THAILAND, BANGKOK HOTELS

                                       WE WOULD STAY IN

Review the best Airline services in Thailand but if you want to book cheap overseas and internal airline package deals

  If you are a couple or single, here's a few hints. There are many touts who will talk good English to you & try and offer you all sorts of cheap deals when you land. If you know your Hotel name & address we recommend you take the lift to the departure lounge. Go outside and when a cab drops someone off you hop in???  There's no touts here or if there is then they must have sneaked their way past the security guards. Tell the driver where you want to go & if he says yes, hop in. Try and have a map or name or area, street called (Soi). You will notice a red light on the passenger side windscreen. It should be on tell the driver. If still no get in another taxi. Once it starts to go tell him "met" for meter & the meter will start clicking on from 35 baht but at the moment we are not sure what extra charges one must pay. 

However, buses are plentiful & if you want a map then buy one of the kiosks in the airport. They have all the routes and what buses run where. When you go out of the airport doors turn right and walk to the end and around to the roadway & you will see a bus stop.

  There's plenty of exchange banks and ATM machines & try to have small notes 20 & 50 baht notes as some taxis may say they have no change & also coins for telephones. If you just want to dial a local call there's no need to insert the area code eg. Bangkok (02), but if ringing Pattaya dial (038) or Chiangmai (053). Whatever you do don't believe some of the  TAT tourism officials etc & don't get talked into cheap deals like trekking or cheaper rides to town. Although many Tourist Authority have name cards, some are jubious.  But lets face it, your'e not a backpacker- youv'e come to Bangkok to buy a new wardrobe  have fun!!!!!! & spend up.

See the NEW [ SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT BANGKOK ]

At the main train station Hualumpong go to the Information window but do not use the Tourist Information booths. This main station booth is on your right as you come out of the train area looking towards the entrance. The food court is behind it & they have free timetables at the information desk for trains etc. Ones not to use are near the end of the tracks where the taxis are & the others on either side of the main entrance & upstairs. They will try to get you to go to their information places & do not have a TAT license to operate. The upstairs ones are operators, who come from the North who pay for the space but again don't use them unless you have lots of money to blow & are in a hurry. Do not book any treks etc in Bangkok for Chiangmai as the price is hiked up and you cannot change once you reach Chiangmai or North further. Never think you get a refund here---whats that!!. Always pay for tickets on the spot eg. trekking in Chiangmai then buy in Chiangmai; boat ticket on a ferry buy on the boat. Watch Thais and follow them. if restaurants are full then they are safe to eat but most Thai food is fresh--- Ok apart from the dried stuff. Left luggage is cheaper here than Don Muang @ 10 baht per bag & its safer than Don Muang left luggage which can be 90 baht a bag per day.

Use the sky train and don't be shy. Its great and quicker than the buses with air con etc and never crowded as Thai hate heights I think. A good way to go right out to Sukhumvit Rd & it stops by the Ekamai Bus Station if you want to go to Pattaya-- buses leave every 30 minutes for Pattaya 117 baht to Pattaya.  If going South use the Southern bus station.

Remember if your'e stuck at Don Muang theres a Thai food court on the 2nd floor behind the Lemon Fresh shop past Kentucky Fried as if your'e walking towards the domestic terminal. Its outside in the carpark but easy to find. This is where the Thai staff eat so they know. Use it-- choose the food you like & its cheaper than the others as they use coupons here and you can buy baht's worth & cash in the coupons when finished

Chiang Mai International Airport
A truely nice & modern International airport that has a currency exchange counter, ATM machines, left luggage, duty free shop-(forget), a post office, snack bar, car rental limousine service, hotel reservations, information counter, several gift shops & 7 day Post Office ( the only one in Chiangmai). Also has a First Aid Station,  restaurant, pizza Hut & other shops including bookshop and flower shop. No tuk tuks or songtaews are here and a taxi into town is normally 90 baht. About 2kms into town. If on a budget walk out of the airport & catch a tuk tuk out on the road. However they do have a No 8 Songtaew which goes in to main city for 15 baht and buses No 6 bus also. Taxis you have to pay 50baht airport charge and these are the new yellow and blue cabs. Mush better deal than the airport limos and cheaper.

