Bangkok Going To The Dogs...

[samran]

If the truth be told Lower Sukhumvit is a bigger shit hole than the majority of Pattaya... But its only a 3-400 meter stretch of a single road in a city thats population is nearing 10 million offical residents... Pattaya as a whole is the biggest cesspit on the planet, end of story...

I couldn't stand living in Pattaya personally, your treated as a tourist where ever you go and most of the time u can't even buy so much as a sandwich without a rip-off attempt, almost everything is double priced.. The vast majority of Thai's living there are there for a reason, the tourist trade. Never mind what they are selling there all trying to extract as much money as possible from foreigners..

Not my idea of paradise

agree. If they could buldoze much of what lies between soi 1 and Asoke, Bangkok would be a much better place.

My two exceptions would be Chuwit park (a RIP of an bygone era) and Soi Arab, with some of the best food to be had in Bangkok.

[aussiejosh]

I actually refuse to goto pataya, i hate it. Sleeze you can't avoid, atleast in Bangkok its easy to just stick around in Thong lor or somewhere nice. Ekkamai has some cool up and coming nice places.

Pataya doesn't.

[polecat]

My two exceptions would be Chuwit park (a RIP of an bygone era) and Soi Arab, with some of the best food to be had in Bangkok.

Hey, leave soi 11, too. Tapas cafe is one of my faves.

And I'm partial to Namuskaar on Soi 8. Shit! Soi 8 pub!

It's an arduous task, but samran's got to do it (someone's got to... oh, never mind).

[TopDogger]

agree. If they could buldoze much of what lies between soi 1 and Asoke, Bangkok would be a much better place.

I don't mind it for an occasional few beers when friends are over on hol's and want a look, etc.. It's usually quite entertaining watching goings on.. The vermin nibbling at holiday makers ankles trying to extract cash under other pretenses, the feeding frenzys when some dumb tourist starts throwing cash around trying to impress the hoez.. The pilloks sat in gogo's waiting for their "gf" to finish work... All quite entertaining

But best of all, totally avoidable..

[britmaveric]

The only difference between Bangkok and Pattaya............

smog/traffic is worse in Bangkok. Other than that same same.

[sanmiguellight]

Ekkamai has some cool up and coming nice places.

These places you talk of in Ekkamai are on the whole extremely pretentious, full of people who want everyone to think theyre really rich for some unknown reason. I avoid similar places in the UK like the plague, give me a proper working mans pub in England on a Friday afternoon anyday.

The OP has a point that Lower Sukhumvit isnt what it once was, and IMO there is an bad atmosphere in the air .... maybe his comparison with Pattaya isnt the best one.

[OxfordWill]

That sounds suspiciously like the opinion of someone who went, once, to somewhere on Ekkamai, which happened to be one of the 10 or so hi so joints down there, and didnt like it. Ekkamai has a great deal more than that going on.

[BigSnake]

Yes Bangkok aka, the big mango has lots and lots of dogs, two and four legs kind, so yeah I would agree going going gone to the DOGS

[barrybike]

suprised the moderators let this topic go as far ..from the start the op is talking about hos..which is a black term for prostitute....as im sure you all know lol sbk must be gone on holidays

[sanmiguellight]

That sounds suspiciously like the opinion of someone who went, once, to somewhere on Ekkamai, which happened to be one of the 10 or so hi so joints down there, and didnt like it. Ekkamai has a great deal more than that going on.

You really are Mr Thailand, i was the Gik of a girl who owned a business there and spent quite a bit of time here.

Do you think if i didnt Wai the glass collectors people may have been nicer to me?

