Craig,
The story is that State Tower building went bankrupt. The owners are trying to resell the place. Who knows how long Sky Bar will be there to enjoy... Too bad.

Funny you should mention the photo issue. I don't carry a tri-pod, never have. My photography is pretty basic, one snap at a time w/small digital camera that I really enjoy carrying along. I wanted to take a photo at the top of the stairs of Ming, so she could remember her trip to the top of Bangkok. No pictures from that vantage point. Only from Sky Bar itself. Although, you can take photos all you want from that smaller "Bed" type bar on the "other side" of the dome.

State Tower is just a little off the beaten path. No skytrain nearby. I think that hurts it. If it was located along Sukhumbit by, say, Phloenchit or Chitlom stations, it would never have a problem being successful. As it is, the street floor lobby was not busy at all... almost empty, but every elevator we rode (2... haha, one up, one down) had people who were stopping at hotel floors. Didn't notice if they got any better treatment. I doubt it!!

Enjoy Sky Bar while you can, I guess...

Carol

Unfortunately, as a hotel guest, you aren't treated any better there. The picture taking policy is a joke. I'll take Vertigo at the Banyan Tree anytime over the Sky Bar.

Carol,

Fantastic story with your time with Ming, precious!
See you soon!

Aloha!

Carol
the exact same thing happened to us the first time we went to the sky bar about 2.5 years ago. we too were escorted to the "OTHER" bar we did really like it but after a while i just asked if we could go to the actual sky bar.. no problem. Although i didnt see the "no pictures" sign and Muffin and i got told off by the guard for taking a picture at the top of the stairs overlooing the diners etc.... great picture though.
I would be gutted if it closed , it's one of our most favorite bars anywhere (exhorbitant prices aside...)
Loving you trip report, keep it coming
x

Big surprise Nikki and Muffin violated the rules! They are an international incident waiting to happen. It was they, who caused the ruckus at Cyan.

Glad everyone is getting along so well in my absense (lol)... be nice... smile

I exchanged at Paragon today for 33.00. The rate seems to fluctuate from day to day as well as from place to place. I saw 32.98 at another exch place today. You just have to watch and see where you can get a good deal.

I can see why some fodorites (guenmai comes to mind, and maybe Gloria or Kathie?) like the Exotique Thai store at Paragon so much. I finally made it to a couple of the "real malls" today and found the place. Found the new JT store there also. It's really nice too. I bought a couple of items at JT and Exotique Thai. Beautiful stuff, as always.

I also went to see Odd (hair salon at Central Chitlom dept store). He always remembers me. I'm a good tipper... ha ha Covering up the grey always makes me feel younger..

Lunch was at Greyhound Cafe at Emporium. I always have to have my favorite, "sandwich in a bowl," at least once each trip to Bangkok. It was delicious as always. Brad, I promise I'll try the Lebanese place before I come home.

Off to MBK. Stores are open late on Sundays in BKK. I can't get used to that idea. At home, malls close around 5pm. Not so, here. I'll take advantage of that situation!

We had showers today. Not too heavy. I think we'll have more before the night is done. Temps are pretty hot, but sometimes a nice breeze comes blowing through.

Up very early tomorrow to go to CM. I hope Ming enjoys herself coming along with me, but I have no doubt in my mind that she will. She has worked so hard all her life, she deserves a bit of "free time" to enjoy someplace besides Bangkok. She'll be great at helping me bargain in Thai! She's done well so far anyway.

I know that now that I've been to the Grand Palace at last, I don't have that as an excuse to come back to BKK. I'll try hard to come up with another one. Just can't get enough of this wonderful city.

Thursday will arrive too soon...

Carol

I've much enjoyed my two dinners [solo] at Sirocco next to Sky Bar - but they were a fixed menu, bottle of wine as part of my Lebua package. There seemed to no problem with diners taking pictures - although nobody took any of me.

The staff looked after me like I was a rock-star. But then, I'm very charming indeed with a bottle of wine in me.

Love this posting - thanks for the great stories! Great advice for our upcoming trip!!

now Bob, how on earth did Muffin and I cause the rukus??? In fact i seem to rmember it all got out fo hand when i wasnt present (popped to the ladies room)...I just can't leave muffin for five minutes.
How's karen enjoying retirement?

Great question, smeagol. How IS dear Karen enjoying her retirement, Bob?

