Getting Around With Baby

[Boo]

Moving on from the car seat thread I wonder how you with small children (especically babies) get around in Bangkok or other large cities.

We always have use of a car in Khon kaen & rent one on the islands but we plan on coming over with our new born & I want to spend a couples of days in BKK to pick up bits to take back to the UK so wonder about the logistics of getting around with a small baby.

We will be bringing a car seat & detachable push chair seat as well as the chassis they both fit on but I was thinking about the logistics of it.

If out for a wander round the shops (MBK, Siam square etc) then it is fine but getting to these places may prove to be a nightmare.

Does anyone get in taxis with car seats & how about getting on & off the skytrain? I dont' fancy walking aroud with my 3month old in a sling all day & just wanted to get some other peoples experiences as now that I think about it, I can't ever recall seeing a pushchair/buggy in Bangkok in all my times in LOS (but maybe I never noticed)

[sbk]

She hasn't even had her baby yet and she is already getting organized for the trip

Friends of ours have used a push chair (stroller for us Americans) that folds down and can be used as a car seat.

[Boo]

She hasn't even had her baby yet and she is already getting organized for the trip

haha, you wait till I get round to organising the KPG part of my trip.

[manjara]

She hasn't even had her baby yet and she is already getting organized for the trip

Friends of ours have used a push chair (stroller for us Americans) that folds down and can be used as a car seat.

We bought a combination pushchair and car-seat for the first baby (3 years ago) and it's done pretty well.

It was about 6000 baht at MBK.

Looks a bit knackered now, but still works...

We bought a lighter, folding-smaller one, now that the babies are a bit older, that was about 3500 in Central, but no car seat.

The first one has a big base that you lock the seat into, so it's not that practical for taxis

[ozymandious]

Bottom line is it's not fun at all!

BKK is not friendly as a pedestrian city and it's even worse for a pram or god forbid a disabled person.

(Disclaimer I'm not a BBK native, Phuket is my stomping grounds, so chime in to correct me or give any tips to K. Boo that you can.)

My wife and I went to BKK to register our childes birth at the US Embassy 2 weeks after she was born.

In and out of taxis was ok. We had a nice little pram made by Quinny (Zap) in which the infant car seat bassinet post into and out of the pram chassis.

But getting around the shopping district by foot is a nightmare.

For starters I can count the number of curb sides that had an access ramp in the whole MBK-Siam Square-Central to Big C area on one hand.

Be prepared to pop a bunch of wheelies. hope your pram has shocks and inflatable wheels. (Go Mountain buggy!)

Most of the pedestrian over passes are steps. be prepared to be lifting your pram up a lot of stairs.

you should travel with a partner to assist you (my wife was having a hard time having only had the C-section 2 weeks ago) or hope to rely on the kindness of many strangers.

Sometimes you're lucky to be on the correct side of the street for and escalator up to the sky train some times you're not. and even if there is an up one you have to clime a pedestal of steps to get to it. (flood damage prevention i think) and then your up there and then there is no escalator down. Again time to pick up the pram and carry it down stairs.

I did not see a single elevator up to a skytrain station in the MBK area (maybe i didn't know where to look)

The best piece of advice that i can offer is if you're doing some walking between shops use the elevated walk way that is hung right below the skytrain tracks on Rama 1 (i think that's the name of the street)

it's got pretty easy access off of it into most the the shopping centers, most are either a few steps up ore a few down and there are a few that are even on level with it. Use the elevated walk way heavily! It's much better than walking along the road sides.

be sure to go with your partner and bring the sling as there will be times that junior will be restless in the pram and want to be closer to you. Also some times it's just easier to carry the kid yourself and have your partner lug the pram up stairs by him self.

Good luck!

[Boo]

ozymandious, you have confirmed my fears with your whole posts. I wasn't even going to bother with skytrain for the exact reason of no elevators & I was planning on going alone but have already convinced my husband to spend a few days in the city with me to do the lifting. I have already bought the pram & spent a lot more on the one that weighs less than 7kgs with the car seat attached so hopefully lugging it up & down curbs & stairs shouldn't be too painful.

When taking taxis did the drivers give you any greif about the car seat or having to put the chassis in the boot or were they quite accomadating?

