One Day in Bangkok

What can you do if you have only one full day in Bangkok? Ok, I will tell you what you can do to have fun in such a short time like this in the city of angel here. Since there is not much time here, wake up early to go to the old town of Bangkok or Thonburi part. That area is full with temples, museum and castle. First you should visit Wat Phrakeaw, this temple is awesome and full with beautiful Thai Architectures. The temple is quite big, it might take you for an hour to walk around the temple. Then continue to Wat Pho where there is a giant reclining Buddha inside the church. Near to the gate of Wat Pho, there is a famous massage place which you should try because it's the most famous Thai massage in the world. Another one hour goes by with relaxation.

Teakwood castle

After the relaxing massage, continue to the world's biggest teakwood castle which belonged to King Rama V of Thailand and now it's opened as the museum for the people to visit and see how the king lived before. The castle is called Pimanmek. There are many guides with many different languages like Chinese, English, Thai, Japanese, Spanish and more. The visitors can't walk inside the castle themselves but they have to have the guide to lead them the way. After visiting the castle, there is a zoo right next to the castle, you can visit and see tons of many different Thai animals. Half of your day already flies by, it's very fast. Be careful that you can't wear shorts and the top with no sleeves to those places.

After the half of your day visiting the ancient places of Thailand, continue your exciting day to the weekend market where you can find anything you need. It's called Jatujak market. Jatujak market sells everything from book, clothes, house decoration or even animals like cat , dog, turtle and more. It's the big adventure since the place is huge.

Lovely luxury department stores

After Jatujak, you can continue to have lunch or late lunch at the lovely luxury department stores at the center of Bangkok like Siam Paragon or Central World. Siam Paragon is the biggest department store in South East Asia. There are hundreds of brand names there, you can find anything you want there as well but it's just a lot more luxury than jatujak market because all international brands are there.

The most amazing view in Bangkok

After shopping and lunch, you can go direct to the bottom floor of Siam Paragon because there is an aquarium for you to see all underworld animals and also they even have the diving service where you can dive along the shark under water, it's pretty cool. But if you think it's too scary for you, go try adventure game like paintball or bb gun on Sukhumvit road. After the activities I suggest you, you might get exhausted and very tired. Go back to your hotel, taking shower and clothes nicely to have luxury night out in Bangkok. If you think about very lovely dinner in Bangkok, I suggest you to Sirocco restaurant in the rooftop of 84th floor of Lebua Hotel at State Tower, Silom Road. The view is spectacular and unforgettable.

Khaosan road

After the luxury dinner in Bangkok, continue to have a blast at night at the nightclub like RCA, Sukhumvit 11 or Khaosan road. I suggest you Khaosan road because it's the most relaxing nightlife areas in Bangkok, full with tourists, bars, clubs for you to buy cheap drinks and you can continue the night by going to the clubs at the end of the night.

Nightlife Tour in Bangkok

A thriving paradise for nightlife lovers, Bangkok is world-renowned for its myriad of dodgy venues where you can drink until dawn, be dazzled by go-go girls' skills and drool over starry-eyed Thai ladies. However, there are also many other places that offer ultimate fun that doesn't require any naughtiness.

Here's the lowdown on what's hot and hip in Bangkok's nightlife scenes. Some are sophisticated, refined and stylish and some can be super seedy. Make your choice well and your nightlife tour in Bangkok will be a blast.

Hitting the clubs right after the sunset might be too early (and too eager). Heading to one of many swanky rooftop restaurants is a good idea to start your night. Try the Sky Bar (Sirocco) on Silom road (tel: +66 2 624 9999) on the 64th floor of State Tower or Moon Bar (Vertigo) (tel: +66 2 679 1200) on the 61st floor of Banyan Tree Hotel, on Sathorn road.

Both offer breathtaking, panoramic views of the city. Another interesting option is Three Sixty at Millennium Hilton Hotel (tel: +66 2 442 2000) where you can listen to your favourite jazz, drink a glass of cocktail and gasp at the sweeping 360° views.

If there's any road in Bangkok that you shouldn't miss, it's Sukhumvit. The longest and the most popular among locals and tourists, Sukhumvit is home to a variety of venues including red-light areas, Nana Plaza on Sukhumvit soi 4 and Soi Cowboy, off Sukhumvit soi 23, where you can find girls in slinky outfits showing off their pole dancing skills. Bangkok go go bars are numerous in these two areas. Sois, by the way, are the local lingo for lanes.

