Restaurant recommendation: BKK
 

Greetings from BKK. I (we) arrived late on Tuesday night. Just wanted to tell everyone about a great restaurant that we visited last night. It is called Vientien. I think I spelled that right. It is like an outdoor "hut" with wonderful Thai and Lao food and entertainment. I recommend it highly. It is rather far off the beaten path here in BKK. But I am sure taxi drivers would locate it, as it is rated very highly by the Thais and visitors to Thailand as well. Well worth the visit. We had chicken, fish, crab, and steamed veggies. All of it was very tasty. We also had a rather nice bottle of Italian red wine that was only 1100 baht.

Exchange rate yesterday was $1=40.75 baht, which we thought was pretty good, as it has been lower in recent past.

Our serviced apartment here at Grand President (on Soi 11, Nana skytrain stop) is in a fairly good location for the sky train and shopping destinations. The apartment is small but nice, modern, and also very quiet. We have stocked the fridge with all sorts of fresh fruits and breakfast foods. We have a big hot water pot that gives you a very hot cup of instant coffee quickly! It is nice to get up in the morning and eat a relaxed b'fast!

Our weather is rather muggy, but not too bad. We had a little bit of a shower last night, but not enough to keep us from venturing out. BKK is such a wonderful travel destination. This is my 6th trip here. I put it at the top of my list of favorite places to see.

If anyone has questions, particularly about shopping or restaurants, I will try to get out there and get answers. I'm not an expert, by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll try.

I revisited my tailor friend, Mr Mac, and he is doing very well. His business is now expanding into European markets. I have recommended him in the past and will continue to do so. His shop is located right at the bottom of the skytrain stairway at National Stadium, farthest stairway to the right as you exit. It is called Boss Tailor. It is connected to a Mini-Mart. Check it out for yourself if you are looking for nice tailored clothes.

We have our computer hooked up and online in our apartment so should be able to post messages rather easily, if anyone wants to reply or ask questions. I'll try to give you an overview of my time here.

Carol

Carol-glad read your restaurant suggestion. Keep us updated on your wanderings and activities.

Carol- if you want some silver items- cheap- go to Pimkin behind the Oriental Hotel- go down that street from the hotel and turn left on the main drag and go about a block or two it will be on your left hand side. Lots of rings/bracelets/necklaces/earrings- items you can buy for gifts to give to people at home. They have stacks of plactic containers with these items- they sell by weight but you can haggle a bit off of what they quote you.

Hello from BKK again,

I appreciate the advice Bill. I don't know that I'll be buying any silver on this trip though. I'm into purses and scarves mostly. The night bazaar has some items of interest.

Last night we ate at another Bangkok restaurant that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. It's a really nice Italian restaurant, called LIMONCELLO, it is directly across the street from our serviced apartment building, in an alley off Soi 11 (Nana). We had a delicious caprese salad and I mixed it with a pizza margherita that was quite nice, served on a dinner plate European style, although they had cut the slices already.

The night bazaar at Suanlum has grown considerably since I was there a year ago. Many more vendors have opened stands, and there is a large stage and beer garden, with live entertainment under the stars as well as a lot of different kinds of beers. I don't know what to say about prices at the night market as I've seen some items for a little better price at MBK. But the selection at Suanlum is wonderful. It sure beats the weekend market, as far as being a pleasant way to shop, since the weekend market is always crowded and HOT during the daytime. Suanlum is open very late in the evenings when it is a little bit cooler in BKK.

I visited a couple of pool halls since my DH and son are both serious players. The Brunswick is probably the most fun of all. The girls there are good players. They like to get the falongs (foreigners) to play a game called "killer"... it DOES look like fun. They keep trying to get me to play as well, but I think I might lose some of my shopping money if I played very much. LOL Anyway, the Brunswick is a fun place. There is also a newer place that used to be called the MegaBreak. They have not renamed the place just yet. My son was part owner of this place, and it is very nice. It is for the serious pool players and does not have the fun atmosphere of the Brunswick. Oh, and the Brunswick has some really excellent tasting chilli too, by the way!

DH and I went to the Emporium. It is a very nice mall along the skytrain route. The Emporium dept store has a FABULOUS food market on the top floor. We bought all kinds of goodies to put in our fridge, as well as a bottle of Mazzi red wine (Italian) that we will enjoy some evening. The food market had many items that I could not even begin to identify! Some looked tasty, others... well, I'm not so sure!

