Thailand - Three days in BKK

Wife and I have 3days in Bangkok in January, suggestions for sites, tours. Etc?

We are staying at Lebua. We are middle aged, like history, cuisine, and experiencing different cultures.

Appreciate any suggestions for must sees.

Thanks

Wife and planning on following for our 4 days in Bangkok:

Bangkok City and Temple Tour (http://www.bangkok.com/city---culture-tours/cityandtemples.htm#ixzz1T42VOsEg)

Ayuttya Day trip (http://www.bangkok.com/product-reviews/ayutthaya-day-trip-review.htm)

Chao Phyra River Cruise (http://www.bangkok.com/product-reviews/chaophraya.htm)

Floating Market and Wat Arun.

The question to folks here is whether we should purchase this before we start our trip or do you think we will be able to find these tours for cheaper once we are there?

Until the city dries out, the water supply is secured, food chain restored,etc. I'd stay away unless essential travel is required. I've got a 48 hr biz trip in middle Jan; normally would stay extra 24-48 hrs to enjoy the food and people but this time going to parachute in and get out asap.

OP, those all sound like good ideas for a brief visit.

IME, if you can handle the transportation around the city yourself (and it's easy if you're able to use BTS, the Chao Praya Express river ferries, etc.), you can definitely save over pre-arranged tours of the various attractions. Consider the Grand Palace, which you can visit for a B300 entry fee + under B20 getting there if you stick to public transportation ... vs. likely B2500 or more for the same via a hotel-arranged tour.


Until the city dries out, the water supply is secured, food chain restored,etc. I'd stay away unless essential travel is required. I've got a 48 hr biz trip in middle Jan; normally would stay extra 24-48 hrs to enjoy the food and people but this time going to parachute in and get out asap.

Eh, I was just there this week, and though things aren't entirely normal yet, I think staying away would be bad advice. No reason to avoid BKK if you ask me.

Until the city dries out, the water supply is secured, food chain restored,etc. I'd stay away unless essential travel is required. I've got a 48 hr biz trip in middle Jan; normally would stay extra 24-48 hrs to enjoy the food and people but this time going to parachute in and get out asap.

:rolleyes::rolleyes: Not sure where you've been recently but Bangkok is operating normally.

Other than a few 7-11s in Yaowarat I've noticed no empty shelves. Vendors never left and markets are open. Do what you want but if you're going to give advice at least base it upon reality.

:rolleyes::rolleyes: Not sure where you've been recently but Bangkok is operating normally.

Other than a few 7-11s in Yaowarat I've noticed no empty shelves. Vendors never left and markets are open. Do what you want but if you're going to give advice at least base it upon reality.

i resent the tone of your post...there is no intent to misinform anyone.:mad:

My colleague/boss, a Thai national who has extended family in Bkk just returned from 10 day trip. Normally she and her family return to Bkk for Christmas but for the reasons I posted earlier, decided not to visit this time. That was the basis of my 'bad advice'.

i resent the tone of your post...there is no intent to misinform anyone.:mad:

My colleague/boss, a Thai national who has extended family in Bkk just returned from 10 day trip. Normally she and her family return to Bkk for Christmas but for the reasons I posted earlier, decided not to visit this time. That was the basis of my 'bad advice'.

Resent away if you like.

The fact is Bangkok proper is fine. There are little to no water or food shortages in any location where tourists would wander.

OP, those all sound like good ideas for a brief visit.

IME, if you can handle the transportation around the city yourself (and it's easy if you're able to use BTS, the Chao Praya Express river ferries, etc.), you can definitely save over pre-arranged tours of the various attractions. Consider the Grand Palace, which you can visit for a B300 entry fee + under B20 getting there if you stick to public transportation ... vs. likely B2500 or more for the same via a hotel-arranged tour.



I thought English speaking guides might enhance the experience of the history and architecture at a place like the Grand palace. The tour we are looking at for the Grand Palace is THB800/person...i.e. significantly higher than the THB300. The only concern I have is the e-mail replies of the tour operators has poor english!! Thoughts?

I thought English speaking guides might enhance the experience of the history and architecture at a place like the Grand palace. The tour we are looking at for the Grand Palace is THB800/person...i.e. significantly higher than the THB300. The only concern I have is the e-mail replies of the tour operators has poor english!! Thoughts?