Phuket International Airport
On the south resort island of Phuket, it has nice restaurant, snack bar, currency exchange counter, duty free shop, left luggage counter, first aid station, post office, tourist information desk, hotel reservation desk, lost and found department, car rental, limousine services, and several gift shops.

Hat Yai International Airport
Offers restaurant facilities,snack bar, currency exchange counter, duty free shop, left luggage counter, first aid station, post office, tourist information desk, hotel reservation desk, lost/found, Muslim prayer area, car rental,limousine services, and several gift shops.

CHEAP IS CHEAP: GUEST HOUSES

I   If staying in the Khao San Rd area then you will no doubt have the bible: "I mean Lonely Planet". What a shame as really you are not exploring Bangkok, you are following mother, but it's the year 2006 & all the exploring is over thanks to the Planet.  Khao San Rd is just that-- a 1000 yd narrow street with foreigners, overpriced, foreign made Thai food that's crap & cheap dos houses in and around the street at 100baht to 300 baht per night. Its amazing how many times you will see the same girl or guy walk up and down this street & never venture out. Lots of market stalls: the usual cheap souvenirs but they still come in droves & end up staying in the street not knowing this is the pits of Bangkok. There's so many Guest houses its not worth listing them. If you arrive just go from one GH to another until you find one that's comfortable. But, please don't leave your Visa card or valuables in the Guest House safe--THE WORD safe doesn't exist. If you smoke dope the Police make regular visits to Guest Houses early in the morning & they might just march you down to the nearest money machine-- there goes your holiday & your wallet but you are warned! Oh, but I've only been here one day. Khao San is not Bangkok- its a cheap way of catching a 250 baht bus to Chiangmai with 55 odd other backpackers sandwiched like sardines for 14 plus hours (but the bus looked so nice in the brochure!) Yes, but so did my luggage until I arrived in Chiangmai & found out these buses aren't even allowed to stop at the bus stops & I've parted company with my bags. A great start & at least you saw Khao San--wow??!!. But, the bag taking is getting much better as Thailand is trying to lift its reputation from being what it was!!! However still carry all your money, cards etc & never trust the Guest House safety deposit box. Trust only yourself and enjoy. Watch out for nice talking Thais and don't even drink from a full bottle of water if they hand to you as we even had a staff member who was rolled and drugged by 2 Thai girls.

LUMPINI TOWER AREA : RAMA IV RD

MALAYSIA HOTEL: 54 Soi Ngam Duphi, Tel:00-66 (02) 286-3582, Rama 1v Rd.  Once the home for the Vietnam R & R boys this nice economy class Hotel's since 1995 is now the home for the gay community. Well, the rooms are OK meals are average & unfortunately most of the girls have disappeared & the "toy boys" have arrived. It has a swimming pool and straight couples still stay there but less and less now. Room rates are around  700 baht a night & the rooms are roomy and clean & safe--or were? It has little else to offer but they do have a Thai massage parlour & plenty of boy, boys. Close to Rama !V Rd and the buses and in the Soi that houses the Ferrari franchise.

K T GUEST HOUSE: Suttisarn Rd, Inthamara Soi 44,Bangkok. Tel 00-66 (02) 277-4035. Fax:00-66 (02 ) 2770736. It should be a hotel & we recommend this place to stay www.ktguesthouse.com  It's quiet, inexpensive excellent meals, safe, good aircon rooms, bus timetables available, on the bus route & excellent security. Ideal for couples and business types and very friendly. About 5-10 minutes from Don Muang airport. 550 baht rooms there is an email service @2 baht a minute & they will help you with info. No touts there and there's a nice swimming pool on the first floor. We recommend  KT Guesthouse & it is the best GH in Bangkok---it should be a 4 star Hotel really..

SILOM ROAD

THE WALL  120/20-22 Soi Pramote 3, Mahesak Rd, Bangkok 10500 Tel: (02)235-8041 or Fax: (02)237-2786  down Silom Rd,  500 baht rooms in this nice quiet alleyway not far from Patpong and the Silom business district.

[ SUKHUMVIT ROAD HOTELS ]

& other Hotels

       Well, there's a few hotels that we would stay in while in Bangkok. Don't forget if you want more info on any others then just write to us but if staying longer get yourself an apartment:  [ Apartment to rent ]

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