| There are a number of ways to get from the airport to the city. The cheapest is the train – it takes about 45 minutes and costs 10 baht. This will drop you off at the Hua Lam Pong railway station, basically in the center of the city.
Another cheap alternative is the Airport Express Bus. Costing 100 baht (if you visit the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) booth before, you can get a 20 baht discount ticket) it takes an hour to reach Khao San Road. Although Khao San is a little further off center to the northwest, it’s right in the middle of a number of tourist meccas. Khao San is also the backpacker’s headquarters of Bangkok, with cheap hotels, hostels, markets and eats.
If you know exactly where you want to go and don’t mind paying a bit extra, taxis are available from the airport starting at around 500 baht.
|
Buses are available and travel to all sections of the city, with Hua Lam Pong as the hub. But be careful with Thai buses – nothing is in English, names are rarely announced anyway, and the un-airconditioned ones can be hell on a hot day. They are cheap though – the most expensive local bus will cost 14 baht.
Taxis, tuk-tuks, and motorcycle taxis are the easiest way of getting around. Taxis cost the most, tuk-tuks (basically souped-up scooters with a passenger carriage in back) come next, and motorcycles are cheapest (drivers are easily spotted by their bright orange vests). Also remember that the smaller your ride, the easier to navigate through the “lanes” in Bangkok's chaotic traffic.
Another point you’ll want to keep in mind – rush hour in Bangkok is famous throughout the world, for all the wrong reasons. Avoid traveling on the road from about 8:30-10 am, and 4-7 pm. If you must travel then, you’re going to have to make some trade-offs. Taxis will be very expensive – you are charged by both distance and time, depending on the speed you are moving – but protect you from the exhaust and soot of a crowded slow moving street. Tuk-tuks and bikes are both open air, and your lungs will suffer.
Walking as a means to get from one place to another is generally not a good idea. Most destinations are quite a hike, and the path will not be easy to follow. If two things are close - say, the Royal Palace and a boat tour – then it can work. Otherwise, don’t count on your feet taking you where you want to go.
|
Walking's not a good way to get from here to there but it is a great way to explore the true Bangkok. Local markets tend to be extremely colorful and full of exotic appeal, and you aren’t going to find them on most maps. During daylight hours no area is truly dangerous, and the same holds through most of the night.
|
Bangkok can seem like Thunderdome. You can’t count on any rules being followed, so you need to check every direction before crossing a street – or even walking alongside one. Cars will blast down the wrong side of a road to avoid a traffic jam or occasionally ignore a red light, and motorcycles – sometimes loaded with up to five people – have no qualms jumping up onto the sidewalk. Technically this is illegal, but the rules are loosely enforced, and after hours of sitting in traffic a number of drivers get impatient. Keep your wits about you on the streets.
Another point you’ll want to keep in mind – rush hour in Bangkok is famous throughout the world, for all the wrong reasons. If it’s at all possible, avoid traveling on the road from about 8:30-10 am, and 4-7 pm. If you must travel then, you’re going to have to make some choices. Taxis will be very expensive – you are charged by both distance and time, depending on the speed you are moving – but protect you from the exhaust and soot of a crowded slow moving street. Tuk-tuks and bikes are both open air, and your lungs will notice the 5 o’clock jam the rest of the day.
|
Bangkok has no center, no downtown. If pressed, most locals would choose Hua Lam Pong station or one of a number of monuments that are circled by roundabouts, or the Siam area with the national stadium and a number of huge department stores. These designations are ultimately useless – like L.A., Bangkok is more a conglomeration of neighborhoods and areas than a traditional city.
The western edge of the city is bordered by the large Chao Phrawa River. Numerous temples and other areas of interest border the river, or are located nearby. Canals close by tend to run in rough horseshoe shapes, meeting and exiting the river as it bends. However, a number also run off to the east, and more than a few trace vague north-south routes. Once you’re on the eastern half of the city, the canals basically do whatever they feel like: don’t even think about navigating by them unless you have a detailed map.
A large convoluted elevated expressway rings the city, with a number of off-shoots leading to other parts of the country. Rama IV is one of the largest arteries in Bangkok, running from Hua Lam Pong station east-south-east. Rama I runs parallel to IV, and the sky train’s sukhumvit line traces it. Phayathai Road and Ratchadamri Road both are major streets running north-south, and both have sky trains that follow sections of their path. If you are traveling along any of these roads, a skytrain is a good way to get around – for the wonderful green view of Bangkok from above, if nothing else.
|
Thailand is not a particularly dangerous place. Stories of tourists getting mugged or killed get a lot of coverage but they're rare. But a little caution goes a long way.
