Bangkok
From Imakoopedia
Bangkok, known as Krung Thep in Thai, is the capital of Thailand and by far its largest city with an estimated population of over 10 million.
A furious assault on the senses, the first thing that hits many visitors is the heat, the congestion both on streets and sidewalks, and the squalor caused by the gaping chasm of wealth between the rich and the poor. Despite initial appearances, the city is surprisingly safe, more organized than you'd think, and full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
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Districts
Bangkok is a large, sprawling city, but its districts are not very clearly defined.
- Sukhumvit — The long road known variously as Sukhumvit Rd, Ploenchit Rd and Rama I Road is Bangkok's modern commercial core, full of glitzy malls and hotels. The Skytrain intersection at Siam Square is the closest thing Bangkok has to a center.
- Silom — To the south of Sukhumvit, the area around Silom Rd and Sathorn Rd is Thailand's sober financial center by day, but Bangkok's primary party district by night when quarters like the infamous Patpong come alive.
- Rattanakosin — Between the river and Sukhumvit lies the densely packed "Old Bangkok", home to Bangkok's best-known wats. Yaowarat (Chinatown) and sights around the Chao Phraya River are also included here.
- Khao San Road — Bangkok's backpacker mecca and the surrounding district of Banglamphu is located on the northern part of Rattanakosin.
- Thonburi — The quieter west bank of the Chao Phraya River, with many small canals and some offbeat attractions.
- North — The area around Phayonyothin Road is best known for the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Addresses
Addresses in Bangkok use the Thai addressing system, which may be a little confusing to the uninitiated. Large roads such as Silom or Sukhumvit are thanon (often abbreviated Th), while the side streets branching off from them are called soi. Sois are numbered, with even numbers on one side and odd ones on the other. The numbers will not add up - with Soi 55 being across from soi 36. Many well-known sois have an additional name, which can be used instead of the number. Thus, an address like "25 Soi Sukhumvit 3" means the 25th building on the 3rd soi of Sukhumvit Road. Soi 3 is also known as Soi Nana and the address might thus also be expressed as "25 Soi Nana". The extension /x is used for new streets created between existing streets. For instance you might see Sukhumvit soi 7, 7/1, 7/2, 9, 11,...
Get in
By plane
Bangkok's Don Muang International Airport (http://www.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/bia/html/) (BKK) is located about 30 minutes from downtown, and a tollway makes getting to or from there a breeze once you have escaped the snarls of downtown Bangkok traffic — which often takes as long or longer than the rest of the trip.
The airport has three terminals. Terminals 1 & 2, for international flights, are in practice just different sides of the same building. The domestic terminal is a kilometer to the south, and you can either make the long trek on foot via a walkway or hop onto a free shuttle bus (every 15 minutes from just outside the terminal).
The airport has all the facilities you'd expect: you can change money 24 hours a day and left luggage is around $2/day. Restaurants and duty-free shops within the terminal are quite expensive though.
The taxi stand is located immediately outside the arrivals area, and is probably your best bet for getting into town — it's also your only option after 11 PM. Give your destination (English is understood) and you will receive a two-part ticket at the booth. The charge into town will be the meter + 50 baht + toll if you take the expressway (recommended, 30-70 baht), for a usual total of 200-300 baht. The small part is for your driver, the large part is for you. This ticket is for complaints and is how the system is enforced: hold on to it to help avoid arguments later.
If the line at the taxi stand is long or you need a more spacious car, you may want to book a (so-called) limousine from the desks in the terminal. This will get you a slightly nicer car at about twice the price (500-600 baht). Ignore any touts outside and do not get into any car with white license plates, as there are not licensed to carry passengers.
Several upscale hotels (like the Grand Hyatt Erawan) offer helicopter transfer service to their hotel from the airport. This service is not for those with a light wallet!
Across a covered overpass from the airport is the train station. Tickets to Bangkok's Hualamphong station cost 5 baht at the ticket booth. While taking the train is the cheapest way to get from the airport to Bangkok, it is not for the faint-of-heart: the run-down passenger cars often have beggars roaming through them, and are relatively empty late at night.
