Repeating the post earlier in this thread from Randy and Ning, who work in the Thai travel industry.

Bold is mine.

Some of the early posts in this thread have recommended river travel... given the current flooding in Thailand, I think folks might want to focus on something besides water travel. The Chao Praya is running quite high right now, so the train might be a better choice.

I was in Bangkok the other night and there was some flooding of the major city arteries. Sukhumvit was a mess, and I understand the Silom/Sathorn area was bad as well. You can check some of the latest stories at either www.bangkokpost.com or www.nationmultimedia.com.

Having said all this, it is important to realize that even during the rainy season, it will likely rain a couple of hours in the day, so I would not recommend focusing on different activities to avoid being outside. It just might be a good idea to avoid the river for a while...

I was just catching up on my Thailand news, and I see that Ayutthaya and Sukhothai are suffering from major flooding and world heritage site are threatened. Large parts of Bangkok are underwater.

Not central Bangkok, not from what I have seen.

Right now (Sunday afternoon) I'm looking down from my window onto middle Sukhumvit Road in central Bangkok.
Totally dry.

My language teacher came in this morning from Victory Monument.
No water there.

Yesterday my girl friend rode the bus to Morchit terminal, and then out of Bangkok on an inter-city bus going up-country.
No water problems anywhere on her route.

Two days ago I went on a sightseeing tour of the Grand Palace.
The tour van took a meandering route from Sukhumvit thru Chinatown, along the river, and up to Sanam Luang before arriving at the Grand Palace.
On the return trip the van took another meandering route thru other parts of central Bangkok.
Didn't see any flooding at all; just the high water in the river.

Until I get better information, I must say that the central/business/shopping/tourist areas of Bangkok have dried out remarkably quickly.

Outlying areas of Bangkok may have water, but most visitors don't go to those areas.
Up-country locations along the rivers -- well away from Bangkok -- certainly do have severe flooding.

The end of this week may be a different story for central Bangkok.
Thai people tell me that TV news predicts more rain plus high tides will arrive at the end of this week.
Bangkok is flat and at sea level.

-- Peter
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Well, Peter, you're on the ground and I have to rely on 2nd hand news sources where I am right now. But Nonthaburi isn't so far off the Bangkok beaten track and a lot of it is flooded. They had to bring special toilet boats in to "relieve" the residents of Ko Kred, the island in the Chao Phraya which is a popular tourist destination. As you say, central Bangkok has been spared for the moment, although I did see a report of Siam Square being underwater earlier this month.

http://etna.mcot.net

I'm a regular at Baipai ..it's absolutly fansastic! I have done both group & personal classes. The teaching staff are very patient and will spend as long as you want discussing matters/answering questions!

A & Nam are great!

Let us know how you enjoyed it!

It hasnt rained for quite a while now in Bangkok, so touch wood, but we mite be saved from the floods now!

I think the problem is run-off from upriver, rather than the volume of rain in BKK itself. The flood water takes some time to make its way down the Chao Phraya. They're trying to run it off into catchment areas to save low-lying areas of the city. I read the king has made a big piece of his land available.

Did this hotel have a nice pool area? I am looking for a nice hotel in Bangkok for the Christmas holiday with a nice pool area, and as little prostetution as possible, preferably a known brand (Sheraton, Sofitel etc). Have found some alternatives, but if someone have any personal experience it would be great.

Would also like to know about knew or newly refurbished hotels.

Travelling whit my parents (60 years old) and my brother (26)
Any suggestions?

Cheers

Hello Chriscross -

Since you posted to a thread "First BKK trip...advice", I'll assume you are planning your first trip here.
This is an amazing, fascinating, truly exotic city, with much worth seeing and experiencing, but ...

To be polite yet clear about the matter, prostitution is a significant part of the diverse culture in this region of the world.
It has been a tradition here for generation upon generation.

That does not mean everyone must indulge, of course, but prostitution is all around -- sometimes subtly, sometimes blatantly -- in every tourist section of Bangkok, including the Silom area.
If you can't abide that, then best avoid all of Thailand.

