Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iiicalypso]

Ok... so, I am going to Bangkok for the first time, and I fully intend to do nothing. I want to drink coffee, read the newspaper, walk around, maybe find a bookstore.

The problem is, I don't know anything about Bangkok. What neighborhood is the best one to achieve my modest ambitions? It seems like every website is very willing to sell me a hotel room, but I can't get a good read on where in the city to stay.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[indytrucks]

If it's nothing you're after other than reading and people watching, Khao San Road is the perfect place. Or Siam Square area.

[the_beaver]

The problem with Khaosan is that there's too much English floating around in the Starbucks and other places so it's difficult to read.

For me holidays are about eating, so in the morning I eat in Khaosan, make my way to Siam Square and find a place to read for a while. Then eat again and head down to Nana and read for a while then eat again. Then head down to Patpong and read in the Starbucks and eat again (usually get a root beer float at the A&W), maybe hit the market if it's open (although I think most people go to that area for the live shows). Sometimes I walk to and through China Town and buy some of that pork jerky stuff before heading back to Khaosan and eating again.

Bangkok is a great place to be lazy.

[justagirl]

Staying on Khao San is perfect! The rooms are cheap, the street food is good, safe to eat and cheap, lots to see and buy....then like Beaver said, head over to Siam Square and meander the mall area, get a steak at the Outback, get a massage, and chill.

We stayed at 4 Sons, which is not on the main road of Khao San, but one street over and it was much quieter at night and clean. Here's a website--if you scroll down you can find a review:

http://www.khaosanroad.com/accomo.html

By the way....never get a massage on Khoo San...they are so skanky...pay maybe 5,000 won more and get a nice one in the Siam Square area.

[bucheon bum]

Plenty of bookstores in Bangkok, good ones too. The English newspapers are very good too; but the Korean ones to shame. Everyone else has given good suggestions. It's hard not to be chilled out in Bangkok.

[deessell]

If I'm staying around the Khao San Road then it's definately the NewSiamII guest house. Nice rooms,in room safe, aircon,tv,swimming pool, quiet, 5 minutes walk Khao San. 790 baht.

They have a website.

[itaewonguy]

dude you dont go to thailand to hang in BKK!
get a flight to ko samui ! find a bangalow and CHILL!!
pick up your books at the airport and head straight the islands!!!!
lay on a hamock drink coffee and enjoy the SUN, SAND and SURF!

[deessell]

[iiicalypso]

Thank you to everyone for the information... this is just the sort of stuff I was hoping for! I really appreciate it.

Not that I am counting, but (31) days to vacation!

Thanks all.

[bosintang]

Depending on your style, I don't think Bangkok's such a bad place to chill. Really, it's the best way to see the place. It's ridiculously hard to get around, and everywhere you go you're choking on gas fumes anyways, so you may as well just stay put in one area.

When I'm in Bangkok, I prefer to stay around the Soi Ngam Duphli area. The area is a guesthouse ghetto simular in type, but not in scope, as Khao San road. However there's a much higher mix of expats and longtimers to backpackers. That's good and bad. Many of the longtimers are sunbaked and many of the tourists are sex tourists, and the overall age is a fair bit higher than the average age of someone around Khao San. Many of the girls you see stumbling around the area have HIV and/or are drug addicts. But in all, I find it's a much more of an interesting place to people-watch and also meet people, and I really like my usual guesthouse that I stay at for value and comfort.

As well, it's much more laidback than Khao San, with noone ever hassling you about anything. There've been plenty of days when I did nothing but stumble from my guesthouse to the nearest bar and sit there all day drinking coffee and reading the paper, or getting plastered.

When you do get bored of the area you're handy to the subway line, and only a hop away from Silom, Sukhumvit, or Siam. Trying to get anywhere from Banglamphu (Khao San) can be hair-pulling sometimes with the awful traffic.

[hogwonguy1979]

[rapier]

I prefer Bangalumphu to Khao san.
whats Siam square like?? I'll be there in February, it'd be nice to try a new alternative.

[justagirl]

Basically more upscale shopping. There's a big mall with stores like The Body Shop and Adidas, etc. You can find a Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Outback Steakhouse and some movie theatres. There are pc rooms and a nice massage/spa across the street from the main mall.

[Bee Positive]

Here's what I've tended to do.

Get a room in Nana Hotel. (Can be booked online.)

Hang out there. The restaurant and bar downstairs are entirely copacectic. You can walk around the area and shop to your heart's content. Or stay in bed all day and do nothing: it's all up to you. (As the bargirls like to say!)

Every night at around 9 or 10 pm, cross the street.

Eat a hamburger, order a few drinks, listen to the music, ogle the girls, accept the inevtiable invitation from the inevitable bar girl to go back, inevitably, to your hotel room.

Room service will take care of all your needs, between times, 24/7.

There are convenience stores, and Internet cafes, right around the corner.

When your stay ends, a hotel-affiliated taxi driver will be right there in the parking lot waiting to take you to the airport.

Couldn't be easier!

And yes, you've got CABLE TV in your hotel room!

Nana hotel: just what the doctor ordered for terminal, extreme laziness.



BEE POSITIVE