Posts Tagged ‘Bangkok’

Book Hotels via internet


2010
05.09

A couple days ago, my mom asked me about summer holiday that is just around the corner. She asked me where do I want to spend our summer holiday together because she didn’t have any idea about where to spend summer holiday this year, neither my dad. When shed threw me that question, I was confused to answer her. At that time I wasn’t thinking about summer holiday because my assignments are still piling up and I just wanted to focus on my assignments. So I talked to my mom the few days later and then I said that I would like to spend our summer holiday this year in Bangkok. When I said so, my mom told me that Bangkok is a good idea but how come we could book available Bangkok hotels?

I told her that we could easily pre-book any hotels in the world on the internet. I realize that my mom is not updated with the internet technology so it is quite normal to know that my mom doesn’t know many things about the functions and the ability of the internet. When I told her that we could book any hotels on the internet, my mom asked me how to do that. So, I open up my laptop and I show how to book hotels on the internet. I explained to her that it is possible to book any hotels such as London hotels, Rome hotels, Barcelona hotels and etc.

After I taught my mom how to book hotels via internet, she told me that internet really has many benefits for people. And I said, “Sure it does”. Well, that’s why you should be able to optimize the use of the internet to assist your daily activity. If you want to travel abroad but you can’t book the hotel, you can do it via internet.

Where To Stay When Visiting Bangkok


2010
04.08

It is the same as buying real estate. The three most important things to remember are location, location and location.

If you will only be over-nighting in Bangkok, you may just want to stay at a hotel near the airport. Traffic can be horrendous in Bangkok, and you dont want to risk missing your flight.

If you are like me and want to get out during your stay in Bangkok, staying in the Sukhumvit Road area is the place to be.

I only stay in Bangkok when I absolutely have to but when I do I look for hotels in the Sukhumvit and Soi 4 area. There are a few reasons for doing this:

- It is right in the heart of the action. Bars are within walking distance and prices for the hotel are reasonable.

- There are numerous restaurants within a five minute walk. I can get Thai, American, Italian, and many more European and Asian dishes easily.

- If I do need to get a taxi, I can open the front door of the hotel and take about 3 steps and get a cab.

- When it is time for me to depart and head for the airport, I get a taxi and a short jaunt across Sukhumvit and we are on the tollway. You dont want to get stuck in Bangkok traffic when you need to catch a flight.

- Even though I speak reasonable Thai, it is nice that most of the stores and shops in the area speak a little bit of English. It saves time and makes the shopping easier.

- Speaking of shopping, Sukhumvit is a mecca of street vendors. Sharpen your negotiating skills and get all of your souvenirs at dirt cheap prices.

- Free breakfast. I usually stay at the Majestic Suites Hotel on Sukhumvit between Soi 4 and Soi 6 (closer to Soi 4) and they have a basic free breakfast.

- I can book online. There are many places to book hotels in this area using online booking which saves me time and money.

- Relatively safe. There is a police box right on the corner of Sukhumvit and Soi 4 if you need help from the boys in brown.

- Quiet. Even though it is on a main road, and overlooks a bar complex, the hotels in the area are quiet

So you can see that for about $40 USD per night, you can get excellent value for your money. You can go upscale a couple of blocks away and stay at the JW Marriott but I prefer value for my Baht.

Getting Around in Bangkok


2010
04.02

Once you arrive in Bangkok, you will need to find transportation from Suvarnabhumi, the International Airport, to your hotel. If you have booked transportation ahead of time, your only chore will be finding your driver in the mass of humanity standing outside of the luggage claim area.

If you havent already booked your ride you have a few choices. Staying at a 5-star hotel may qualify you for free transportation to your hotel but most likely you will pay one way or the other.

If you have time and know where the heck you are going you can catch a bus to your hotel. This is not recommended for the first time traveler. Catching a taxi is the way to go.

You can book a taxi ahead of time online simply by sending an email. Most Bangkok forums can recommend a good driver at a reasonable rate. The only difficulty is finding your driver upon arrival. If you have his cell phone number and an unlocked, tri-band phone with a Thai SIM card, you can just call to find his location.

