Trenton42
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Posts posted by Trenton42
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Good luck with that.
The GPS function on my Nokia is a little too slow to be useful when driving. So I picked up a Garmin Nuvi, which works like a charm over here.
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How about going to Nana Plaza, pick out a LB you like, and then take her to one of the ST hotels?
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Thanks Mardi, but dont they have a tuktuk that takes you up the road for free?
They might, but I'd be surprised if it ran 24/7.
And having to leave NEP at 11:45 to catch the last ride back doesn't add much to the party.
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I recommend BNH Hospital near Silom: http://www.bnhhospital.com
Less expensive that Bumrungraad, and it won't be a problem if one doesn't speak Thai.
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This is good to know. I was hoping to stay at the Majestic Grande which I hear is a bit nicer. Any comments on the tourists there?
Personally, it doesn't matter to me whose pillows are fluffier; I'm all about the action.
If you're a newbie, I recommend the Nana.
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While the odd tourist or backpacker might stay at the Nana Hotel from time to time, it's mostly punters. In fact, my guess would be that the Nana Hotel has the lowest tourist occupancy.
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The City Line runs every 15 minutes and the Express Line runs every 30 minutes or so. Both lines operate from 6am to midnight.
Both lines also stop at Makkasan, which is good if one plans to transfer to the subway and then SkyTrain. But if I had luggage, I'd prolly grab a taxi instead of taking the subway/SkyTrain, because it would be too much bother. A taxi from Makkasan is good for the even Sukhumwit sois west of Asoke and the odd sois east of Asoke, but if I were going to Soi 4 or the odd sois on Sukhumwit east of Asoke, I'd ride the City Line to Ratchaprarop and take a tax from there.
At Ratchaprarop, you'll have to drag your luggage down to the street, but look around in case they have an elevator for the handicapped.
Although there's a taxi loop at the Ratchaprarop station, I can't recall ever seeing one there. The street isn't far away, so I'd head there to look for an available taxi. The street there is relatively busy, so it shouldn’t take long to find a ride. The fare to Nana should be around 60 THB or so, depending on traffic and traffic lights. There are two congested areas to go through (Pra Ram 9 and Soi 3/Sukhumwit), so YMMV. Even so, mid-day isn't bad, but things slow down everywhere at rush hour.
Hope that helps.
Good luck, and I look forward to hearing how taking the train worked out for you.
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You can say *that* again!
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Are you using a backpack or luggage?
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Try squeezing some limes in your water. I found it helped with my sore throats when flying.
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Nice idea having a window in the shower!
One can easily see if the night's entertainment is going through one's luggage!!
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Thanksgiving will be here soon, and Americans and bon vivants will be looking for a special meal.
While there will be a few bars up and down Sukhumwit offering a plate of turkey and fixings for a couple hundred THB, my experience is that the pub meals are nothing special.
For *my* money, the best Thanksgiving dinner can be had at Bourbon Street.
The Bourbon Street Thanksgiving Buffet offerings include:
• Commander’s Salad
• Spinach Salad
• Fresh Garden Salad
• Fruit Cocktail Mixed Berries Salad
• House Cured Salmon
• Shrimp Cocktail
• Italian Cheese Sausage
• Fried Shrimp
• Shrimp Au Gratin
• Shrimp Remick
• Crab Cakes
• Fried Fish Florentine
• Fruit Cocktail
• Oyster Artichoke Soup
• Blackened Redfish
• Shrimp Bisque
• Pumpkin Soup
• Gumbo with Turkey and Andouille Sausage
• Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
• Potato skins with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese
• Roast Prime Rib
• Lamb Chops
• Crispy Fried Soft Shell Crab
• Blackened Shrimp Pasta
• Jambalaya Seafood
• BBQ Pork Ribs
• BBQ Oyster with two kinds of Cheese
• US Butterball Cajun Deep Fried Turkey
• US Butterball Roast Turkey
• Roast Beef in Gravy
• Backed Virginia Ham
• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Mixed Vegetables
• Beet Root Au Gratin
• Corn on the Cob
• Cornbread and Andouille Dressing
• Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Sauce or Praline Pecan Bourbon Sauce
• Apple Pie with Ice Cream
• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Cream Brule
• Banana Chocolate Moose Pie
• Lemon Tart
• Pecan Pie
• Georgia Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Brownie
• Cheesecake
• Chocolate Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Mixed Fruit
• Ice Cream
The buffet also includes Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, bottled water, and iced tea. Bourbon Street also offers a full bar for those that prefer a stiffer drink.
It’s a little pricey at 899 THB, but if one likes to eat good food it’s well worth it.
The buffet will be available on Thursday from 12 Noon to 10:30 PM.