It's about 3:30a.m. in Bangkok. Up very early since I'm excited about taking Maeng to Chiang Mai today. We leave Somerset at 5:00 for Don Muang airport. It'll be nice to see the "old place" again. Hoping to be able to upgrade to business class for the flight. I'll let you guys know how that goes/what it costs. It is usually no more than about an extra $25 per ticket. We'll see........

I'm glad I got up early enough to have time to read the sukhumvit thread. If you haven't gone over to that one, you really should. I laughed so hard I nearly spilled coffee on my keyboard!

DH says I should ship my laundry, shoes, etc home and carry as much of my new goodies as I can fit into my suitcases for the flights home. Good idea! I definitely will need to ship SOMEthing home. Too much for my 3 bag allowance. Premier Exec/Star Alliance Gold gives me the option of checking 3 heavy bags if need be. I don't want to walk through customs at home looking like I've been gone for a year, when it is really only 10 days (smile)...

Bob, tell Karen I went into 3 different Jim Thompson stores looking for her cute JT backpack that I saw her carrying out in Pasadena in May. No one has any. I had a girl call the JT outlet to see if they might have one there.... none.... so sad... such a cute little backpack! I had to settle for a passport style with a cute elephant print in black and beige.

Ming surprised me with a beautiful JT scarf last night. She said she got it from a friend several years ago and never used it. So thoughtful of her. It's a lovely butterfly/flowers sort of print, in shades of mint green and eggshell. It will look great with my "dressy" linen outfit.

I hope my American friends (who are here in Bangkok same time as myself) made it to Koh Samui yesterday. They went to the airport without having purchased any tickets, hoping to be able to get on a flight! I'll be anxious to see them in a couple of days and find out how THAT worked out.

I hope your day is even half as enjoyable as mine will be today. I'm feeling all warm inside about showing Ming yet another beautiful part of her country. I know she will have a special feeling about Doi Sutep. We will go there first, since she has never been to CM before.

Carol

Glad I double checked the tickets. We leave out of the new airport!!! The agent who sold me the tickets didn't have a clue... Pays to check it out. More later.

Carol

carol, i'm sure ming will have the time of her life flying to cm. she must have been in awe at the skybar. btw, i've been there twice, and have never encountered any problems whatsoever about going to the skybar. maybe i look like one of taksins cronies and they dare not bother me. of course, now would be a different matter. lol

say hi to ming for me, and ask her where will she be serving her garlic shrimp?

Good morning from Bangkok! I had a lovely rest after yesterday's adventure to CM with Ming. I shall start by saying that it is one of the most rewarding days of my life, since leaving the teaching profession of 33 years with first-graders.

Ming was discovering so many new things yesterday. She is nearly 50, so a grown woman, but it was much akin to watching a rose as it begins to bloom and come out of hiding. Ming was in awe of so many things about our day. She learned a lot more about the beatuy of her country, for sure.

First of all, I paid 1200 baht each, so we could upgrade on the outbound flight to CM. This allowed us access to the Thai lounge with its snacks and drinks before takeoff. That was a great start to the day.

Sitting in royal exec class on the flight was very special, almost the first row on the plane (A300-600). We had a meal with the usual table service, cloth, china, etc. during the short one-hour flight. Ming kept both our sets of salt/pepper/Thai airways toothpick holders. She was thinking about keeping the little plastic containers that held stuff like spices and "frosting" for a donut-like pastry. Makes me smile just thinking about it...

There were questions about the clouds, the view out the window, what is "above" us when we fly, where is the sun, moon, where does the rain come from? Ah, memories of my first graders as they discovered how to read for the first time...

Anyway, it was fantastic!!!! Made me feel like a kid again myself. Everything we did was new for Ming. Her daughter loaned her a digital camera and I'll bet she took 100 photos in our day. There were photos out the window of the plane, a photo of her plate of breakfast on the plane, pictures of flowers, items at the markets, and of course Doi Sutep. I'm glad she has the photos to help her remember everything that was all so new and different for someone who has spent nearly all her life within the boundaries of Bangkok.

We landed, found our driver Jit (whom I use everytime in CM). First stop, Doi Sutep. We spent about an hour there, looking around, snapping pictures. The view of CM was really good (considering we would have a heavy rainfall at about 6pm).

Next stop, HangDong. We made a stop to visit a good friend who sells wood products around the world. Khun Tim showed us her new house, which was under construction the last time I was in CM. let's just say, her house is fabulous! Pool, projection room, gazebo, waterfall window, guest quarters, etc. WOW! I did take a few photos of Tim's house, just to show before and after. Something like 13m baht, completely furnished and ready to move into.