Entry is 400 THB.

I thought English speaking guides might enhance the experience of the history and architecture at a place like the Grand palace. The tour we are looking at for the Grand Palace is THB800/person...i.e. significantly higher than the THB300. The only concern I have is the e-mail replies of the tour operators has poor english!! Thoughts?

I believe there was a stand inside the Wat Phra Kaew grounds where one could join a free walk with an English-speaking guide. I just went with the English brochure they give with the ticket purchase and had no problems; I did catch a portion of one of the guided walks as they went past the model of Angkor Wat, and said uniformed guide's English sounded fairly good to me.


Entry is 400 THB.

It was 300 when I was there last Friday.

It was 300 when I was there last Friday.

It was 400 on Dec 4.... So I stayed outside while some family went it.

I'm in Bangkok now and have been for the past week. The floods did not affect the south of bangkok. All the places you want to see and visit were not affected. The weather is perfect and its a nice place to be. See the grand palace and emerald Budha. The price was 400 Baht per person plus we spent another 400 Baht for a guide for the four of us. The guide was well worth it. Also see Wat Po, Pat Pong, and Kho San Road. Bangkok is a lot of fun and there is no reason to put it off.

Resent away if you like.

The fact is Bangkok proper is fine. There are little to no water or food shortages in any location where tourists would wander.

+1. I was here during the worst of the flooding, then returned again and am just finishing up a 17 night stay, leaving for BOS tonight. Come. You'll probably notice nothing flood-related other than small masonry barriers in front of some shops which have been slow to remove them. Mo Chit area and Chatuchak are now dry and operating normally.

+1. I was here during the worst of the flooding, then returned again and am just finishing up a 17 night stay, leaving for BOS tonight. Come. You'll probably notice nothing flood-related other than small masonry barriers in front of some shops which have been slow to remove them. Mo Chit area and Chatuchak are now dry and operating normally.

Well, River City did have "Christmas trees" made of piled up sandbags out front. :)

I second/third the reports of no issues in tourist areas. I saw stands of sandbags in many areas I visited a week ago, but otherwise no issues (restaurants & hotels had food & water, etc.).

Just flew into bkk yesterday noon time for 24 hrbiz mtg, dinner at L'Opera off soi 33. they were out of diet cokes due to recent floods :D

Just flew into bkk yesterday noon time for 24 hrbiz mtg, dinner at L'Opera off soi 33. they were out of diet cokes due to recent floods :D

Actually that was due to my dad's recent quaffing habits. ;)

Just flew into bkk yesterday noon time for 24 hrbiz mtg, dinner at L'Opera off soi 33. they were out of diet cokes due to recent floods :D

Funny how production can get impacted. I am hearing this as well, a temporary outage of most diet soft drinks occurred. Regular soft drinks seemed to not be affected.

I have recently heard shelves are stocked up again with the diet varieties, so the addicts can rest easy.

I tend to opt more for Singha / Leo, but understand the importance for some.
:D

After that extended aside, here are a few suggestions for CSW.

The Lebua is great. Have a well-made drink on the roof and enjoy the view, but skip the restaurant, over-priced and mediocre. The view is more spectacular from the outside bar, but I like lounging on the cushions on the other terrace, directly behind the inside bar.

If you have an interest in food, you could do a cooking class. There is the rather slick and expensive school at the Blue Elephant, not very far from you hotel, but I found the Silom Cooking School (http://www.bangkokthaicooking.com/ - even closer to your hotel) a much more entertaining and hands-on experience. Neither is designed for people with highly honed cooking skills, but still the one class I took was fun and informative. A friend of mine loved it so much that he decided to plan a whole vacation around going to the school and taking all the classes available.

For culture, you should see what's on at the BACC (Bangkok Art and Culture Center, between MBK and Siam Discovery malls); if you're in town on a Sunday, you might want to hit a Bangkok Symphony Orchestra concert in Lumpini Park (5:30 pm every Sunday between now and I think mid-February). They play more pop and crowd-pleasers than serious classical music, but a great place to have a picnic or relax on the lawn. You could also check out movies. Paragon has luxury boutique projection rooms with sofas, cocktails and snacks; most centrally located malls will show current Thai films with entertainingly approximate English subtitles.

