geonerd

I am a newbie here, and I am hoping that one or more of the Thailand gurus here would be help me out.

I will be in Bangkok between Jan 30 and Feb 4, 2010. During my stay, I am hoping to hire a local guide/free lancer for 2 to 3 days. I am hoping that this individual can show me the usual touristy sights as well as perhaps an interesting foodie/culinary tour off the beaten path in Bangkok and surroundings. I am hoping that we can use public transportation (metro, etc) and tuktuks and taxis. I am looking to use public transportation not because of costs but more because I want the experience.

Any suggestions for a private tour guide? I'd prefer a local as opposed to an expat. I emailed "Ratt" based on an old posting on these forums, but have not heard back from her.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kathie

You don't need a guide to show you the usual tourist sites in Bangkok, you can easily do it on your own. You can also do a foodie tour on your own. If you want a guide, you can hire one, but I'd suggest you consider carefully what things you do and don't want a guide for.

The skytrain is very convenient, and you'll want to get a multi-use card for it. I find the metro (subway) not as useful. Personally, I don't recommend tuk-tuks. They are hot, you are breathing the exhaust, and they are usually more expensive than taxis (which are air-conditioned). Tuk-tuk drivers often want to take you to jewelry stores and tailors. Do not under any circumstances use a tailor or jeweler a tuk-tuk or taxi driver recommends.

lcuy

Did you try Tong? When we toured with her, she took us to some amazing food spots and gave us the names of others. She loves to eat.

geonerd

Thank you both for your suggestions.

How can I contact Tong? Thanks again.

dreaming

You might also have a look at a thread here called "Bangkok Food Tour"... Kristina posted a link to a food walking tour... http://importfood.com/saochingcha_guide.html

Elizabeth_S

We toured with Tong for 2 days - had some great food. Her email is

[email protected]

Link to our blog -

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/2...res/d_bangkok/

Elizabeth_S

Another link - there is a poster on EGullet who writes wonderful trip reports re dining in Asia - here's his most recent Bangkok one (search for others on the egullet site)

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?...&#entry1651550

simpsonc510

If you are going to Bangkok because you "want the experience" then you really should take one tuk tuk ride. It just isn't Bangkok without a tuk tuk ride. Yes, they can be a bit hair raising....

Another hair raising ride ("for the experience") might be a taxi motorcycle. I had one back in April, and my legs were like cooked spaghetti after that ride!!! What a ride!!! You will see what I mean when you get to Bangkok. The motorcycles go right between the cars, drive fast, and can scare the daylights out of you, especially in rush hour traffic on one of the major streets (which is what I did)!!!

Enjoy your trip.

Carol

Hanuman

Wild thing!

simpsonc510

Just havin' a good time! (hello from Lucerne, by the way)
C

geonerd

Thank you all for this information. It is extremely useful and interesting. Strangely enough, this will be my fourth trip to BKK! I have family there and visit every other year or so. However, my BKK family leads a very sheltered life. So we use a chaufered car for our travels...never dined in any place other than the more upscale restaurants....never used public transportation....etc etc. While it was nice being pampered, I am looking forward to striking out on my own....at least for a few days....this time. So your feedback has been very helpful. Thank you.

eedie

I am going on a private tour with a company called Smiling Albino in February and they have day trips as well. There is a one day Bangkok trip that shows you Bangkok "as a local". I found a blog from someone who did this trip and they raved about it.
Here is how it is described.....
Multitudinous modes of transport: Skytrain, inner-city canal boat, three-wheeled tuk-tuk, motorcycle taxi and longtail river boat, you'll experience more in a single day than most do in three. Step in stride with locals and hit the capital in style.


Today you'll visit:

•Erewan Shrine
•Pratunam Market area
•Golden Mount at Wat Saket
•Wat Phra Kaew (Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
•Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho
•Canals of Bangkok Noi (Little Bangkok)

rhkkmk

i have a restaurant listing for bkk that i have compiled over my 13 trips to thailand....if you have interest in reading it please contact me at: [email protected]

you can do it all on your own....it tends to be more upscale and does not include any street food places

mohan

Re: sky-train. Buy the daily pass for 120 baht for multiple destination. You save time by not having to get change, figuring what zone and how much.

RE:local food. Food courts offer good variety and lots of locals eating there. I went to several: BMK, Platinum mall and liked Siam Paragon most (try the regular and the rice mos burger, the japanese charcoal seafood in the food court was good too), not only the food but the atmosphere as well. Shopping is also good and bathroom much cleaner.

RE:tuk tuk. Since I had a very bad experience with a tuk tuk driver, I would say don't get into any tuk tuk at all. The driver told me because it was a day before the king's birthday, all the wats were closed and the government-run jewelry stores were offering 50% discount and no tax. He took me to not one but two jewelry stores and I didn't ask for any. Before the jewelry stores, he took me to a small temple, not the one I wanted to go. His accomplice was there, came up and introduced himself as an United Nation employee. He shook my dh's hand said the same thing about the jewelry stores that they were offering hugh discount because of King's Birthday and it's the last day. He suggested to DH to buy a ruby ring for me. The first one I went along but i made a point that it would be brief as I was quite hungry . When I got out of that store, I said I really needed lunch, he begged me to look at another store which was 'around the corner'. That store would give him $300 baht + oil change. 'Just look, no need to buy, please help me' he kept saying. Make a long story short, that corner took an hour and half to turn. I ate lots of dust and tried to jump out several times. I didn't know where I was so at the end I decided to go thru with it, took the name card of the store so that I can file a complaint to the tourism dept. What really got me was that every two minutes he would say 'Happy Birthday Papa' to the King and made me say 'Happy Birthday, Papa' which I didn't mind. What I mind was that he used the king's name to further his own purposes. That said, he was bad but not sooooo bad for a scam artist, it could be worse.

geonerd

Thank you all for continuing to provide invaluable information and feedback!

Mohan - if you go back to BKK, try the foodcourt at Center Chidlom. I continue to be very impressed by the variety and quality of food! The tuktuk scam you describe is a classic! There is some form of this scam in every large tourist city - Bangkok, Cairo, you name it.

Again, thanks for sharing!

rhkkmk

i still love the cafeteria (5*) on the 7th floor of central chitlom, but i think they have shrunk it quite a bit....the food is all good and fresh and i like their payment system of using an electronic card where you pay at the end....

mohan

geonerd, i will try out Center Chidlom next time. Thanks for giving me an excuse to go back.
All the food courts are using the electronic payment system which is good as the food handlers are not handling money. I made the mistake of putting too much money in a card for convenient sake and found out later that the card is only good for that day only.

Hanuman

mohan,

After you've finished eating you can get your money back from the card by showing it to the cashier and ask for the balance left on the card.

geonerd

Mohan, I dont recall having to pay upfront at Center Chidlom. I recall picking up the electronic card at the entrance and then having to walk through checkout and paying cash when leaving. But then - I'm getting old and may be having a "senior moment"!

Hanuman

At Central Chidlom you are correct geonerd. No need to pay upfront but at other food halls you have to pre deposit money into the card which you can redeem after you have finished.