One of the most dynamic areas of Bangkok is Suhkumvit road between Nana and Asoke. The international diversity of the area is so cool, you can jump from a Thai local commuter river boat, into an Arab conclave with hookah restaurants, then into African area where you can make cheap international phone calls or buy your favorite soccer shirt, and then have your choice of walking into a Burger King, Hyatt or Starbucks in 3 blocks!
One of the reasons that this area continues to be popular is its use as a base for seeing the rest of Bangkok and Thailand. From the Suhkumvit road area it is very easy to find all sorts of different options that you can move around the city, with the best option in many instances being the sky train, which today will take you straight to the Bangkok international airport, with the new section enjoying its soft opening now, or to the river and a commuter boat to Khao San rd.
One of the main complaints people have about Bangkok is the traffic, which can be very frustrating, but the sky train and now the MRT you have two different fast commuter lines connecting this area. To move from Asoke station to Silom takes 15 minutes by sky train and less if you use the MRT subway, regardless of the time of day.
Both the subway and the sky train are very easy to use, everything that you need is in English and Thai, including the announcer for the stations on the trains. Both the subway and sky train have lots of options for ticketing, you can get day passes that are good for 24 hours, or buy a card and load it up with as much as you like and keep refilling it , and you can buy single use tickets for one way trips.
Taxis and motorbikes are cheap and everywhere and there are several Bangkok bus lines that move through this corridor as well for the adventurous. Eckamai station is also on Suhkumvit that can get you to Pattaya and Cambodia overland by first class busses.
The architecture of the Bangkok hotels on Suhkumvit is awesome, my favorites include the Ambassador which is actually two separate buildings connected with a very cool shopping arcade, pool, aviary, fitness center and restaurants, The Landmark hotel with its distinctive hole and one of the best night views of the city and the Amari with its pyramid shape that sticks out in the forest of tall building that it inhabits.
The shopping on Suhkumvit is very diverse, if you can't find it here you are not going to find it anywhere in Asia, for jewelry, the newest clothes fashions and electronics you will have hundreds of different option. Tourist stuff is readily available at the night market right on the streets where you will find tee shirts, toys, laser lights and art work in every media imaginable.
The best time to visit Bangkok is from Oct to April.
No comments:
Post a Comment