Karl

Too bad that your flight doesn't depart until the following evening. The Floating Market tour is very interesting as are the temples if you have never seen any thing like this. The street vendors on Sukumvit are worth checking out. Foot and body massage Thai style are great especially after a long haul flight from JFK. The Thai massage can be very painful so you have to tell them up front to be gentle.

Stay away from the bars on Pat Pong St. They are very run down, but have the best variety of dogs in towns.

There is also a Night Market put up in the Pat Pong street but I prefer Sukhumvik for shopping. Also the MBK shopping center at the Sky Train Stadium Stop is very good for shopping and stays open late.

Take the Shy Train to Nana Station and check out the Nana Entertrainment center. You can sit in the Nana Hotel's open air bar and watch the 0100 parade when all the bars close and everyone must leave. Many just hang out for their last chance in the Nana parking lot. All varieties and tastes are available. The Nana outside bar must have a deal with the police as they sell drinks after 0100. The Nana inside bar and disco are also interesting. You can also take the Sky Train to the Asok station and walk over to Soi Cowboy. This Soi parrells Sukhumvik. Lots of interesting entertainment and several small restaurants. Years ago only the expaites hung out at Soi Cowboy and the tourists went to Pat Pong.

Traffic around 1800 in the city can be very bad so I advise using the Sky Train. It is clean and ac equipted. Taxis are relatively cheap but now the Bhat is 35B to 1 USD. Departure Tax is 500B.

I am usually 4 times a year in BKK on business or vacation. I usually try to sleep most of the way over in F or do the best I can in C class so that I can feel refreshed when I get off the flight. With an early departure of 0830 you will have to be at the airport at 0630. Taxis take about 20-30 minutes. You may have to pay extra for the expressway tolls if you take the metered taxis.

Have a nice trip. I'll be over in April enroute to KTM.

Karl, UA 1K GS MM

taipan954

I would highly recommend the Siam Niramit show--sort of a Cirque de Soleil meets Broadway with all the splendor, beauty and pageantry Thailand is famous for. If I recall, it was about 1500 Bhat per person, but that included a buffet dinner plus a walking tour of the traditional Thai Village setup outside the theater (think living museum a la colonial Williamsburg). You can talk to the always friendly village "locals" and try your hand at weaving, threshing (thrashing?) rice, etc. It's very fun and educational!

There was a promotion awhile back that if you had 4 Pepsi bottle caps it was BOGO free.