The very convenient airport bus runs 3 times an hour from outside both terminals from 6am - 11pm. Buy a ticket (100 baht) at the booth. If you're going to Khao San Road, you'll want bus A2 (it's the 4th stop, just follow the crowd). This is a relatively safe and easy way to get into town.
There are also a number of public transport buses going by the airport. Just take a overpass to the real road bypassing the airport and stop the Bus of your choice. For example the aircon Bus 504 will take you to the World Trade Center, from where you'll have access to the Skytrain as well as many other buses, or Lumpini Park, from where you get access to the Subway, for 20 Baht. However you should not have any large packages with you.
Suvarnabhumi Airport, 30 kilometers to the east and Don Muang's intended successor, remains under construction and the target opening date of September 2005 looks increasingly unlikely to be met.
By bus
If you arriving by tourist bus chances are they'll drop you off outside their favorite hotel or guest-house. Arriving by public bus will plunk you down at any one of Bangkok's many bus terminals, the most likely candidates being:
- Mor Chit, for northern destinations, a 20-baht moto hop (or lengthy hike across Chatuchak Park) from BTS Mor Chit/Metro Chatuchak stations (N8/18)
- Ekkamai, for eastern destinations, right next to BTS Ekamai station (E7)
- Southern Bus Terminal, for points west and south, inconveniently located in Thonburi on the wrong side of the river
For Mor Chit and the Southern terminal your best bet (especially at night) is a metered taxi directly to your final destination. If on your way out of Bangkok, be sure to confirm which terminal your bus is leaving from.
By train
Trains pull into the huge and surprisingly nice Hualamphong station, right in the middle of downtown and the current terminus of the Bangkok Metro line. The station has a good tourist office (only listen to the people at the Info desk, anyone walking around offering to help you 'find' a hotel or taxi is just a tout).
If coming down from parts north or northeast, you can also connect to the Metro at the northern Bang Sue station, shaving the last half-hour off your train trip. This is not a very good place to board trains though, as there is practically no information or signage in English.
Get around
Bangkok has a lot to see so the sooner you brave the public transportation system, the better.
| Metro | BTS Sukhumvit | BTS Silom | |||
| 1 | Hua Lamphong | N8 | Mo Chit | ||
| 2 | Sam Yarn | N7 | Saphan Kwai | ||
| 3 | Si Lom | N6 | |||
| 4 | Lumphini | N5 | Ari | ||
| 5 | Klong Toei | N4 | Sanam Pao | ||
| 6 | QSNCC | N3 | Victory Monument | ||
| 7 | Sukhumvit | N2 | Phayathai | ||
| 8 | Phetburi | N1 | Ratchathewi | W1 | National Stadium |
| 9 | Phra Ram 9 | CEN | Siam | CEN | Siam |
| 10 | Thai Cultural Center | E1 | Chit Lom | S1 | Ratchadamri |
| 11 | Huay Kwang | E2 | Phloen Chit | S2 | Sala Daeng |
| 12 | Suthisarn | E3 | Nana | S3 | Chong Nonsi |
| 13 | Ratchadaphisek | E4 | Asok | S4 | |
| 14 | Lad Phrao | E5 | Phrom Phong | S5 | Surasak |
| 15 | Phaholyothin | E6 | Thong Lo | S6 | Saphan Taksin |
| 16 | Chatuchak | E7 | Ekkamai | ||
| 17 | Kamphaeng Phet | E8 | Phra Khanong | ||
| 18 | Bang Sue | E9 | On Nut |
By train
Skytrain
The Bangkok Skytrain (BTS, pronunced bee-tee-et in Thai) deserves a visit simply for the Disneyland space-ageness of it. Built in a desperate effort to ease Bangkok's insane traffic and pollution, the Skytrain covers most of downtown and is especially convenient for visiting the Siam Square area. There are two lines: the light green Sukhumvit line which travels along Sukhumvit road, and the dark green Silom line, which travels from the Silom area, interchanges with the Sukhumvit line at Siam Square (C) and terminates near the Chatuchak Weekend Market (N8).
There isn't, unfortunately, a station near Banglampu District (aka the Khao San Road area), but you can take a river ferry to Tha Sathorn for the Silom line terminus at Saphan Taksin (S6).
