Nancy Chandler maps
 

I ordered them from Amazon and they came in last night. One for Bangkok and one for Chiang Mai.

I think I need to extend this trip now.

Thank you to all who suggested them!

ps. if there are any favorites on these maps that I should try really hard to seek out, please advise, thanks.

The secret with these schematic maps is how to get to, and how long it takes to get to. What might look v.close on the map might not be the case.

The Nancy Chandler maps show so many things that I expect that virtually anything you wanted to go to would be shown on the maps. The maps, of course, are not to scale, and are more schematics than maps, but one of the best ways to get a sense of where things are located in relationship to each other. If this is your first trip, you'll want to see the major wats. I use the maps as many times as I've been there to find lesser known wats to visit.

You'll have to let us know what kinds of things you are asking about - wats, stores, restaurants, etc.

the maps are not to scale at all..

what are you interested in??

platinum fashion mall in bkk is fab for women

silom village on silom rd has some nice shops...

new rd has tons of silver shops.. we like Lim Silver on Oriental Lane--the one nearest to the hotel

Frankly it all looks overwhelming. I only have three nights in CM and four nights (which is three days) in BKK so I have to prioritise. I do have a Moon guidebook which I am perusing anew.

I guess I'd say the most interesting wats, first, and then fantastic coffee shops/breakfast/pastries, then third restaurants. Since this is my first trip I will probably just walk all over, all over, like I tend to do anyway...

I doubt I will go to a shopping mall (never say never but I doubt it, this time). I would like to buy clothing but I'd probably do that in the small shops I'd find by walking around. Cotton House ranks high for my first day in and I've no idea if that is in a mall or not.

Thank you.

Yes, you can find the 'fantastic' Starbux coffee shops in CM. The med latte will cost you as much as one good delicious meal in a Thai restaurant.
In CM, the wats are everywhere, maps entirely un-needed. Ur best notion is indeed, 'walking around'.

We like to walk cities, too...but not Bangkok. After four visits, we have concluded that Bangkok is pedestrian-hostile if you are trying to move between small neighbourhoods. You will be hot, frustrated by traffic and footsore before you stumble upon anything interesting. Better to have a plan around a couple of key destinations, and take public transit or taxi (they are cheap). And by deciding not to go into a shopping mall, you will miss how Bangkok really lives--including the best food court options and the fantastic coffee shops.

Bangkok is not an easy pedestrian city. Choose some neighborhoods to walk in, but as mentioned above, you'll want the skytrain or taxi to get you from area to area. Cotton House is an excellent place for having clothing custom-made, though I doubt you really have time. Cotton House in located in a small shopping center right behind the Oriental Hotel. Three are a good number of interesting shops in the area, both those in the same shopping center and those in nearby small shopping centers and shops (like Lim Silver on the street). Also visit Wat Tramit (the Golden Buddha) and walk around Chinatown - so much to see, do, eat.

For wats, IMO, the must-sees in Bangkok are the Grand Palace/emerald Buddha, Wat Po (Reclining Buddha), Wat Arun. In Cm, actually outside of CM, do visit Doi Suthep. I like it best early in the morning.

As you can see from the Nancy Chandler maps, there are many, many more wats to visit as well as wonderful restaurants and shops. This trip will just be a sample. If you are like many of us, you will be back again and again..

Have you decided on a hotel in Banngkok yet? It's easier for people who know the city to give specific advice if they know where you are based.

To get around easily and quickly, it's best to stay close to a Skytrain station (BTS), Underground station(MRT), or close to the river for the public river ferries. Note that the public ferries stop for the day at about 1900.

If Chinatown is on your to see list, then the place comes to life after dusk.

Don't allow the planning to get on top of you. You're doing the right things in asking lots of question beforehand.

I am in the Shangri La and on my return trip the JW Marriott. I still have time and could change to the Shangri La for my return although I thought it would be nice to see a different part of the city.

Good to know BKK isn't going for long wanders. I was referring to CM, more, as that is the first map I've cracked open - I know I wasn't very clear.

I already know I will be back. :)

Continuing to peruse Moon... which I will also do on the plane...

Thanks again.