Next stop, Bantawai. I was disappointed with selection of items this time. Must be more tourists making this stop, as the prices are higher than I'd seen before. No purchases...

Off to the mall for lunch and a look around. We ate at the food court at Central Airport Plaza Mall, top floor. Dim sum, pork with rice and egg, iced coffee... We both ate our fill for less than 200 baht. It was delicious.

Next stop, BoSang. Now THIS is where you find the bargains! I was really pleased that I could fill the empty suitcase I brought along for the day, and do it in only two stops at BoSang. Lucky me! I was very happy with the purchases I made.

We headed to the night bazaar after BoSang. It started to rain, and came down pretty hard for a while. Most of the stalls have covers. They are used to getting rain so they prepare for it. Who would want to shop if they had to get soaked to the skin?

I didn't buy anything at the night bazaar. I saw products that I can find in BKK, but for a higher price in CM. I think they must ship stuff in from BKK and then factor in the price of the shipping!! YIKES!! I'll buy at Pratunam in BKK for about half the price. No one wanted to even bargain with me. There were a few items I would like to have brought home, but not for twice the BKK price... no way!

We headed back to CM airport and had dinner in the only restaurant there. It was nice to sit and relax over a so-so meal. My feet were tired. My suitcase was full. I was ready to return to BKK.

We did not upgrade to Royal exec class on the return. The plane, another A300) was almost full in economy. It was fine for one hour. We had a window and aisle in the 2-4-2 configuration. We both slept a little bit! Ming kept both the box snacks we were served.

(she carried a rather large purse with her for the CM trip... good thing)

Today will not be nearly so rewarding as yesterday was. But that's OK. I'll keep the memories of my day with Ming forever!

Ken, Ming doesn't yet know where she will be serving her shrimp next. Mark my word, she'll have another place of her own soon. It is just a matter of finding the right location. She has a partner (from NYC) so will have the financial help she needs to get it started. I wish her all the luck in the world. She has worked so hard all her life. She deserves a lot more days like the flight to CM with me.

Carol

Carol, I'm loving your report! What a wonderful day with Ming!

Carol- a question please, what's the bead shopping like over there. Will be there in August.thanks BTW love the report!

Carol, very touching story about Ming. So glad to vicariously be traveling through you. Only 3 more months to go and we'll be back!
Enjoy the rest of your travels--looking forward to reading more!!

carol, great report. what a fabulous day for both of you.

laartista
I've never shopped for beads. Not sure what you are wanting. Individual beads or strands? They are here, for sure. You can go to shops such as one or two in the Nari Phand Thai Craft Market where the jewelry makers go to buy the things they make and then sell at the street markets. Not sure how prices here compare with what you pay at home.

Carol

Today (Tuesday) I went back to Paragon to the Exotique Thai store again and picked up a few more last minute gift items. Really lovely store!

Also made it out to the Jim Thompson outlet. The 4th floor has quite a selection of "last year's" items at pretty good prices. It was fun to finally see the place. So many people have spoken highly of it. I picked up a few things for friends. Very colorful!

Lunch was at the food court at Paragon. I had several of the pork sticks in various sauces, plus sticky rice and a bag of crispy pork. If you've not tried crispy pork for a snack, you are missing a tasty treat.

Dinner was at O'Reilly's in the Silom district. It was OK, nothing to write home about. They had a guy with a music machine (for lack of a better name) that could sing just about anything a person wanted to hear.

We had a monsoonal type rain this afternoon that was a real downpour!!! I think everything in this city got drenched! Had to happen at least once during my visit, since it is, after all, the rainy season!! The good news is, the streets didn't flood like they are sometimes known to do. Or maybe I just lucked out and wasn't in the flood prone area...

Tomorrow is my last day in the city, as I head home Thursday morning. I'm shipping at least one box UPS from Big C complex (behind Gaysorn). I hear that it is almost too easy to do shipping. If that's true, I'll do it a lot more often in the future and not worry about excess weight!! I'll let you know how it goes.

Carol

Monsoonal? Is it raining adjectival forms in BKK?

When Bob and Karen and Beth and I went to the JT outlet, Bob and I had to wander aimlessly. They had nothing to fit us. Beth wears her stuff continuously. Everytime, it makes me mad that they don't have anything for large fellows. Don't they know Pandas are endangered?