Trendy and stylish clubs and bars are also located on this famous road. Bed Supperclub (tel: +66 2 651 3557) and Q Bar (+66 2 252-3274), two of the most must-visit ritzy, international venues located on Sukhumvit soi 11, usually attract a great number of tourists, expats and a lot of long-legged Thai and international models.

Sukhumvit is not only home to international venues, many funky local pubs and bars are also scattered along the road. If you want to observe how locals party, a visit Escudo on Sukhumvit soi 55 (tel: +66 2 381 0866) or Escobar on Sukhumvit soi 63 (tel: +66 2 711 6565) might be worthwhile. Gullivers, on soi 5 is a cavernous pic up place which is full of 'friendly' locals but escapes the tag of 'sleazy'.

The heart of Bangkok boasts two notable nightlife areas, Siam and Silom. Siam is where you can find the notorious CM2 (tel: +66 2 209 8888) located Novotel Siam square. Known to be the haunt of dodgy girls, CM2 has a live band playing in the main area, which is probably the only zone you can see anything.

Not far from Siam area is Silom, possibly more famous than Sukhumvit among tourists as it's here where you can find the legendary Patpong (Silom soi 2) and its go go bars. In Bangkok there are a plenty of naughty shows imaginable while drinks are unbelievably cheap. It's a good tourist attraction and place to pick up fake Rolexes at the night market. When you get bored of the pole dancing and 'ping-pong' exhibitions, there are some really decent trendy bars on Soi 4, and a couple of popular pubs on Silom road.

One of the areas worth exploring when you are in Bangkok, especially at night, is Khao San, a heaven on earth for backpackers. The atmosphere is vibrant while you can observe the crowds from one of many trendy bars. Some of the most popular are Buddy Beer (tel: +66 2 629 4477) equipped with pool tables; Brick Bar (tel: +66 2 629 4477), a stylish western-styled bar; and Silk Bar (tel: +66 2 281 9981) located in a hip wooden house.

Serious clubbers should hop in a taxi and ask for RCA (Royal City Avenue) which looks nothing like it's name suggests but is a magnet for clubbing Bangkokians with money to burn. There are plenty of clubs here to choose from, all right next to each other, the music is cutting edge, offering all sorts of tastes, age groups, crowds and drinks prices. You'll find them full any night of week.

Hedonistic choices aside, Bangkok also features many cultural shows which offer you an opportunity to learn more about Thailand's history and culture. Try Siam Niramit, one of the most impressive performances, which features fascinating stories about Siam (Thailand), Thai spiritual beliefs, lessons about karma and religious festivals. The show is always praised for its sophisticated production as well as remarkable sound and visual effects. Catch this spectacular performance everyday at 20:00 at the Ratchadda Grand Theatre (tel: +66 2 649 9222).

A nightlife tour in Bangkok is something you should plan ahead. There's so much fun to be had so explore your choices well and you will be just fine. Remember to bring your passport or ID card everywhere you go. Some clubs can be very strict. Try your luck. You might be able to charm the hostess away with your super-star smile and a knowing wink.

Cheap Rooms in Bangkok For Backpacker Budget Travelers

If you have backpacked through Europe, you may be looking for Khao San hostels. However, this is a form of accommodation not really common in Southeast Asian and that includes Bangkok. What you will be looking for is a cheap guesthouse or a cheap Khao San hotel, rather than a hostel. The word "hostel" is so ingrained in the backpacker vernacular, however that many will talk about one of the great "hostels" here in which they slept.

If you haven't heard of Khan San Road (or "Thanon Khao San" in Thai), it was cemented as the destination of choice for young backpackers in Bangkok in the book and movie of the same name, The Beach (movie starred Leonardo Di Caprio). Many use it as a base in their travels to other parts of Thailand whether it be for a jungle trek or time on the beach. It is a great place for a little traveler culture, to meet friends from around the world, and for those who live in Bangkok, a road and surrounding area that has some great restaurants.

Basically, you can get a cheap Khao San guesthouse with your own, personal room for as low as 100 baht. There may be a few dormitory style hostels but that's not necessary. For the price of a few dollars, why not get your own, private room? Usually you will have to share a shower and toilet with the rest of the hall but sleeping quarters with one bed and a lock on your door are the norm.

So, if you are a backpacker looking for cheap rooms in Bangkok, chances are you will be heading for one of the dirt cheap Khao San hotels. If you stay out of trouble (beware much trouble is to be had in the area) and when you get home you can tell others how you stayed at an amazingly thrifty Khao San guesthouse.

