Stranger In Bangkok

[Patong Bob]

I will be in Bangkok Tuesday, and it's many years since I have been there. Can anyone help with a few basic questions ?

1. What is the best (less expensive way) from the airport to the Australian Embassy (it's on South Sakorn Road) ?

2. Where is a reasonable hotel (in Patong you can get one for 400-500B) and is it true that Silom Road, especially Soi 4 is the best area to stay ?

3. Some good bars near said hotel ?

4. Are the metered taxis OK or will I get a tour of Bangkok when I don't know the city at all, i.e.how far it is from the Embassy to Silom - it could be two blocks or two miles as far as I know....

Thanks for any help, if anyone is coming to Patong please contact me and I can help you too.

[ChrisP]

Hi PBob...

I can't help with much... maybe others can.

1. What is the best (less expensive way) from the airport to the Australian Embassy (it's on South Sakorn Road) ?

I would take a Meter Taxi. Probably around 100-150baht. DON'T accept one of the "you need a taxi sir.??" people who will grab you when you leave customs... you'll be charged a LOT more.

I've rarely had a tour of the city with them.

(Now I HAVE had some appaling drivers...!)

Hotels/bars in that area... sorry, only know Silom. "Boy-Plaza" off Surawong Rd is THE place for me!

ChrisP

[MistaDorn]

1.  What is the best (less expensive way) from the airport to the Australian Embassy (it's on South Sakorn Road)  ?

2.  Where is a reasonable hotel (in Patong you can get one for 400-500B) and is it true that Silom Road, especially Soi 4 is the best area to stay ?

3.  Some good bars near said hotel ?

4.  Are the metered taxis OK or will I get a tour of Bangkok when I don't know the city at all, i.e.how far it is from the Embassy to Silom - it could be two blocks or two miles as far as I know?

Thanks for any help, if anyone is coming to Patong please contact me and I can help you too. Your Welcome

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. "Sathorn Road" TAXI or if u like complicated thing take airport bus "70baht" and drop at Plaenjit Road and take bus no. 62 then you arrived front of Australian Embassy it costed you 74 or 84 baht.

2. Silom is the very expensive road in THAILAND for land and house. I'm not sure about that. but the sure thing is, there is one cheap hotel near the Sky Train "Chong Nonsi station" many farang stayed there and cheap" it also closed to Australian Embassy.

3. yes lot of bar near silom. it called Patphong district. just choose which bar you wants. it's too much. Never been to any bar. but I walked passing that way oftenly

4. the answer is 2 blocks. you can walk from Australian Embassy to Silom road by walking.

ONE THING, HMM WHY POST HERE RER? I NGONG?

Edited February 11, 2005 by MistaDorn

[wowpow]

THe least expensive way into Bangkok is on an Airport bus. As you exit the Arrivals hall look to the left and you will see the bus stop and the routes are clearly signed for the different buses. The fare went up to 100 baht some time ago. The problem is knowing when to get off as the drivers usually don't speak English. The Oz Embassy is on South SaTHorn Road.

To get a taxi, ignore the touts in the Arrivals Hall, exit and you will see a kiosk for Taxis. Tell the girl in the kiosk when you are going and she will give you a slip with info in English and you get a meter taxi. The cost to Sathorn will depend on the traffic but you will have 50 baht sirport tax and about 60 baht toll fees and a total of about 280 baht.

Sathorn runs parallel to Silom a big block away. Soi 4 is only for gay bars and restaurants. The Sathorn, Silom and Suriwong Roads are the financial area of Bangkok and hotels tend to be more expensive. I think that you can still get a room for about 800 baht Suriwong or Rose? but they tend to be a bit sleazy. For about 850 you can get the Pinnacle via http://dragoncastle.net/bookings.shtml The Malaysia may suit - or look up gay listings on http://www.dreadedned.com/ There are cheaper hotels/guest houses in the area but not known to me.

Bars are listed on the dreadedned site (above) Basically there is Silom with gay bars, restaurants, dicos and coffeeshops, mostly non-commercial in Soi 1 Soi 4 and the surrounding area. On the next block is Suriwong with a concentration of go-go bars on Soi Twighlight. The first soi on the right travelling from Rama IV Road.

