. The view was incredible and are table was at the floor to wall windows. That said, about 20 minutes into the meal we were essentially joined by a table of 4 Japanese tourists who were so incredibly loud that it ruined the entire meal. Not much the Rang Mahal could do, but very annoying for us and essentially everyone in the local vicinity. Moreover, the Rembrandt is a complete dump and located near a row of massage parlours…so we won’t go back to this one in spite of good Indian food.

Restaurants – Sirocco

Near the river is Sirocco which is located on the roof / 63rd floor of the State building. I had steak and my wife had seafood. Incredible food and the service was the best service I have received anywhere…hands down. The kind of food and service I had only read about before. I was amazed. My wife was all smiles from the beginning. Incredible views. We paid $125 all in. The best dining experience I have ever had.

Restaurants – Bed Supper Club

Okay, so I know most of you have been to or at least read about Bed Supper Club. Located on Sukhumvit Soi 12, Bed Supper Club is housed in a white post-modern tube. Inside, you eat food on beds that are, actually, very comfortable and fun to eat on. The food was fantastic and actually better than I had expected. The service, to be fair, was off by Thai standards but who cares…that’s not the point of the place. Toward the end, there was an artistic type show. The place is all about creativity. Pretty fun and I would go back. All in we only paid about $60 which was an incredible bargain.

Restaurants – Face

On Sukhumvit Soi 38 is Face, which has a bakery, and Indian restaurant, and a Thai restaurant. We went based largely on the recommendations from this board – choosing the Thai restaurant. Fantastic and arguably the best Thai food my wife or I have had in a restaurant (and that includes a Michelin-rated Thai restaurant in London, which was also great). The architecture, the service, the food…all superb.

Restaurants – Sala Rim Naam

Sala Rim Naam is located on the Peninsula side of the river but owned by the Oriental. It is literally right on the river and we had the lunch buffet (they also host a dinner that includes classical Thai dance). Man, the Oriental knows service. Everything was so perfect. The seats are inlaid into the floor creating more of a traditional Thai dining experience. The buffet was great. The view was great. The service was great. All in, we had lunch for about $60 which I actually considered a bargain given what we got. Primarily Thai food. Will definitely go back.

Restaurants – River Terrace Café at the Penn

I guess the River Terrace Café is the Penn’s response to Sala Rim Naam. In short, the one really bad purchase we made the entire trip. It was like a really bad knock-off and, after having had the buffet at Sala Rim Naam a few days earlier, a real, real disappointment. The service was attentive, but not nearly as polished as the Oriental’s. The real problem was the food. Awful by Thai standards. Imagine a buffet where the food is provided by a poorly contrived combination of Thai street vendors and you’ll have the RTC. When we got the check, I couldn’t believe it was about 800 baht more than Sala Rim Naam had been. Horrible. Bad enough it made me think twice about staying at the Penn next time, even though I realize this is an emotional and irrational reaction. My wife said the same thing.

Great info, Shade! Keep it coming! I will be printing out this report for our trip in Feb!

Restaurants – KFC

Okay, I know you’re laughing that I have thrown KFC into the list of restaurants...but they did develop a great innovation that essentially combines larb chicken with the colonel’s traditional chicken strips. Spicy even by Thai standards, but a good break from the high end restaurants and the larb chicken dish is worth a quick visit.

And hey...it was better than RTC at the Penn.

Shangri La dinner cruise

There are several dinner cruises in Bangkok and to be honest I didn’t do as much research as usual before settling on the Shangri La cruise. The cruise started at 7:30 in the evening and lasted 2 hours – going from the Shangri La to the Hanging Bridge and back. Thankfully, smoking was only allowed outside and even at that we didn’t have many smokers, if any, on the trip. Very professional and well done. The food was better than I had expected – if you go, try the beef stew and the shrimp! A romantic dinner for sure, but the river is actually more interesting and it’s easier to see the sights during the day. All in was about $75. Worth it, but not the restaurant highlight of the trip by any means. But okay…

Oishi – Sushi 2nd floor of Discovery Center

A legitimate sushi buffet located in the Discovery Center. Man, we ate a ton and the food was great. Not what I’d call a beautiful or interesting restaurant w.r.t. architecture, but so much good food and made to order at that. If you love Japanese food, go here. But realize that the experience is in the food and not the service or atmosphere. All in it was about $50 for the two of us. A great choice after a hard day of shopping.