You must have 5 or 10 baht coins to purchase Skytrain tickets from the vending machines near the entrance, so hold on to them. Fares range from 10 to 45 baht depending upon how many zones you are travelling. Consult the map (in English) near each ticket machine. If you do not have coins, you may need to queue for change from the staff at the booth. If you are in town for several days, weigh your options and consider a rechargable stored-value card (200 baht), a "ride all you like" tourist pass or a multiple ride pass of 10 trips or more. They will certainly save you time, scrambling for coins, and maybe even money. Check for information with the English speaking staff.
Metro
The long-awaited Bangkok Metro finally opened in July 2004. The Blue Line connects the central Hualamphong railway station (1) to the northern Bang Sue station (18), with interchanges to the Skytrain at Silom/Sala Daeng (3/S2), Sukhumvit/Asok (7/E4) and Chatuchak/Mo Chit (15/N8). You can also transfer to north/northeast-bound SRT trains at the northern terminus Bang Sue.
Metro tickets are not interchangeable with Skytrain tickets. Rides cost from 12 to 36 baht depending on distance; a 300 baht stored value card is also available. For single ride fares, a round plastic token is used.
The metro system does have a few quirks in terms of locations — the subway stop for the Chatuchak Weekend Market is not Chatuchak Park, but one stop further at Kamphaeng Phet (16). The latter drops you right inside the market.
By boat
A ride on the Chao Phraya River should be high on any tourist's agenda. The cheapest and most popular option is the Chao Phraya Express Boat (http://www.chaophrayaboat.com/), basically an aquatic bus plying up and down the river. The basic service plies from Wat Rajsingkorn (S4) all the way to Nonthaburi (N30) for 6 to 10 baht depending on distance, stopping at most of Rattanakosin's major attractions including the Grand Palace, the Temple of Dawn, etc. In addition to the basic service, there are express services flagged with yellow or orange flags, which stop only at major piers and should be avoided unless you're sure where you're going. The new signposting of the piers is quite clear, with numbered piers and English route maps, and the Central station offers easy interchange to the BTS Saphan Taksin station.
In addition to the workaday express boat, there is also a self-proclaimed Tourist Boat which stops at a different subset of piers, offers commentary in English and charges twice the price. The boats are slightly more comfortable and not a bad option for a hop or two, but don't get bullied into buying the overpriced day pass.
Canal boats also service some of Bangkok's many canals (khlong). They are cheap and immune to Bangkok's traffic jams, just watch your step when boarding and disembarking! One particularly useful line runs up and down Khlong Saen Saep, parallel to Petchaburi Rd, and provides the easiest access from the city center to the Golden Mount.
Finally, for trips outside the set routes, you can hire a longtail river taxi at any major pier. These are fairly expensive and will attempt to charge as much as 500 baht/hour, but with haggling may be suitable for small groups.
By bus
Local buses are cheapest but also the most challenging way of getting around, as there is a bewildering plethora of routes, usually marked only in Thai. They are also subject to Bangkok's notorious traffic, often terribly crowded, and many are not air-conditioned. However, with fares starting at 3.50 baht for the small green buses, the frugal long-stay traveler can save quite a bit by learning the routes. Pay the collector after you board, and press the signal buzzer (usually near the door) when you want to get off.
By taxi
Taxis are a quick way to get around town, at least if the traffic is flowing your way. Almost all taxis are now metered: the hailing fee is 35 baht and most trips in Bangkok cost less than 100 baht.
If the driver refuses to use the meter after a couple of attempts, simply exit the taxi. Also try to avoid taxis that stay parked all day outside your hotel. The only two reasons that they are there: 1) To take you places where they can get their commissions (Jewelry stores, massage parlors, etc) and 2) To overcharge you by not using the meter. Your best bet is to walk to the road and catch an unoccupied metered taxi in motion (easier than it sounds, as Bangkok traffic tends to crawl the majority of the time). Be sure to either know the correct pronunciation of your destination, or have it written in Thai; taxi drivers in Bangkok are notoriously bad at reading maps.