The JT outlet store is feast or famine. I've had times when we had trouble carring the shopping bags out the door and other times when there is nothing we want. Carol, I'm glad you finally made it there. Will it become a regular stop on your shopping route?

Kathie,
The JT outlet just may become a regular stop, yes. I was pleased, even though I didn't buy a lot of things, what I did get is very nice, and the price was reasonable.

Andy, sorry to be making up a word here, but could not think of a better way to describe the amount of rain and how heavy it came down. I'm just glad I wasn't caught outside running from, say, Pratunam Center to Gaysorn. This must be how it feels to be here during the April water festival!

Last day in Bangkok. Tomorrow at this time I'll be on the way back to ORD. Sad to be leaving, but hopefully will return again soon. DH would like to be here in the city or on Phuket once again for New Years but we'll have to see if we can manage that.

If anyone is interested, I'll report on my success with UPS today. My American friend who ships frequently says it is almost too easy... Hope he is right.

Sawadee kah from Somerset apartment.

Carol

I am sad that your trip (and your wonderful report) is over.

I ship things sometimes, but it's very expensive. There's a UPS, I think it was, store that I used which is right inside of the Prom Phong skytrain station at Emporium. Have a safe trip home. Happy Travels!

Carol,
What a terrific running report. Thank you for sharing your experiences - and shopping highlights.

I hope you also were able to fit in a dish of chicken with cashews at some point during your trip. I've tried to find a good one in NYC sincer our return from Thailand and have been singularly unable to do so.

Carol,

I've really enjoyed your running report. I particularly enjoyed vicariously experiencing your one day trip to CM with Ming. Teachers are always invested in providing new experiences for others - no matter how 'young' the student!! It must be the prerequisite for a great teacher!

When are you returning to BKK?

Have a safe trip home!

Polly

Carol:

Thank you so much for all your info and for the pictures of SSPV. It looks like everything exceeds our expectations.

We will be at the SSPV December 27-January 23; so if you are in BKK during that time, let us know. Perhaps we can meet for a drink. Since Guenmai will be at the Emporium part of this time, maybe we can all meet. We had drinks with her last year at the Erawan Tea Room. It was very nice to meet other Fodorites.

Teachers seem to always migrate to one another. While you started kids out, I spent 32 years with seniors, and loved every minute of it.

BTW -- out of curiosity, what do DH and DS mean?

Thanks again.

Sandra

Sandra,

DH = dear husband
DS = dear son

Time for about 4 hours of sleep before heading to BKK airport for the long flights home.

We had a lovely dinner at SACZ tonight with Danish friend and Thai wife. It was a pleasant way to end this rather short but busy trip to Bangkok.

I hope to be back again around New Years. Will let you know if that is going to happen. I GTG in BKK would be great.

UPS shipped my box freight collect. We have a UPS account at home. I'll be curious to see just how much it will cost me to send one medium sized box. There was a charge of 125 baht for the box and for packing the goods. That one I paid up front. The whole process does, indeed, seem very simple. I could do it again, depending on the cost of it.

Will touch base when I'm back in Podunk Junction...

Carol

Craig:

This was my assumption -- except that I applied "darling" to the "Ds."

Thanks.

Sandra

nikki---it was not me that wrote that it was that other guy...what's his name: little panda??

we have had very good luck with ups air...boxes come from bkk in 4 days to boston...but it is very expensive...i think my last box was 25 kilo--over 50 pounds and the cost was about $175.

a 10 kilo was about $85....

Bob apologies reading in a rush...
where have you been lately?

I'm home! Back in Podunk Junction. I'm not going to write a trip report since I've been doing "live feed" the past 10 days or so.

I'll be anxious to see how much by UPS package costs me. It didn't weigh much. I'll find out when the UPS bill comes. I should save a little because we have two UPS shipments (drop off and pick up) everyday. We get volume discounts. If it is inexpensive, I'll do it again rather than carry it all with me.

Time for a bite to eat.

Carol

Glad you arrived home safely. Soon it'll be my turn to fly back over...next month...Smiles. Happy Travels.

My package that I shipped UPS practically beat me home. I shipped it on Wednesday morning, and I had it in my hands on Friday morning when I went back to work!! I'll see the UPS statement for this week's shipments next Thursday. I'm really curious!

guenmai, when do you leave? Are you going to try the weekend market this time? I had not been for a couple of years, but I'm glad I went back. Take a look inside the JJ Mall if you go.

Carol