[chiang mai]

I like Bangkok. I like lunch at the Landmark on occasion and I enjoy dinner at Cuppa's, in fact I like the huge diversity of great restaurants in the city, everywhere from the seedier parts of lower Sukhumvit through to the "nob hill" end of say Langsuan, all very good. I also like the shopping opportunities in places such as Paragon and the Emporium and even in MBK, truly good. As for entertainment I enjoy a whole range of places - good pool to be had at Hillary's, good jazz at the Blues Bar and god forbid, even opera to be had also (but only if you're a fan). So would I live in Bangkok, no, it's not somewhere I want to live 24/7 but I like to visit frequently. Do I care about the people working around me as I walk to lunch at The Landmark, certainly not, that's a part of Bangkok's culture and one of the many aspects that makes Asia interesting. I'm sure I wouldn't remain here if my walk along lower Sukhumvit entailed all neatness, primness and the properness that categorizes so many Western cities today.

[PatinBKk]

Notes on Bangkok:

As an ex-Bangkok resident now residing in Pattaya, I am always amused when current City folk make post denigrating remarks on our fair City-By-The-Sea...especially about our hard working ladies of entertainment sector. I had the occasion to spend a couple days in Bangkok recently and was shocked to see the continuing deterioration of the Sukhumvit corridor and it's now worse by any measure than anywhere in Pattaya.

One interesting note was the complete lack of any Western or Asian tourists. All I saw were Arab men and their chador covered wifes and children haggling with the trinket vendors, and Indian families and young men as far as the eye could see. I guess these are the folks the TAT has had in mind in all these years of courting "quality" tourists.

And what's with the 24-hours ho-station outside the Soi 5 Starbucks...at least when I lived in Bangkok, the ladies had the decency not to come out and ply their trade till sunset, and had the sense to call it quits at sunrise. Now it's just a 24-hours meat-market there...and by the looks of them...almost made me loose my morning latte!

Another nice addition are the genuine black African ho's now working that stretch as well. Sheeze...what an embarrassment to the Thai folks who have to stand here to catch a bus. It's bad enough for them to have to see their own brazenly soliciting any man who happens to pass their way (one even waved at me frantically from across the street when I was enjoying breakfast at the Landmark Cafe one morning...classy) but these imported ee-daums as well! It's a shame someone "influential person" is taking backhanders from the pimps to stay the hands of the police from dealing with these fat-black chicks!

Finally, the massagee-massagee touts seem more numerous than ever...with one not being able to take a few steps without being accosted by one of them...or their fellows-in-crime the took-took touts!

I am glad someone else thinks the same as me, I got slated for pointing this out on a similar post...the whole area is a cesspit of drugs and prostitution...should knock it all down and build a theme park or something of more intetest than whores....of course all the 'pay for sex' brigagde will be out to protect their dirty hookers

-PatinBKk-

I thought you already in the more convinient neighberhood I suggested,

the VATIKAN

and take your new holy brother with you, move in together it will bring a cheaper rent.

Its 8.00pm Friday night, I suppose you are trimming your nose hairs and putting on your cheap aftershave to troll the area for your night of cheap passion...good luck and be safe.....kerb crawlers and the like disgust me

[zorro1]

I like Bangkok. I like lunch at the Landmark on occasion and I enjoy dinner at Cuppa's, in fact I like the huge diversity of great restaurants in the city, everywhere from the seedier parts of lower Sukhumvit through to the "nob hill" end of say Langsuan, all very good. I also like the shopping opportunities in places such as Paragon and the Emporium and even in MBK, truly good. As for entertainment I enjoy a whole range of places - good pool to be had at Hillary's, good jazz at the Blues Bar and god forbid, even opera to be had also (but only if you're a fan). So would I live in Bangkok, no, it's not somewhere I want to live 24/7 but I like to visit frequently. Do I care about the people working around me as I walk to lunch at The Landmark, certainly not, that's a part of Bangkok's culture and one of the many aspects that makes Asia interesting. I'm sure I wouldn't remain here if my walk along lower Sukhumvit entailed all neatness, primness and the properness that categorizes so many Western cities today.

