THAILAND.
$1 US = 45 Thai Bhats (decreased to 55)
1 Sterling = 78 Thai Bhats
Saturday
20th to Monday 22nd December 1997
Hotel; Welcome Guest House, Kho Sang Road.
I recommend that you try to get a hotel off Kho Sang road There are some
great spots in monks villas which are much more homely and cultural than
the loud Kho Sang road area.
Room Type: Double room, outside shower and toilet (200B)
Verdict: Sufficient, hot water Bangkok
Bangkok has all the mod-cons and facilities of a modern western city,
including the traffic jams and pollution. It also has a wealth of things
to see, places to visit and hidden adventures.
Eating
and Entertainment
Along Kho Sang Road where all the tourists hang out are many cafes with
both Thai and western food and most offer videos and football on large
screens. There is a lovely Indian restaurant if you prefer the hot Indian
food to sweet Thai food. It is possible to spend a whole day in these
cafes merely watching movies, reading and writing letters. Bangkok also
houses all the fast food chains, plenty of McDonalds, KFC, Dunkin Donuts
etc.... There are also a few cinema complexes showing current hits in
English. The Central Cinema complex on the way to the southern bus station
is an impressive high-tech cinema. Of course the more mischievous souls
head for the night shows on Pha Pong. Beware of being ripped off. A beer
may only cost 70B but they'll try to charge for shows and all kinds of
'extras'.
Sight-seeing
and Shopping
Bangkok is well endowed with plenty of temples and sights. Don't try to
see too many Wats or you will be sick of them before you even get out
of Bangkok. The Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and the Temple of the Emerald
Buddha are magnificently gaudy and a great first introduction to Thai
style architecture. The Emerald Buddha is a meditating statue about 2
feet in height has been the object of a tug-of-war between the Thais and
the Lao since it was found in Chang Rai, Northern Thailand in 1464. It
is perched in it's specially made golden gown atop an extremely ornate
golden altarpiece bordered by larger gold Buddhas standing in the peace
position; elbows to the side, arms out and palms facing upwards. The Audience
Hall, the symmetrical Dusit Group, the Golden Stuppa, the Belfry and all
the other buildings in the compound are intricately detailed in metallic
coloured tiled mosaics. One has to admire the detail, craftsmanship and
restoration work.
I found the permanent collection at The National Gallery not as good as
the fantastic artworks on display in the Environmental exhibition. Allow
a few hours to wander around the National Museum across the road.
There are many clothes, crafts or fruit and vegetable markets, which you
can explore, some at weekends and others being the early morning floating
markets. You can get cheap fake designer clothes, watches and jewellery
on Kho Sang Road and it's environs. Although local markets are cheaper
they mainly cater for local tiny petite figures!
Transport
and Communications
Tuk-tuks on Kho Sang Road try to charge high prices. We found it very
difficult to bargain down to a fair price. Therefore if we did not avail
of public transport (boat or bus) we took taxis which have a pick-up fee
of 35B and are very cheap thereafter mainly because they don't get very
far very quickly in the ridiculously congested traffic of Bangkok.
The G.P.O. in south Bangkok has a superb parcel service for all those
people who have gone wild shopping. Stamps and great postcards can be
bought in local shops everywhere. There are many telephone exchanges and
fax facilities on Kho Sang road although not all of them have a call-back
facility (which you must pay for). Phone cards are also available in local
shops. Email and Internet is accessible at HELLO Cafe on Kho Sang road
quite cheaply. There is a scanner there too but it was never working when
I was there.
Boats
A boat journey down the canals are a must. The silent waters off the main
rivers have a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere, wooden houses balance on
stilts over lapping water. Residents get around by boat, kids play on
wooden stairs above the water and older folks laze in swaying hammocks
while pets snooze the afternoon away.
If you are trying to get around the city it is often quicker to catch
the express boat along the river and then make your own way from one of
the many stops to your inland destination.
AROUND
BANGKOK
There are many great one or two day trips from Bangkok One should make
an effort to get out while waiting for visas etc. It is too easy to waste
time watching videos and shopping in Bangkok. Try not to let this happen.
Unless you're a middle aged couple or on business I would not recommend
the Rose Gardens as it is very package-tourist and a colourful showy version
of Thai culture.
Travel
and visas
Arranging travel around Thailand can be done at any of the tour operators
on Kho Sang road. Be aware of the many horror stories from a lot of travelers
about these places. We decided to book a ticket directly from the Southern
bus station to the southern islands. However it is as easy and as cheap
to book tickets up north in any of the Kho Sang road tour operators. We
shopped around for the cheapest and most reliable and bargained down the
price. We encountered no difficulties or rip-offs going through the tour
operators.
We bought our visas for Laos and Vietnam directly from the embassies which
is cheaper and less risky than trusting a third party with your passport.
> going south
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