The fastest way to go around Bangkok!

Transportation is the big deal in Bangkok as so many people from all over Thailand come into Bangkok to work in a hope of getting rich or advancing their carrers. I remember when I was a kid, I would have to get up at 5:00 am every weekdays in order for me to be able to catch a school bus on time even though the school is just about 5 miles away! It doesn't make any senses what so ever, but it's been that way til now; Never change! In fact, traffic is getting worse and worse every year. Bangkok tried to cope with the heavy traffic by building a skytrain , and underground train projects, which seem to help reducing some traffic congestion, but still it doesn't seem to be quite enough. Many still felt that there are not enough trains as in comparison with people who are using the service especially during the rush hours in many major financial district areas. So, is there any other alternative to this? Yes, there is.

The river has long been a good transportation route of Bangkok for centuries, and it is considered to Thais as one of the fastest way to get around Bangkok. In fact, every time I want to go from Kao San road to Pantip Plaza, I would just jump into the boat, and I will be there in 15 minutes max. It is dam fast for Bangkok, and it costs just about 18 baht. The route is extended all the way to Bang Krapi, which is almost to Meanburi. The whole route can be just about under an hour. Here are the ports that these long tail boats stop at;

1) Tha Wat Si Bun Ruang <--> 2) Tha Talat Bangkapi <-->3) Tha The Mall Bangkapi (shopping mall) <--> 4) Tha Wat Klang <--> 5) Tha Ramkhamkaeng University <--> 6) Tha Wat Thep Lila <--> 7) Tha The Mall Ramkhamkaeng (shopping from millions of street vendors- at night only) <--> 8) Tha Saphan Khlong Tan <--> 9) Tha Chan Issara II <--> 10)  Tha Thong Lor <--> 11) Tha Soi Soon Wijai <--> 12) Tha Wat Mai Chonglom <--> 13) Tha Prasanmit University <--> 14) Tha Saphan Asoke <--> 15) Tha Nana Nua <--> 16) Tha Saphan Withayu <--> 17) Tha Chid Lom <--> 18)  Tha Pratunam (Panthip Plaza - computer heaven, Platinum Mall (Clothes & Accessories) * Transit station<--> 19) Tha Saphan Hua Chang (Siam Centre, Paragon) <--> 20) Tha Baan Krua (see Jim Thompson house) <--> 21) Tha Charoen Phol <--> 22) Tha Bo-Be (Cloth outlets) <--> 23) Tha Phan Fa Leelat (Kao San Rd. + Phu Khao Tong)

  To see a delicated silk color dying as well as Jim Thompson House get off  at Tha Baan Krua

Although popular for Thais, for some tourists, it is considered to be quite dangerous since the boats pull in and out the dock pretty fast. Once in a while, there will be some people that fall off the edge into the canal. It was not often, but it did happen! So, make sure you hang on tight to the boat rails, and just simply let it go if you can't catch it on time. The next boat will come right up; so no need to hurry. The water in this canal is pretty dirty. Thus, I do not recommend looking out toward the canal. In fact, many boats are equipped with a tarf to prevent water from sparshing into the boat. I do not recommended people who travel with kids to use this kind of transportation. The services start around 7am and end around 7:30 pm, and it runs 7 days a week. It's really good for people who stay near Kao San road! If you have any questions regarding to the route, call talkinthai to spaek to a port officer. To apply of talkinthai free 20 minutes phone interpreting service just logon to www.talkinthai.com and click sigup. It is easy, and no credit card required!  

 

Pra Artit Road : The Allure of the Past

I have to say that among all the areas around Kao San road, Pra Artit road is among my favorite. This is not only applied to me. It applies to other Thai people as well. One reason why Thais like to hang out on that road is because of the scenery overlooking the new Rama VIII bridge and the beautiful Chao Praya river. However, there is only one part of the road that you can actually see the river, which would be at Santi Chai Prakarn park located next to Pra Sumen Fort, one of the only two reamining forts that remain standing from the original fourteen, all of which was built by King Rama I to protect the new capital from the natorious Burmese. If you enter Pra Artit road, you will not miss it! Pra Sumen Fort is the landmark of this road especially at night when it's lit by the warm yellow light making it even more monumental.

Sati Chai Prakarn Park, a small patch of open space that stretches down to the riverfront, is popular for Thais both young, and old. They come here to relax, and have a picnic, or even do a group aerobics on an open area next to the river. Many tourists find it hard to resist the beauty of the Rama VIII bridge that stretches across Chao Praya river. Ones can easily be drawn to walk through the park toward the riverfront to take a picture of these two intriguing monuments.