I had lunch at the Central (Chit Lom) department store. I like to eat a "sandwich in a bowl" at the Grey Hound restaurant on the 3rd floor. The sandwich in a bowl is a simple salad of iceberg lettuce, tuna, mushrooms, croutons and a lovely Italian dressing. Yum! It really does hit the spot.

We plan to do an Oriental dinner boat ride but don't have that scheduled yet. We also plan to go to Chiang Mai for a few days, but don't have the tickets for that yet. We will most likely go on or around the 1st/2nd of July. Getting tickets a day or two before the trip is no problem here.

I'll be going out the door pretty soon, as it is after 8 in the morning here in BKK. Will report once again later in the day!

Sawadekah (wp) to all!
Carol

That should have been:
sawadee kah (SP)

Carol!

Do go to the JimT outlet at Soi 93 for great deals on silk purses and scarves. Scarves which are for 1500 baht+ in the normal store are marked down to 500 baht. easiest way to reach is take a train to On Nut and then take a taxi - address is Sukhumvit Soi 93. U can combine your trip with a cup of tea in Agalicos Tea Room a charming small cafe type tea place on Sukhumvit Soi 51. next time u go to the Night Bazaar try Thang Long for good, reasonable Vietnamese food on Soi Lung Suan.

Simpson..

where is that laotion (sp) resteraunt vientian. it sounds nice..

ya that market in Emporium sure is nice it is one of the highest end markets in town but they sure do have a good selection of pre made food from all over the world.

orgy7
I'll have to see if I can get an address for the Vientian Thai/Lao place. It wasn't along the main drag. It really was a great restaurant!

We had lunch at the Oriental today, eating outside. There was a lovely breeze which made it very pleasant, even though the day was hot and humid.

Tonight we will eat at Senor Pico's at the Rembrandt Hotel (soi 18, I think). It is supposed to be a pretty good Mexican restaurant in BKK.

Sawadee kah...

Carol- don't know if you are into the designer fakes but when we were there in April my wife saw a lot of Christian Dior and other designer bags that looked odd to her and she did not buy them only to fiond out when she returned to Houston that these were in fact the latest styles! Now she is kicking herself that she did not pick them up. I told her well I guess we have to go back to BKK and get them!

Bill
I have picked up a few fakes, but I also own originals too. The purses that I'm going to be buying will be the nicer silk (but not Jim Thompson) in a variety of colors that I don't see anywhere at home. I also like the raw silk and woven patterned scarves.

For dinner tonight we went to Senor Picos. I have to say, we were pleasantly surprised. It was really not too bad. The chips were not nearly so good as the ones we get in the US and the guacamole had a little unusual taste, but everything else had great flavor. There was a Cuban band playing. They were very lively. All four were very good singers/dancers. Two guys, two girls, all from Cuba. We talked to them a little bit. They are there for 7 months.

Senor Picos is located on Soi 18 at the Rembrandt Hotel, a very NICE hotel by the way. I don't know what the rates are, but it was very modern and new looking.

We played pool until the Brunswick closed at 2! It was really a lot of fun. I didn't win at all, but it is a lot of fun playing anyway. My DH and son did win... but they also buy nice dinners, so it all comes out even!

orgy7... I'll see the friend that drove us to the Thai/Lao restaurant on Tuesday. Then I can ask her where it is located, so I'll try to get back to you with that information.

Good night all...

Hi Carol
I'll be there in August and made reservations @ the Indra Hotel. Someone else suggested staying near the river. What do you suggest? I need to stay near Phalholyotin Rd in Phayathai. I want to stay where there is room service w/ delicious food and of course some place where I don't have to worry about my belongings in my room.

Sawadee kah everyone.
First, to orgy7. The Vientienne Thai/Lao restaurant is on soi 36 (or very close to that) off of Sukhumvit. When we were on the way there, we were in a car taking the back roads to avoid some of the heavy BKK traffic and I sort of lost where we were going. Anyway, it is on or near soi 36, and not far from the skytrain stop near there, maybe Phrom Pong on Thong Lo. If you can find it, I'm very certain you would enjoy the food and atmosphere very much.