Bourbon Street will offer the same buffet on Friday from 5 PM until closing, with all domestic beers (bottled and draft), cocktails, and liquors for 100 THB. House wine 140 THB.
Bourbon Street is located in Washington Square, on Sukhumwit Soi 22.
They don’t accept reservations for Thanksgiving, and the buffet is very popular.
This will be my 8th Thanksgiving Dinner at Bourbon Street, and I wouldn’t miss it for *anything!*
For more information, check their website: http://www.bourbonstbkk.com
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Can't help you with thier guest policies, but can tell you it's a long way from Nana Plaza.
And the SkyTrain turns into a pumpkin at midnight!
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Visiting LOS since 2000 and in my 4th year of living here, the only thing I've caught thus far is NSU two different times and Chlamydia once from unprotected blowjobs. Cipro didn't dent any of them, and only Azithromycin (Zithromax) could get the job done.
A friend got Chlamydia in his eye; that was some nasty stuff.
One course got rid of my NSU, but doctors here recommend two courses of Azithromycin when treating Chlamydia.
Azithromycin is available at the big pharmacy next to Bully's Pub for about 500 THB per course.
mangatanga and hughjass85 reacted to this -
My main problem posting (and viewing) pix on the forum is my marginally capable internet. It can take an hour to open some posts if large pix are attached
My mobile connection is pretty slow, especially if I'm in the car. In that case, I just set my browser to not DL photos, and everything works much better. Of course if I want to see a photo, I must right-click on it, but it's a small price to pay for greatly increased loading times.
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Although the list is long, it looks like they're testing only a few actual cells in BKK at this time. But considering how long it's been in the making, any progress is a good thing.
In early January I was at Muang Thong Thani and saw the True 3G signs all over, but my True phone couldn't pick up a 3G signal. Will have a look today to see if there are any True 3G signs around Ground Zero.
I'll see if I can connect from Big Dogs this afternoon. If the bandwidth is greater than 460k, I'll cancel my AIS account. AIS works out to be a little less expensive for me, but I'm tired of giving my money to Thaksin and have been looking for an excuse to change.
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Are there designated areas downtown other than Siam Paragon?
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As an oversimplified, general rule, the Nana Hotel is fully booked each and every night, whether it's high season or low.
The only way you can be sure to stay there, is to book as early as possible.
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looking for a cheap LB friendly hotel as near as possible to NEP.
The Nana Hotel has a pool and a Jacuzzi, couldn’t be more LB friendly, and is arguably the closest hotel to NEP.
The perfect place for newbies.
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Here are some photos of that same departure drop off area which is crawling with Police.
While your photos may be of the departure area, the photos show where private vehicles and limos drop-off – not where taxis and buses drop-off. Taxis and buses now drop-off on the *other* side of the island in your photos.
I hardly think they (the police) are trying to enforce a 50 baht surcharge fee.
Certainly not the police in your photos, as it seems you chose to take pictures of Tourist Police…
Do you have any GOOD news! Ever?
I should think the good news isn’t that one used to be able to skirt a process in place to protect us thus saving 50 THB (a whopping $1.52 USD by recent ForEx rates), but rather that Thais have done something to protect tourists visiting Thailand, and at a very reasonable price. No longer do we read in Thai Rath of tourists being picked up at the airport being robbed and having their bodies dumped by the side of the road, or of tourist paying for their ride from the airport only to have the taxi driver driving off with the tourist’s luggage still in the boot (one of my favorites).
Additionally, the 200 THB or so meter to Nana is one of the cheapest taxi rides from an airport to the downtown area of any major city in the world! We should all feel good about that! When’s the last time you’ve taken a black cab from Heathrow to The Savoy – ouch!!!
Disseminating erroneous information in an attempt to make another feel good is not my style. I believe if someone reviews a restaurant that is now closed, it’s important to mention the fact that the restaurant is closed so another doesn’t go looking for it. The same goes for Wi-Fi hotspots that don’t exist, and so on. I mean, really… How could you disagree with that?
Forums provide a great way to give the latest information on the scene, but it takes people on the ground to do so. Many of us have fond memories of trips past, but things change. Restaurants close. Bars close. Loopholes close. Such is life. Things change.
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And here's that photo...
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I'm not versed on Thai law but I heard prostitution is illegal.
I too have heard that, but Thai law also states that a person must be over a certain age to be paid for sex, which seems to contradict that. I actually asked a Thai lawyer about the two laws, but he said he was unfamiliar with both; I think he just didn't want to discuss them...
You can only sell alcohal during certain hours of the day, but I see Thais selling homemade whiskies in the street.
