Welcome
Travelling
Thailand
Bangkok
North Thailand
South Thailand
China
Cambodia
Laos
Colombia
Officially the population of Bangkok are around 7 million people. Unofficially the right figure is around 10-11 million people. In Bangkok you can find whatever you desire. The food is excellent and everything is very cheap compared to the prices in Europe. Though, the traffic is a major problem and the pollution is very bad. The Thai government are trying to solve the traffic problem by a number of projects. In December a sky train line was opened around Sukumvit road going past the World Trade Centre, which is a huge shopping mall. The question is, if this can solve the traffic problems in the area?
As a traveller you have to experience Khaosan Road. The road where you find travellers from all over the world. The road is full of restaurants and bars showing new movies, not even released in the cinemas in Bangkok. The food is also good but more expensive than in the surrounding areas. In addition to all the bars and restaurants you find plenty of small travel agencies and small souvenir shops selling handicrafts, T shirts, rings, CDŽes etc.
The nightlife in Bangkok is really great!
Bangkok is known for areas like Padpong (Silom Road, between soi 2 and soi 4), Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy (Sukumvit 23). The mentioned areas are full of prostitutes and lady boys. The areas are not that attractive for me, but they are worth a visit for a traveller.
The best and most exclusive nightclubs are Narcissus (Sukumvit) and Taurus (Sukumvit 24). The entrance fee is 500 bath, and for that you get 3 drinks. Actually, the night clubs are not that fare from each other. Narcissus play more house and techno and it seems like everybody is dancing. At Taurus you can both dance and sit and enjoy life music, performed by really good Thai singers. In the basement you find a Sushi bar and a room where you can watch TV (?), if you feel like doing that.
Other good places are Silom soi 4 (next to Padpong), a road full of small clubs playing techno and house, RCI, a road full of people(younger than at Silom soi 4), and Imageries (Sukumvit 24), the crowd is older and people are watching life music. Another good place listening to life music is at the Saxophone pub, at the Victory Monument.
If you want to avoid foreigners, you should avoid Padpong, Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy.
A good way to enjoy the city is to go by boat on the river. The boat system is fairly effective and really cheap. To cross the river the fee is 2 Bath and to go down river with the express boat is 12 Bath. From the river, Chao Phrya River, you can see both Bangkoks most visited tourist attraction, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun, The Temple of Dawn.
Traffic jam at Pinklao bridge