We're in Chiang Mai now. I wouldn't call it easy to walk around. It's hot - 33C today and very humid, footpaths are variable, but trip hazards are plenty. Tuk tuks are cheap and plentiful, but know the price you should pay, and bargain accordingly.

Fantastic local food options on inthawarorot Rd, near Ratchadamoem rd intersection - excuse spelling !

I would keep the hotels as you have laid out... there is some walking you can do from the sh-la, incl. the whole new road area up to and past the oriental hotel area---really all the way to capt. bush rd.

from the jw you have easy access to the adult entertainment area next door at soi 4, sukhumvit, not that you want that but from an human interest angle, it can be interesting. btw, the Bangkok baking co in the jw is excellent. easy access to lots of shopping from here too, but most are malls.

as stated bkk is not a city for strolling around. it is more destination driven. I prefer taxis to all other forms of transportation, but I love boat rides on the river---sh-la boat being one of them..

in the OP Place mini mall, behind the Oriental Hotel you will find interesting shops incl. cotton house. btw, we did not find the cotton hse employees to be friendly and have never returned after our first purchase many years ago... we much prefer js thai silk in river city shopping mall a short boat ride up the river (they, RC, have a boat that sails from the hotel pier next to sh-la). btw, there is a reasonable massage place directly across the corridor from JS.

sartoric, thank you for the pirep! I would love to hear from you after you leave CM with some tips.

I was hoping November would be less hot and less humid.

I will be in sundresses quite a bit.

The store I liked, near the Shangri-La was called Mazzaro. I bought some beautiful silk tops there. I think they may also have a store in the Shangri-La too. There was also a nice silver jewelery store in OP Place, near the Mandarin Oriental.

We were in Chiang Mai last November, and will be there for a few days next month too. It is hot there, but not nearly as hot as Bangkok.

Agree with Sartoric's first para.

A tip with tuk tuks is to flag them down. The ones that are waiting on street corners are the ones that are likely to want to overcharge you, or take you to somewhere you don't really want to go, such as a gem emporium or somewhere that's got a wonderful one-day only sale on.

A trip out to the Handicraft workshops a few kilometres east of CM town centre is a good area to visit during the day. But if you hire a tuk tuk to take you there and shunt you between stores then be aware of what I wrote above, as if they can get a bit of commission here and there then they'll have their favourite places to take you.

Careful you don't leave any valuables in the tuk tuk!

Oddly enough, tuk-tuks will usually cost you more than a taxi. I say oddly because in the tuk-tuk you are exposed to the exhaust fumes, dust, etc. If you really want a day of handicraft shopping, I recommend you hire a taxi by the hour. It pretty cheap and you'll have your (air-conditioned) ride waiting for you when you finish at each store. the driver will stay with the car, so you ca put your purchases in the trunk while you shop. The Nancy Chandler Map has a good listing of fair-trade craft shops.

Kathie. CM or BKK? I'm taking about the craft shops east of CM.

Flygirl: "I doubt I will go to a shopping mall (never say never but I doubt it, this time). I would like to buy clothing but I'd probably do that in the small shops I'd find by walking around. Cotton House ranks high for my first day in and I've no idea if that is in a mall or not."

As for Cotton House, they do custom-made clothes as I've been having my clothes made there over many years and will be having them made there again, in a couple of months. I have a whole suitcase full of fabric that I'm taking along. But, you need time to have custom clothes made as you need to be there for fittings.

Since you have such a short time in Bangkok, it might be better for you to buy clothing at places that sell off the rack unless you want to spend time going to fittings to get the clothing just right. I'm a stickler for a proper fit.

Although Cotton House has fabric, when I arrive I have my own fabric that I've bought, mostly either here in L.A., or also in Singapore if I've been there before Bangkok. I also bring along some garments from home to have Cotton House copy, but with my new fabrics. But, when I'm in Bangkok, I'm there from 1 week to 3.5 weeks so I have time.

When I arrive into Cotton House, I know exactly what I want when I walk in so we get right to it and I chat with the ladies, they take my measurements, we discuss what I want, they offer me lunch, and then we set up a date for my first fitting. I find it a very pleasant experience, to say the least. Plus, all of the buttons that I have on my tops I have handmade from the fabric that is being used. So, a woman is assigned to make buttons and sometimes I drop by just to see how things are coming along and watch her in the process of making my buttons.

