Bangkok General Tips by richiecdisc

Favorite Thing: There is enough to keep the traveler busy for long stays, but if time is short, I’d say the Grand Palace is the must see attraction here.

Fondest Memory: It’s funny; my only strong memory of this place is walking around eating seemingly all day. There were no set meals, just seeing things, and eating them. I rarely knew what it was, but everything; literally everything, I ate here was great. Fruits like you’d see in Malaysia and even cheaper. The food stalls were the best. You just looked and pointed, and if it looked good, it pretty much tasted good too. And they all seemed clean and healthy. I never got sick. What made it even harder to not overeat were the prices. You could eat well for under $4 and snacks were all too plentiful and even cheaper. Sweets, let’s not talk about. But my favorites were the beverage stands. They had a variety of beverages like I’ve never seen anywhere. You’d walk up and there’d invariably be a crowd huddled around, sipping precariously from little silver cups. For little more than a few pennies, you could enjoy this little ritual, and beat the heat. Seemed to always be under a big umbrella, and they were fairly well watered-down with ice, but tasty and refreshing just the same. Lumps of gelatin or beans were just some of the exotic ingredients in these drinks but a favorite was one with tealeaves floating innocuously enough on top. So, you’d sip, a giant amongst your new companions, and join in the laughter and camaraderie that was the bustling Bangkok streets. (This is an old memory from 1993)

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Fondest Memory: As a scalpel sliced across the inside of my lower eyelid, I couldn’t help but think this was not how I envisioned my first day in Bangkok. It had been over ten years since setting foot in the renowned gateway city, that being my virgin trip to Southeast Asia, and accordingly I was excited not only to return to familiar sights but to discover some new ones. Of course, a trip to the hospital was not one of the discoveries I had planned.

Though Bangkok generally doesn’t elicit the dread of say New Delhi in India as a necessary evil to see a region, it rarely is mentioned as a favorite city by travelers that are nevertheless forced to use it as a hub in their Southeast Asian adventures. Personally, I find it a most agreeable place; it is full of not only Western amenities but for anyone prone to investigation, lots of Eastern charm as well. Even in the backpacker haven of Khao San Road, it is easy to find local delicacies at bargain prices, and locals still enjoying the fare right alongside you. (continued below in Fondest Memory)

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Fondest Memory: Though the area can be depressing if you spend more than a couple days there, the convenience is hard to resist for those just passing through. Much like New York City, it only takes a few blocks of walking to find yourself far removed from the tourist masses, and right in the middle of the mass of humanity that is a thriving Asian capital like Bangkok. Despite the constant deluge of travelers passing through, those serving them, particularly in the small food stalls that line the streets remain remarkably friendly. The woman who ran our hotel was particularly helpful even though she had clean and convenient rooms at some of the best prices we found. We kept waiting for a catch, maybe some kind of sales pitch for anything, but it never came. Just good advice whenever we asked for it.

The sights of the great city are many but I found my vision bleary after just one day, and decided to have it checked at the Rutnin Eye Hospital. Though Bangkok is notorious as a place to have a sex change operation, I didn’t realize the popularity of vision correction until investigating the possibilities of my own dilemma. It turns out Rutnin is one of the finest hospitals in all of Southeast Asia, with many people paying for their fare to the region on the saved money of procedures costing ten times back home. (concluded below in Fondest Memory)

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Fondest Memory: Since it was located far on the other side of town, we hopped in an icy cab to avoid the midday heat and for about three bucks, we found ourselves deposited right on the doorstep of the famed medical facilities. I must admit I became worried when the nurses resembled sexy fantasy airline stewardesses but my fears were soon allayed with the immaculately sterile environment and the professional, friendly attitude of everyone I came in contact with. I only wish doctors in the US would explain things in such a non-condescending way as my surgeon did here. Oh, did I explain the lack of waiting time despite just walking in off the street? I think I waited about the time it took me to fill in my medical information form. The procedure to remove a stye that had grown unusually long was short and painless. When I went to pay with my Visa, I was surprised to find it was only $35, less than an office visit in my homeland! Not only was it was inexpensive, I would be hard pressed to receive this kind of service back home to boot.

The next day, my vision was decidedly better. Thanks to the staff of Rutnin, I could see the images I had come to explore more clearly and thanks to the friendly people of Bangkok I had a better vision of mankind in general. We were sad to hop on the bus to northern Thailand that night, but Laos was calling. Could its people charm us like the Thais? We hoped so.

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