If any specific questions, you are welcome to send me email or private message.

-- Peter
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You'll be paying a premium for that which doesn't necessarily translate into better quality. Many of the locally owned hotels and chains surpass the Sheratons and Sofitels in appointments, luxuries, and service, but don't charge as much.

Oh well, each to his own.

For travellers new to Asia, I find that advice above to be, "Penny wise and pound foolish".

Certainly in Bangkok, and probably in much of Asia, cheating is a common ingredient to doing business.
So, that's how locally-managed hotels tend to do things.
(Not all, of course, not all.)

The simplest way to reduce your risk of getting cheated is to reserve with an international chain that tends towards Western standards of honesty.
It's not a perfect guarantee, of course, but it is the most-effective way to improve the odds in your favour.

For a first BKK trip, your safest reservation is at someplace like a Sheraton, Sofitel, Hilton, or a similar property managed by an international chain.
For those in the middle-budget range, Accor Hotels (a management company from France) offers dependable value at many properties in Thailand.

Of course, of course, there will be exceptions.

-- Peter
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Peter, we can dispute this if you want, but do get your facts straight. Accor is not just middle-budget. One of its brands is Sofitel. It's also Mercure and Ibis. The hotels are owned by a local company or individual and only managed by Accor. The same with Le Meridien and i imagine most of the other "name brands."

I wonder how they compare with Oriental, Dusit (chain) and Siam City just to mention a couple off the top of head, for honesty if not for luxury and appointments?

Or does being Thai mean you're not trustworthy on any level, including owning and managing high-end accomodation, in your opinion?

For first time travellers to Bangkok -- who may not yet be familiar with Asian business customs -- this is worth further thought.

Billp is correct that Accor manages a wide range of hotels in Thailand, from middle-budget up to luxury.
Having experienced several Accor-managed hotels, I can recommend them to first-time travellers to Bangkok.
As Billp explains, there are other, Western, hotel-management firms operating in Thailand, besides Accor.

I my travels in Thailand, I have consistently observed that hotels which appear to be owned/managed by locals (meaning, in most cases, Thai-Chinese), have somewhat lower standards of cleanliness, service, and honesty.
The attitude seems to be, "What is the minimum we can get away with, that the customer will still accept?"
Yet, those hotel rates are similar to Western owned/managed hotels in the same areas, where I observe higher standards of quality and service.
In Western owned/managed hotels here, the attitude seems to be, "What else can we do to give the customer a positive experience at our hotel?"

I could give many supporting examples from personal observation.
And, of course, it is always possible to find exceptions on both sides.

Just from looking at hotel web sites, it's impossible to know who is the owner/manager of a hotel.
That's why I recommend to travellers coming here for the first time, that they select hotels which are managed by Western owners or an international chain.

- Peter
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Yes.
Based on over two years of careful observation, that is exactly my starting point when dealing with local people here.

I would not employ any Thai person to manage anything, certainly nothing as complex as a hotel, even a small hotel.
I would not trust any Thai person with money, even with one day's business receipts, unless there was a strong, counter-party in the background, such as a family connection.
I do not trust any Thai to do what I think they promised to do, so I am always making backup plans for important matters.

Among Westerners here -- who talk or write about this topic -- those who have depended on Thais in business matters, without sufficient countermeasures, often regret it.
It is a common topic of conversation among expats and frequent travellers.

As I have learned more of the Thai language, I've observed that the topic of "trust", or, more correctly, widespread lack of trust, in their own culture, is also a common topic of conversation among Thais themselves.

So, in the context of this thread -- "First BKK trip... advice?" -- you may well ask why I am delighted to make Bangkok my home, and why I encourage travellers to visit here.
Because Thais do some things exceptionally well.
And those things enhance my quality of life and contribute to travellers' experiences here.
Just a few examples: cooking delicious food, making simple things beautiful, treating people with gentle kindness.
But, managing hotels, and similar business organizations, is certainly not among their cultural talents.

Of course, one is always happy to find the odd exception.

If any specific questions, you are welcome to send me email or private message.

- Peter
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