Thailand is one of the few places where men need to be more on guard than women. The reason is many men come for sex tourism, and entering into that seedy world opens yourself up to unsavory characters. And female travelers face less risk of any sexual crimes since there is already such a thriving and cheap industry.
It's wild, but the largest worry for males is lady-boys. They often rove in gangs, and sometimes act as a distraction while someone picks your pocket. However, in certain areas near red-light districts, if a man is walking around by himself late at night, they have been known to attack. Usually they’ll attack and then make off with his wallet and belongings as quickly as possible. Avoid solo travel late at night down darkened or deserted streets, and you should be fine.
Another danger – and again, this is mostly for men – is being drugged. The way this works is you get chatted up by one or more ladies – or “ladies” – and one slips a mickey into your drink. You wake up on the street the next morning without anything. Hopefully they’ve left your clothes. This is rare – very rare – but you should still be aware of it.
Kidnappings do occur, but barely any involve foreigners. Kidnappings tend to be cheap labor, not ransom, and taking foreigners isn't worth the risk.
All these dangers can be greatly reduced by simply using common sense, and not putting yourself in vulnerable positions when you are alone. For the most part Thais are incredibly friendly and, yes, protective of you, so the odds of something horrible happening are very low. Most American and European cities are far more dangerous.
|
Scams are quite prevalent. Most foreigners aren’t used to bargaining and negotiating over the value of everything – and certainly not in the Thai style. The majority of scams are low-tech, small-scale rip-offs, and won't set you back much. But here are a few good negotiating tips to keep in mind:
1. Never buy from the first place you see.
2. Never buy at the original price.
3. If you get a bad vibe, walk away.
4. If you think you can do better, walk away. They’ll drop the price on their own.
5. Don’t assume things are as they seem. Jewelry, for instance, can be guaranteed on a sliding scale. An international guarantee is best: anything else might allow gold plate to pass as pure gold, for example.
6. Don’t blab about yourself. Being American is worth a 20% mark-up over the regular tourist price, which is itself a mark-up. Having just arrived is worth about the same.
7. Use some local language. Memorize a few numbers. A tuk-tuk driver might be asking 200 baht when you step out of your hotel, but if you say “ha sim” (50) he’ll probably agree.
8. Don’t ever get upset or raise your voice. Negotiate with a smile. This is the only way to do things in Thailand – anything else is likely to cause problems.
9. By the same token, don’t let a smile fool you. That is simply the custom in Thai negotiations.
10. Finally, don’t be a hard ass. If you’re squabbling over a few cents or dollars, there’s a fair chance your time isn’t worth the difference.
Occasionally someone will try to screw you in a big way. Make sure you are familiar with the local currency and it’s value (at the moment, about 40 baht to the dollar). If you ever find yourself thinking “This would be expensive even at home” you know someone’s taking you for a ride. Remember, in Thailand the average monthly wage is just under $200. If someone is asking twice that for a small statue, chances are they’re betting on your ignorance.
In addition, the farther you are from a tourist hot spot, the fairer the price you’ll be quoted. Oftentimes – regardless of your negotiating skills – if you walk out the door of a five star hotel, you won’t get a fair price from the tuk-tuks waiting. Take a five minute stroll in any direction, and the asking price will drop 50% before you’ve said a word.
In addition, beware the friendly “local.” Many shops hire people to hang around temples and pretend they are businessmen enjoying some fresh air at lunch. These men will give you a perfunctory tour, and then let you know about a “sale” at a tailor’s or jewelry shop. If you seem interested, they’ll alert your tuk-tuk driver and everyone gets a commission. Watch out. These place tend to be substandard, and not where you want to do your shopping.
Finally, you need to be clear with your driver what you want. If you don’t specify, odds are good you’ll be shuttled to a number of stores during your tour of the temples. For every fresh customer a driver brings, they get a coupon for five liters of gas. This can be fine – and if you get to know your driver, they can tell give you tips about good and bad places – but make sure you pay accordingly.
If you say before getting in “no shopping” then the price will be higher – 40-100 baht is fairly standard, depending on the distance. If you agree to make a few stops along the way (and browsing is fine – the drivers get their coupons whether you buy or not) many tuk-tuks will take you around for free or a very nominal fee.
|
Ratings for |   |
| |
|
