Places to visit in Thailand

[thehawk]

tescorank said:

Sorry, have you visited both cities? I couldn't see a lot of the attractions which I understand are ping pong based and as cultural as a Beano comic due to the smog...enlighten me?

Lived and worked in both. Never been to a single ping pong show.

[jbudgie]

jogon said:

jbudgie said:

Your standards must be a lot different from most others then.

Maybe so, it was an experience and I don't regret going, I just preferred exploring the Islands, snorkelling and chilling on the beach than viewing the moral decay on Bangkok's filthy streets. Hotel was lovely though.

" Filthy streets "---- dont know which part you went to , but it obviously wasnt the bits normal people go to.

[jbudgie]

thehawk said:

Bangkok is one of the worlds greatest cities, shopping, nightlife, restaurants, spas and hotels that puts London to shame.

Shopping - Paragon, MBK, Siam Square, Centralworld, Terminal 21, Emporium, Chatuchak weekend market, Patpong night market

Restaurants - Thai street food hard to beat, but also Nahm, Scarlett, Long Table, Gaggan, Eat Me, Roast, Mr Jones Orphanage - hundreds more

Nightlife - whatever you want, cool lounges, bars, clubs etc. RCA, Funky Villa, Slim, Wip 168, Muse all good clubs. Iron Fairies is great bar. Luxury cinemas (spotless, latest digital sound etc), caberet shows, jazz bars, Thai country music bars, cultural shows (Siam Nirimit). Asiatique The Riverfront night market, gogo bars in Soi Cowboy, night river cruises. Khao San Road for the backpacker/western crowd.

Spas - all major hotels have full on spa services, otherwise Healthland massage centres are cheap and awesome. Plus thousands of other massage shops.

Temples - Reclining Buddha, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Arun (Temple of dawn)

This is the real place.

[Haggleburyfinius]

jbudgie said:

jogon said:

jbudgie said:

Your standards must be a lot different from most others then.

Maybe so, it was an experience and I don't regret going, I just preferred exploring the Islands, snorkelling and chilling on the beach than viewing the moral decay on Bangkok's filthy streets. Hotel was lovely though.

" Filthy streets "---- dont know which part you went to , but it obviously wasnt the bits normal people go to.

You don't think the streets are dirty?

They're no worse than any other developing country city (including Paris) and leagues better than India for instance but still not exactly clean.

[jbudgie]

Haggleburyfinius said:

jbudgie said:

jogon said:

jbudgie said:

Your standards must be a lot different from most others then.

Maybe so, it was an experience and I don't regret going, I just preferred exploring the Islands, snorkelling and chilling on the beach than viewing the moral decay on Bangkok's filthy streets. Hotel was lovely though.

" Filthy streets "---- dont know which part you went to , but it obviously wasnt the bits normal people go to.

You don't think the streets are dirty?

They're no worse than any other developing country city (including Paris) and leagues better than India for instance but still not exactly clean.

Can agree with that.

[Issi]

I spent three months living in an apartment about 300yds up the road from the Banyan Tree.

I loved Patpong night market, great fun and great for people watching.
Chatuchak market is well worth a visit.
The huge malls are amazing if you like shopping.

As mentioned, I was working there for 3 months, so used to spend my evenings mooching around the back streets trying out my rudimentary Thai, and eating street food.

Nothing better than a cold can of Chang from a 7/11 and a 50p chicken satay and sticky rice, while sitting on the pavement people watching.

[g3org3y]

As per request from OP, some photos from my time in Thailand.

Bangkok Temples

HDR







Night market detail


View from the Jolly Frog (Kanchanburi)




Bridge over the River Kwai


Tiger Temple


Erawan Park




Ayutthaya

HDR

Temple near Chang Mai




Trekking in Chang Mai








Khao San Road










Koh Phi Phi







Kayaking/snorkelling to the beach from The Beach


View across Phi Phi island


HDR


Hope that helps inspire you a little. It's a great place to visit but I'd say you make what you want of it. Put in some effort to see things and it's a worthwhile experience. Enjoy!

