Still Planning - Would like to know best kept secret in Thailand
 

We're planning activities we want to be sure to do in Thailand during our visit beginning of November. Although we intend to do many of the "tourist" things, we want to leave with a well-rounded experience. Would love to hear what you think is the best kept secret in Thailand and/or the most unusual thing in Thailand. These can be places, activities, foods, virtually anything at all that a "likes to have fun" 40-year old might do.

I know I have read similar postings by Spygirl - I think one of the best exps is eating Thai food at small restaurants locals frequent. There is one on Soi 31 Sukhumvit opposite a furniture shop in a bungalow called Momentum. The challenge in these places is ordering as the staff speaks mainly Thai. But u can use a combination of sign language and pidgin Thai. The food is VERY cheap, prepared fresh in a wok in front of you and gen.lly delicious.

several things come to mind, but first i must post a reply to the answer given above...i agree in principle with the premise, but from a practical point of view for a westerner i totally disagree based on health and tummy concerns...westerners are not conditioned to eat "local" foods...that is not to say that local foods will make you sick but they have a good chance of doing so....if you are on vacation i would not take a chance...
case in point....in may i met my best man in bkk...he has been there over 20 times...he was sick as a dog...it was from eating in joints around suk, soi 4-11....why take the chance??

now ot the question...the klong tour of thornburi and/or the floating market are unique..

a trip up river on the monorha song (marriott hotel boat) overnite and stopping at the summer palace and ayutthya and a return to bkk by car....very expensive but fabulous in every way...

eating in fantastic restuarants at relatively low prices vs the west...

a jim thompson warehouse sale--periodic throughout the year...not the outlets...

the thai handicraft association sales at the ambassador hotel

the fatima church workshop for childrens things....

pottery being made in a large shed near to the floating market...

watching the elephants in northern thailand...

coffee sitting on a stool opposite the morning market in chiang saen....

doi tung in northern thailand---former home of the princess mother....

the flower market in bkk

having gold jewerly made to your design at reasonable prices....

custom clothing at reasonable prices...

everything thai!!!!!

-the skywalk at bayoke towere (pratunam) it is at the 84 floor. it is said you can see all the way too the sea... (rarely mentioned on fodors)

-chatachuk park (mo chit bts station) is said too be a nice place too take a stroll

-watch a flim at the lux seats at EGV movie theater
or at the panosonic IMAX

-motorcyle taxi ride... white knuckle ride threw streets and sidewalks.. it will eaither be an exciting ride or add more white too your hair..

-take a walk around lower silom (Patpong) maybe do some shopping/dinning and get a glimps of the naughty side.

-joe luis theater. it's a traditional puppet show... but it's on it's last legs may'be check it out before one of thailands cultural treasures is lost.
-visit a museum...
http://expo.nectec.or.th/tat/general/museum.bkk.html

-Get lost around chinatown and bangalanpu(sp) districts. (old part of town)..

-have a meal at MK suki/dodiem(SP).. ya basicly boil/grill your own dinner on the table.. branches everywhere

-take a stroll at a local park at about 5-6pm and see the old folks doing thai chi, and later on the yong folks doing some hi impact arobics.

-if your into sports do some bowling or ice skateing at world central mall. (bowling alies in many malls).

-check out a kick boxing match...

-check out www.whatsonwhen.com and see if ther is any special events going on durring your stay..

I'd vote for a trip out east. I love Thailand, but it wasn't until I went to the less traveled east did I feel I was in the Thailand I had imagined all along. The people are very friendly and you don't have the mass tourist infrastructure that you do in all the regular places.

If you're into history and/or architecture, I highly recommend a visit to Prasasts Phimai and Phanom Rung. They were part of the same Khmer kingdom as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but these temples have few visitors. We had the place to ourselves for the most part. I have tons of photos of these places and more here:

http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...level2_all.htm

These will give you a flavor of what to expect.

Regards and happy travels.
Bruce
http://www.brucegcollier.com

yes sir. these temples are All over the north east. but it can be hard for the regular traveler too get too.