since there is so much interest in whats happening in bangkok, i thought i'd start this thread until the number one on-scene reporter, carol, comes here and starts her usual vivid and informative reports.

i arrived on time(1110pm) on ua 881. the flt was full. there were lines at immigration, but most of the ques had two stations open, so the wait was not too long. the taxi que was a different matter for me, as i got in the wrong line(two lanes merge into one) , so my wait time was 45min.

i took the freeway down into suk, no traffic, no problem. i arrived at my hotel, columns bangkok, on soi 16, suk. at 1am. i have a studio on the floor 31. the room is huge, the largest i've stayed in, in all the dozen or so hotels i've stayed in bangkok. it has a full kitchen, with a full fridge, washer and dryer, a lanai, king bed, siiting area, work station, and a 36"lcd tv. this apt is a great great value.

i will see later today how far a walk it is to asoke bts. foodland market in 10 seconds away. its an upscale foodland, much nicer that the one on soi 5.

time now to finish my chang light, and hit the rack.

ht, be sure linda updates her log. lol.

Thanks for checking in, Ken. I look forward to future reports.

Hi Ken... or should I say aloha... or better yet, sawasdee kah! I'm glad you are doing an on-the-ground report from BKK.

Hope you get to find Brad. I guess we maybe got dates confused, as I really thought the two of you were flying together, as seat mates upstairs in biz, but alas when Brad called he said he did not see you! He was on UA. Did you arrive in BKK on the 15th?? He did too! He left home on the 14th. Anyway, I hope you two find each other! He's at Grand Business Inn on soi 11 for at least a couple of nights. He arrived in BKK about 4 hours ago.

I'll be in BKK next Tuesday night. I'll be at Maeng's after landing! Hope you can come over there. BTW...We really need to do quiz night as a fodorite team on Thursday night!!

Carol

Hey Ken, sounds like a nasty combination (United Airlines followed by a 45-min taxi wait), but I imagine that the payoff is worth it.

log is updated,lol

back in bkk so soon,lol! the columns bangkok site looks really nice. maybe we'll have to stay in a serviced appt other than a hotel during our next trip, we'll see although you will probably be back several times before we can afford to go,lol

when you get back in town lets go out and get a start on the tasting missions.....

Aloha!

will be interested in your views on what you see...

looks quite nice... how do you compare it to the sathorn marriott? and price?

It does look nice, Ken. I didn't do much more than look at the gallery photos. What floor(s) is it on? I thought the building was maybe offices. The Long Table is in this same building, isn't it?

Hey Ken, look forward to your reports

Are you coming to Boston in October?

1/2 of HI is coming!!

Heya Ken, I hope your medical treatment went well last night. I believe Brad was seen running naked down Soi 8. Can you confirm?

Ken-good beginning. Keep us updated on the goings on. Prompt reporting. No penalty.

i was up early this morning after just a couple of hours sleep. always happens to me.

update of travel ride to hotel.

suk was empty. usually from soi 11 to asoke, the sidewalks are filled with mobile bars, and food vendors, and alot of people are just beginning to party from 12am. it was quiet. i think i spotted the dog there early one morning a month or so ago.

update on my hotel room.

the view from the 31st floor is fantastic. i look towards on-nut. the walk to the asoke bts is less than 10 min.

i was out all day, and when i returned, there were two maintenance men trying to fix the lanai door. there is a sign on the door that it is locked, and if i wanted to open it, i would have to have maintenance come and unlock the door. well, i think the maid opened the door, and was unable to close it. after i returned from a hard day of doing nothing, i wanted a nap, but the maintenance men were working on getting the door close, and they did not seem very cheerful.

they were unable to close the door, so the hotel asked me to move to a one-bedroom suite. reluctantly, i agreed. lol. the one bedroom is huge, so huge that is it seems rather sparsely furnished. i think the studio was better.

bob, i like the columns studio much better than the one bedroom marriott on sathorn. the room is just as large if not larger, and the location is much better. the hike from the marriott over the freeway, down convent to the sala daeng bts was just that, a hike. i think i paid about a $100 at marriott, but i'm paying just $68 all in here at columns. i got it on agoda.

