BKK 10 Commandments
 

1)Thou shall stay on the river- its very relaxing and away from the hustle and bustle of the city

2)There is no wrong side of the river

3)Get Ratt- she makes your trip oh so much more enjoyable

4)Take it slow- the heat and humidity will take its toll on you

5)Avoid the Tuk Tuks- you have been warned!

6)Street Food vendors- eat at your own risk- its your vacation don’t risk it!

7)Take the sky train, subway, and river taxis.

8)Bargain with a smile.

9)Don’t fall for the scams from the touts- such as “ The Grand Palace is closed today, but there is a great sale at this jewelry store I can take you”

10) Be mindful of the clothing requirements at the temples.

another to add: Thou shalt not eat raw seafood at a street stall

Andy, I agree with all of them except the first one (unless, of course, someone is going to BKK for their first time). You know I much prefer staying right in the heart of the Sukhumvit area instead of the river!

Other than that, I think your list is great! Oh.. I've never used Ratt either, but she and also Tong get good reviews all the time, so that is a great suggestion.

I always used to take at least one tuk tuk ride everytrip for the first few times, just so live the excitement one more time. Now, I mostly avoid them. They are, after all, dangerous... (but an adrenalin rush).

Carol

Carol- I'm Bill T not Andy.

BillT;
That's very clever... I enjoyed reading them as some may apply to many cities in the Far East.

BillT
Ooops.... very sorry! I guess I had Andy in mind as I was reading one of his comments on another thread. I'm really sorry for that...

Ahem... we'll start again...
BillT... I like your 10 commandments and can agree with all but the first one... yada yada yada...

Please forgive me...
In any case, it's a great list.


Carol

For the less insular:

You can stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city without paying mega bucks to stay by the river.

Nowt wrong with tuk-tuks - you just need to know how to bargain. And besides they are better value than taxis.

Street Food is wonderful - been to BKK six times. Always bought fruit as dessert from a street vendor. Never been sick.

Agree absolutely with all the other tips.

I thought the street food was one of the glories of Bangkok and I certainly will be eating at stalls on my upcoming trip! Just use common sense!

But thanks for the tips, Bill!

I definitely don't agree with "Thou shall stay on the river". I didn't stay on the river for my first time in Bangkok and many more times after that and I had absolutely no regrets. I stayed on the river to try it out "many" years after several trips and it's not for me. I moved back into the hub of things very quickly.I only use the river for transportation when needed. Happy Travels!

Mistaken for a Panda, the highest compliment. Commandment may be a bit strong. Perhaps high recommendations might be more appropriate. I do agree withy almost all of them