You can probably find other places to make clothing for you and really fast as there are tons of places in Bangkok. I can only speak of Cotton House as I've used them to make over two-dozen garments for me over the years.

Happy Travels!

I'm talking about both, though the price differential is less in CM than in BKK. One of the things I find frustrating in CM is that if you want to do a shopping trip, you really need a driver. In Bangkok, there is so much good public transportation that you don't need a driver unless you are buying large items.

Thank you!

Do I need to make a reservation for Cotton House, for a fitting?

No

Flygirl: No appointment is needed, however, it can get busy in there so expect to have some time to possibly wait a bit. But, they're usually quite quick at attending to customers.

Another thing that they will do is make a matching handbag to your outfit. When I threw my GTG here at home, I was wearing an outfit that I had made at Cotton House, including a handbag made from the same Chinese brocade that I had bought at Michael Levine here in downtown L.A.'s garment district.

I ended up with a gorgeous, Chinese brocade jacket with palazzo-style pants and a small, matching handbag and all made at Cotton House. Khun Reed mentioned that she had it hanging up, in the shop, while waiting for me to come over to pick it up and customers were trying to buy it and also were asking where they could buy the fabric. She then explained to them that I had bought the fabric in L.A. and had designed the outfit in L.A. and then brought the concept to Bangkok and we tweaked it together and then they made it. I can't wait to take in my suitcase full of Vlisco fabric that I had flown in from Europe. We'll have a designing ball. Smiles.

Happy Travels!

That sounds fantastic Guenmai!

I would enjoy getting something that was Asian-inspired in design. Any place online you would suggest I look to get some ideas?

Thank you again everyone.

Flygirl: Well, here in L.A., we have quite a bit of clothing by Citron. You might get some ideas from their pages.

Actually, I got the basic idea for my Chinese brocade jacket from a jacket that was in one of Nordstrom's mail-out mini catalogues. It arrived in the mail one day and I saw a jacket that I liked, but it wasn't of the fabric that I wanted plus it was priced at around $250., I think it was. I tore the page out, hopped into my car, and headed for Michael Levine and bought high-quality Chinese brocade at $15.00 a yard. I also bought a gorgeous fabric for the palazzo pants. Then, I took it all to Bangkok.

Another place where you might get some inspiration is from Shanghai Tang. I have quite a few of their clothing pieces. I first bought their clothes in Singapore, many years ago. Then Bangkok got a boutique at Emporium Mall, but moved it over to Paragon Mall when that mall was completed. I just looked to see if it's still there, but it's no longer listed. But, there are still 3 boutiques in Singapore along with one at Changi Airport. So, I'll visit them when I'm in Singapore on this upcoming trip. It's too bad that Shanghai Tang closed its boutiques here in the U.S. a few years ago as there had been a big one in N.Y and a smaller one in Honolulu. I'd been to the Honolulu one several times.

Have fun creating!

https://citronclothing.com/

https://www.shanghaitang.com/


Happy Travels!

Be careful of tuk tuks from near the Shangri-La. They will insist on taking you to specific jewelry marts. Taxis are so cheap in Bangkok. Tuk tuks can actually charge you more and you're stuck behind the nasty gas smell. They look like fun but they really aren't.

The Shangri-La is perfect for access to the metro and also there's a stop there for the river boat/buses. If you are there on a Sunday afternoon, hang out to witness the "tea dance" in the lobby. Really fascinating. I loved that hotel.

By the way, have you considered a cooking class? I don't really want to cook but it was such an interesting way to spend the afternoon with locals, learning to understand the nuances and elements of Thai food. Lots of time to chat one on one with the chef and her helper.

I didn't do a "Follow-Me Bicycle Tour" but will next visit. Looks like it could be fun.

Belinda is right, most tuk-tuks want to take you to jewelry stores (special one-day government sale!) or tailor shops. Never get into a tuk-tuk or taxi that wants to take you somewhere other than where you want to go. Tuk-tuks are usually more expensive than taxis. In a taxi, make sure they turn on the meter. If they want to negotiate a flat rate with you, get out. There are plenty of taxis.

