Riverside or Sukhumvit???
 

I will be traveling to Bangkok for 3 days at the end of the month. I am a single women traveling alone and would like to know where is the best location. I am interested in spa's and shopping. I have narrowed it down to Riverside or Sukhumvit and will probably be staying at one of the Sheraton hotels. Which area has the best shopping?

Any recommendations for ready made clothing?

I would also like to go for a massage, can you recommend any nice spa's in either area? Outside of the hotels, they seem a bit high priced.

thanks.

Stay on the river. That means the Sheraton Royal Orchid for you, since you want a Sheraton. If you can, stay in the Towers, as you'll get full breakfast, cocktails and canapes each evening, and six pieces of laundry a day done free (you'll use it in Bangkok!).

The Mandara Spa at the Royal Orchid is wonderful. The half day packages are an especially good deal. The best spas are all in the hotels. You can certainly get massage cheaply, but it's not a spa experience. Many people recommend booking someone from Wat Po to come to your room to give you a massage.

This is one of few times I have to agree with Kathie: the Royal Orchid is just where you want to be-the Tower rooms are great, and you'll LOVE the location on the river-close to everything, right next door to River City Antiques shopping mall (which I love) plus the Royal Orchid has a great outdoor bar/dining area where you can watch the river traffic for hours.

The Mandara Spa is beautiful -I highly recommend it.

Spygirl, you've agreed with me twice recently... which one of us has had a stroke?

just a clarification....the mall next to the sheraton orchid is the river city shopping center...it is antiques on the top floors and general merchandise on the lower floors....we like js thai silk on the ground level near the sheraton end of the mall...not all that much ready made...all small sizes...some can make things fast so head there first...

i do like sukhumvit as well...the sheraton grande is newish and very nice...there are several large shopping areas like emporium near that that might suit you better...it largely depends where else you have to be in the city...

i always favor staying on the river but in your case suk might be better...

LOL. yep me too.. I have to take the bitter pill and agree that the river is the best place for IBROWN7.. actually she made it easy by specifying what she wants and what hotel chain she wants too stay in..

I would recommend that you stay at the riverside. Its quieter there and nicer too. The only con is its a bit far from the shopping centers I go to. Its still easily accessible by the sky train though.

Will be in Bangkok next weekend and have booked a spa session at the Oriental. Give me your email add and I can let you know how it is when I get back. Think you should check out the websites and do a comparison bet the spas and see what kind of treatments you would like to do. Have made a comparison bet the Mandara spa and the Oriental spa. The Oriental has a lot more facial treatments and the price is better. The facials at the Mandara is more expensive and limited. Massage is about the same price. Judging from the photos, I think the Oriental has a better ambience, moreover its been highly rated by a lot of spa magazines and travel websites as one of the best spas in asia. The other really highly rated spa will be the Banyan Tree. http://www.banyantreespa.com. I recommend that you make a reservation once you have decided on the spa since its usually fully booked on weekends.

Many places for clothes but what size are you ? I am asian and am peitite so I have no problem buying ready made clothes. Its a lot cheaper than where I come from. You really pay for quality though. If you want cheap clothes, do check out the Pratunam garment district, lots of cheap trendy clothes. US$50 will get you a big plastic bag of clothes. The other place will be Bo Bae mkt. You have to take a cab to these places.

For more upmarket and better quality clothes, I will recommend Central at Chidlom and the Emporium. The sky train will take you directly to these places. My friends and I got carried away shopping at Central last Dec as there was a year end sale.

Don't forget to drop by MBK. Has lots of cheap clothes and everything else. Jim Thompson has really nice thai silk items. They are expensive according to Thai standards but worth it. Check out their handbags really nice, I bought 2 last year.

Stay on the River. The Royal Orchid is fine and you can shop to your heart's content without ever going outside. :-)
Also make sure you check out Oriental Place for excellent shopping. It is right by the Oriental Hotel which you can get to by ferry. And definitely go to the spa at the Oriental Hotel.

Boy, you are all so great with your replies. Well it looks like the Sheraton Royal Orchid is winning out.

kb9855 - let's just say I am no longer small and petite. I am about a size 10 US. Do you have a website for the prices at Mandara? I checked their website and could not find any prices for the spa at the Sheraton.

How close is the sky train to the hotel? Is it easy to get around on?

thanks again to everyone for all the fast replies. Now I am getting very excited.