[ozymandious]

ozymandious, you have confirmed my fears with your whole posts. I wasn't even going to bother with skytrain for the exact reason of no elevators & I was planning on going alone but have already convinced my husband to spend a few days in the city with me to do the lifting. I have already bought the pram & spent a lot more on the one that weighs less than 7kgs with the car seat attached so hopefully lugging it up & down curbs & stairs shouldn't be too painful.

When taking taxis did the drivers give you any greif about the car seat or having to put the chassis in the boot or were they quite accomadating?

didn't have any problems with the taxis. our model pram doesn't have a base to put into the car the basket (Maxi cosi) just slips of the frame and you slide it in to the car and secure it with the seat belt.

My wife and i were a well oiled pit crew ready for the F1 circuit by the end of out trip.

she slides in and across the seat with purse, baby bag and Misc, while i detach the basket from the frame hand it to her in the car, then while she's securing the car seat, i'm folding up the frame dropping it into the boot and then hopping in to the front passenger seat and we're on our way.

Some taxi drivers will also hope out of the cab and come around to offer help but will be dumbfounded by how to collapse your pram (they usually take the shopping bags and throw them in to the boot for you.

Glad to hear that you'll have some assistance on your trip. it will make life that much easier.

And again take the sling as a back up. Sometimes it's easier to carry the kid then all the bags, which will now fit oh so nicely into your very expensive 7kg shopping trolley.

if your pram has a bottom caddy/net/basket make good use of it.

[Boo]

And again take the sling as a back up. Sometimes it's easier to carry the kid then all the bags, which will now fit oh so nicely into your very expensive 7kg shopping trolley.

I have a feeling that will happen

[samran]

Hey Boo,

we live in lower Sukhumivit.

Saturday morning for me is daddy daughter morning, and we walk everywhere between 7.30am and 1pm, with maybe a pitstop for some chow while she is sleeping Been doing this since she was about 2 weeks old. She's now 9 months.

To be honest, no, you aren't gonna find ramps, but nor are you going to find anything that isn't passable. You can easily negotiate the footpath from the toll way exit at sukumvit soi 1 all the way to emporium and Phrom Pong. I walked the other direction, to Lumpini park and then to Silom the other morning, owing to the cold weather, and it was fine.

A couple of tips.

- Bring the baby sling with you. The reason is while sky train stations are easy to get on (always escalators up) coming down is a pain as there are only stairs. So, baby in Sling, and you fold the push chair to carry down with the spare hand if you are by yourself. Otherwise, you and hubby just can lift the while thing down. Though Siam has escalators down and a few others like Asoke have lifts.

- Bring a lightweight pram because a) it will need to fit into the boot of a taxi that usually has a LPG gas tank taking up half the space and cause they are bloody heavy to carry down those skytrain stairs.

- You don't need (suprisingly) the monster wheeled push chairs in BKK. We don't have one, and debated the efficacy of one when we were down in OZ, and decided against it. BKK footpaths aren't great, but aren't too bad IMHO.

- We had the pram that had the clip in car seat, which was great for infants, you just unlatch the capsule, fold the pram for the boot, and baby goes in the car next to you.

- If you are going down side streets, be prepared for a little bit of walking on the road as the curbs there are high and are every 20 feet for drive ways. Otherwise, there is a telephone or food stall blocking the way. Simply walk against the flow of traffic, which I've found to be safe as long as you keep an eye out. BKK drivers are used to having vendors pushing their carts up the street. I always eyeball the immediate oncoming driver and they aways get the hint and keep well away. Plus, traffic rarely moved quickly down side streets.

- The subway is a great way to get around. Escalators up and down!

[think_too_mut]

If out for a wander round the shops (MBK, Siam square etc) then it is fine but getting to these places may prove to be a nightmare.

Does anyone get in taxis with car seats & how about getting on & off the skytrain? I dont' fancy walking aroud with my 3month old in a sling all day & just wanted to get some other peoples experiences as now that I think about it, I can't ever recall seeing a pushchair/buggy in Bangkok in all my times in LOS (but maybe I never noticed)

BKK streets are barely walkable (cracks, food stalls, crowd, pavement 30 cm above the street level, often punctuated by side sois/driveways), they are hard to negotiate with a stroller. An ad-hoc cheaper strollers may not survive a 100m roll on them. Even an elite street like Wireless Road where many embassies are, is a nightmare. Let alone the fumes.

