whackyjacky

Must say I've never been scammed in BKK - oh wait, 1st trip, there was that $25 Rolex that looked perfect, it had the weight, the sweep, and stopped working 4 hrs later on the plane. The hands went whatever way I tilted my hand. Impressive engineering - planned obsolescence of 4 hrs. It was like the self immolating tape on 'Mission Impossible'.

dsquared37

Except Peter Graves had a new tape each week. I sure hope you didn't return to buy a new watch.

PETEFLYS

Well I love BKK and I think it grows on you like any other big city. New York ,London,LA
all big cities all have there bad and charm. You have been to lots of places most of them pretty calm except Europe. I find anything can happen in any major city there. London,Paris,Florence,Milan, all great cities but I am sure people could tell you of all kinds of tourist problems.
Bangkok well as others have said the food,the people,and a real 24 hour city. This city comes alive at night so if your a day person it would not be so great. For someone who wants to drink,dance,eat,shop,see a show all hours of the night well it is easy here.
I love my skytrain,shopping centers,movie theatres,spas,world class hotels and service are the keys to this city.

geminidreams

My wife love the shopping which pleasing the wife is always a plus. You can get to stay in wonderful hotels with excellent service for a reasonable price. Lots of food and drink choices. I like having massages and its great that I get to relax while the wife is shopping! As I am frequently in very isolated parts of the world I also enjoy going to the movies, bowling, nightclubs and other activities which I dont often have access to.

AlwaysFlyStar

I lived in BKK for a year when an adolescent and absolutely love the city. You get all of the benefits of Southeast Asia, but with Thailand's much more sanitary preferences. While I may get a bit queasy eating street food in certain places in Vietnam and Burma, I never have had to deal with this in Thailand. And the toilets are usually kept a bit cleaner.

iquitos

nice people, temples, chinatown, shopping, food, climate, river ferry rides for 15 baht, nice airport, inexpensive, and relatively safe if you don't fall for scams or get into the sex trade. i feel much safer than i do in SGN.

Dieuwer

These "scams" sound all rather easy to spot and harmless. It's quite a different thing from being grabbed and pullet into a shop in the Grand Bazaar and "asked" to buy a "carpet". Or constantly being harassed on the street by guys saying "you need a guide"!

rathin100

I have been living here now for about a year. It's ok if all you want to do is consume...food clothes, girls, boys, toys whatever. Thai culture as expressed or understood by a Bangkokian is pretty but nothing new to me, very much an amalgam of india and china, countries I am very familiar with, or crudely imitative of korean japanese british or American mores....unlike Hanoi, Saigon, KL or Jakarta which have grown their own. The manners are feudal, lots if bowing and scraping, and crawling, which as a republican I personally find quite putting off. There is far too much military and police in everyday life. ..... and I don't see many genuine smiles, though I do get lots of fake ones when spending money.

People are often inconsiderate in a very unAsian way... It's common to see young people not offering seats to pregnant ppl or senior citizens n the BTS The Traffic is obnoxious, the weather terrible. The cultural life is limited, though I'm slowly discovering Thai cinema.^

For me, the worst is that I'm not white, and the ubiquitous, almost nonstop, racial discrimination is tiring, after a while. Luckily I'm head of my office here, so obviously I don't get it there though I was told a month or so ago lthat people were impressed at how a non-white boss ran the office so effectively...no irony, meant as a compliment ( First non Caucasian in this job in 20 years since office was set up).

Having said that, much of the rest of Thailand is a treat and a politer, more refined, much less racist, easier, place, with lots of culture to discover and intersting society to engage with...

JTPictureman

For me I like Bangkok because it is 180 degrees from Indiana. When I travel in Europe I enjoy it but for me it is too close to the US, I never get that feeling of being in an "exotic" place like I do when I walk the streets of Bangkok.

I first went to Bangkok in 1984 and just loved the place, spending several months a year in the country from that first visit for a period of 10 years. I had a lot of friends from oil exploration that were always there when I visited and it was a welcome relief from whatever cesspool I was working in at the time.

