The only MRT station close to Chinatown is in Hualampung Railway sation..and it's about 1.5-2km away from Chinatown entrance..not sure wjhere are those hotels are, but chose wisely & check how far those hotels from MRT or BTS...preferable<1km away from closest BTS/MRT..Anyway, near Chinatown got river taxi...it can also connect you to the Silom BTS...but leceh-lah hv to take boat..

Try finding those hotels at Sumkhumvit or Silom..The best near National Station/MBK junction,,, it's in the middle of everywhere...

@Danny,

Yes end of the year for sure is peak period...Dun wait for Matta fair..useless & you be dissapointed...The advertised super low is for selected off-peak season fixed date & excluding the usual fuel surcharge airport tax & etc (Expecting to add in xtra >RM300 in addition to the advertised promotion) ..Once finished, no more seat, they will show u all the usual pricing that u can get now...

The best place to gauge actual pricing is check Air Asia website..If the ticket pricing is expensive during end of the year, expecting the same wth those Matta fair tour agents...no diff....Cheaper options during December will be Nov & Beginning Dec...thereafter it will be very pricey...

---

Added on July 22, 2008, 10:32 am@Danny,

Yes end of the year for sure is peak period...Dun wait for Matta fair..useless & you be dissapointed...The advertised super low is for selected off-peak season fixed date & excluding the usual fuel surcharge airport tax & etc (Expecting to add in xtra >RM300 in addition to the advertised promotion) ..Once finished, no more seat, they will show u all the usual pricing that u can get now...

The best place to gauge actual pricing is check Air Asia website..If the ticket pricing is expensive during end of the year, expecting the same wth those Matta fair tour agents...no diff....Cheaper options during December will be Nov & Beginning Dec...thereafter it will be very pricey...

This post has been edited by stimix: Jul 22 2008, 10:32 AM

Padthai meaning Thai Fried. It can be in the form of Hor fun/kueh teow or even beehoon/ glass noodle. Sourly sweet taste & topped wth crunch peanuts.

Yeah..I really luv Padthai. U can find it everywhere in BKK, but the best I tasted is the Padthai at the MBK foodcourt - Only 35Bath when I was there in Ju'07. Right now dunno how much The padthai at Secret Recipe Bkk also equally good but at premium..about 120bath!


This post has been edited by stimix: Jul 28 2008, 02:19 PM

Another must and if u are not anti-shark fin..goto Yaowarat road (Chinatown-lah) & order sharkfin..super cheap! a claypot size sharkfin cost only 250thb for 2 there. u can even get shark-fin from MBK food court, they will go around like dimsum pushcart...that's also around 120thb/pax (If I'm still can recall).The same claypot size sharkfin is selling at 500thb at Hatyai!!! I never touch Hatyai sharfin again!!

BTW, Although Tom Yum is Thai food but Tom Yum is difficult to find in Bangkok or any stalls in Thailand except those seafood restaurant or Chinese restaurants. Well so far I have not tasted any good tom yum compare to M'sian Tom yum by Kelantanese.!! I was told that Tom Yum actually originated from Yala/Narathiwat/Kelantan & not really majority of Thai.

This post has been edited by stimix: Jul 28 2008, 08:57 PM

Not all areas are wholesales only few streets esp those selling shoes & fashion accessories (Onlt 1 backlane street if I srtill can remember. (There are more back lanes streets on both Yaowarat road and those backlanes are where all the activities happening & not Yaowarat road!. If u hv been to Hatyai...The atmosphere almost similar..side lanes & back lanes converted to shopping streets!...Ny rough estinate, Chinatown in BKK is about 3-4 times the size of KL Chinatown except all activities end at 6pm except restaurants...

Air Asia

Chiang Mai - Northern tribes (Karen/Hmong & long nect), Nite bazaar, cheapest massage in Thailand, Biggest water fall, Highest mountain & more Northern Thai temples (Older than those in BKK)

For those fearing the worst..dun worry-lah, those Thai coup are not new....few years once. I was in BKK Jul 2007 and there was a huge demo also at Govt offices...dun even know & dun feel it until I was bck in my hotel room...
This post has been edited by stimix: Sep 2 2008, 09:15 PM

Haha..tnx to those cancelling last minutes...

Look for those hotels surrounding Sumkhumvit & also nearby MBK...Those are near MRT. Pratunam is kinda boring to me...all clothing & nothing else except the IT ctr (Which I din enter as well ) sumore..no MRT to pratunam..so for those going there..Pratunam is not really convenient to stay (For me-lah)

Wah from the posting by Hellokityy & Jessy..confirmed liow Bangkok shopping really a haven to the ladies ...Not to the guys....Nothing special & not as cheap as expected although more varieties than KL.