If you havent booked ahead, then you will face the taxi mafia right outside of the luggage area. You will be pestered by men and women with clipboards asking where you go? They are difficult to fight through if you have two suitcases and carry on bags. But, if you persist and ignore them you need to make your way to the down escalator.

Arrivals are on the 2nd floor of the airport, and the official taxi stand is located on the first floor. Just take the escalator down and you will see the tables set up to book your ride. These folks speak reasonable English and know most of the hotels in the city. Just tell them where you are going and they will log it and give you a receipt. You will pay 50 baht for this service, but it is worth it as the taxi drivers are registered.

Your taxi is supposed to use his meter but he may request that he doesnt use the meter and will offer you a price. You can agree, negotiate, or insist on the meter. It is up to you. I recommend you go with the meter and give a small tip for good service. A 20 or 40 baht tip is sufficient if you got a good, safe ride and your driver helped with your bags.

Once you become familiar with Bangkok, you can ride around on the BTS. This is the Bangkok Transportation System. It is the overhead train and can save you an immense amount of time bypassing millions of cars on the Bangkok roads. There is also a subway system for you to ride around in.

Buses are the main means of transportation for the masses in Bangkok. They are cheap but they are usually packed to the gills and dont have air conditioning. Unless you are dirt poor, I dont recommend the bus.

There is also walking. If you are only going a short distance, walking can be a unique experience in Bangkok. You never know what is at the next street corner. A new shopping experience, a food vendor, or a new restaurant to try out. I love to walk around in Thailand and experience the sights, sounds and smells. Every corner is different.

Whatever mode of transportation you decide to use, you will see a fantastic city. Bangkok is truly the City of Angels.

First Night In Pattaya


2010
03.21

You have saved up your money. You may have even worked some overtime to get some extra cash for your holiday. You have done all of your online research. Flight is booked and so is the hotel. You are ready to go.

Now, what do you do on the first night of your 2-week vacation?

Do you pace yourself or go hog wild? Does it matter that you arrived at 3 AM or noon or midnight? Do you take a shower or just go out? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

After your long flight to Bangkok and then the 1 hour ride to Pattaya what the heck do you do.

I can tell you what I do.

I schedule my flight to arrive at 4 PM. My other choice is to arrive at midnight. This is a no-brainer. Arriving in Bangkok at 4 PM gets me to Pattaya by 7 PM.

I usually just toss my bags in the room, secure my valuables and maybe change my T-shirt. I am then ready to head out.

First stop will be to have a beer or two with the owner of the guest house. We will catch up with each other and what has happened over the past few months.

Then it is time to head out. I prefer the beer bars over the go-go bars, so I will walk down Soi Buakhao, heading north, and either stop for a quick bite with one of the many street vendors, or go straight to the bars. The bars are in a complex called Night Bazaar right next to a night time shopping area.

A couple of beers later and I move out further north. I cross Second Road and make my way to Sois 7 & 8. It doesnt matter which bar(s) I go to. I just look for some cute girls, good music, and a friendly atmosphere.

If I am still alone, I will next head out for the bars in the Soi 2 area. There are about 100 bars here and I will do my best to pick out the best ones.

One more beer bar area to check out on Beach Road called Best Friends. There are about 17 bars here and I will walk around and find one to my liking. The good thing here is you can sit in one and look over the other 16.

If nothing suits my fancy here, it is time to go to Walking Street. Not being a fan of the go-go bars, I will hit the hostess bars and some of the beer bars.

I have quite a few friends in this area that own or manage bars. So I make the rounds and say “Hi” to all of my buddies and see what is going on. I am treated well so it pays to make friends in this town.

If it is your first trip, all I can recommend is that you dont fall in love in the first bar you enter. Take your time, relax, and soak in the ambiance. Pace yourself to an extent. You want to have fun, but you dont want to kill yourself. Keep a cool heart and smile a lot and you will have a great holiday.