Lunch today was a bowl of the wonderful chili at the Brunswick pool hall, which I've mentioned before, and a few games of pool.

Tonight we ate at Matteo Italian restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel (Chit Lom skytrain station), which was the La Meridien Hotel until about a year ago. Very lovely dinner. Christine, the mgr, is from Sardinia so she knows the kinds of foods Italians really eat. We had a limoncello after dinner and she told us how it is made, in case anyone is interested.

The bulk of the day today was spent looking at shops along the street around soi 11, and a nice LONG nap! (jet lag finally made me crash)

Skapadz:
I don't get to the Phayathai area, as a rule. It is along the skytrain route to the weekend market, where I do hope to shop tomorrow! I looked on my detailed BKK map and do not see the street you named. Did someone recommend the Indra Hotel? Do they have a web site that you have checked out? There are soooooooo many lovely hotels in BKK that no one has ever heard of. It is very possible that it is a good value for the money. Phayathai is just far enough away from the city center that my map doesn't show that many streets or hotel listings in that area. Wish I could be more helpful.

The recommendation to stay on the river is always made here. The pulse of the city can be seen along the river. We went down to the Oriental for lunch along the river yesterday, as I posted previously. I love staying on the river and have done so several times in the past. But, that being said, it depends upon your reason for coming to Bangkok. I'm here for other things this time and wish to be closer to the shopping areas and businesses where I'll make large purchases and also the skytrain route. Think of the reason you are coming to the city, and then find something that is convenient for you. It is always nice to be close to the skytrain route. The new subway is supposed to open in a few days. I'm not sure we will venture out in it, but you never know! I'll let everyone know IF we try the subway and just what we think of it...

To Sameera,
I love Jim Thompson silk products. I've been to the fabric outlet but not the big one you say is way out on soi 93. I doubt that I get out that far. I think prices on J. T. items are standard and are the same throughout the city shops. I did buy a couple of pieces of my favorite silk elephant print! To all the newbies coming to BKK, be SURE to check out the J.T. shops. They are wonderful quality silk. They sell ties, purses, scarves, wallets and accessory bags, as well as fabrics, pillows and household items.

BillT,
What was odd about the Dior bags your wife saw? Is there some new designer for that company or something? I recall seeing the LV bags last summer with the Japanese designs and thinking they looked strange. I did buy one though! No one at home knew what I had. (small Midwest town... no one gets out of town... if you get my drift.. they haven't a clue about the world out there) Personally, I love coming up with reasons to come back to Bangkok!!! LOL

Time to sleep now! Good night all. I'll post again.

Carol

Thanks for the report and rec. for the Vientienne restaurant. I arrived in Tokyo yesterday (on vacation) and am heading to BKK July 9 for the World AIDS Conf. I am paying my way so any reasonably priced recommendations are helpful. I am staying at the Wild Orchid Villa which my sister-in-law swears by. Keep the restaurant reveiws coming. Also please give a rough estimate of dinner for two at Vientienne. Has anyone heard of a place called Lemongrass. My brother who is a chef in NYC said it was nice. It was somewhere off Sukhumvit by his memory. Thanks

Sawadee kah, Tim and others who are reading my trip reports:

The Lemongrass restaurant is listed in the tourist magazine called Thailand Timeout, which is here in our suite. It is located at Sukhumvit soi 24. We have never eaten there, but the fact that only about 30 restaurants are listed in this magazine, I'd say it must be good. Menu items are suggested, and prices range from 150 to 220 baht and above. "Expect to pay 900 baht for two persons, without drinks" says the magazine ad.

I would say we ate for less than that at Vientienne. My hubby always picks up the tab and I don't always see it. But it seems as though four of us ate a Thai style meal, plus a bottle of wine, for around 3000 baht there, including tip.

I am not sure of today's agenda. This IS vacation (I keep getting reminded of this by my family members). I am hoping for the weekend market and maybe a movie at the Gold Class Theater. My guys are going to watch a pool tournament for the afternoon so I'll be on my own for a while.

We maybe will have dinner at The Bed restaurant. It is just a short walk from our suite on soi 11. It has been a very busy place everytime we've gone by there in a taxi. Tonight (Sunday) is jazz night and maybe not quite so busy, although reservations are a must.