Restaurants - Dim Sum at the Landmark

Went for Dim Sum at the Landmark for lunch on a friend’s recommendation. I find that dim sum in Thailand is much better than in the U.S. as it’s less oily. Solid food at a fair price, but something was missing for me. Maybe it was the overall atmosphere of the place. I think there are better dim sum places in Bangkok and, while we never made it there, I bet the Conrad is one of them. All in was about $40 for lunch.

Restaurants – Ninth Street Café

Located on Soi Lang Suan. As it was near our hotel we ate there several times. It is also in the “Thailand’s Best Restaurants 2005” guide. Excellent lunch restaurant if you’re around Soi Lang Suan.

By the way, for 395 baht the restaurant guide is a MUST BUY. Best purchase we made and a great, great, guide to some of the best restaurants in Asia. If you do nothing else, buy this guide if you’re considering eating top end in Bangkok. Aside from food reviews, also gives very useful information such as dress code, reservations recommendations, phone numbers, etc.

Okay, time for a break. I'll cover culture, temples, more shopping, health, transportation, etc. later.

In the meantime, let me know if you have questions or comments so far!

Shade

Great report, Shade. A few comments -- while the Sala Rim Naam is excellent for lunch I would not go for their dinner show. The food is only mediocre then as it is set up for groups and a show. Next time I would try the buffet at Lord Jim at the Oriental which is even better than the one at Sala Rim and probably one of the best eating experiences in Bangkok.

Transportation

Skytrain – the Skytrain has deservedly gotten a lot of kudos. It is very clean and very efficient and the ability to avoid Bangkok traffic is hard to overstate. For between 10-50 baht you can scurry around a sizeable portion of the places in Bangkok you’d want to go. It does get crowded and the Thais have yet to learn the norms of metro riding, but all in all it’s great and odds are your hotel or serviced apartment will be close to one.

Taxis – underrated and not worthy of all the complaints I’ve read or heard over time. Fares start at 35 baht ($1) and you have to go a really long ways to get over 80 baht. If traffic is manageable, I’d recommend simply jumping in a taxi as opposed to the Skytrain – the latter of which almost always required a hike up 3 flights of stairs. Great for my quads though. On the taxis, given the 35 baht flat fare structure and a very slow progression beyond that, it's in the drivers' best interests to turn passengers as often as possible...so no danger they'll take you for an unnecesary long ride as that's not in their best interests.

River taxi – whether you’re on the river or not, take the river taxi just for fun. For 10-15 baht you can ride up or down the river and see a lot of the sights. It’s really quite fun and when I lived in Thailand I’d always take my guests on this little venture and they always loved it. Odds are you’ll be the only falangs on the ride, which is fine.

Culture - dogs and pets

When I lived in Thailand in the late 1990s, not that many Thais owned pets and dogs were usually only found on the streets (soi dogs). Since then, the King has adopted a wonderful dog, Thong Daeng, and I firmly believe this has created a new love for dogs and pets in general. For me, this is great and I was so happy to see the change. In short, the Thai people have taken a real interest in pets and brought them into their families.

Great report, Shade. I'm polishing my restaurant list for my November trip.

Great report so far Shade22182. I've written down most of your restaurant suggestions. We'll be in BKK next week.

Glorialf, do you remember the price of the luncheon buffet at Lord Jim's. I'd like to try one, and if it's a buffet, I'd rather try lunch so we can walk it off in the afternoon.

Your report so far has been awesome. I look forward to the rest. I am surprised you got e-tickets for a frequent flyer award. Sorry to hear your experience was not so good on Thai - we have business class ff tix for February - same flight - saying it is as good as United is not a compliment. I love solid food but was it any good?

I appreciate your men's suit and jewelry recs - how much time do they need to do custom? We will be in and out of Bangkok over a couple of weeks.

Can you elaborate on what you had at Sirocco - ingredients, presentation, wine? $125 is awful steep for Bangkok but a bargain for a top US place. We look forward to Bed and the Face Thai restaurant.

Thanks for your help.