MBK - forget it, the place is so packed and the corridors so narrow that only holding the baby seems to be feasible (and only if you know where you are going. Glancing the shops and windows is not what you want to do there with a baby on hand).

Shopping malls (including Lotus/Carefour) are OK, once you are there.

My take: a stroller with a detachable baby capsule and a car/taxi. Skytrain approaches would require a lot of lifting and carrying up/down the stairs.

[Shola]

Yeah, I've been looking at the streets of Bkk from a new angle (would I get a buggy up that? etc..!) Good info guys, I'd decided in my mind that I was just gonna use a sling and forget about the buggy/pushchair as it looks impossible to use one along the pavements here, and in a department stores they just get in everyones way !

Should I re-think? Is a buggy a necesity?

[samran]

Yeah, I've been looking at the streets of Bkk from a new angle (would I get a buggy up that? etc..!) Good info guys, I'd decided in my mind that I was just gonna use a sling and forget about the buggy/pushchair as it looks impossible to use one along the pavements here, and in a department stores they just get in everyones way !

Should I re-think? Is a buggy a necesity?

Screw everyone else if they get annoyed, but it doesn't happen here. You'll probably find people more interested in the baby. They are rock stars here.

Yep, buggy is a necessity if you are going to be out and about for more than a hour or so. Plus, once you are in the mall, you'll need somewhere to put bubs while you have that coffee or try on some clothes.

[Boo]

I am def bringing the buggy bit as I don't want to be carrying the sprog around all day in the sling. Luckily the one I have comes in seperate pieces so if out in taxis will just have car seat attached to chassis or if on foot just the pushchair bit. I don't picture that many probs as will only be a day or two in town but wondered about the skytrain & pavements etc and also whether taxis understood the car seat concept. Your replies have given me a bit more insight & tips, so thanks v much.

[begsaresponse]

BKK is a dream to get around with a buggy etc. I live in Pattaya and it is a nightmare for anyone with a buggy or stroller. Last November my children and grand children visited me. Until this time I just was not aware of the hazards. We ended up using a Baht bus as a taxi when we went anywhere. Only the shortest or trips did we use a buggy.

So if you do come to Pattaya please be aware there are many hazards. For example no sidewalks or pavements, and certainly no consistent stretch of a sidewalk. The other day I saw a couple each had a buggy to push and she was well pregnant.............I thought poor souls.

[bina]

there are various 'kangaroos' (slings) that have pockets for all neccesities and if u are breast feeding than 'milk is on the hoof' much easier and keeps hands free.

one other tip (from in any city) ; when a stranger helps u if they do help u, off load bags and stuff from busses, u hold they baby, they help witht the bags... that way, your bags might get absconded off but the baby stays with u...

learn to hip carry your child while shopping. it saves tons of money since u only have one hand free u cant buy so much stuff...))

get a cousin/niece/nephew to come with; for a trip around shopping they make great mother's helpers.

bina (i know cause my in laws here are always borrowing my daughter to help with the babies/toddlers while shopping, and she gets a present at the end of the mall shopping spree. for any 13 yr old it is worth it.)

[leisurely]

Excellent advice from Samran. One thing to bear in mind though, babies are a floppy species for a while, they are unable to sit up in the pram for a good couple of months. Slings are brilliant while they are tiddlers, but once they start packing on the pounds...........................I can thank my eldest for my unstable s1/l5 discs! As Samran said though, babies are superstars here, you;ll def get all the help you need and some you don't.

[manjara]

Excellent advice from Samran. One thing to bear in mind though, babies are a floppy species for a while, they are unable to sit up in the pram for a good couple of months. Slings are brilliant while they are tiddlers, but once they start packing on the pounds...........................I can thank my eldest for my unstable s1/l5 discs! As Samran said though, babies are superstars here, you;ll def get all the help you need and some you don't.

We used to get a lot of shop assistants holding the oldest baby while we did the shopping (see the other thread on overstaffing in department stores!), but now our oldest is 3 years and the youngest 1 year, the older one never lets the shop assistants take her sister and virtually attacks them if they try to!

I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing...

I used to get worried when there was a crowd of shop assistants passing my daughter around, but so long as she's not frightened, it's great for being able to shop.