Hi Ibrown7

Mandara spa has emailed me their price list, pls give me your email add and I will forward you a copy.

Think you might be better off going to the tailor. Will be going to one as well but still undecided as to which one. Do read glorialf and rhkkmk's posts. They have good tailor recommendations.

the skytrain is about a 15 minute walk...it is just past the shangri-la hotel...you can get there by boat if you figure out how to use them...for free..take the pen boat to hotel from sheraton and then their other boat to skytrain...there are many ways or taxi

kb9855, I could not figure out how to email you, so here is my email address - [email protected]

thanks again.

re tailors-- JS Thai is right in River City so you don't even have to go outside to get there. With limited time I would use her. Both Bob and I have had good experiences with her and I once sent Walter Cronkite's wife (a long story) there and got a thank you note in response.

Cotton House is a bit less expensive and I think are better with non Thai silk fabrics. It's in Oriental Place so near you but not as convenient as JS. However, with only 3 days, go to JS your first morning. You won't have to waste time running around to other places for fittings.

Jim Thompson has ready made clothing but it is very expensive. All the stores will have some ready made jackets in thai silk and some even have other items but your best bet is to have things made.

Ibrown7 have emailed you, pls check your mail.

Glorialf : I should visit Cotton House instead since I'm making non silk skirts ? Will they be able to work fast ? I'm there for 4 days and will go to the tailor first thing in the morning.

I have been checking my email but it isn't here yet. I will keep checking.

lbrown--
what kind of fabrics are you looking for? If wool, definitely start with Cotton House. They have a large selection. Also cotton. But it's possible that JS Thai may have gotten more non thai silk since I was last there -- I only used Cotton House on my last trip so didn't go to JS. It's so convenient you may want to check them out first and if they don't have much of a selection go to Cotton House. Both can get the work done quickly.

If you do go to Cotton House, say hi to them from me -- Gloria Friedman. Tell them I'll be back in December.

Gloria

Just reread some of Bob's emails re; JS Thai and it sounds as though she still does predominately thai silk. So I'd go directly to cotton house. They generally open at 10AM. Later on Sunday.

kb9855, I still have not received the email, can you try to send it again? thanks so much.

I received the email, thanks.

Okay, I am still not sure. I am trying to avoid the hotel spas because their prices are pretty high. I found a spa called Ananda and it is very close to the Sheraton Grande. It also has very reasonable prices. Can you tell me why Riverside area is better than the Sukhumvit area? thanks again.

If you want to go to a spa that isn't on the river, take a taxi there. But staying on the river makes all the difference in the world. It's a must -- especially for a first time in Bangkok.
I'm not a spa person but I am sure there are good ones near the Sheraton that are less expensive than the ones in the hotels. On the other hand, the deluxe spas are truly incredible experiences (even for a non spa person like me). So you might want to treat yourself.

I absolutely believe that staying by the river makes all the difference in how you experience Bangkok.

Don't rule out the Mandara spa at the Royal Orchid. Do go visit it as soon as you arrive. I live in the US, and the prices there are so much less than in the US, and the service is so much more gracious in Thailand. They usually have half day packages that save you a significant amount over the individual prices. Also, there are periodic specials. Check it out.

Can you tell me what is so special about staying by the River? Why is it so much better than Sukhumvit? I am trying to understand what the attraction is for everyone. I am concerned that the river area does not have as much within close walking distance as the Sukhumvit area. I am a single women traveling alone and I do not want to worry about having to go to far on foot alone.

I have a price list from Mandara and it is twice as much as Ananda and from what I have been able to find Ananda looks to be a very nice spa.

Thanks again.