Granny-- I think the buffet lunch at Lord Jim is around $25 -- maybe a bit more or less but somewhere in that neighborhood.
Shade-- I'm also a big dog lover and bought the king's book about his dog. I also went to a wonderful doggie spa not too far from the airport. They do all kinds of healing treatments (stone, oil,water and massage therapy). I spent a wonderful day there learning some techniques to bring home to my dogs.

Shade

Great report. Thanks for sharing your experiences in BKK with all of us. You mentioned some of my favorite places as being "great experiences" for you as well. I'm glad that others appreciate the good reviews I've given places such as Face and Bed Supper Club here on fodors. I don't take credit for being the first one to try these places, but I think I've been at or very near the front of the line, and have gladly shared my thoughts here. BTW, I also liked the Shangri-La dinner boat best, and I've done 3 now (S-La, Oriental, and River City).

I'm puzzled about your comment re:sky train "norms"... what did you mean by that? Just curious. Not trying to be picky!!! I don't live in a large city where we have public transportation, so I really enjoy the skytrain and have not had a problem at all.

Next time you go to BKK, you should try my favorite nightclub, Tawandang German Brewery. The Thai food is great, the beer is excellent, and the evening entertainment is always enjoyable!!

Again, thanks for sharing!

Carol

Overall Health in Bangkok (and staying out of trouble)

First, Bangkok can be really hot and humid so the key is staying pre-hydrated. As they used to tell me in survival school, if you're thirsty you waited way too long to drink water. Bangkok - and most of Thailand - is much the same. Dehydration is, in my opinion, really the main health risk assuming...

...you stay away from the food vendors on the side of the road. In over 2 years living in Thailand I only got sick twice and once was from my first visit to a food vendor. I was out for about a week. I mean completely out. Stay away from the vendors no matter what.

On getting in trouble in Thailand, it's very hard to do - you really have to try. If you ever find yourself in some sort of conflict, very unlikely, try smiling and that usually defuses almost any situation. Random violence is very rare. So enjoy a very safe big city all in all.

On shots, I saw a full thread on this. In my judgment, no need if you're just in Bangkok. Not sure I'd get them even if you're in the countryside but that's a personal call.

Anyway, drink a ton of water and don't go looking for trouble. Pretty much common sense.

Craig -

I'm not sure how long custom jewelry would take, I suspect it varies by degree of customization. Simple fixes, such as putting a stone on a different ring are done in a day or so.

On suits, you need time for initial measurement and selection, 2 separate fittings, and final adjustments. To be completely safe, I'd look at 3 days between each, with the final adjustments really only taking a day or so. I also think it's very important to know what you like in fit and what to look for for tailoring before you go in.

On Sirocco, we don't drink so all the prices on the thread are usually with an interesting non-alcoholic drink (such as a mango delight of some sort) but no wine. Ingreidents were great as was the presentation, but I'm not a food conniseur to be honest so not much more I can add. It tasted great :) Well worth the money for the memory alone. I'd go again in a heartbeat. Same for most of the restaurants except the RTC.

I'll bet you have a different TG experience. Let us know. When we boarded the crew all had the look of 'don't expect great service from us' that I'm so accustomed to from UAL. They looked really tired. Not sure if there was an overscheduling issue.

Shade

Carol -

I'm being a bit picky about the Skytrain norms. But...since you asked. Would be great if folks who are going to walk briskly to the incoming train stand to the right of the escalators allowing the folks who want to make a run for it to briskly make their way up or down the escalator. Another one would be to wait until people get off the train before trying to force your way on. Minor stuff, but noticeable. No big deal...

Shade

EGV Gold Class Theater

Located at the Discover Center is an EGV theater that will always have 2 U.S. movies showing in Gold Class theaters at any given time. This is a fantastic experience. There are two prices - 500 baht and 600 baht. The 600 baht seats seemed better and worth the extra 100 baht, plus they're in the back row and provide a better angle.

On Gold Class, imagine a theater where your seat is a fully electronically adjustable high end lazy boy! There are only about 30 seats in the entire theater and you can order snack food (e.g. satay) or drinks. A lot of fun and actually very relaxing in the afternoon after a hard day of shopping but before heading to one of Bangkok's great restaurants. We saw Red Eye and then later went back for Sound of Thunder. Worth the 2 hours for sure. Go for seats A3, A4, A5, or A6 for the very best seats in the house.