I'd also agree with Bina, having a baby with you on your hip saves you loads of money. You just get tired and go home earlier.

[think_too_mut]

So if you do come to Pattaya please be aware there are many hazards. For example no sidewalks or pavements, and certainly no consistent stretch of a sidewalk.

What do you call that 10km long paved, even and stroller friendly beach walk stretch along the Jomtien, all the way down to Pattaya Water Park? There is probably no better place in entire Thailand to push a stroller.

Other place where one might go with kids - Zoo, Tropical Garden. Mini Siam, Crocodile farm, Underwater World, even Lotus and Carefour are stroller friendly.

Can't think of an obstacle, not even in the Walking Street!

[rcalsop]

From bitter experience of BKK centre shopping with a young baby ...forget the buggy use a front sling from birth sweaty but not expensive ,then as soon as the baby can hold it,s head up convert to a framed rear carrier like a ruck sack with pockets for feed and changes ..the right one allows the frame to fold out to make the framed ruck sack carrier to become a seat on the floor in Resto's etc or jam behind the taxi seat for short runs .

Ours proved invaluable for 3 years .

[sylvafern]

One thing I do like though, is how shopping centres allow you to use the buggy/stroller on the escalators - once you get the hang of going up and down them you can get around much faster than waiting for an over-crowded lift (especially as it often takes several attempts to even get in a lift with a buggy dur to people pushing in front of you and jam-packing in til the buzzer goes off!).

Incidently, when in Khon kaen you'll still suffer the same things with lack of lifts, esculators and negotiating stairs .... the steps up into Oasis for instance, and the breaking down of esculators at Big C (they always did that when I lived there and still did it when I visited last year - was stranded on the top floor for awhile with no way of getting down with the push chair!). The walk around the lake is good with a stroller though - and good exercise.

[COBBER]

I am def bringing the buggy bit as I don't want to be carrying the sprog around all day in the sling. Luckily the one I have comes in seperate pieces so if out in taxis will just have car seat attached to chassis or if on foot just the pushchair bit. I don't picture that many probs as will only be a day or two in town but wondered about the skytrain & pavements etc and also whether taxis understood the car seat concept. Your replies have given me a bit more insight & tips, so thanks v much.

Congrats. on the baby and hoping everthing goes smoothly for you.

Most taxi's don't have rear seat belts so it might be a problem securing a car seat or baby capsule.

It's pretty tough going, using a pushchair on Bangkok pavements but we found this the best option. The good quality pushchairs have plenty of shade to keep the baby a bit cooler and also very handy for carrying all of the shopping and all of the baby stuff you have to take with you. Also handy for nappy changes.

[chanchao]

For us indeed we found the stroller not super useful around town. The only place where it would be useful is walkign around department stores, but then many department stores have a supermarket and supermarkets have supermarket shopping trollies, in which you can lower your baby car seat and hey-presto: No need to carry the thing anymore. You can just use the shopping trolly all over the dept store. (And when the baby outgrows the infant car seat then he/she can sit up in the shopping trolly.

What's wrong with the sling / backpack / frontpack? It's loads MORE comfortable to carry than to carry an increasingly heavy kid in a car seat all the time. Still you need the car seat for when in taxis and the like. If the back doesn't have seatbelts then install in the front (taxis never have (passenger) airbags, though you would make sure of coruse). If the taxi has seatbelts in the back then install in the back of course.

Cheers,

Chanchao

Edited February 2, 2007 by chanchao

[samran]

Hi Chanchao...

we had a baby car seat that cliped into the top of our stroller. Baby actually sat in that rather than the stoller and we just pushed her about...no carrying.

When it came time to get in the car, unclipped the car seat from the stroller, plonked car seat with bubs already in it in the car, and then folded up the stroller.

For a three month old who will just be getting his or her head strength, wouldn't a back/front pack be a bit hard to use?

ed: I'm not trying to get into a debate here about back packs, just that I'd assume they can only be used for kiddies 6 months up.

[Boo]

Was just gonna post that too about the age/head support thing Samran. I will also be bringing the chassis frame so there would be no carrying around of the car seat & personally I don't fancy lugging a baby around in a sling all day as it will be hot & sticky as well as being restrictive when wanting to have a coffee or eat.