By motorbike
When traffic slows to a crawl and there are no alternatives, the fastest way to your destination is to take a motorbike taxi. Bike drivers in colorful fluorescent yellow-orange vests wait for passengers at street corners and near shopping malls and prices are negotiable. That said, motorcycle taxis are suicidally dangerous and should generally be avoided except as a last resort, as accidents are far too common.
Some bikes do not travel long distances, but simply shuttle up and down long sois not serviced by other transport for a fixed 5-20 baht fare. These are marginally less dangerous, especially if you happen to travel with the flow on a one-way street.
The law requires that both driver and passenger must wear a helmet. It is the driver's responsibility to provide you with one, so if you are stopped by police, any fine is also the driver's responsibility. When riding, keep a firm grasp on the seat handle and watch out for your legs.
By tuk-tuk
Finally, what would Bangkok be without the dreaded and loved tuk-tuks? You'll know them when you hear them, you'll hate them when you smell them, these three-wheeled contraptions blaze around Bangkok leaving a black cloud of smog in their wake. For anything more than a 5-10 minute jaunt they really are not worth the price, and the price will usually be 4 or 5 times what it should be anyway (which, for Thais, is around 30% less than the equivalent metered taxi fare). On the other hand, you can sometimes ride for free if you agree to visit touristy clothing or jewelry shops (which give the tuk-tuk driver gas coupons and commissions for bringing customers). The shops' salesmen are pushy, but you are free to leave after five to ten minutes of browsing.
In case you actually want to get somewhere, and you're an all-male party, be careful with the tuk-tuk drivers, they will usually just ignore your destination and start driving you to some bordello ("beautiful girls"). Insist continually on going only to your destination.
See
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Peoplespotting More than any other places in Thailand, Bangkok offers wonderful opportunities for just sitting and watching people go by. Here's a partial checklist:
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Most of Bangkok's sights are concentrated in the "Old City" on Rattanakosin Island. Out of Bangkok's many temples, the following usually make the top 3:
- Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn)
- The Grand Palace, featuring Wat Phra Kaew (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
- Wat Pho, home of the world's largest reclining Buddha and a famed massage school
Bangkok's many markets are an experience in themselves, see Buy for some suggestions.
Itineraries
- One day in Bangkok — if you have just one day to spare and want to catch a feel for the city
Do
Bangkok is an extremely popular place for all sorts of pampering. The options available range from massages and spa treatments to haircuts and manicures and even cosmetic surgery, all at prices far lower than in the West.
- All self-respecting hotels in Bangkok will have a spa operating on premises offering at least massage services. These tend to charge a premium but also offer some the best treatments in town. Particularly well-regarded spas include Deverana [1] (http://www.devarana.com/) at the Dusit Thani and the eponymous operations at Banyan Tree [2] (http://www.banyantreespa.com/bangkok/index.htm) and the Oriental [3] (http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/510000004.asp) — the last of these being probably the most expensive in town, offering (among other things) a 6-hour Oriental Romance package for two costing a whopping US$535.
- Independent spas offer much the same experience but are a little more competitive due to the lack of a captive customer base. Figure on 1000B and up per hour for most treatments.
- The ubiquitous little massage shops found on every street corner in town offer the best value for money but the smallest range of services, with offerings usually limited to massage only. It is fairly easy to distinguish legitimate massage shops from more dubious places: the real deal will charge 200-300B/hour for massage and will often have a row of beefy farmers' daughters in white coats working on customers' feet in public view, while the other kind has wispy things in evening dresses and too much makeup yelling "hello handsome" at every passing male.
- BODY Tune. Sukhumvit Soi 24 (10 mins walk from BTS Phrom Pong) and 56 Yada Bldg, Silom Rd (next to BTS Sala Daeng); [4] (http://www.bodytune.co.th/). A well-respected small chain offering an excellent traditional Thai massage for 350B/hour.
- Bangkok's hospitals offer generally high quality services at a fraction of the cost of a Western hospital. Probably the best-regarded (and most expensive) is Bumrungrad [5] (http://www.bumrungrad.com/en/clinics/plastic.asp), which (for example) charges 60,000B (~US$1500) for an all-inclusive breast implant package. Bangkok is also well known as a center for sexual reassignment surgery for people wishing to change their physical gender, although needless to say this falls out of the scope of a casual vacation.