More later...

There really is a Jim Thompson Outlet store at soi 93, with prices about half of that in the regualr stores. These are disontinued patterns or items.

Sawadee kah everyone,

Those of you who have been reading my posts probably assume that we love to eat Italian food... and you'd be right. We enjoyed Limoncello, thought Matteo was a little bit better than that, and then tonight we found what we really think is the BEST Italian food in BKK. It's called Guisco, on Sukhumvit soi 23. Everything we ordered was fabulous! The foie gras appetizer was sooooooo yummy, as was lobster bisque, grilled veggies with aged balsamic poured over, and then there were the fish dishes and pizza. The bottle of wine tonight was about $80 so of course it was a very special chianti! The was our most expensive meal so far, but very much worth the money. The restaurant is a very modern building with a nice modern interior, and a nice selection of wines in two places where you could have a look at the bottles before choosing one.

I had good luck at the weekend market today with buying some very unique items! I was very happy with what I bought, and the prices were good too.

My DH and son suggested I look at some nice ostrich skin items. I couldn't resist a gorgeous ostrich skin purse for about $300. In the USA you could not touch it for under $800 and up.

I played more "killer" at the Brunswick with the guys and girls tonight and still lost, but had a lot of fun. I made a couple of tough shots so my game might be improving.LOL

We could not get into The Bed Restaurant tonight as it was closed for a private party. I'm anxious to return to this very unusual BKK eating establishment. If you've not tried The Bed, you might want to add it to your list of unique places to visit. We still hope to go there.

I did not go to a movie at the Gold Class Theater this afternoon either, but opted for the pool and a little nap instead. We didn't have too much sun so that was OK with me. It felt good to cool off in the water and then sit in the shade to dry.

BKK has a new idea at some of the main stoplights now. Those of you who have just been here might have seen the little LED readouts that tell you how many seconds until the light changes from red to green and green to red. I thought that was a rather novel idea.

The cockroaches seemed to be out in great numbers tonight along the sidewalks! EEEEEKKK! (My son's girlfriend said, "I don't eat those." But she loves scorpions and beetles. I don't think you could pay me enough to try eating bugs. Sorry...

We noticed lines of people coming out of the subway near the weekend market today, so perhaps they were doing some test runs today.

Time to hit the sack. I'll report back in tomorrow.

Carol

carol---how do you like the grand president??...our best man, who we met up with a couple of weeks ago in bkk, always stays there.. he likes it and says the price is fantastic....

is there a hotel part and a serviced apartment part or is it all the same??

have you tried biscotti in the four seasons hotel or l'opera at the corner of soi 39 and some street to the left whose name i do not know?? both are good italian places...

we tried gianni two years ago and did not like it..

we find the wine prices outrageous in thailand...a few years ago no one would have bought wine there because the handling was poor...that has improved..

we occasionally order a glass or two but rarely a bottle because of the price...what we pay $8-20 for in the states (imports) is $50-100 in thailand...

To rmk (it's Bob, right?} and others Sawadee kah!

Yes, we like the Grand President on Sukhumvit soi 11. Our son had stayed here once before and suggested we try it. I do believe it is all serviced apartments. They are quite nice, and very modern. I had to awaken my husband early my first morning here to ask how to use the big hot water pot for instant coffee. My DH (also a Bob) arrived a week before son and I did, so he had all the gadgets figured out by the time I got here. LOL

We find the prices on some imported wines to be quite reasonable here. Maybe their taxes are lower??? Restaurant prices on bottles of wine are almost always higher, as they add their fees and services onto the price. At home, we usually buy bottles of nice chianti and other reds for about $18-35 at Sam's Club. In a restaurant, that same bottle might be $40-60 or more.

I think my son has tried Gianni. I don't recall the name Biscotti so I doubt he knows of that one. We may have to check it out. Son comes here to BKK about 4 or 5 times a year and often for a month at a time, so he does get around to some of the really great restaurants in the city. We (DH and I) usually just tag along and always seem to have a lovely time.

Bob...You and your wife are just about the same age as my DH and I, although I've not yet reached my 60th... still a couple of years away. You're as young as you feel!! Right? When I'm playing a game of "killer" (pool) with the girls, I feel like 25! I'm not nearly as good a player as they all are... But it's good to laugh and cheer and have fun.