Chatuchak is very easy to go..located at far North west of Bkk..& it's the end of both Skytrain & MRT so no prob. The real floating market is located at Damnoen Saduak which is NOT at Bangkok..It's entirely out of Bangkok & about 1.5-2hr by taxi (Almost same distance from KL to Melaka)..There is a smaller version floating market in bangkok which is not worth looking..for real one it's a must to either take a day trip via Torist agent or Taxi. The taxi rate going there is suprisingly cheap (THB800 in 2006) but they will bring u to gem store, silk factories & drop u at the expensive water taxi which is u dun bargain, will charge u THB1500 per boat!! The taxi driver really know how to pakat wth those gangster!

If u go via tourist agent, I was told u can get about THB800/pax to Damnoen Saduak.

Lotsa tourist agents located at Khao San road but that's not convenient from BKK city bcos no MRT/Skytrain servicing that part of the city. Nevertheless u can find scatter agents around the city ctr too but abit pricy...compare to Khao San road.


Simple, just hire a taxi-lah (Only THB800!) & remind the taxi u don't want to goto those Motorised boat terminal but instead ask him to bring to those hand rowing boat terminal...Using taxi or agents, u still cannot bypass the so called "Tourist Stopping station" to watch gem stones or silk factory. This is a norm in every countries

Yes almost whole day the THB800 taxi ride (Nego kaw-kaw from thb1000) include bringing you to Damnoen Saduak floating market, Elephant & snake farm (I requested them to skip bcos my wife & daughter dislike all activities related to animals , Gem factory (A must for him to get petrol voucher! ), and on the way back to hotel, he even stopped & wait us on our travel around Wat Po & Grand Palace.

Too bad, the taxi driver already pakat wth boat operator. bringing us to motorised boat terminal & they wanted to charge us thb1500/boat..I tried bargain down to thb600 but they started to get relentless & show me the association fixed pricing & etc...at the end decided not to use their boat & asking the taxi guy to bring us bck to Bangkok!!...The taxi guy dunnop what to do & discussed further wth the boat operator & atlast they agreed to reduced to ~thb1000...That's where the interesting crowded floating market tour started....It's a must for 1st timer to BKK! For me BKK is abit too modern to my taste & I like the floating market!!

The Hualampong is not a BTS (Sky train station-lah..It's the underground MRT station. Glad u enjoy the Chinatown experience in BKK...probably the largest Chinatown in SEA. ..B4 going to BKK, I thought the chinatown is small & but when I 1st experienced it myself, KL chinatown is so tiny...

Bangkok is food haven...Anything that u eat also nicer than Malaysia U can read more in this thread by reading backwards & u can find lotsa suggestion..Easiest is to eat at the foodcourt....such as MBK Mall food court..

Yeap Chinatown is worth the visit and actually top of all my shopping experience in Bangkok...prices are much more cheaper than Pratunam or even Suan Lum nite market.. Sumore the size..probably 5 times Petaling street.

Wha..That's my dream epic journey..probably will try after my retirement

Suprisingly from your question, u hv not step-in to Thailand & now u are planning to drive all the way to Golden triangle

For sure it's safe, I hv drove in few times oledi and the furthest so far was up to Krabi only For sure u need to change to Bath-lah...USD is not really well accepted in Thailand...furthermore u need to convert twice which is a waste of commission you pay to the money changers

Thailand things are no longer cheaper as what it was 10 years ago..almost similar to M'sia..infact certain products such as Electronics are even more expensive there. Food is cheap in Bangkok & Chiangmai but not in hatyai/krabi/Phuket.

Petrol? - Huh...super duper expensive!! It's fluctuate a lot..in Feb 2007 it was 26bath/ltr, in Nov 2007, price increased to 32bath/ltr. in Mar'08,price was at 38bath/ltr...now probably down oledi but not sure how much....Cool shopping place probably is the nite bazaars at ChiangMai...cheap & interesting range of native products & cheap native massages!! U can't believe that foot massage only cost ~70bath in Chiangmai!

Yes there are, but not easy to find..saw 1 at Chinatown & another at Shumkumvit area...but everytime I challenged myself to try it, I chickened out last minute

Except MBK & surrounding, those wholesellers market in Bangkok such as Pratunam area & Chinatown all shutting down once dark...pretty normal...That's why those intended to goto Chinatown shopping (Unless for food) must go in the early Morning till Evening)

Normally Tiger show is offered as a sideline income to the Tourist guide. He will quietly ask u whether are u interested in Tiger show...and if u said yes, they will arranged the time & bring u to a secluded makeshift theater.

BTW, it's already illegal in Thailand..even the last I tried in Phuket way back in 1996, the guy secretly brought us to that makeshift theater saying it's illegal but assured us it's safe bcos the theater opened by Head of the Police station or something... ...BTW, lotsa ladies left the theater 1/2 way thru the show....Beh Tahan... especially the part pulling out the needle/shaving blade from...


This post has been edited by stimix: Jan 13 2009, 09:26 AM