Wow you dine at the landmark? a pint of Guinness is 350 bht on the terrace. A coffee = $5 usa dollars , don't know anyone rich or not who dines there unless company sponsored or on holidays. Although the Sunday roast buffet downstairs is good tucker

banyan tree rooftop dining now that's a place to experience similar price to landmark but oh boy what a view

Edited June 12, 2009 by zorro1

[chiang mai]

I like Bangkok. I like lunch at the Landmark on occasion and I enjoy dinner at Cuppa's, in fact I like the huge diversity of great restaurants in the city, everywhere from the seedier parts of lower Sukhumvit through to the "nob hill" end of say Langsuan, all very good. I also like the shopping opportunities in places such as Paragon and the Emporium and even in MBK, truly good. As for entertainment I enjoy a whole range of places - good pool to be had at Hillary's, good jazz at the Blues Bar and god forbid, even opera to be had also (but only if you're a fan). So would I live in Bangkok, no, it's not somewhere I want to live 24/7 but I like to visit frequently. Do I care about the people working around me as I walk to lunch at The Landmark, certainly not, that's a part of Bangkok's culture and one of the many aspects that makes Asia interesting. I'm sure I wouldn't remain here if my walk along lower Sukhumvit entailed all neatness, primness and the properness that categorizes so many Western cities today.

Wow you dine at the landmark? a pint of Guinness is 350 bht on the terrace. A coffee = $5 usa dollars , don't know anyone rich or not who dines there unless company sponsored or on holidays. Although the Sunday roast buffet downstairs is good tucker

I didn't say I dine at the Landmark I said I enjoy lunch there on occasion, their Reuben sandwich is very good and at 280 baht it's great value - their Dim Sum menu is also excellent and also good value. Sometimes I really enjoy going to places like the Landmark (and others), eating at a reasonable price and watching visiting business folks and tourists spend large sums, I get a strange satisfaction from it all.

[Ulysses G.]

Do I care about the people working around me as I walk to lunch at The Landmark, certainly not, that's a part of Bangkok's culture and one of the many aspects that makes Asia interesting. I'm sure I wouldn't remain here if my walk along lower Sukhumvit entailed all neatness, primness and the properness that categorizes so many Western cities today.

Right on!

[soundman]

suprised the moderators let this topic go as far ..from the start the op is talking about hos..which is a black term for prostitute....as im sure you all know lol sbk must be gone on holidays

As long as the "specifics" of prostitution (or other Thai Visa forum rules broken) are not discussed, you gentlemen remain civil towards one another, and the topic of discussion remains more or less on track, the topic can run.

I am sure there is far more to Bkk than beer & working ladies....

[TopDogger]

Wow you dine at the landmark? a pint of Guinness is 350 bht on the terrace. A coffee = $5 usa dollars , don't know anyone rich or not who dines there unless company sponsored or on holidays.

And its 2 for one on most draft beer/lager, the food is good.. And the indoors is open 24hrs..

[TopDogger]

That sounds suspiciously like the opinion of someone who went, once, to somewhere on Ekkamai, which happened to be one of the 10 or so hi so joints down there, and didnt like it. Ekkamai has a great deal more than that going on.

You really are Mr Thailand, i was the Gik of a girl who owned a business there and spent quite a bit of time here.

Do you think if i didnt Wai the glass collectors people may have been nicer to me?

You used to Wai the glass collectors? What were u, the ashtray cleaner?

Edited June 12, 2009 by TopDogger

[cognos]

In the end, it's easy to avoid those places, so I have no idea why people complain about it, it's no different when I lived in Bristol, I wouldn't generally go hanging around in St Pauls or Eastville.

Spot on, at least you can avoid them if you want. Patters you just can't they are everywhere and most of them katoeys

Is this a case of calling the kettle black?

[TopDogger]

suprised the moderators let this topic go as far ..from the start the op is talking about hos..which is a black term for prostitute....as im sure you all know lol sbk must be gone on holidays

Jog on son...

[cognos]

with all due respect..Don't judge lest you be judged, and calling the kettle black when yours (Pattaya) is possibly even blacker could be construed as somewhat hypocritical.