Thailand

[cairns]

Going to Bankgok and Phu-ket (can't believe that got censored) for a few weeks this Winter. Can anyone offer advice? Things to see or do?

We'd like to do Angkor Wat in one day- I know that isn't coming anywhere near giving justice to the place but if anyone has been there and could offer their insight that would be greatly appreciated too.

Thanks all.

[Joe Ricard]

Million year stone park. Crokadiles, Elephants, Tigers (actually got to touch one and get a picture taken.

everything else I did was ..... ummmm.

[scottmandue]

I have never been... but from what I have heard best to take a peek up the skirt before you take her up to the room

[coldstart]

Fantastic destinations.

There is lots to do and see. Go to the Palace in Bangkok and hit the shopping but otherwise it is dirty, busy and humid. I recommend spending as little time as possible in Bangkok unless you love shopping and beer bars.

****et is beautiful. Go see Ko Phi Phi (pronounced ko pee pee, ko means island) and the surrounding beaches which are stunning white sand with blue waters. ****et has three main beaches-- Patong, Caron and Kamala. Patong has the best nightlife but only an okay beach. Caron is a good mix of the two with a very nice (but brownish sand) beach and some nightlife while Kamala and Bang Tao, etc. are secluded beaches with minimal nightlife. It depends on what you want.

Ko Phi Phi has highend accomodation and backpacker accomodation. It is basically two islands connected by a big sandbar and the tide goes way out and in everyday. The nightlife is tremendous if you love to drink and party with crazy crazy crazy beach parties. I had the time of my life there one week. (And I was the old guy at 30+).

Angor Wat and the nearby town, Siem Riep, are awesome. You neeed to fly there from Bangkok as the roads there were extremely poor. Another highlight of my trip and I highly recommend going. The temples are amazing and the town is very cool (but rustic).

Have fun!!!!

[John Rogers]

I would say try Pattaya Beach and see if the Blue Dolphin hotel is still around? The last time I was there I rode by Bicycle from Satahyp Naval Base up to the beach for several days and had a blast. That was in the 80s though so I don't know what might have changed by now. I do remember they drive on the left and every bus that went by saw a red haired yank and would slow down so the passengers could all lean out the windows an yell hello!

[Rapewta]

Get out of Bangkok. Go south to Pattaya Beach. Enjoy.
Careful with the women if you like that stuff. Many aren't what they appear to be.

You can rent motorcycles in Pattaya and just spend the day riding along the beaches at the surf's edge.

[Tishabet]

Would highly recommend Chiangmai if you can fit it in. Check out AirAsia.com for some very cheap flights all around SEAsia.

Can't really help you re: ****et.

Siem Reap is a nice town, touiche restaurant and madam wong cocktail lounge both get a hearty recommendation from me. If you haven't already booked accommodation I have stayed at Mother Home two times and will be staying there a third time this weekend (will be there in less than 24 hours).

a lot of people don't care for Bangkok, bit I think it is a great city... Would recommend checking out the reclining Buddha, Jim Thompson house, wat arun, etc. Don't believe any local who tells you an attraction is closed, and don't under any circumstance go to the jewelry factory with that local and/ or your cab driver... It's a scam.

Message me your email address and I can send you a couple of pages of documentation for both Bangkok and Siemens Reap which my wife has put together based on our travels... When friends come to visit us we give them the packet so they have a quick reference.

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by Rapewta

Get out of Bangkok. Go south to Pattaya Beach. Enjoy.
Careful with the women if you like that stuff. Many aren't what they appear to be.

You can rent motorcycles in Pattaya and just spend the day riding along the beaches at the surf's edge.

I lived there for 18 mos back in the early 70's (Army) and it was a young guys heaven. That was before aids. Now it's pretty risky to ride bare back. What's been said about checking out the plumbing is so true...look for the adams apple..you can't tell much just by lookin'. It's a much larger town now but I'm sure it's still fun.

Gals in BK can do things to you you never heard of before

Lots of tourist things to do too. Elephants, snakes, temples, etc....and wonderful food.