Restaurants, bars, hostels and coffee shops are clogged up Pra Artit Road from both sides, making it somewhat impossible to know that you are actually next to Chao Praya river, which is kind of sad, in my opinion. There is still a presences of foreigners from Kao San road to be seen here since Pra Artit road's within a waling distant from it. Many backpackers like to stay on this street since it is a bit more quiet at night, and more calm in general. Life is a lot slower here compare to Kao San areas. Perhaps, it is because all the well preserved buildings along the road as well as colonial-style mansions like Ban Pra Artit, and Ban Tha Chang. With blast from the past kind of experiences, it is obvious why Pra Artit road is very popular among university students, and other young trendsetters as well as tourists who are looking for the place that is full of characters. 

Kao San Road ; Seeing Thai life through foreigners' eyes

Kao San road is seen by many foreigners to be a good starting point as well as the finishing point of their journey in Thailand. The road is blocked off for only foot traffic, and the whole road is generally packed up with people at night. Like any other tourist hub throughout Thailand, Kao San road is full with bars, pubs, restaurants, and street vendors. For Thais, spending time on Kao San road provides them an east-meets-west experience without having to go out of the country. When I first came back from the states, my ex-roomate always invited me to Kao San. We always got drunk, and in fact, really really drunk. Sometimes, I didn't even know how I can make it back home. To me, a good thing about Kao San is that its relaxing atmosphere, and easy hippy environment, where you can sit and talk freely, and beside anything else, it is a good place to hang out with your company, and talk without being disturbed by loud music in many traditional Thai pubs, or bars.

Now, if you arrive at Kao San road during the day time, there is not much action going on really. However, many street vendors do offer many interesting items, and services such as clothes, and accessories, hair braiding, fake ID (for fun only) , fake CD, and DVD, and many more. There are many restaurants available throughout the street. Many of them are crap!, and I really do mean it in both eastern, and western way.If you really want to eat, I recommend you to walk to Pra Artit Road to the Ricky's Coffee Shop. Located near Tha Pra Artit Pier, Ricky's offers an excellent breakfast, as well as many other foreign dishes including Maxican food for resonable prices. And the most important of all, they do serve you real cheese! not the plastic ones like any other restaurants on Kao San do. I believe you do go to Kao San to shop, and drink. But for food, you got to go to Pra Artit street. However, it's always wise to check out their dish selections before stepping into a restaurant since some of them can be rather pricy. We will talk more about Pra Artit road on the other post. For now, I would like to concentrate on the Koa San road and guide you through the best of it. If you are not there to drink, Koa San will offer you quite an exciting sightseeing experiences. Many shops including street vendors are catered toward the foreigners. Therefore, the decors, and feeling of the place are very unique. Some street vendors dress themselves as a character or the hill tribe villagers. Some shops and bars dress up their employee as a cartoon or movie character. It is great photo opportunities for those who enjoy taking a photograph. For sure, being on Kao San road is like being in a diiferent world. It's considered to be a hip hang-out spot for many young tourists, backpackers in general. It's also a weird mix of culture in which you might notice that there are fews temple around the area, making it difficult to think how the monks can concentrate on their regular practice having been surrounded by this kind of sinful environment. If you are just starting you trip in Thailand, do go to the second hand book shops available on many spots on Kao San road. You can buy a good book including novels for cheap, and better yet, you can sell it back on the way back from your trip.

If you're there to drink and have fun, Koa San road will certainly fulfill your needs. Many pubs, restaurants and bars on Kao San are quite similar in what they offer. The different would be the ways they dress up their shops. The style can be various ranging from beer garden, cocktail beside the road, a nice proper full bars, loud music disco pubs and so on. Many of them open until 1:00 am daily. But some of them open till 4 or 5 am in the morning! Bars like Kao San center do offer 24 hours drink only that after 2 am they will serve it in the plastic cups! Do ask the bartenders for other pubs that do open till 5 am. But do go there before 2 am since many of those pubs only let late night people in before 2 am. I believe there will be cover charge to go into these late night bars somewhere between 200-500 baht depending upon the styles of the bars. One useful things about going to Kao San road is that if you really have to go to toilet, I strongly recommend going to True shop @ Kao San located on the end of Kao San road. ( you should be able to see their gigantic sign where ever you stand on Kao San road). The toilet is clean, and it is also a good place to relax, and hang out before all the bars are opened. You can check internet there while enjoying a good cup of coffee. Also, it is situated in a little walk way but when you reach the end of the way you will be intrigued by how nice the shop is. The shop is situated inside an old Thai style house with nice nice terecotta floor tiles. Being there would be a good little getaway from a busy Kao San road if you feel you need one. After all, Kao San road is a good introduction of many other tourist hubs like Patong, and Phuket except that there is no beach nearby. So, if you are looking for a peaceful experience, do go there for sightseeing, and shopping. But, if you are looking for fun, and wild experiences, do go there and let lose> After all on Kao San road, the night is totally yours.