*I* personally can not sell alcohol at all, without regard to the hour, due to my visa limitations. There is indeed a Thai law restricting the selling of alcohol at some consumer outlets (such as mini-mart and supermarket chains), but other outlets (such as cash-and-carry stores, bars and restaurants and the like, or mom-and-pop mini-marts) are not included in the restrictions. My GF had two minimarts and when I noticed her selling booze during the day, ran it past the legal group we use in Bangkok. As they'd been pretty good so far, I didn't mind following their advice.
On television they cannot show cigarette smoking or have them showing behind the counters at 7/11's and the like, but then I see young children sellling them on Bangla road and basically in the outdoor bars.
Although I have noticed that the mini-mart chains cover up the cigarettes, I haven't noticed many (if any) of the mom-and-pop minimarts doing so. My GFs minimarts didn't sell cigarettes, so that wasn't an issue for her.
But now that I think of it, I haven't seen kids in the streets (in Bangkok and Pattaya) selling cigarettes for a long, long time. They sell gum and Fisherman's Friend now. Maybe it's time for you to make another visit to check things out.
As long as I fly into either of these airports I will utilise this alternative if Skytrain isn't viable for me.
Good luck with that. It’ll be interesting to see what happens at the taxi checkpoint. When is your next visit again?
Yesterday, I had to make another trip to Swampy, and snapped the pic below with my phone as I was driving past the taxi checkpoint.
The photo is dark, but if one looks at it closely it’s possible to see a police motorcycle with two cops sitting in chairs, orange traffic cones making up the funnel, and a few taxis lining up to go through the checkpoint. Just to the left of the rolled up umbrella is where the taxis are inspected.
Next time I go to Swampy, I’ll see if I can park the car and have a walk around to get a better pic.
I think what you’re really getting at with your post is that sometimes the way the laws in Thailand are enforced and/or interpreted seems a little lax. And I would agree; just a quick look at Soi Cowboy and NEP only two blocks apart and located in different police districts, illustrates just how different interpretations can be… But IMO, suggesting one flaunt the law while the airport’s interests are being protected by armed officers is poor advice at least.
Before someone starts thinking the airport’s interest lay in the 50 THB, it’s a little more complicated than that. Once upon a time, when Don Muang was Bangkok’s only airport and before the Taxi Kiosk was put in place, unscrupulous taxi drivers would pick up passengers, drive them to a dark alley where a confederate was waiting, and this is where things would get interesting… Sometimes the poor farang would only be robbed, but far too often for TAT, a farang would end up with a slit throat only to end up with their body dumped unceremoniously at the side of the road.
After far too many occurrences, TAT in their slow wisdom, pronounce something must be done about it, and came up with the Taxi Kiosk system still in effect at Don Muang and now also in effect at Swampy. In a rare bit of Thai-forethought, TAT even suggested a taxi surcharge (to be passed on to the customer, of course) to pay for the extra added bureaucracy.
About a year or so before Swampy opened, a young Japanese female presumably got disoriented at Don Muang (or maybe she was trying to beat The Man out of 50 THB), found herself in the Arrival area, and got in a taxi. After she was raped and murdered, there was a firestorm of controversy in the Thai newspapers (not really, but Thai Rath squeezed it for what they could to titillate their readership).
In addition to it being a far lot more safe than it was before, another nice thing about the Taxi Kiosk system is that if one forgets something in the taxi, they have the taxi driver’s details and can call to retrieve their forgotten item. And as I know someone who left something in a taxi, I can say it really works!
All things considered, this probably isn’t the best advice on saving money; too much downside risk.
But what about telling us how to save some *real* money by taking the express bus into town!
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...by just going upstairs to departures you can easily catch a taxi that just dropped some on off... They win and you win by doing this. Its all allowed. You'll always save time and money with this option.
Bad news -- I was at Swampy yesterday, and they now funnel vehicles departing the Departure area through a check-point so the vehicles can be examined. I don't know what they're looking for, but it would seem to be a good way to enforce the airport taxi surcharge.
Although it was easy to skirt the airport surcharge in the past, it was always illegal -- even at Don Muang back in the day...
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Thailand GPS software
in Technology and I.T Forum
Posted
If one looks around the Interweb, the maps can be found for free.
IIRC, maps are available at GadgetTrend in BKK for around 1,500 installed.
I suppose they might be available at BKK's software emporiums, but I've never looked.
My Garmin Nuvi was purchased over here, and has a Thai operating system. Units purchased in the US/UK/EU may have different OSs raising compatibility issues with maps. It's a good idea to check it out.
The Garmin Nuvi worked brilliantly up north. Used it to find all my hotels, and the Garmin was invaluable locating the nearest gas station when we were running on fumes.