Today I am off to MBK and World Trade Center. I will probably return to Thai Craft Village as well. I didn't see the whole place yesterday as it was only a short visit.

I'll post again later!

I got a great crocodile purse and wallet along with a stingray purse at the World Trade Center last year. I don't remember the name of the shop, but it was on the second floor and he had mostly luggage. A younger guy ran it and I thought his prices were reasonable. I envy you being in BKK, I just had a baby in February so I don't know when we'll get back.

I just checked my trip report and the shop was on the third floor

"We also shopped at the World Trade Centre, and found a shop on the third level selling backpacks and crocodile purses. I bought a crocodile purse and a stingray purse, and Neil got a crocodile wallet, all for $200. We saw ladies crocodile wallets at the Oriental shops for $120, but ended up going back the same guy we got the purses from later and got a ladies wallet for $50."

Anna,
I had purchased croc in the past and was ready to try ostrich this time. I'm hoping I don't see my same ostrich purse for a lot less... YIKES!!! I agree that prices at WTC are good. I've gotten many things there and always enjoy their offerings.

Congratulations on that new baby! Once he/she gets a little older, you will be ready to travel back to BKK with the little one... maybe?

Carol

Garbage overflowing? run-down buildings...? I know that Bangkok is crowded, frenetic, a big city with terrible traffic. We're planning our first trip to Thailand and had planned to spend about a week in Bangkok, based on the many raves we've heard. But this makes it sound terrible. Should we re-think our trip? We're planning on staying on the river (Marriott Riverside)and want to focus on the wats, Jim Thompson house, teak house & other sites rather than so much shopping, although we will want to do some shopping, and of course good Thai and other Asian restaurants. Does Chiang Mai have the same garbage problem. Guess I'm look for reassurance that we're not making a terrible mistake.

CFW-BKK is wonderful. It is a big city with noise, litter and air pollution. A week is not too much time. I note that RhkKmk (Bob) goes there almost every year. His comments on garbage should be viewed in that light. When you go there, you're likely to be as captivated by the city and its people as are most of us.

Carol- in reference to the fake Dior bags- they has these flower thingys on them (not a patternbut something attached). Also they had large number 1 or 2 on them and they were in pastel colors. Also the Balley bags had padlocks as part of their design.
The wife gets her originals when we are in Europe- except she does not get LV stuff- outragoious prices for non-leather- just a rip off IMHO.

when i have said garbage, i do not mean rotting foods etc...i mean just trash and left over parts and pieces of wood and plaster...its not so much in bkk as it is in the outlying areas...bkk is relatively clean in the areas that you will go into and the shopping plazas and quality hotels are beautiful...bkk is just a very busy place with its share of problems just like nyc....have you been to little italy/harlem/chinatown , etc in nyc or other major cities...there is trash on the streets very often...

don't let this disuade you from going...bkk is not singapore where you can literally eat off of the streets or bathroom floors...

Well, I love NYC, so hopefully we'll love BKK too.

cfw---you will love bkk...its much better and way cheaper than nyc...

carol ---where do you live??

can you bring those skins into the usa if in fact you live here??

Sawadee kah everyone,
Our internet was down for almost 48 hours... ARGHH! But I'm back on once again, and will continue my dining report and other observations.

We ate a greasy American style breakfast at the German Beer House on Sukhumvit soi 11, directly across from our apartment hotel this morning. Memories of home? NOT... It had a little different taste, but definitely filling. We will try the breakfast buffet they serve here at Grand President tomorrow morning.

Tonight we are attending the dinner and show at the Oriental Hotel. My son and hubby have been there before and absolutely rave about it. It is across the river from the main hotel property. The Oriental Spa is also across the river, I believe.

Friday night we will do a dinnerboat that sails from Shangri-La Hotel. We took a riceboat dinner cruise from the Oriental a couple of years ago and really liked it, but if I got the message correctly, that boat SANK! No more riceboat cruises. Oriental has a larger boat, but it only sails during the high season so it is not available right now. Oriental recommended Shangri-La boat, so it should be OK.