"Where do Thai people go for shopping?" : TRY IT before YOU BUY IT!

Dear all men and women, who have great confident on their own bodies, and shapes,

If you notice by just looking around, you will see that we, Thai people, have smaller structures compare to the westeners. This can contribute to how cloth manufacturers tag the size of the cloth for asian people. What does that mean exactly?

Most Thai men, and Thai women can fit size M-XL clothes. This doesn't mean that you folks, who usually wear size XL clothes back at home, can fit into size XL Thai clothes. Size of the clothes in Thailand is generally based on the average sizes, and structures of Thai people. This simply means you may need to step one size up when you want to buy a cloth in Thailand. Yes! Thai people especially sellers will, sometime, embarrass you in front of everybody by saying very loud to you, "It too small, It too small, You large, Extra Large!". Does this ever happen to anybody I know? Yes, it happens to every single foreigner I know especially my wife. She usually fit in size Medium back in the States, but down here in Thailand, she have to literally search for Thai plus size clothes! Not to say that all Thais are small; in fact, some study said that Thai people have a tendency to grow bigger, and fatter due to the influences of the fast food we eat. Nevertheless, Thai people, especially Thai woman, will try every which ways to fit her body into the smallest size clothes possible! They even invent XXXS clothes for university uniforms! Sometime, I wonder how they can breath wearing those.

So, words of advices from me is that while somebody tries to come up with the chart comparing the sizes of Asian outfits to American ones, It is better for you just to try it out before you buy it. If you feel embarrassed because the sellers told you that you are large. Just simply ignore it, Don't get pissed off or anything like that. Most of the sellers don't know they are being rude to you. They just want to find the ones that fit you, that's all. But, if you are really angry, just simply walk away, and get some air, just like what my wife always do everytime she goes for cloth shopping. Now, my wife shops mostly at the market, and she usually wear a T-Shirt that is tight to her body so that she can try on the clothes by just putting it over the T-Shirt (since in the Thai market, there is usually no room for you to go in and try it on!) So, mark my words, TRY IT before YOU BUY IT.

Best Regard,

TravelTranslator in associated with www.talkinthai.com    

"Where do Thai people go for shopping?" : Silom Soi 5 / Fashion Avenue

I would like to remind you that this soi or this walking street are one of the shopping paradise for office people who work around Silom area. You may be wonder how do they have time to go shopping since they only have one hour lunch break? The answer is I have no idea too. Somehow they manage to have lunch within very little time, and walk toward Sukhumvit Soi 5 or what Thai ladies like to call "Soi La Lai Thap", which mean "This road will melt the money out of your pocket!" So walk with cautious, and zip up your pocket money if you have a limited budget. And beware of all the pickpocketing people since there are so many people shopping from noon time on.

So what is this soi is all about? I think you will have quite an enjoying experience there really. Don't go there if you have a phobia of a crowded place. You might end up with panic attack or something like that. So, how to go there is pretty simple. You can go there by an underground train (MRT) and get off at Silom station. You can also take a sky train (make sure you get on Silom line) and get off at Sala Daeng station, or you can go there by taxi, which I don't really recommend since during noon time, the traffic's quite jam up around there. I mention traffic jam because people go to shop there like a merathon really. The market itself only opens on weekday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm only. So, anybody wish to shop up there have to shop like "a speedy gonzales" really. Most of the items are for women; things like clothes, makeup, accessories, jewelly, watches, you name it! But some are catering things for men too. There are many food vendors on that street so you will never go hungry. If you want to sit down and eat properly, there is a open-air canteen inside where you can choose variety of food from different food vendors, and bring it back to eat at the table. However, since many people are going there for lunch, it would be difficult for you to find an empty seat. My advise is to eat somewhere else, and if you are hungry, you can eat some fresh fruit from the street vendors, and prolong your life for a little while longer until you go through the end of the market.

Words of advise : Just enjoy your shopping if you are not too worried about the budget. But if you have a tight budget, shop only things you really like here since I find out that many woman items especially, you will find it cheaper at Platinum Mall, Pratunam area, which sell clothes, and accessories at the wholesale prices. We will talk more about this place in the later post. As for now, have a good marathon shopping! (-;

