Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hamlet]

I'm flying into Bangkok for the first time in about two weeks. I'll be in Thailand for about 10 days.

I know many people on this board have done the same trip, so I would appreciate your advice.

I'm looking to hang out in Bangkok for a few days, and then head out to see some other places. What I'd like information about is...

Cool bar/restaurant areas Bangkok (I already know about Kaeson Rd)

Cool places to visit that are outside of Bangkok...
...plus transport info

Hotels that are a good value (hostels are cool if they have private rooms)

Thanks

[Tobias]

KSR
Definitely hit Koh Sahn Road, just to say you've done it. There are plenty of guest houses in the area, including Rambuttri Village, which is probably one of the best. I'm not a fan of KSR, but I am a fan of ethnic food. There are great restaurants ethnic places around KSR. Here are some of my favs:

1. The Mexican place one street over ("north") from KSR that's near The Pizza Company and Swensen's ice cream joint. The chilli there is great.

2. The Israeli restaurant that's down the little dead-end street close to Subway. There's also an Indian restaurant on that cubby road that's pretty good.

3. The Indian restaurant that's upstairs on the corner down past Rambuttri Village.

4. The Indian restaurant that's on the side street over on the south side of this same U-road. This place is by a guest house and a place where you can get laundry done.

5. The Italian restaurant that's up KSR across from the complex that has the McDonald's in it.

Sukhumvit in BKK
Sukhumvit's a good place to go shopping for fairly cheap things. Be sure to bargain. The Nana BTS station is a good area for ethinic restaurants, such as Persian, Turkish, Kashmiri, et al.

Chiang Mai
Definitely do Chiang Mai. Take the overnight train from Hua Lamphong train station (accessed via the subway). The night market there is worth the trip. You can do other things, such as elephant riding, from Chaing Mai.

Diving
The best SCUBA diving can be had on Phuket, Samui, and Koh Tao, if you're into that. Take a bus, train, or mini van to Chumphon and catch a catamaran if you're going to Samui or Tao.

Transport
The train, as mentioned, goes to Chiang Mai, as does Asia Airlines, buses, and mini vans. A great place to catch a mini van is Victory Monument, which is on the Sky Train line. There are mini van stations all around VM, but the biggest is a lot just north of there. You can find cheap transport there going to most points north and probably a lot of points south.

Final caveats
Don't be like some fools and take that 800-baht shuttle from the airport to the downtown area. You can catch a city bus that runs about 25 baht going to the same place. Metered taxis will run you about 200-400, depending on hour. The extreme southern part of Thailand is iffy. The Muslims down there have been blowing things (and people) up for about 5 years now. The political situation is bubbling a bit and may boil over soon. The red shirts (supporters of the former Prime Minister) have been protesting a lot of late in BKK and causing certain roads to be shut down.

Stock Up
Stock up on necessities while here if you're going back to Korea. Many things are way cheaper in Thailand than in SK. Over a contract period, you can save nearly your airfare to BKK if your haul is big enough.

[LydiaSarah]

I only went to Chiang Mai, but I spent a month there and definitely recommend it. Try to do a trek involving white water rafting. Also, the cooking classes are pretty fun. If you make it up there, check out Julie Guesthouse. They have both private rooms and dorms with a huge lounge area and a serve-yourself beer cooler. No a/c, but nice people who will arrange any kind of day trips you're interested in. Oh, ask a local about hitting up a real Mui Tai (spelling?) fight. The ones they advertise to tourists are nearly always fake, but the real ones are quite an experience.

[Hamlet]

Tobias & Lydiasarah,
Thanks so much for the info. It will definitely come in handy!

[definitely maybe]

[definitely maybe]

oh! you're on a bit of a tight schedule with only 10 days to spare. making the long haul to some of the southern islands, while more than worth it, might take too much time if you don't fly.

in terms of island alternatives due to time constraints, i'm a fan of koh chang, an island over near trat and the border with cambodia. it's only a 6 hour drive out from bangkok, and i think it's a great time. you'd probably enjoy lonely beach or bangbao. if you're looking for budget accomodations, which my wife won't let me stay in anymore , the treehouse in lonely beach is pretty solid.

i won't go overboard and say koh chang is better than some of the more popular islands down south, but i love the place. it's certainly better than koh samed, which is closer to bangkok. the only drawback is murkier water for scuba, etc. have fun!

[definitely maybe]

double post. i aalso agree that chiang mai is pretty cool though.