We tried a popular Vietnamese restaurant last night named LeDalat on soi 23. We did not like it... but I should qualify that statement. We all agreed that it might have been better had we had one of our BKK friends dine with us to help up make good choices from the varied menu. The food had a lot of lemongrass (which I react to...I have food allergies) and strange aromatic fragrances that we didn't really care for. I am sure that this place serves really true and excellent Vietnamese food, but maybe it just isn't our cup of tea.

I must recommend lunch along the river at the Oriental. They have a bowl of creamy pumpkin soup to die for. It is served in the pumpkin (which is really a squash in USA terms). I always enjoy good creamy pumpkin soup and a chunk of bread... a favorite Aussie meal of mine. Anyway, dining along the river is always interesting because so many boats and barges and river taxis go by all the time. It's also good people watching.

Bob, about skins... I live in the midwest, flying in and out of Chicago all the time. I have brought back other skins and have not had any trouble at all. I think as long as it is "farmed" animal, and not an endangered species, it is OK. You can buy ostrich in the USA anyway. You might not find some of the more exotic skins though, like stingray, in the US. I have not tried to bring that one in. I have purchased farmed croc in Australia and have brought it in, no problem. Also kangaroo.

Looking forward to a quick visit to Chiang Mai, which we have now just booked. We fly up there on Saturday early afternoon and return to BKK on Monday night. I'm sure we will enjoy our usual restaurants while there. We like Nuan Nuang (I'm sure I've not spelled this right). It is a wonderful fish/seafood restaurant just across and down the river from the Westin (which I know has changed to another hotel name now). We enjoy reading the signs at this place. One by the fish tank says "it is swimming for cooking." Another one we always chuckle about is "refund for complain food."

We also like the La Gondola for Italian food and a nice bottle of chianti.

The breakfast buffet at Westin is absolutely superb. They have a really great selection of foods from all over. No need to eat a lunch when you can "pig out" on this buffet!

I spent a little bit of time along the river today, as I traveled down to the Oriental and Shangri-La to make our reservations for tonight's dinner show and Friday's dinner cruise. IMHO the shops and street vendors near our apartment on soi 11 are a little bit better. There just seemed to be more polution and crowded sidewalks on the main drag that runs in front of Oriental and Shangri-La. I didn't price things so I don't know if goods cost the same. You can ALWAYS haggle for a better price from a street vendor anyway! Never pay what they are asking at first!

Shopping has been very good! We are filling a container in Chiang Mai for shipping to the USA. I will contribute my share quite nicely!!! I know that some of the things I've seen in BKK are made in Chiang Mai and will cost me less money there. I just hope I can find everything I want to buy!!!

I've done a number of travel articles for my home newspaper and just might do another one on BKK when I get home. I've learned more new information about Thailand and the Thai people that I'd like to share. It is such a wonderful country!

Take care everyone. I'll post again soon.

Carol

Carol- you should see the Calypso Cabaret at thye Asia Hotel- its a great show!!!!!!!!!!!!!

carol---hope you can fit biscotti in the four seasons, bkk in....if you need a driver in chiang mai, i have used mr. manop, he (his car) occupies parking space #11 at the airport...

in the same niighborhood, soi 23, and almost next door to le delat is one of the best thai restaurants in bkk called baan khanitha...and right next door to it is the best craft shop in bkk, rasi sayan...
bob

Sawadee kah everyone,
I appreciate the advice from everyone! There are too many great places to see in BKK and too little time to get them all in.

We have just returned from a lovely dinner and Thai dancing show at the Oriental Hotel. The set menu included chicken, shrimp, fish, pork, fruit, veggies, and of course we had a bottle of red wine. It was a very pleasant evening. The dinner/theater was only about half full, but this, after all, is not the peak season.

After dinner we went to Vertigo. It is the open air restaurant/bar at the top of the Banyan Tree Hotel. The view is absolutely breathtaking from the 61st floor. They call it Vertigo for a good reason! There is a railing around the edge, but open air all around and stars overhead. I wouldn't want to be that high and manage to have one too many. Ooops... could be your very last mistake! LOL But a very nice place. I guess the restaurant up there is very expensive and not exceptional quality, according to a friend. The best thing to do is to go up for just a nightcap so you can sit and feel the breeze and check out the view.