A wonderful eating experience in Phuket

I have to say the best meal I’ve ever had besides grandmas cooking is a side street restaurant in Pluket Thailand, man it was great. I was walking around looking for a place to eat other then Thai food. Which is my favorite, BTW, BUT try having it everyday in every way and it gets a bit much. Well, so I was in the mood for something different. Something exotic, something so damn yummy, that I'd be writing about it for years to come. So, I'm walking down the main street. Vendors are trying to sell me copycat goods, charms, and Thai souvenirs cat calling with every motion forward. I politely smiled and nodded, but refused to bite. I had enough of their goods to warden buying another copycat suit case. Then this guy comes up to me and hands me a flyer. The flyer looked as if it had been hand written and printed out. IT read INDIAN FOOD, the best in Thailand. hmmmmmm? The best you say? He nodded and gestured to follow. I resisted for a moment (mom always says, better to be wary then stupid and dead.) but being on vacation and having one too many Singha beers I said what the blank, “ok buddy lead me to my doom.” He began to walk. I followed and we walked into an alley. oh oh....my heart began to pump, my head heating up with regret. My hands numbing with doubt, "TURN AROUND AND RUN!!" my warning conscious screamed! But I took a sip of my now lukewarm Singha and said bring your best demons alley of doom! I'm going in. So like a victim of a soon to be missing person poster I still followed. The dark alley soon lit up and to my surprise there was a little restaurant amongst dark hut type buildings. The restaurant was under a makeshift cardboard roof. Lights hung from the ceiling the light cords still exposed. A few magazine ads of India and a poster of the King of Thailand hung decoratively on the tarp hanging walls. The setting was plastic meaning, plastic tables and chairs. Oh oh what did I get myself into? Then suddenly I was hit with a splash of relief. My nose took a whiff and said it’s all good bro. I sat down ordered butter chicken, freshly made naan bread, (I could still smell the aroma dancing in the nose hairs of my nose) fresh Raita and the rest of the fixings. Everything was so damn delicious that I finely realized why they called Thailand the dudes Disneyland….. After all the way to a man's heart is through his tum tum. YUM YUM

"Where do Thai people go for shopping?" Part I : The behavior of Thai Consumers

If you stay in a hotel around Sukhumvit areas, you might notice that it is full of foreigners, and most street vendors offer selections mainly for foreigners. Not often that you will see a local Thai walking around and do some shopping around there. Why is that? The answers are simple. First, the things most street vendors sell are expensive. Second, most items street vendors're offering are souvenirs, which frankly, Thai people don't really buy those. And last but not least, Sukhumvit area is a financial district and it's only popular for foreigners, and perhaps for most Thais, they regard to that area as "the sin street" since there are many prostitude activities around the area.

So, "where do Thai people go for shopping?" To answer this question, we might have to step back and take a look at "the behavior of Thai consumers" in order to understand what, where and how Thai people like to shop. First of all, Thai people regardless of how rich or how poor they are like to shop or eat in an open environment. Some people may say it's not true since many people do go to shopping malls which is considered to be a closed environment. That would be true only if you look only at one side of the mirror. Thai people regard the open outdoor shops including street vendors as cheap, and affordable items. Take a look at one example, I specifically know one open-air noodle shop in China town, which is full of customers every single day. The owner drive Mecedez, BMW, and so on. One day, the owner decided that there should be some changing within the shop to make it look more modern, I supposed. So he boarded up the shop with clear glasses, and put air conditioning inside. It look good, and modern just like what they wanted. However, the sale, all the sudden, dropped dramatically in the following 2 or 3 month after renovation. But why? Like I said, for Thais, the first impression toward the shop would be "It must be more expensive since the shop look a lot nicer." Now, what the owners didn't realise is that he has dropped the poors out of his target customer list unintensionally. Now, will the riches go to this open-air noddle places? Oh!! Yes. In fact, many of them like to eat from the street vendors. Because we all do that since we are little. It is a part of our culture. We go to department stores for some brand name things street vendors don't offer, or most of the time we go to big mall to hang out, and get an air conditioning when it's hot outside. Now let look at the second behaivior when it comes to shopping for Thai people which is Thai people love to bargain! And really, the riches do bargain more than the poors. They look at it like a game. The more they can bargain, the more they feel like the winner. I don't know who is the loser in this case, but let's assume it is the owners of the shop. Now move on to the third behavior which would be Thai people like a bit of adventure when they shop. What is that supposed to mean? If you have a chance to go to Chatuchuk Market (we will talk more about the place later), you would notice that people like to go through a mountain of products. The way most shop sell things is to pile up , and mix up products onto a table, and sell it at one price for all. It obviously looks very much like a pile of garbage from far away, but for Thais, we think there must be a real jem within the garbage. So, we must dig through it in order to find one. It's like a spell that will attract all class of people to go through this giant pile of...Let's say Crap! Well, although this is a tactic used on the street shop level, many high profile shops have also adopted this method as their sale tactic as well especially when they offer sale items.
So, now you have it! As parts of Thai culture, shopping is another way to be socialized, and interact with one another. So, what the place they would go for shopping? Find out in my next post, as I will reveal the country main shopping hubs where Thai people like to go shopping no matter where they come from, rich or poor, or anything in between.