Bangkok Things to Do Tips by mtcowgirl

Patpong has a great nighttime market although the prices are truly inflated for the farangs. Some vendors will ask for 1500TBH for a t-shirt when you can actually purchase one for much, much less (I think the real price was around 500-700TBH...if I remember correct!)

The other interesting part of Patpong is of course the sex shows. Walking through Patpong is kind of like visiting Amsterdam's Red Light District. It's an experience and it's part of life in Bangkok. It doesn't matter if you are a man or woman, you will get the exact same offers to go inside the clubs around the market. Most offers occur when you are walking on the outskirts of the market, I never got an offer while I was actually inside the rows of stalls.

Even though I wasn't interested in the sex industry that was offered, I still had a great time with my friends in Patpong and recommend anyone who visits Bangkok to go there at least for one night to see what it's like!

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Address: Silom & Surawong Road
Directions: Silom Road & Surawong Road
Walking distance from... SkyTrain Sala Daeng Station or Metro Silom Station
Website: http://www.thailand.com/travel/nightlife/nightlife_bangkok_patpong.htm

Chatachuk Market is a bargain hunter's dream come true. Anyone who enjoys shopping and getting good deals on clothing, jewelry, puppies, or presents should visit the market.

I decided to hop off the BTS skytrain one stop early to walk through the amulet market and take some pictures. It wasn't that far of a walk and it was fun. Once I reached the market, I had a grand time taking pictures and shopping for small gifts for the people back home.

I was happy to see that the wild animal section has been "cleaned up" and now it looks like a big pet adoption center for puppies, rabbits, fish, and even squirrels. I did not find any exotic or banned animals for sale. The animal section was also a great place to pick up some little presents for my puppy back home like winter shoes or a collar with cute sayings :)

The prices were amazingly cheap and I hardly even bothered with bargaining unless I was purchasing more than one thing at a shop. While 85THB may be a lot for someone in Thailand, it translates to just around 2 Euros and not a bad price for a small handcrafted purse! I bought everything from fresh fruit smoothies to paper lanterns :) Now I know why so many people have to pay excess baggage on the way back from Thailand!

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Address: Mo Chit Station, Bangkok
Directions: Simply take the Skytrain to the end terminal called Morchit which is exactly where the market is located.

Or hop off a stop early and walk through the amulet market!
Website: http://www.discoverthailand.com
Other Contact: http://www.bangkok-city.com/

The Jim Thompson House & Museum is a worthwhile sightseeing destination in Bangkok.

Jim Thompson was an American, rumored to be a CIA agent, who fell in love with Thailand. Thompson is credited with revitalizing the Thai silk industry and even was awarded the highest honor for a foreigner, the Order of the White Elephant.

The story of Thompson's life and the mystery of his disappearance all add to the allure of the wonderful collection of Thai artifacts in his home. Thompson was not just a collector but he was also seeking to preserve Thailand's history from destruction.

The house & museum are open for guided tours from 0900 to 1700. The tour takes approximately 30 minutes and costs 100TBH.

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Phone: 662 216 7368
Address: Rama I Road, Pathumwan District
Directions: National Stadium or Siam Skytrain station
Website: http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/

Ayuthaya probably should be counted as a wonder of the world. The imposing structures are incredible and you can't help but feel amazed when you stand on the stairs of one of the magnificent buildings. Ayuthaya is a World Heritage Site.

The city lies in ruins after the Burmese destroyed it in 1767 but before that, it was the capital city of Siam for more than 300 years. One of the more impressive Wats avoided destruction and still boasts impressive wood carved ceilings and a 6m crowned buddha, and a green-stone buddha seated in a European chair dated back some 1300 years. Of the remaining buddhas in Ayuthaya, many had the heads chopped off by unscrupulous traders or raiding Burmese.

Ayuthaya is located about an hour drive from Bangkok and it is recommended either rent a private vehicle/driver or go on a tour. We rented a van and driver for the day and were quite happy to go around with our guidebooks and explore the sights ourselves. Another friend in a previous trip took a guided tour with a river cruise and they were happy with the result. There are also regular buses and train service to Ayuthaya.

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Address: Ayuthaya
Directions: Take a train from Bangkok, the train goes frequently. It is about 90km from Bangkok.
Website: http://www.thaitravel.info/Ayuthaya/

Bang-Pa In is the summer palace of the Thai royalty. It is normally open for visitors although it still is used occassionally as a royal residence.

The palace grounds boast several different architectural styles from classic European to Chinese. The fountains and landscaping are reminiscent of European palaces. As the palace grounds are huge, I would recommend renting a golf cart once you exit the entrance. The cost is low and it's well worth it to save time and not to have to walk everywhere!

Few of the buildings are actually open to visitors but the ones that are are worth going in. I recall that in one of the buildings in the far left corner of the property, my Thai friend and I were required to wear sarongs over our pants as the building was still used for royal functions. A building that I would suggest everyone to go to is the Chinese manor. The carvings and colors of the building are quite impressive.

The palace is open from 0830 -1700 every day and admission is 50THB.

Bang-pa In is located in Ayuthaya. It's best to take a tour or rent a driver/vehicle for the day.

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Address: Bang-Pa, Ayuthaya
Directions: Highway 32
Bangkok, CM 13160 Thailand
Website: http://www.palaces.thai.net/index_bp.htm

One morning, we headed to the Kanchanaburi region where the Bridge over the River Kwai is located. The bridge itself is nothing spectacular but the story behind it and the memorial cemeteries are what make visiting Kanchanaburi a must when one is visiting Thailand.

The bridge spans the Kwai Yai River and was brought to Thailand by the Japanese to be part of the Death Railway to Burma. Some 16,000 war prisoners and 49,000 forced laborers died while assembling the bridge at the River Kwai. Because the bridge was bombed several times in 1945 only the curved spans are remaining from the original structure.

There is a small train that goes back and forth across the bridge. I suppose if you want to see the other side the bridge, it's worth it to go on the trip but don't expect a long ride or anything :)

To the right of the bridge, there is a large floating barge restaurant. We had a fantastic seafood and traditional Thai lunch there. I also purchased four pairs of Thai pearl earrings for only $50 from the little counter near the entrance.

Touring Kanchanaburi will take an entire day so plan accordingly. I would recommend either taking a guided tour or possibly renting a driver/van for the day.

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Address: Kanchanaburi
Website: http://www.riverkwaibridge.com/

Erawan Shrine is something different. The shrine was built to appease the restless spirits during the construction of the Erawan Hotel in 1956. It was believed that the foundation was laid on the wrong date and the spirits became angry and caused problems. The Erawan Hotel was later destroyed and in the late 1980's the Hyatt Erawan was built in its place.

Located near the Hyatt Erawan, the shrine features a four-faced Brahma statue. Worshipers hire dance troupes that wait at the shrine to pay tribute in return for good fortune. The shrine actually is not very interesting unless one of the dance troupes is performing...but when they do, it's very cool!

The shrine was the scene of great controversy in March 2006 when a mentally-ill man destroyed the statue and was then beaten to death by angry bystanders. The shrine temporarily closed but in May 2006, a new statue constructed with a mixture of new precious metals and fragments of the old statue was put on display.

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Address: Chitlom Station, Bangkok
Directions: Near the Sogo Dept. Store
Website: http://www.discoverthailand.com