After 10 years and a two year period of working in country I was ready for a break, the traffic, pollution and with my improving Thai, understanding some of the remarks being thrown my way got to me. Now I get there once a year or so, the last time this month and have a great time. I love the food, the sights and the smells but I am also one to go to Soi Cowboy and enjoy that side of Bangkok. It still brings a smile to my face just like it did back in '84.

dsquared37

While I agree with your positions stated this is something so true it should be reinforced with one exception: This is true for the rest of Thailand that hasn't succumbed to tourism.

rathin100

+ 1

seanthepilot

The nicest thing about Bangkok is that it is very close to the real Thailand.
To appreciate Thailand you have to leave the city, or at least the tourist areas. ^

Years ago, I spent several 6 month periods in Bangkok and loved it.

#1 If I lived somewhere else, I'd have to work.
I can live in Bangkok and survive on my investments.

#2 Food AND MUSIC. In this city of 10 million people, you could hit a different live music restaurant every night for 3 years.... and still not have touched the tourist areas
After a decade living in the country, I still am amazed at the extensive and diverse Thai food, unique from most other parts of the world.

#3 Great hotels with great value for dollar spent.

#4 Really decent night life. I'm not talking about the sex trade. I'm talking about the night life. From the noodle stand across from 7-11 drinking beer out of plastic cups, to the dedicated areas that can stay open almost all night (well, maybe not in Bangkok), it's a great place to go or meet friends, and either be left alone or mingle.

Bangkok's faults are many. If you only stay in the concrete jungle, you will likely hate it. But Bangkok's neighbourhoods are built so that you can feel like you're in a quiet district while only a few hundred meters from the insanity.

A friend of mine lived in an apartment last year and loved it. This year he stayed in Sukhumvit and said that 3 weeks was too long in Bangkok. It all depends how you do it.

Back to my list.

#5 Low taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes. Cheaper rooms, transportation, food, clothing, labour, etc.

#6 Affordable medical services, with good hygiene, competent specialists, and virtually no waitlists

#7 Organized chaos. You can pretty well do what you want, when you want. Want to drive on the wrong side of the street, drink til the cows come home, or just stay in your penthouse ordering room service... nobody really interferes. These examples are over the top, but I know that people like the nature of the society.

#8 Did we mention the food. pretty well 24/7. Delicious and cheap.

My last comment has to do with the difference of how we raise our families, and how I see that affecting the behaviour of our respective societies.

Example; Parents teach their children

Home: Don't talk to strangers!
Thailand: There's a foreigner, run over and say hello!

So, in my country, we are guarded and closed while out and about in society
But, in Thailand, it seems that the people are more outgoing and receptive to striking up conversation with strangers.
It's a difference in how they relate, one that leaves visitors with a positive mental impression.

MikeFromTokyo

Have you ever stayed on the river? The Peninsula is not only my favorite hotel in the world, but in general one of my favorite places to be, period.

For me Bangkok was basically love at first sight, and I like it more and more each time I return. It's my favorite city in the world.

sl0uch

+1. I love Bangkok, and I'm aware that it's because I spent my entire adolescent life in BKK.

The urban planning faults are myriad, and if you're silly enough to dwell in lower Sukhumvit or jump headlong into tourist traps, God can't help you.

But even today with more negative data points, the people are still nicer, kinder, have a keener sense of beauty and more worldly than where I came from (Taipei). They carry these qualities into what they do and build, and I appreciate that touch. Personally I often feel so stifled in TPE that I have to leave, and I usually end up in BKK.

(emphasis is mine)

My mom made an incredibly astute comment about a decade ago - at least it applies to me: no matter what you do, do not learn the local language. Enough people speak surprisingly good English in BKK! or they'd just know what you want in spidey sense. I'm serious. Understanding it will just introduce uninteresting, even nasty elements that bother you.

I have a feeling that I've got a fair dose of Thainess in me, in spite of not speaking Thai... & I find it very hard to enjoy any place in the Chinese world or Japan because I know the language and notice petty things that bother me. Think politic commentary, junk ideological stuff... Once they're stuck they don't come off.

Jasper2009

Thanks for all the various responses - definitely interesting!

Yes, stayed at the Peninsula BKK once - excellent hotel, nice location, but nowhere near the top of my list of favourite places.