I envy you

[chocolatelab]

Did anyone read the article that was on cnn this morning about the poisoning of tourists in thailand. Crazy story.

Thailand is on my short list of places to visit.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by Tishabet

a lot of people don't care for Bangkok, bit I think it is a great city... Would recommend checking out the reclining Buddha, Jim Thompson house, wat arun, etc.

reference.

Agree. Much to see and do in Bangkok. Go to a kickboxing fight for example. See the emerald buddha. Have a traditional ( or not so traditional) Thai massage. Tour the Chao Praya on a long tail boat. Or have dinner on a converted rice barge as it cruises by the Royal Palace at sunset. Go on a Patpong bar crawl. The riverside Shangri-la does incredible Thai BBQ's most evenings. Have drinks on the terrace at the Oriental. Have drinks at the Voodoo Lounge. Check out the large outdoor morning market. You can eat Thai royal cuisine at several popular restaurants. Try a "no hands restaurant" where young Thai girls feed you. See if you can find a local to take you to The Abbey. Chek out the antique market in the Riverside shopping centre. Ride an elephant etc etc.

Bangkok is its own little universe. The size and scale of the city is daunting at first. But if you settle into a comfortable hotel and explore it slowly, it will reward you. It is one of the very most interesting cities on this earth IMO.

[Dottore]

PS. I would not do Angkor Wat in one day. Even if you fly to Siem Riep it is too long a day. You need a couple of days minimum to really do Angkor Wat any justice. And remember also that visiting Angkor Wat involves some very hot and strenuous work. If you want to see these temples properly you have to crawl around them a bit and this is punishing in temperatures that are insane. (54 degrees C in the shade last time I was there.)

[Laneco]

Thailand is wonderful! We would go back there in a heartbeat. Don't like cities, so I was not a fan of Bangkok but I will say that it was interesting and the street vendors serve great food for unbeatable prices. I don't know what it was, but it smelled good, tasted great and probably set us back 50 cents a serving. Be adventures - give it a try!

We have not been to Phu-Ket but did spend 9 days on Koh Samui. Absolutely fabulous time. Beautiful weather, extremely kind people. We did a tour of the Ang Throng marine sanctuary. I would have spent a couple of days out there if I could have arranged it. Once we got used to the reverse traffic direction, we rented a couple of scooters and explored the island in the "off-tourist" areas. Extraordinarily beautiful place.

As far as Bangkok...well, get used to everyone trying to give you a Tuk-Tuk ride (which is actually really fun), make you a suit, or there's this other thing called a ping pong show that seems to be a national past time...

angela

[TimBer]

I spent a couple weeks in Patong Beach back in May 2011. There are lots of ex-patriats and aussie tourists. I stayed at Empiana resort. It was very nice. It is cheap to hire a driver to take you all over Phu-ket. Its gets kind of crazy at night. Be careful using the ATMs. The Mu-Thai fights are fun and there was some good live music, especially at the couple of Irish pubs. Here are some pics I took while there.





Tim

[Drisump]

I have to throw in with the pro Bangkok group. I'm not a city guy but Bangkok is worth some of your time. This list of things to do is huge and the city's vibe is really is very cool. Be warned however there are numerous little opportunities to be way laid taking cabs and tuk-tuks. The drivers often have incentives by merchants to deliver people to their door. Hilarious if you're not in any rush but a bit of a pain when you are. Thailand in general is unique in the area because it was never part of a European empire, consequently their culture is all their own. Diving is big in the area you're visiting and although I didn't dive there (I was in Thailand right after the Tsunami) I did do numerous dives on the other coast on an island called Ko Tao(very neat diving with very clear water). At the time, this little island was a great place but things move fast in that part of the world....who knows Mcdonalds, Marriot? Anyway, have a great trip.

[Joeaksa]

Agreed, always had a great time in BK and not talking about the ladies. We headed there for some TDY when based in Saudi. The people are friendly and no hassles.

Get out of BK and head for the beaches. Enjoy the seafood, its excellent and fairly priced.