My main concern was taxis (I dont' really do public transport anywhere, occasionally sytrain if a couple of stops ) but after the positive replies about taxi travel, I am feeling more confident.

[rcalsop]

Hi Chanchao...

we had a baby car seat that cliped into the top of our stroller. Baby actually sat in that rather than the stoller and we just pushed her about...no carrying.

When it came time to get in the car, unclipped the car seat from the stroller, plonked car seat with bubs already in it in the car, and then folded up the stroller.

For a three month old who will just be getting his or her head strength, wouldn't a back/front pack be a bit hard to use?

ed: I'm not trying to get into a debate here about back packs, just that I'd assume they can only be used for kiddies 6 months up.

Front carriers have head supports , side slings have neck support and the rear carriers are supplied with an attachment that supports the head ,no issues here , it depends on the child ..having fathered and carried 5 kids around different places the world I am amazed how hardy they actualy can be, and how many natural reflexes human babies actually have when allowed to excercise them ...Although I cannot advocate very small babies on a motorcyle just look next time you see one and look how relaxed and happy the baby actually is with a firm grip as per our ape ancestors ...Oh just for the record after my first child was look after with excessive care and monitored and checked all though the night in the separate nursery and I was still racked with cot death worries, by the second child we moved to the baby in bed with us , nesting as per nature intended , feedind was easier , sleep was better and the baby was stimulated and secure ,I had no worries about crushing or damaging the baby I found when we allowed nature and instinct to rule we developed a sixth sense and or the baby protested or kicked out if uncomfortable ...but if taking sleeping drugs or you have had a few drinks it is best avoided on those nights . I now take the view let the instinct be with you in Star Wars Parlance and listen to the inbuilt instinct inside you ....

I actually loved the physical contact ...and a note for the guys ...Baby in carrier means other( other than your wife ) beautiful women chat you up with out fail especially in the supermarket ,and should your wife walk from behind that stack of tins of beans and catch you, you have the perfect excuse ...believe me its worth the extra carrying work ,it must be instinctive again a clear measure of you fecundity ( good word that ) and showing your caring nature and implied sensitivity ...in fact guys rush out and buy one now !!!!!!

Edited February 2, 2007 by rcalsop

[accesscitrix]

Bangkok is not disabled friendly or baby buggy friendly, very rarely are pavements lowered and they are actually very high compared to the road level in most places. Also bangkok is not a very nice place to just walk around most people take taxi's to shopping centres which is better for baby buggys as it's flat. I'd suggest not bothering going out exploring with a baby buggy you rarely see them on the streets of bangkok anyway as most people with kids find it easy just to carry them in a sling or just hold their babies.

[samran]

Front carriers have head supports , side slings have neck support and the rear carriers are supplied with an attachment that supports the head ,no issues here , it depends on the child ..having fathered and carried 5 kids around different places the world I am amazed how hardy they actualy can be, and how many natural reflexes human babies actually have when allowed to excercise them ...Although I cannot advocate very small babies on a motorcyle just look next time you see one and look how relaxed and happy the baby actually is with a firm grip as per our ape ancestors ...Oh just for the record after my first child was look after with excessive care and monitored and checked all though the night in the separate nursery and I was still racked with cot death worries, by the second child we moved to the baby in bed with us , nesting as per nature intended , feedind was easier , sleep was better and the baby was stimulated and secure ,I had no worries about crushing or damaging the baby I found when we allowed nature and instinct to rule we developed a sixth sense and or the baby protested or kicked out if uncomfortable ...but if taking sleeping drugs or you have had a few drinks it is best avoided on those nights . I now take the view let the instinct be with you in Star Wars Parlance and listen to the inbuilt instinct inside you ....

I actually loved the physical contact ...and a note for the guys ...Baby in carrier means other( other than your wife ) beautiful women chat you up with out fail especially in the supermarket ,and should your wife walk from behind that stack of tins of beans and catch you, you have the perfect excuse ...believe me its worth the extra carrying work ,it must be instinctive again a clear measure of you fecundity ( good word that ) and showing your caring nature and implied sensitivity ...in fact guys rush out and buy one now !!!!!!

agree about the sleeping with bubs....very nice and quite a blessing to have a smiling baby wake up next to you each morning.

As for babies being chick magnets.....shhhhhhhhhhh!