Learn
Cooking schools
Thai cuisine is a favorite of many, and many cooking schools provide half-day classes that provide a nice break from the day-to-day sightseeing monotony.
- Bai Pai Cooking School (http://www.baipai.com) (tel. 02-294- 9029, email info@baipai.com) - A nice casual cooking school with a nice modern design in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Their van will pick you up from your hotel or Bangkok location, because it's not easy to find. Instructors are fun and informative, and you get a souvenir printed photo and one is even emailed to you. Class run from 9am to about 1pm, closed Mondays.
- Blue Elephant (http://www.blueelephant.com/school/) (tel. 02-673-9353, email cooking.school@blueelephant.com) - Take classes from one of the most famous chains of Thai restaurants in the world. While the price is substantially higher than others in Bangkok, class takes place in the historic Blue Elephant restaurant, and while dining on your creations, wine, extra dishes and dessert are served. And they give you a Blue Elephant apron as well.
Eat
Bangkok not only has plenty of Thai restaurants, but a wide-selection of world-class international cuisine too. Prices are generally high by Thai standards, but cheap by international standards; a good meal is unlikely to cost more than 300 baht ($6), although there are a few restaurants -- primarily in hotels -- where you can easily spend 10 times this.
- Phad Thai and curry shops everywhere
- Street vendors selling satay with hot sauce (for 5-10 baht a piece)
- Chinatown has a range of street stalls and cheap restaurants selling food (try 1kg of huge barbequed prawns or tom yam with prawns for 300 baht) to the discerning local population.
- All the Thai restaurant chains covered in the main Thailand article
- Restaurants featuring cuisine from all over the world on Sukhumvit Road and Khao San Road.
Buy
Bangkok is full of shopping malls and street markets of all types, especially in the Sukhumvit area; see the section for details. Prices can be ludicrously cheap by Western standards, especially for locally produced items such as clothes, although bargaining is expected and required. Dump a teenager in MBK with a few thousand baht and they'll stay occupied for the rest of the week!
A major attraction on weekends is the gigantic Chatuchak Weekend Market, in northern Bangkok but easily accessible by Skytrain and Metro. Slightly more manageable in size and open nightly is the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, covered in the Silom section.
See also: Electronics and entertainment shopping in Thailand
Sleep
- Banglampu district has many budget accommodations.
- Sukhumvit Road has hotels for almost all budgets.
- Visit Khao San Road for ultra-budget backpacker communal living.
Stay safe
Given its size and poverty level Bangkok is surprisingly safe, with violent crimes like mugging and robbery highly unusual. However, Bangkok does have more than its fair share of touting and scams. Some common scam and guidelines for avoiding them:
- If an English-speaking Thai approaches you out of the blue and strikes up a conversation, be wary: they are almost certainly selling something.
- Beware of tuk-tuk drivers offering all-day tours for prices as low as 20 baht. You may indeed be taken on a full-day tour, but you will only end up visiting one gem and souvenir shop after another; the driver will get a commission if you buy something and gas coupons even if you don't.
- Likewise, be skeptical if a tuk-tuk driver tells you that your chosen destination is "closed" and offers to take you to a "special Buddha temple" (etc) instead.
- Be particularly wary of any offers to sell you gems at a "discount", especially large quantities for resale back home at vast profits. These operations can be surprisingly convincing, with some even hiring down-and-out foreigners to act as happy customers. See the Thai gem scam page (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml).
- Make a photocopy of your passport and keep it with you at all times, especially at night. It is the law and police may check it at night if they setup a checkpoint to look for drunk drivers. Many night clubs will also insist on a passport (and ONLY a passport) as proof of age.
Also note that cameras are not welcome in go-go bars. Attempting to take pictures of the girls, even with your camera phone, is likely to result in your camera being taken and/or you getting beat up for good measure.
Get out
- The island of Ko Kret, upriver from Bangkok in the province of Nonthaburi, makes a pleasant day trip out of the concrete jungle.
- The ancient capital of Ayutthaya and its many ruins are just 1.5 hours away by bus or train.
- The Burma Death Railway and some good national parks can be found in Kanchanaburi to the west.