Tomorrow night we will try to get back to our favorite nightclub, Tawandang. It is a very fun Thai place. It used to be virtually all Thai and no falongs, but word has gotten out about just how much fun it is, so there are a few people who come in to enjoy it who don't live in BKK. There is a live band that plays Thai jazz fusion using old traditional Thai instruments along with modern ones. The food is really good, especially the pork. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's dinner!

Off to bed. Ho hum... we're yawning!

Carol

Bob,
Forgot to mention that we have a driver, Jit, in Chiang Mai. He has driven us since the very first trip to the city a few years back. He is very good and he speaks fairly good English. The best part is, he knows the way to the factories and the shipping company!
Carol

Sawadee kah,
Today we ate lunch at the Food Loft at Central Chitlom store. It was really a marvelous lunch! The atmosphere is sort of like a mall food court with lots of different kinds of goodies to eat being offered.

When you enter the Food Loft you are given a card, sort of like the old IBM punch cards, but with a bar code on it. As you go around the loft selecting items to eat, your card is scanned and the amount you owe is entered into your bar code. When you are done eating, you turn in your bar code card at the cash register, they scan it, and you pay up. There is also a box for tips as you exit.

We had a variety of items, and all of them were really excellent. We had fresh fruit, lemon chicken, tom yum gung, tuna salad, and a sandwich like a BLT with cheese on a foccacia bread.

We got a table by the window. Nice view, overlooking the skytrain and a bit of the BKK skyline. You can reserve your table by putting a little sign on it that holds it for you as you go around and select what you want to eat. I'll definitely go back to the Food Loft again!

Tonight we had thought we'd try to go to Tawandang, which is our favorite food/bar/live music place. But the traffic is really horrendous today. We are opting instead to play it by ear and see what transpires after we play a few games of "killer" at the Brunswick. Wish me luck! We can easily walk to the Brunswick and not have to set foot in a vehicle!

Carol

We ended up at Tawandang. Enjoyed it, as always. The pork is fantastic! We had two plates of it, as well as two plates of asparagus (just a little bit spicy) and one fish. It was a very nice dinner. The entertainment was also exceptional, as well. The band is one of the top ones in BKK and the singers and dancers are all very talented.

All in all, it was a great evening. And it started off right... I did NOT lost money playing "killer" tonight!

Carol

skapadz..... I live in phayathai district... I originaly read your post and had no clue where the street was then I checked the old map and it's basicely phayathai st. but changes name too too Phahon Yothan after victory monument. a good choice for you would be siam city hotel it's a really nice 4 star place and has great deals. it is localay owned. so your not paying taxes and othre mark ups for your forign franchises. it's on soi ayautaya. then again you can stay anywere since the street your talking about is on the BTS rout untill mo chit station.


SIMPSON i have faith in ya. lots of underdogs have been winning in sports this week..

Sawadee kah everyone,

orgy7: I am most certainly the under dog when playing "killer" at the Brunswick! But it is still a lot of fun anyway. And it doesn't cost me all THAT much! LOL

We went on the Horizon dinner cruise last night. This boat is affiliated with the Shangri-La Hotel. It was a very pleasant experience. The actual cruise was about 2 hours. We left the dock at a little past 7:30 pm and were back at 9:30 pm.

The scenery along the river at night is lovely. Lights, lights, and more lights. Wats, temples, interesting building, beautiful bridges... I don't know the name of the one with the "sail" on top but it is really lovely at night. The water was smooth and it didn't rain, so we were happy.

The boat has two levels. We opted to eat upstairs, outside. Downstairs is an enclosed dining area with AC. I'm glad we sat upstairs as the scenery is viewed much better from there. There wasn't much of a breeze, but it was still pleasant, though warm. People from downstairs were coming upstairs to have a look after their dinner.

The dinner was buffet style. There was a nice selection of international foods to eat. We started with the salad/appetizer table which had a selection of salads, veggies, and seafood dishes. Next was the hot entree table. There was more seafood, but also beef and lamb, fish, vegetables, potatoes, and sauces. I was careful to select things that didn't look too spicy. I was very pleased with everything I ate, and we all got pleasantly full. I finished with watermelon for dessert, but there was also ice cream and other sweets on the dessert table. The four of us had two bottles of Bardolino Masi Italian red wine, which upped the price of the dinner quite a bit. Four people probably could have done this cruise for about 6500 baht roughly.