Flygirl: The below article was in the L.A. Times back in 2005 and I remember printing the article back then.

I had already started getting my clothing made in Bangkok before that article came out. But, I did drop by the recommended shop in Singapore, that same year, that is mentioned in the L.A. Times article as, on that trip, I was in Singapore before flying up to Bangkok. The Singapore shop was more expensive than having the exact same thing done in Bangkok which I expected, but I didn't expect such a huge difference in price, like more than double the Bangkok price. I remember the person at the Singapore shop being very nice and even suggesting that I have my particular clothing item made in Bangkok.

I had bought my fabric in Singapore, down on Arab Street, where I buy fabric. I took both the fabric and an Asian-style top (bought in Singapore) that I wanted made into more fabrics to both the L.A. Times article-recommended place in Singapore and also to Cotton House in Bangkok. The place in Singapore would not do custom buttons from my fabric, but said that plastic buttons would be used. I wasn't interested in plastic buttons. So, off I flew to Bangkok and had done what I needed done and since I was satisfied with what was done, I continued to take in fabric for years after that.

Only one time did I have a mishap with some clothing items. I was in Bangkok for only a week and had a LOT of skirts done in the same style. I went in for either one or two fittings as I was busy that week. My finished clothes were delivered to me (free of charge) way across town to my serviced apartment building at Prom Phong BTS area. I was out all day and when I got back to my building, I was told that there had been a delivery for me.

The clothes were nicely folded and each skirt enclosed in plastic. So, I just dumped them all into my suitcase as I was flying home very early the next morning. I didn't try the skirts on as I didn't want to have to refold and repackage them. When I got home, I noticed that 2 or 3 of the skirts had been cut too big. But, I wore them anyway and for nearly a year. The other skirts were sized perfectly. Had I tried them on before leaving Bangkok, there wouldn't have been anything that I could have done about it anyway since I was leaving the next morning.

About a year later or less, I was back in Bangkok again and took the skirts back over to Cotton House and mentioned that those particular skirts were too big. They offered to resize them for me, but I didn't want to have that done so I asked if they knew a charity that they could donate the skirts to. I was told that they did and that they would donate them. Then, on the new order of the clothing that they were then making for me, they gave me a discount.

I will be having the same style skirt made on this upcoming trip. It's a denim cargo skirt that one of the top U.S. designers did many years ago and that I had first bought at retail price here at home. The designer, to this day, hasn't come back with that style skirt or anything close to it, so I have it made of which I've had it remade over many years to Bangkok.

When it comes to custom-made clothes, what's important to me is that I'm getting what I want and not having to wait, from season to season, to see if a retail design company will make what I want/need. I can also select the fabrics that I want the clothing item in and I can have the item fit me the way that I want it to fit as long as I go to the fittings and have EACH item fitted. Plus, I can have the skirts done in the lengths that I prefer and not all of these 21-inch skirts that are off the rack here at home. 21-inch skirts are fine for women who are around 5'4", but I'm taller than that and want 23-inch skirts. Plus, I wear these skirts to work, even the denim cargo ones. So, for me custom made is great and I'm not just looking for a cheap price to have them made, but am looking for having them made in the quality that I expect.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1.../p2p-17432073/

Happy Travels!

I saw a Follow Me tour today. It looked like fun. I took a boat ride from near Harmonique to Wat Pho. 600 baht. I know that I was probably overcharged but for my own boat ride along the river for under 20 bucks that was fine.

As I mentioned in my "I'm here" thread, I decided to go with three simple dressed. Sheath, fitted, boat neck, a la Audrey Hepburn - from the front (IE a simple back, not cut out like her Givenchy).

Food so far is quite cheap! For that matter so is this hotel - you'd pay quite a bit more in NYC or Paris. For certain...

flygirl, I highly recommend taking the public water taxis. For 25 baht or less, you can ride from the Shangri-La to the wats on the river. It's a genuine Bangkok public transit experience. If you want to take a private long tail boat ride, have them take you on an hour-long tour - 600 baht would be an ok price for that.

Glad you mentioned the other thread as I didn't notice it at first.

Happy Travels!