I'm female and have been traveling alone since I was 17...for 32 years and have traveled to all the continents and have not experienced any big problems being alone. I couldn't think of traveling any other way.I dress modestly and walk around as if I live in the place I'm visiting. Anyhow, you should be fine in Bangkok.As for where to stay....most folks in this forum are river folks...It really doesn't matter to me personally...although...I leave for Bangkok in a few days and have chosen the following hotels....Chateau de Bangkok (Sofitel...for 1 night...(not river located)I'm getting a junior suite for 1400 Baht... for that price I'll just look out my window and pretend I'm looking at the river! I just called the hotel night before last to reconfirm the price. Then it's the Peninsula...for 1 night(river located)...just for the experience...Then cross the river to the Royal Orchid...1 night...so that I can shop at the River City Mall which is great for antiques if that's what you want to buy...plus I won't have to carry the bags far since the mall is connected to the hotel by a bridge...Plus, I eat at the Royal Orchid sometimes when I'm in Bangkok since they have good western food at their reataurant. Then I'll do the Metropolitan for 1 night...and check out that area of town...and lastly...for the rest of my nights...the majority of them... the Four Seasons which I absolutely adore... a room can be had for $139-$158... and it's smack in the heart of the shopping... enough to make one hyperventilate and have to breathe into a brown paper bag!The Four Seasons has a VERY nice mini shopping plaza with a Jim Thompson store and NeOld so no need to go to the main stores when pressed for time... Plus the World Trade Center mall is up the street and has one of my favorite Thai restaurants in it...Thanying...which I've eaten at repeatedly in both Bangkok and Singapore...And across from the World Trade Center is the Thai crafts store Narypanda(sp?)Crafts from all over Thailand right under one roof...for last minute forgotten gifts.Plus the sky train station is across the street from the Four Seasons-5 minute walk...same street... and it's only a couple stops from Siam Square...Siam Discovery mall...right at the Siam skytrain stop... where that wonderfully hip, modern store named Anyroom is located...and then there's the Amarin Plaza Mall...walking distance from the Four Seasons...same street... which has a GREAT store named Come Thai on the 3rd floor that has thousands of gorgeous pieces of ready cut fabric...which make great table runners...etc...and there's Emporium Mall...a few skytrain stops away. I love Emporium Mall...traditional Thai and modern Thai boutiques...and then there's Gaysorn mall... fabulous...and Thai modern...also on the same sky train route.I'm a serious shopper and am a personal shopper...in addition to my regular full-time profession...which is not related to shopping... so, when I'm on vacation, I am always looking for a variety of stores and types of merchandise to choose from... and I'm one for thinking out of the box...I don't buy only traditional Thai-looking items. Oh, and the Rasi Sayam store is also near Sukumvit area.So, hope this hasn't confused you more. Happy Travels!

There are many, many, lovely hotels in Bangkok. If you stay on Sukhumvit, you'll feel like you are in any large Asian city. Staying on the river is what makes it Bangkok. The atmosphere along the river is differnt, and frankly, I find the air cleaner there. There are certainly places to walk to along the river, though walking isn't the way you'll get most places. It is VERY hot, and you'll want the comfort of an air-conditioned taxi to go very far. There are several lovely shopping centers aong the river (River City and the oriental chopping center, for instance). I've been to Bangkok about two dozen times, and I always stay along the river.

I also love to take the water taxis which are quick and convenient to places along the river.

the oriental "chopping" center, Kathie? yeah, I guess i've "chopped" there before! (smile)

Ah! I must have been thinking of the Oriental cooking school! (lol)

Hi Ibrown7
I have a long list of spas in Bangkok (not hotel) for you to choose from if you are interested. Not all have websites. I have to agree that the hotel spa prices are high but you should go for the experience.

Its even more expensive than the spas I go to in Singapore. That's where I live but the ambience is different.

This will be my 4th trip to Bangkok and I have always lived in the city near the skytrain station. Its too noisy. Only discovered the riverside on my last trip in Dec and I absolutely love it and am looking forward to going to those shopping areas recommended by glorialf and Bob.

I still think you should just visit Sukhumvit for a day. You only have 3 days in Bangkok and there's really a lot of shopping to do and you can get carried away. No worries they are a short train ride away or take a meter taxi, its really cheap. If you should travel by skytrain pls buy the 3 day tourist pass, its really worth it. Use it to travel from mall to mall even if its only 1 station. Its too hot and dirty to walk around.

kb9855, please email me the list of spas you have. that would be great. thanks again.

Has anyone out there been to the Bua Spa in Bkk? Their web site looks good and the prices seem to be okay. It is in the Sukhumvit area.

To the above poster. You need to do your post on a new thread so that people see it. Happy Travels!

Being Spa - www.beingspa.com - 88 Sukhumvit 51, Klongton Neu, Wattana - (66-2) 6626171 email: [email protected]
Free tuk tuk shuttle services to/from Thong Lo skytrain station.

Got it from the Spa Style Asia book.