If this is your first time in Bangkok, you should also consider doing the tour at the Jim Thompson House. The tours are recited by rote, but there are really some lovely objects that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. And the collection of houses themselves come from various parts of Thaialnd that you normally wouldn't see in one place.

If you're around on a Friday, you might want to consider Chatuchak Market. You can go ona Saturday or Sunday, too, but it's manic. Take the MRT or the BTS if you don't mind public transportation as it will often be faster than a cab in traffic. Not all the stalls are open, and from the street it will look like everything is shut, but walk in and you find loads of junk and loads to tempt you. One of the nicer areas is towards JJ Mall, and if you need an aircon break, dip into JJ Plaza for a drink or a snack in the upstairs food court. Make sure you hit the food market across the street (the Farmers' Association showcase). Lots to sample and lots to buy, including exotic fruit not easily found in restaurants.

You should consider a foray into street food. Places you might want to look include Sukhumvit soi 38 right under Thong Lo BTS station or the area near Tha Pra Chan, a pier close to the Grand Palace, but every neighborhood will have snacks to tempt you. Take a boat up the river to Tha Chang and walk towards Tha Pra Chan, both the boat ride and the walk will be slices of local life. One of your local markets is the one opposite the Indian temple on Silom (soi 20, I think). It's not very big, but lots of local color. The lady in front of the mosque sells great fried chicken and the dessert cart on the corner has kanom krok, a sweet and savory coconut dessert that is one of my favorites. It's also a soi away from Silom Village, the tourist mall. Prices are higher than say at Chatuchak or MBK, but it's one stop shopping if you're looking for souvenirs.

If you're looking for something more upscale and Thai, you could book a table at Face Bar(http://www.facebars.com/en/bangkok/restaurant/, be sure to book the Thai restaurant as they also have different cuisines on the premises) or the original Ruen Mellika (http://www.ruenmallika.com/). Both serve beautiful food in pleasant settings.

Have a great time!

Thanks for the great suggestions - I have booked the Silom cooking school and am really looking forward to the trip. One more week :)

I leave for BKK next week and appreciate the up to date info.

The Lebua is great. Have a well-made drink on the roof and enjoy the view, but skip the restaurant, over-priced and mediocre. The view is more spectacular from the outside bar, but I like lounging on the cushions on the other terrace, directly behind the inside bar.

I agree completely, but wouldvadd that the drinks at the rooftop bar are just as overpriced as the food.


If you're around on a Friday, you might want to consider Chatuchak Market. You can go on a Saturday or Sunday, too, but it's manic. Take the MRT or the BTS if you don't mind public transportation as it will often be faster than a cab in traffic. Not all the stalls are open, and from the street it will look like everything is shut, but walk in and you find loads of junk and loads to tempt you. One of the nicer areas is towards JJ Mall, and if you need an aircon break, dip into JJ Plaza for a drink or a snack in the upstairs food court. Make sure you hit the food market across the street (the Farmers' Association showcase). Lots to sample and lots to buy, including exotic fruit not easily found in restaurants.

I prefer the weekends. Yes, it's manic, but all the more exciting. BTS to Mo Chit station, the end of the Sukhumvit Line. Just follow the crowds. Easy to get turned around inside, though. There's a police station on the street just before you get to the market. Stop in and get a free map. Use the central Clock Tower for orienting yourself if you're lost in the market. And if you're lost inside (the market has both indoor and outdoor areas), just walk straight and you'll eventually get back outside.

I agree completely, but wouldvadd that the drinks at the rooftop bar are just as overpriced as the food.



Yes, but at least unlike the food, the drinks are reasonably tasty. And honestly, B500 for a drink and the view is a nice little splurge. B5000+ for mediocre dinner really is money better spent elsewhere.

CSW, if you're still in town and need any more suggestions, just give a shout.

Having said that about State Tower, I actually prefer having my over-priced cocktails at the Banyan Tree on Sathorn.

Speaking of views and cocktails, I keep meaning to try Long Table in the Column Hotel at Asok. Has anyone been there?