Shade

Really enjoyed your report Shade. It was also very easy to read.

Gloria, I've eaten dinner at Sala Rim Naam several times. We've never seen the dinner show. You can sit outside instead and order a la carte. The food was wonderful and very inexpensive. We had a feast and paid less than half what Shade paid and that included several beers. This was a few years ago however so the prices may have really gone up.

Politics and the U.S.

I think it's safe to say that the U.S., and perhaps Western nations in general, have lost a bit of cache in Thailand across the past 5 years or so. The Chinese influence was much more palpable to me than in 1996-2000 and it was clear that the Thai are becoming more and more confident in their own culture. The idea that psychologically the falangs are of an elevated status seems to be eroding. Moreover, I always like to ask the taxi drivers what they think about the U.S. whenever I travel overseas. The consensus this trip was a polite we like the U.S. but...don't like Bush and think the war in Iraq was without a purpose.

All this has no bearing whatsoever on 99.9% of tourists or trips, merely making the observation for the long-term Bangkok/Thailand hands on the board. I can definitely see China stepping in in Thailand and I suspect other SE Asian countries as well. On the Bush issue, I do think the Iraq war, whether you support it or not, has eroded our influence abroad.

Shade

Muay Thai at Ratchadamnoen -

What a great evening!!! We had the ringside falang tickets and it was incredibly entertaining. 10 fights in all. As entertaining as the fights were the gamblers in the fenced section which accounted for about 90% of the audience. My wife and I both loved the event. Ratchdamnoen stadium has air conditioning and was very comfortable, but bring your own bottled water if that's your drink of choice. Lumpini stadium is easier to get to for most travelers but didn't have air conditioning and wasn't on the right night for us. At any rate, a great event and a must see if you even remotely enjoy boxing or MMA. Not cheap...$50 per ticket but we were in the front row by the ring and in one of the corners. Really fun.

Shade

Jim Thomson House -

When I lived in Thailand before I never understood the fascination with Jim Thomson products so I was reluctant to go visit his house. My tastes have changed!

First, the house tour is worth the visit and very well done - and only takes about 45 minutes. The guides are great and very informative.

On shopping, the gift store at the house is unbelievable. A shoppers dream. We bought a ton of stuff - shirts, souvenirs, silk, purses, cards, etc. Great stuff. Not sure why I didn't like it in the past. Only complaint...no extra long ties, or I would have bought about 10.

There is a Jim Thomson outlet over on Sukhumvit Soi 93. This seemed more geared to folks living in Thailand (e.g. spools of silk, more housewares, etc.)

The house is a definite go see and the gift store amazing.

Shade

Shopping - Replica Antiques

Lots of choices along Sukhumvit, Ploenchit, and other areas of Bangkok. We bought some great pieces at Triphum which is located on the 4th floor of Gaysorn Plaza (central shopping area). If you're looking for great replicas in the $100-$300 range (and higher) this is a great choice and one of the best stores I've seen anywhere in Bangkok.

For cheaper shopping, there is now a night bazaar across from Lumpini park which as stalls and stalls of tourist goods. It's essentially a night version of Chatuchak, though clearly smaller. Very easy to navigate through and open every night. Worth going to if you like that type of thing.

Shade

Grand Palace -

This, clearly, is a must see for anyone. All I can suggest is to get a guide on the outside of the palace to show you around and give you the history of the palace. This made our visit this time much more enjoyable than in past visits. Drink water! On the day we went it was hot and humid enough to bother even me - and I have lived in Saudi Arabia, the Mojave Desert, and as mentioned above Thailand before...but it was hot and open enough to really slow me down so take care of yourself.

Shade

Great report shade! Keep it coming!

Funny you should mention Venus Jewelry...I was visiting my local jeweler/gemologist the other day and telling her how much I liked SJ. She said she used to do a lot of business in Thailand and likes them, but really prefers Venus. I made a mental note to find them next time I'm in Bangkok, and now here you come and recom them as well!

Hi
I'm planning to make a trip to the Pha Luang Ta Bua Yannasampanno monastery over the Christmas period. Did you visit there? Any comments?
Thanks

Shade
I also enjoy seeing a movie at the EGV Gold Class theater. I have recommended it on this forum more than once!
Carol