[audidoody]

amazing pix. What camera were they taken with?

[Jonjo91]

Excellent! very much appreciated!
Looks amazing!

[jbudgie]

Those pics are great.

Me and the Mrs are off for 5 weeks to Thailand in 2 weeks time.

Four weeks in Koh Samui and 5 days in Bangers.(+ one day traveling each way )

Same as last year.

[Mankers]

Four weeks on samui?! You must really like the place

[mchoody]

Head south to Koh Lanta. Very chilled out way of life!! No McDonald's etc, nice people. One of my favourite places.

[Nobby Diesel]

mchoody said:

Head south to Koh Lanta. Very chilled out way of life!! No McDonald's etc, nice people. One of my favourite places.

Samui can be exactly that too.
You just have to be a little more imaginative and venture away from Chaweng.
The north and west are still very traditional. Many people completely miss the traditional side of Samui, which is a huge shame.

[g3org3y]

Thanks

EOS 400D, Lenses: Sigma 10-20, Canon 50mm 1.8 & kit lens.

[jbudgie]

Nobby Diesel said:

mchoody said:

Head south to Koh Lanta. Very chilled out way of life!! No McDonald's etc, nice people. One of my favourite places.

Samui can be exactly that too.
You just have to be a little more imaginative and venture away from Chaweng.
The north and west are still very traditional. Many people completely miss the traditional side of Samui, which is a huge shame.

Will be hardly spending any time at Chaweng or Lamai.

[Jonjo91]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far!

Just an update from me I guess with the plan so far;

After spending 2/3 nights in Bangkok, we have booked the sleeper train to Chang Mai and are spending 3 nights there with the intention of visiting temples, markets, cooking classes, tiger kingdom, elephant trekking tour. Then we have an internal flight booked to Phuket, spend the day there and decide the next plan based on the weather.

If good;
Get the ferry to Ko Phi Phi and spend some days/nights there chilling out, scuba diving, kayaking etc then ferry to Krabi for a bit of leisure then back to Bangkok (Be good to hear recommendations of these places).

If bad;
If the ferry isn't running due to the weather we are looking into flying to Vietnam for 3 nights then back to Bangkok. (Again be good to hear recommendations of things to do in Vietnam).

[Jonjo91]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far!

Just an update from me I guess with the plan so far;

After spending 2/3 nights in Bangkok, we have booked the sleeper train to Chang Mai and are spending 3 nights there with the intention of visiting temples, markets, cooking classes, tiger kingdom, elephant trekking tour. Then we have an internal flight booked to Phuket, spend the day there and decide the next plan based on the weather.

If good;
Get the ferry to Ko Phi Phi and spend some days/nights there chilling out, scuba diving, kayaking etc then ferry to Krabi for a bit of leisure then back to Bangkok (Be good to hear recommendations of these places).

If bad;
If the ferry isn't running due to the weather we are looking into flying to Vietnam for 3 nights then back to Bangkok. (Again be good to hear recommendations of things to do in Vietnam).

[XJSJohn]

Bangkok Pistonheads Pissup is happening somewhere in Sukhumvit tonight ... 3 BKK residents + 1 from Singas and a few alcoholic hangers on

It will be messy

[Fats25]

Jonjo91 said:

(Again be good to hear recommendations of things to do in Vietnam).

3 nights in Vietnam is not very long. Do you want it as a beach break? Or a city break?

If city break either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh has enough entertainment for 3 nights. I could not pick one over the other. Ho Chi Minh is more modern, Hanoi feels more traditional. If you want a beach break fly to Danang, and head to Hoi An.

[Jonjo91]

Fats25 said:

3 nights in Vietnam is not very long. Do you want it as a beach break? Or a city break?

If city break either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh has enough entertainment for 3 nights. I could not pick one over the other. Ho Chi Minh is more modern, Hanoi feels more traditional. If you want a beach break fly to Danang, and head to Hoi An.

Appreciate that, it's more of a flying visit (no pun) would most likely be a city break although would want to do whatever is most interesting.