Best use of a Guide in Bangkok?

Old Apr 7th, 2010, 04:46 PM
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Best use of a Guide in Bangkok?

We're going to be in Bangkok for 4 days and thought it would be useful to have a guide for one day. We want someone who will show us things/or a side of Bangkok that we wouldn't be able to do ourselves-either insight into regular touristy things, or places we wouldn't otherwise think about. Please tell us about good experiences/things you've done with a guide.
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Old Apr 7th, 2010, 07:23 PM
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Try searching for "Tong" or "Rat".
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Old Apr 8th, 2010, 04:43 AM
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use a guide to get to some places hard to do on your own. many on this board have done the fishing village/railway market excursion. we thought it was one of the best days we have had in asia, and highly recommend it!
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Old Apr 8th, 2010, 06:50 AM
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Some people love to use guides, some don't.

I find Bangkok easy to navigate on my own, and I like using public transport - skytrain, water taxis, etc. So I've never used a guide in Bangkok, nor would I recommend it.

It does make sense to use a guide to take you to places outside of Bangkok, as per 4bams suggestion above.
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Old Apr 14th, 2010, 08:01 PM
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Tong was our guide in 07 & we loved her. I can highly reccomend her-chris
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Old Apr 15th, 2010, 02:15 AM
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If you're going to be in Bangkok for 3-4 days, you should use Tong or a team member to take you to the fishing village and the Flaoting Market. This is a stupendous day and will amaze and delight. She can be reached at TourwithTong.com. The reason I suggest this is that the major tourist sites in Bangkok can be done without a guide. The Grand palace, Wat Pho, Wta Arun, Jim Thompson House and a Klong Tour are easily accessible. There is a strong tourist infrastructure in BKK.

Please note that if you do these on your own, you are likely to be approached by touts and told that the site you are visiting is closed for a Buddhist holiday and offered a Tuk Tuk ride to other sites. This is a scam designed to takje you to jewelers and tailors. Just ignore these touts and keep walking.
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Old Apr 15th, 2010, 09:52 AM
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We were in Bangkok the end of February and used Ratt as our guide. She was great. She took us to the Train Market, the Floating Market, for an elephant ride, and would have also taken us to the Tiger temple if we had time.

She also took us to the weekend market, introduced us to "street" food...(safe and delicious) and she took us to a lovely spa (our request) for a two hour Thai massage ($15)
We stayed at the Sheraton Royal Orchid on Starwood points, took the boat on the river once...but it was just easier to have Ratt take us and drop us off at Wat Po, etc.and all the other typical tourist sights.

She also took us to Residence Arun one morning for breakfast, and each day took us to lovely restaurants for lunch.

Her price was very reasonable and she is most accomodating and a good person. I would highly reccomend her. By the way,
I emailed Tong several times when I was looking for a guide, and she never responded.

One other tip....we had a terrible experience with a taxi driver from the BKK airport. He was most abusive and would not put on his meter and yelled at us. He spoke no English and was quite angry when we insisted he put on the meter. We
were fearfful the whole ride as he banged his fist on our suitcase in the front seat and yelled "fair"...Seemed he wanted more than the $300+ "Batt quoted by the starter at the airport...and even at the hotel (when we finally got there) he didn't want to give us change for our 500B until the doorman at the SWheraton dealt with him. Not a nice welcome to Bangkok.
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Old Apr 15th, 2010, 04:14 PM
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try tourwithtong.com............have tried it. if your on a budget just hire the guide and take taxi or whatever convenient...
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Old Apr 15th, 2010, 05:57 PM
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Thank you all for the helpful advice. This forum has been invaluable!There are so many things to do, it's very difficult to decide what to do with a guide, but now I am thinking to set up with Tong or possibly Wandee (her tours looked good) for the floating market and the fishing village.
Is the experience with the taxi related above typical? I certainly hope not!
Gpanda, I do hope you are feeling better!!! You are clearly loved by many!
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Old Apr 15th, 2010, 06:22 PM
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unfortunately there are some bad taxi drivers and you got one of them...

you will find a flat rate request around many tourist sites and it makes it hard.....the same in some farang areas like soi 4 sukhumvit...

we get around this by going to an hotel to get taxis when ever possible like at river city where we go into the sheraton and then you rarely have this problem....same at soi 4 we go to jw marriott to get a taxi easily with no hastle...
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