Bangkok Hotels Near Red Light Districts - A Travel Guide For First Timers

Finding a hotel in Bangkok for the first time can be quite confusing. After all there are so many hotels in Bangkok to choose. But if you know you want to stay in or near Bangkok's hottest red light districts then you're halfway there as I'll help you decide which hotels to stay in.

There are three red light districts located in central Bangkok. All are easily accessible by the many modes of transportation in Bangkok. And the hotels in Bangkok range from the no frills budget accommodations to luxury properties with classy service.

The first red light district is called Patpong. Like the rest of the nightlife action in Bangkok, Patpong starts and heats up after 7pm, especially when the night market opens up. Patpong is filled with go-go bars and clubs of various sorts. The volume of venues here is quite vast as businesses cater to mostly male customers either straight, gay or both. The most notable go-go bar names are King's Castle and Queen's Castle group located in Patpong one. And if you're looking for some bizarre amusement then check out the ping pong sex shows the area is so famous for. Just make sure you know what you'll be paying for.

Here are the names of a few hotels in Patpong worth staying in:

The Montien Hotel
Siam Heritage Boutique Hotel
Bally's Suite Silom Hotel

The next red light districts are located close to each other and they're called Soi Cowboy and Nana. Soi Cowboy is the smallest out of the three but it has the most well known go-go bars in Bangkok. I'm talking about Long Gun and Rawhide, two very big time go-go bars. Even though Soi Cowboy is small it still packs quite a huge entertainment value.

Nana is the final red light district and the biggest attraction because there are so many things to do around there. Most start off with Nana Entertainment Plaza. NEP is a small four story building stacked with go-go bars upon more go-go bars. You can't miss NEP especially at night when its filled with so many tourist from all over the world. The area surrounding Nana has a wide selection of places to eat and drink from many international choices. You'll find lots of open beer gardens too and bars to hang out and just people watch.

Here are the names of a few popular hotels to stay near Soi Cowboy and Nana:

Grand President Hotel
Ambassador Hotel
Nana Hotel

Most hotels located near the red light districts of Soi Cowboy and Nana are guest friendly. This means that the hotel does not charge an extra fee or a joiner fee for taking a companion back to the hotel rooms. Joiner fees can range from 500THB up to 1500THB. So as you can see guest friendly hotels in Bangkok are very popular and should be booked in advance.

Hotel Infrastructure in Thailand

Bangkok, capital of Thailand is the heart and soul of the country and one of Asia's most dynamic cities. You will be pleasantly surprised in this frantic and steamy tropical city offering gleaming skyscrapers, glittering temples, colorful street markets, sophisticated shopping malls, bustling nightlife, and a vibrancy at every turn which reflects the incredible economic growth of the last few years.

Despite Bangkok became a booming, modern capital with a lot of tourists recently, it still manages to retain its unique Siamese heritage in the wonderful food, Buddhist tolerance, exotic architecture, culture, and Thai hospitality. If you use "Sky train" symbolizing Bangkok's rapid development you can get some great views over a capital in constant change and a convenient way to get around the main areas. Bangkok is one of the most exciting and exotic cities in the world without any doubts!

When you are in Thailand you will be pleasantly met with a great tradition of hospitality and nowhere is this clearer than in its hotels. You will see the famous Thai smile and get excellent facilities, excellent service etc. Take any international poll and you will find at least one Thai hotel in the top ten in the world! And moreover, whatever your budget, there is something to meet your means as accommodation in Thailand is not just a series of top-of-the-range hotels and luxury Thailand property. You can choose from various guesthouses, resorts, rooms with a view to the city or to the ocean!

Thailand hotel infrastructure is excellent and hotel accommodation is available in all categories, from the most basic, cheap guest house to hotels that range top by international standards. And you can find accommodation not only in Bangkok, but hotels of all categories, right up to the top in provincial towns and tourist destinations as well.

Usually luxury five star hotels are located in very expensive districts of Bangkok together with famous and popular property in Thailand around. There are many things to see and to do in Bangkok, such a great Metropolis that is also a great place for shopping. Bangkok offers you an extraordinary selection of Hotels, tourism infrastructure, Thailand property, Resorts and Serviced Apartments from budget Guest House and Cheap Hostels to 5 stars Hotels and Resorts.
Thailand has international standard accommodation not just in the capital Bangkok and some popular beach resorts but almost all over the country that is not typical for most developing or newly industrialized countries attracting foreign investments in property in Thailand projects. Tourism in Thailand became the biggest business and reason for such fast development. Only 10 or 15 years ago tourists couldn't find international standard hotels, but today you will see them at far off places like Mae Hong Son which a few years back wasn't even accessible by road all year round.

