The Times Recommends...soi Cowboy

[mahtin]

From The Times September 13, 2008 <h1 class="heading">Our Man in... Bangkok</h1> <h2 class="sub-heading padding-top-5 padding-bottom-15">Andrew Hicks, 61, retired to Thailand five years ago from Hampshire. He has written a book on expat life, My Thai Girl and I </h2> Will Hide div#related-article-links p a, div#related-article-links p a:visited { color:#06c; } After a career as a university lecturer in law, Andrew Hicks, 61, retired to Thailand five years ago from Hampshire. He has written a book on expat life, My Thai Girl and I

Eat here

The Atlanta on Sukhumvit soi 2 has the oldest hotel lobby in Thailand (1950s) and its 60-page menu is a fascinating treatise on Thai cuisine. About £5 for two courses with a beer.

Must do

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace is a bizarre mix of styles from East and West.

Avoid

Tuk-tuk drivers will tell you that the temple you want to go to is closed and then take you to a rip-off tailor or jewellery shop.

Top shop

The Central department store at Chidlom on the Skytrain metro offers glossy retail therapy.

A to B

From the end of the Skytrain, board a Chao Phraya river boat and enjoy one of the great riverscapes of the world, stopping off at the Grand Palace or staying on board as far as Nontaburi, an hour upstream - all for less than £1.

Insider tip

For nightlife, forget Patpong Road, which is sleazy and aggressive. Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza, off Sukhumvit Road, are more laid-back.

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• Have your say
  

[mahtin]

Sorry about the copy and pasting.

You can read it here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/de...icle4733393.ece

[AmeriThai]

Some of those suggestions sounds questionable.

I stayed at the Atlanta one night (albeit years ago). Left the next morning for a different hotel. I sure don't remember seeing any 60-page menus. The rooms were crap with the beds laden with bed-bugs, and the pool was surrounded by a think blanket of mosquitoes (garden looks nice though). When you wanted to go to Suk, it usually meant a long walk (although good exercise) because tuk-tuks were scarce there.

Yes, there are some tuk-tuk drivers who want to pull a scam on you, but most I've come across just take you to where you want to go.

I guess it's best to avoid sleezy Patpong and get some real cultural exposure to Thai life at Soi Cowboy. Or maybe Hicks found Cowboy closer to where he stayed. Seems like Soi Nana is closer to the Atlanta Hotel though.

[Boater]

Sorry about the copy and pasting.

You can read it here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/de...icle4733393.ece

You can edit your post to clean it up

[Goshawk]

From the end of the Skytrain, board a Chao Phraya river boat and enjoy one of the great riverscapes of the world

about the only one of your quotes that i agree with, holds water (no pun intended) & make much sense..

[Mossfinn]

The Times really should no better, but I guess the Oxygen of publicity is required by any Media and Hicks has thrown them a bubble, which they haven't for what ever reason vetted themselves.

Good Luck with the insider tips, you may be better off finding out for yourselves though

Moss

[mahtin]

From the end of the Skytrain, board a Chao Phraya river boat and enjoy one of the great riverscapes of the world

about the only one of your quotes that i agree with, holds water (no pun intended) & make much sense..

Agree. Every time in Bangkok I take a riverboat ride to Nonthaburi.

Posted this because I remember the old Times with the Personals on the front page. Times change.

[jetjock]

I would agree with all of Andrew's suggestions and give him credit for getting The Times to publish it to promote his book.

[AmeriThai]

I would agree with all of Andrew's suggestions and give him credit for getting The Times to publish it to promote his book.

Agreed that he deserves credit for getting his book promoted by The Times, but most of the rest I disagee with. Admittedly, the Atlanta has a lot of history behind it, and I think the pool was also the first one installed in Thailand, or at least BKK. To me, the food there was so-so. The time I was there the rooms were very shabby and run down, beds infested with bedbugs, and the pool was littered with leaves and debris. Unless its made some major renovations, it's not a hotel I'd rave about and recommend.

Regarding Soi Cowboy, I can see it now.........

"Hey, honey, let's take the kids to Soi Cowboy. Must be like the Western movies."

Edited September 13, 2008 by AmeriThai

[MKAsok]

Andrew also forgot to mention he lives in Surin in the piece. He's hardly in the thick of it Bangkok-wise, though I don't doubt his knowledge of the city. Anyway, it's pure publicity puff for know-nothing tourists. I'm sure he'll be along shortly to defend himself in person...

[jetjock]

Regarding Soi Cowboy, I can see it now.........

"Hey, honey, let's take the kids to Soi Cowboy. Must be like the Western movies."

I think you are right as I hear that you can get some real hard riding in there and occasionally might even come across a real bucking bronco !

[AmeriThai]

Regarding Soi Cowboy, I can see it now.........

"Hey, honey, let's take the kids to Soi Cowboy. Must be like the Western movies."

I think you are right as I hear that you can get some real hard riding in there and occasionally might even come across a real bucking bronco !

Best to leave the kids at home though, and let them find out on their own when they're adults.

[bendix]

Very disappointing to see a TV member (who should know better) perpetuating the myth by inextricably linking Patpong, Cowboy and Nana with Bangkok. Really helpful.

Andrew, from your Bkk vantage point in . ummmm . .Surin you have probably not realised that there is slightly more to Bangkok's nightlife than hookers and gogo bars for western visitors

[sibeymai]

Yep, you're right Bendix. There's also hookers and gogo bars for eastern visitors as well.

[RAZZELL]

Yep, you're right Bendix. There's also hookers and gogo bars for eastern visitors as well.

Not forgetting freelancers

RAZZ

[madjbs]

Why the hel_l would anyone recommend the Atlanta Hotel and Soi Cowboy to people in any national newspaper, let alone The Times. Barking mad.....

[AmeriThai]

Why the hel_l would anyone recommend the Atlanta Hotel and Soi Cowboy to people in any national newspaper, let alone The Times. Barking mad.....

Maybe he read about it in the LP Thailand Guidebook.

Edited September 14, 2008 by AmeriThai