Meter taxis are everpresent. cheap, good and the basic charge is 35 baht. On Silom and Suriwong they try to rip you off late at night - particularly the parked ones - just walk to Rama IV and get one that will use the meter.

I suggest you get a Bangkok map. The Nancy Chandler one is very tourist friendly and available at all bookshops. For a city tour you would best use a bus tour and these can be booked, possibly at your hotel or at any of the many travel agents shops around.

Best wishes for a happy trip

[Ijustwannateach]

^good advice for tourists!

[AsiaWolfie]

many useful posts already, just let me add: dont go for the airport bus if you are not too familiar with BKK and have some luggage (and I am sure u have).....just ignore the TAXIOSI-TOUTS at the arrival-hall, walk outside (there is even a sign "Taxi-Counter" or something at each exit and see where the people are queeing for Taxi....its a small counter, you tell the person there where u wanna go, u get ur destination written on a voucher, and then the taxi driver will bring you there.....u have to pay 50 baht surcharge added to the meter fare for that service, (so dont be surprised if its 50 baht more than shown on the meter), but its DEFINITELY worth the money if you are not too familiar with BKK. and the taxi driver will ask you "HIGHWAY ?" or "TOLLWAY?", which means, he wanna know if you wanna use the fast tollway road. as you wanna go to Sathorn and silom, it is 100% advisable to use tollway, u can be at Sathorn within 30-40 minutes, otherwise it can take more than 2 hours at rush hour (and the driver even may refuse to go the SLOW WAY).....for hotels around silom, if you are on a budget, try SURAWONG HOTEL, at Surawongse road. its very gay friendly, actually it was a gay place years ago.....rooms are clean even some dont have windows, its around 600 baht. my friend, which is an educated (doctor) person and even a little picky, always stays there and says its okay for the money......for any more advices, esp. on nightlife or so, feel free to privatemessage me......enjoy

[AsiaWolfie]

oh and I forgot to mention, you will have to pay for the TOLLWAY fee....its 70 baht to Sathorn as far as I remember.....just after telling the driver you wanna use the tollway, you hand him a 100 baht note and then he will give you back the change after paying at the tollway counter (there will be 2 tollway-counters on your way to sathorn)

[ProThaiExpat]

Surawong hotel is my choice because they have cheap rooms for about 800 Baht and high end rooms for 1800, it just depends on whether they have remodeled them or not.

They recently remodeled their lobby and it is quite nice. What you would expect from a chic botique hotel in Europe, 24 hour coffee shop, etc. You would not be ashamed at being picked up at their lobby by anyone.

Their access is not all it could be, a quick left down a very narrow soi just after entering Surowongse Road from one direction, they have a electric sign, if the cab misses it, there is another entrance a little further down. If your heading there from the Airport you might make sure the cab driver knows the hotel.

I like its location as it is a easy walk to the more popular gay restaurants and bars, there is a couple of good restaurants nearby and good foot massage within a few doors.

I feel at home there when I visit BKK, probably because I have been there enough times that I get around easily. Rimpini park is close as well and the skytrain is an easy walk.

[Patong Bob]

Thanks very much for the advice. From the Embassy to the Surawong Hotel is about two Blocks ? Easy walk (one bag), or how much for a meter taxi ?

Why did I post in this section ? Why do you think ?

[AsiaWolfie]

why walk in the heat ? Taxis are dead-cheap.....they embassy seems to be close by, so dont expect to pay more than 50 baht for the short ride if its not peak-hours.....and if the driver doesnt know the way (I am sure almost no driver will know about the address of most embassies), you just tell the driver the name of the road, then while u are on your way, you call the embassy and let the staff speak to the driver.....I did it like that many times.....

why you posted your topic here in this special section of THAIVISA ? let me guess.......cause you are a ### and wanted to have ur questions replied by other ####.......hehehehe......and it worked ;-))))

/Post edited for abusive words.

Member warned.

Moderator

Edited February 13, 2005 by ChrisP