Foreign visitor can even experience both nature and the comfort in exotic luxury accommodations built right in the jungles, for example in Kanchanaburi province if they wish and ready to pay.
Among all Southeast Asian countries the Kingdom of Thailand draws the highest amount of visitors as this country has irresistible combination of breathtaking natural beauty, inspiring temples, renowned hospitality, robust cuisine and ruins of fabulous ancient kingdoms. Thailand has everything from the verdant limestone islands of the Andaman Sea and the stupa-studded mountains of Mae Hong Son, to the tranquil villages moored along the Mekong River and the pulse-pounding dance clubs of Bangkok and every type of traveler will find what he needs for great vacations.

Cambodia Cheap Travel "Motodops" Buses Taxis and Cheap Flights

In the last few years travel in Cambodia has become much less arduous than in years gone by with the continual improvement of the roads Buses taxis and "Motodops" (shortened to moto's) are running at faster speeds and they are not the body shaking, teeth rattling odysseys anymore for the most part. The major exceptions would be the route from Poipet to Angkor Wat voted worst road in the world for over ten years and the overland route to Sihanoukville from Bangkok via Trat Thailand. With more tourism, which has been growing in double digits for many years now, the flights and air routes into Cambodia have more potential passengers, which have increased the competition, which has resulted in some of the cheapest flights in Cambodia in quite a while.

Cambodia buses both the mini bus and the big commercial busses are getting to be a higher quality, and new bus companies are forcing the older companies to improve their equipment in order to compete. Taxis like wise are improving as the western tourist demand a better quality, you can be fairly certain of getting a taxi that meets a minimum standard that is much improved from the old days. I remember one time that they had taken the seat belt and secured it behind the molding of the door frame, making it totally useless, this kind of modification was not unusual, nor was it unusual to be suffer from a massive headache in a mini bus due to sucking on exhaust fumes for hours on end from the open rear door.

"Moto's" still tend to aggravate tourists mostly for the constant rip offs and now there is a lot of "took tooks" these guys are just as bad as the "touk touks" drivers in Bangkok and if you can avoid using one you will be that much happier on your travels.

In Cambodia cheap flights are now more common and there are more flights both within Cambodia as well as flight to the neighboring countries of Thailand and Vietnam and Singapore which serves as a regional hub for the discount flights.

As always in Cambodia remember to be vigilant when you travel if it seems wrong often times it is trust your intuition and do the smart thing.

In Transit at Bangkok Airport? Take One of the New Short Day Tours

Being stuck in an airport for several hours between flights can be not only very frustrating, but boring, uncomfortable and tiring as well. With Bangkok vying to become one of the majors hub in South East Asia, more and more people are flying to, from, and through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Whether you have a long wait between a domestic and international flight, or even if you are stuck with a long wait in transit, there are a number of activities to keep you busy and entertained, or refreshed and ready for your forward flight.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has introduced short tours for transit passengers who are in transit for less than 12 hours. To encourage passengers to take one of the tours, participants will be exempted from the 700 Baht airport tax when re-checking in for their flights. Most of the tours are about four hours each. Information about the available tours will be provided to all transfer passengers on the ground in the transfer halls as well as in on-board literature aboard Thai Air flights. Information may also be provided on inbound flights of other airlines. The idea behind these mini-tours is to give transit passengers a taste of Thailand and make them want to come back.

Some of the tours available include:

*Klong Tour: Take a ride in a boat on one of the remaining canals, many of which used to criss-cross Bangkok, giving it the name of the "Venice of the East".

*Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha.

*Golf tour: There are a number of well regarded golf course near Suvarnabhumi airport including Summit Windmill Golf Club and Kiarti Thanee Country Club.

*Massage & Spa

*Siam Ocean World

*Siam Niramity: A large and extravagant theater production showcasing the cultural heritage of the Thai people.

T.A.T has tried to make it easy for passengers to participate in these tours with tour counters on both sides of the transit hall. Once you have ascertained that you have enough time for the tour you are interested in, approach one of the transit tour desks and ask them about the tour. They will give a form to fill out for an exemption of the airport tax. Once this is filled out, tour counter officials will assist you with immigration procedures and escort you to the selected tour. Upon retuning from your tour, guides will assist you through immigration and onto your onward flight.

As you can see there is no need to lay around the airport next time you are in transit in Bangkok. Take advantage of one of the whirlwind tours available and enjoy your transit time for once.