Squareface @ 31°North

I’ve visited Bangkok three times this year, twice with the same person. There’s something there that wins you over to visit again and again, to look at different places in each visit, get more local each time, to explore the sois and sub-sois, to go around without taking any photos because it’s the experience you will revisit in your mind time and again after you’ve long left. Or maybe it was the female couple who smiled at us on the bus, in acknowledgement.

Although this trip was instilled with too much anxiety, frustration and inconvenience to be called a good holiday, unlike many visitors who swear to never go back again, I think I still will. I miss the deep fried chicken. And the deep fried dumplings. I can still smell them.

Anyway, here are recommendations or tips for myself for my next trip (or for anyone else who is interested)

Accomodation

JL Bangkok

Tip: If you’re staying for quite a number of nights, try asking for a discount.

Housed in soi 23 in the very local area of Ramkhamhaeng, you can experience Bangkok away from the thousands of tourists at Khao San or Siam Square. Turn left and you can buy all sorts of local produce like Mama instant noodles, curry powder, coconut milk etc from the Big C supermarket. Turn right and you can shop with other Bangkokers at The Mall (on the same side, The Mall 2 across the street).

The hotel is staffed with very friendly and eager-to-help receptionists. They will undoubtedly make your stay a pleasant one.

Free wireless internet is the ultimate bonus.

Place to visit

Ayutthaya

Many might give this a miss thinking the only way there is by an expensive cruise (1400+THB), and find that there are no other boats going there. The cruise may be very entertaining, and romantic at sunset, but if you’re a cheapo like me, get a train ticket from Hua Lamphong station (get there by MRT). The 3rd class ticket (the only one available) costs a mere 15THB (the ticket back costs 20THB though) for a 1.5-2 hour ride.

Tuktuk drivers will hassle you to follow them the moment you arrive, and they may be your best bet unless you really want to cycle the whole day in the tremendous heat. The distance between the good places is quite considerable. Get a Tuktuk driver who is listed in the “Tourist Tuk Tuk Service” to be on the safe side I guess. Though that list seems highly manipulatable. Their service costs 150-200 baht an hour, but since their prices are always negotiable, the driver had to agree to our price after we won the coin tossing game.

Tip: Try to act local at the entrance of the sites or just walk in like you didn’t know you have to pay.

Places for shopping/Things to buy

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Biggest. So many things. Cheap. Enough said.

NaRaYa

Bags and pouches and others made in Thailand, cheap. Great for gifts for the girls (not all girls).

Central World, Paragon

If you’re into shopping malls. Be sure to get tourist privilege cards! And VAT refund for purchases above 2000THB in the same shop on the same day.

Power Buy @ Central World

Household appliances not readily available in where I live now like waffle maker and takoyaki (octopus balls) machine.

Gourmet Market @ Paragon

Buy all the local produce and toiletries here and claim for VAT refund.

Book Outlet @ Amarin Plaza

For cheap English books (new & 2nd hand). I think I saw some sex novels at the backshelf, if that’s your thing.

Amarin Plaza is on Pleonchit Road, next to Chit Lom Skytrain station. If you can’t find it, call 02-6521600.

B2S and B+E Trend

For a wide selection of notebooks and stationery. My itch for buying notebooks started again. Thai paper quality is good, and some notebooks designed by local artists are awesome!

Photo Development shops

Developing digital photos are way cheap here. Local areas are cheaper.

Transportation

Bus

Definitely the cheapest, but you might need your destination in Thai. Fares start from 7.50THB (S$0.30!). Know the bus to board beforehand though, ‘coz you may not have time to ask. Many a time buses leave when you have but one foot on the step. Gotta alight fast too.

Boat

Depending on whether your current location and destination is along the river, the boat may be the fastest transportation since there’s no traffic jam on the water. Good for the experience too. Just be really alert when boarding and alighting. You really wouldn’t want to fall in water that smells like that. Taking the boat from Ramkhamhaeng to Pratunam took less than half an hour when the bus would have taken 1-1.5hours. Gets really crowded though, so do avoid peak periods. Water may splash so either you stay in the middle or be industrious and pull up the canvas protector at the side.

MRT/Skytrain

Convenient for the touristy areas, but relatively expensive. Get the MRT student card if you’re staying for a considerable number of days, because it saves a lot. They’ll just ask you if you’re below 23 and of course you say yes.

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Miscellaneous reasons why I like it there

Fluid gender

Perhaps the most visible in Asia, if not the world. Males wearing makeup or the whole getup with skirt and gestures. Females with crew cuts in men’s clothes. Men who look like women who look like men. Men who end their sentences with “kaa” instead of “krup” and already making her statement of identity. It doesn’t matter if they go either way ‘coz they have a place in society that many of their counterparts don’t.

I think I could do my undergrad thesis just on this.

Free Sampling of food

In supermarkets. Free is always good, and it’s better that I know that I like what I’m buying.

Friendliness of language

I’m thinking the reason why they’re so naturally friendly stems from their language, the way they end their sentences in a semi-question. Nevertheless my experience with them is mostly the lack of it. All the pointing, the body language, and the challenge of limited vocabulary. Ped muk muk (very spicy please). Ani tao rai ka? Paeng jang kaa! Lod dai mai kaa (This, how much? So expensive! Cheaper please!). Six baht? No, sip (10) baht. “Not can”, “no can”, and “no have”. All very fun and interesting.

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I think many people find themselves inexplicably drawn to Thailand/Bangkok and will go back even though the land of smiles isn’t smiling too widely these days. I know I will.