We all had a very nice time, and would definitely consider doing this cruise again sometime.

Shopping yesterday was successful once again. I have filled four very large duffel bags with things to take to Chiang Mai today for the shipping container! I just hope that I am also happy with shopping in Chiang Mai. I will be looking for more purses plus a selection of nice silk scarves.

One other thing I did yesterday was to register a domain name on the internet. I won't tell you what it is here, as the powers that be would not like that! Anyway, it will be quite a little while until the site is "open" for shopping! When I do open, I'll be selling treasures from my travels the world over.

I hope everyone has a great day. I'll post again from Chiang Mai!

Carol

carol,,,make sure you put me on your list for shopping on line:: [email protected]

bob

simpson since your a pro shopper. I'll pass this tip.. today my GF told me that the cheepest place in town too buy clothes wholesale/retail is in Bobe market from the map I see that it should be located right accross the street form hualampong train staion, not far from MBK. I have never even heard of it but it is a 24hr market in bobe district she tell me that from 3AM too 6am you'll get the cheepest rates in town, but who knows if the farang will get the cheepest rates though...

she has been working in the wholesale/retail garment busness for some years and knows the sceen well.

Sawadee kah everyone,

I did not find a very good internet connection in Chiang Mai, so I spent my time shopping and not on fodors.com. But I'm back and will continue with my report.

Chiang Mai was very very hot, but the shopping was fantastic! I have many wonderful items for my new web site. They are being shipped by container and will arrive in US around end of Aug to early Sept. Then, I'll have to put them on the site and get it functioning. I have good help back home for this project.

I am a pretty good shopper(maybe not a PRO), always looking out for interesting and different things that I like. I think I've been successful on this trip. I'm excited, anyway!

Bobe (sp) was a name given to me for getting my own cloth labels for sewing into my purses and scarves. But I don't think I'll have the time to get that project done on this trip. That will be for my next time to Thailand, and I'll get started with it at the outset. This time, I didn't get the domain name idea until almost the end of the trip. I'm always coming up with these crazy spur of the moment ideas.

We stayed at the Sheraton (was Westin)along the Ping River in Chiang Mai. We splurged and got a suite on the 23rd floor. We had a huge suite with large living room, large bedroom, and super bathroom! The bedroom alone was bigger than our whole apartment at Grand President here in BKK.

The bathroom had double sinks, stool and bidet (no toilet hose), a spacious shower stall with glass door, and a nice comfy jaccuzzi tub! Hubby put bubble bath in the tub and turned on the jets... and I think he got buried somewhere in the bubbles!!! LOL

The breakfast buffet at Sheraton is just as lovely as it was when the hotel was a Westin. In fact, I didn't really see any changes, other than the name on the building. Service was still excellent. Our suite showed a little bit of wear on the carpets, but we were thrilled with the space and the view out the two full walls of windows.

We shopped at Hangdong markets everyday as there were specific things we were looking for (each of us). The market was very very hot and sticky most of the time. We were relieved by AC in our driver's car! Hangdong market prices are really excellent. You will find items much cheaper than in BKK, if you are looking for specific things.

We had seafood dinner at Nang Nual the first night. This restaurant is just a short hop from the Sheraton, and you dine outside along the river. The weather was threatening, but the rain didn't come until we were leaving our table! Lucky us!

Our second night was dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in Chiang Mai. La Gondola. It is also located along the Ping, but a bit farther from Sheraton. We ate outside once again, and the night weather was very nice. There were fireworks for a few minutes. We have NO IDEA why. They were being shot off right over our heads. I'm glad none of the cinders fell on us!!!

We flew Thai Air royal executive class (first-class on a 2 class airplane). The price isn't much more than for an economy ticket here in Thailand so we always splurge. We made our reservations about 3 days before traveling. There is no penalty for buying tickets right before the trip.

We are back in BKK now and I'm packing my suitcases today to see how much more shopping I can do on my last day here! Back to the US tomorrow.

I'm not sure what our dinner plans are for tonight, but possibly we will go to The Bed since it is just a short walk down Soi 11 from our apartment.

More later...

Carol

Carol, We're planning our first trip to Thailand in February and have found your posts very helpful. What types of things should we shop for in Bangkok, and what things should we wait to buy in Chiang Mai? Also, any advice on buying jewelry?