carol, brad and i were on the same flt from nrt, but did not see each other. i was in the upper deck, while he was below. i do want to play trivia again at the pickled liver. the original fodors team of fanny, eric, dr. jack and myself were awesome. we were damn good. we finish dead last. so now with you on the team, we might win the bottle of thai whiskey, which i understand is the last prize to be picked.

i am on the 31st floor, and long table is on the 25th floor.

don, i should know better about getting in the taxi que. i was really pissed at myself for getting in the wrong line. however, like you said, i'm enjoying myself now.

ht, i think you will like the columns, but its a couple of step down from the oriental.

you chose the next location to start our tasting mission. maybe do a recon for the sep gtg.

craig, i am planning on going to the bos gtg. i had a great time a couple of years ago. bob and andy put on a great event.

dog, i went to see the dr. after i arrived, and did receive the proper medical treatment. they told me to tell you "hi", and are anxiously waiting for your return appearance. i did not see brad running down soi 8 au natural. but i thought i saw someone like him running down soi 11. lol.

andy, hows it going? hope each day brings better health.

ok, today, i took the bts from asoke to nana for breakfast with my cousin. i would have walked, but it rained in the early morning, and it was extra humid. it was a routine trip on the bts.

soi 11 was not as active as it usually is, filled with a mobile travel agency, and lots of food vendors, with tables and chairs that block the sidewalk. i guess its because of songkran.

after breakfast, i went looking for my favorite tailor, in front of the presiden palace hotel, but even she was not there.

i later went by taxi to careforre on rama 4, and the trip was uneventful. no traffic jams, no red shirts to be seen. i've not gone down to the ploenchit or chitlom area, so i don't know whats going on there. i don't think i'll go there.

tonight, i'm going to little italy on suk soi 23 for dinner. we wanted to go to the oyster bar(been there twice), but they are closed for the new year. if you like oysters, and other shellfish, this is the place.

tomorrow, i'm meeting with two of lucys cousins to see what kind of trouble three hawaii boys can get into. hanuman knows them also.

well, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Hi Ken,
Reading your report with interest. There will be no naked Brad running down any sois in the next few days. He is at the country house of a friend right now. No more such antics, at least for the time being. Now, on the other hand, his military friend may be the one you saw on soi 11!!

I hope you stop by and see Maeng. She knows that you are in BKK now. So.. is Thursday night quiz night a go then? We'll have a couple of other friends who will be in BKK and just might help us that evening. Michaelbkk, if you are reading this, we need YOU too!!

Dogster... if you are in BKK, you should join us for quiz night at the Pickled Liver. You'd really enjoy it! And we could use your help. You saw what Ken said about the fodors team... dead last!!! haha

Can't wait to get back to BKK on Tuesday night!

Carol

hey Carol - I'm in Melbourne, looking at these events with interest. The legs are giving me grief again. Wish I was there.

Sorry about the legs, dog. Take care! We need you to help us at quiz night at Maeng's sometime.
Carol

ken, great to read the live reports, linda wants you to keep it up for a "live log",lol

is your tailor in a mobile joint or a store?

can't wait for more, wish i were there now.....

Aloha!

Tell them to behave themselves...Oh wait, they'll be with you. Have fun doing whatever you bad boys do in Bangkok!

Whats this about food tastings?? I wanna come!!

i went to little italy for the last time last night. it was ok.

after dinner, i went back to soi 11 with my cousin, then had a foot massage at bai po, tiny soi off soi 11, behind the grand business inn. i like this place, its the best. i then walked back to the hotel. it was good to see life was active again on suk between soi 11 and asoke.

i woke to a loud bang this morning at 430am. i was hoping is was thunder...and yes, thankfully, it was thunder. the streets are now dry.

i;m thinking of going down to the river and go to river city sc. i've never been there, but from what i've read here, they have many silver shops there. i'm interested in replacing my lost money clip, so is the river city sc the place to go?

ht, my tailor sits under a brolly, with her foot power singer, and does alterations. i've been going to her for a couple of years now. she does a good job. 50including tip) to hem my trou.

btw, i see that ua has issued a travel advisory for travel to and from bangkok. great!

btw lucy, of course you and milt are welcome to join us. lets see whats on the agenda with ht, and he will email us with the details.

and that was 50 bhat, don't know how i got that funny symbol. lol.