sfvoyage

Anyone has interesting ideas for someone who's visited Bangkok many times? Shows, short side trips (already been to Ayuthaya), etc.? This will be for mid Nov.

glob99

Why must you stay in Bangkok? Try Chiang Mai for a change of pace.

telebikun

Ever visited the Forensic Sciences Museum at Siriraj Hospital? Excellent collection of human remains.

Failing that, I recommend walking tours of some of the more distant suburban neighborhoods -- most people do very little in Thonburi, for example, apart from Wat Arun, but it has some lovely temples, good restaurants, and quiet sidestreets that are worth a look.

I also recommend taking one of the river taxis, or one of the skytrain lines, all the way to one end or the other, just to have a look at a neighborhood.

If you'd like to get out of town, Lopburi's not much farther than Ayutthaya, and is a very pleasant little town with great historical sites (and ferocious urban monkeys).

Rampo

Side trips: Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi/Erwan National Park & Falls, Ko Samed. All of these can be done in a day, although they are better enjoyed with at least one overnight.

billp

One thing you could do is take the little old-fashioned train from Thonburi's Wong Wian Yai station to Mahachai (aka Samut Sakhon) on the Mae Nam Tha Chin River. The station is little known; it's just off the traffic circle with an equestrian statue of King Taksin which is a major intersection in Thonburi (across the river from central Bangkok).

The train costs the princely sum of 10 Baht and leaves about once an hour. It takes about an hour to get to Mahachai, rattling through the urban sprawl, then rice fields, patches of rain forest and tiny villages, farms with old teak houses.

Coming in to Mahachai, the station is literally right in the market and the vendors actually have to move their stuff off the tracks to let train through. You can continue the trip further by crossing the river estuary on a 5 Baht ferry, then waiting for another train from Ban Laem to Maeklong. Or you can explore Mahachai, which is a lively fishing port and eat lunch at the fabulous fish restaurant above the port.

Nom De Plume

You could drop in for a visit to Bang Klang Prison, also known as the Bangkok Hilton.

I have not, but back in the day, there used to be lists of names posted on the traveler bulletin boards in Khao San Road. Now there's the internet.

Trajan

although not so off-the-beaten-track now, one of my favorite nearby side-trips is to Luang Prabang in Laos (a UNESCO World Heritage City)... a wonderful place

a very short plane trip from Bangkok..... it has a great historical feeling, and always gives me the impression of
what Thailand must have been like decades ago....the Songkran water festival is so quaint (not like the unpleasant water cannon fights in Bangkok).....the small boutique hotels like Villa Santi are very relaxing....the river just lazes along by the city....the pace of life is such a nice break from frantic Bangkok, the temples and museums are great....the little Thai/Laos and French restaurants and bakeries are intimate....

also the line of monks at dawn collecting alms is a wonderful sight for me so peaceful and spiritual...

the natural surroundings, fresh air and historical sights are well worth the side trip ^

billp

Here's a description and photos of a trip on the Maeklong Commuter.

BangkokTraveler

Try Huai Kwang night market. It opens at about 10:30pm and really doesn't get going until after midnight. Still strong at 3-4am, stalls, food, drink, sanook mahk mahk!

You might be the only westerner there.

SEA2BA

Would you mind indicating what flight/airline you took to do this? I have not been able to find direct flights to LPQ from BKK ...

Planning a trip to Luang Prabang and Angkor Wat for next year.

Thanks
SEA2BA

travelinterpreters

Where is this??????

l etoile

Bangkokg Airways flys between the two. And if you're looking to add Siem Reap, you should look into the Discovery Pass. It makes for pretty cheap flights and, while it's a low-cost carrier, I found it to be very adequate. http://www.bangkokair.com/

chowder

I've previously read about this Discovery Pass. In the presumably heavy travel time of mid/late Dec, should any concern be given to "availability" of seats? I was trying to remain flexible with my cities/stays and by default would go with walk-up fares instead.

Dumb question: is it 55usd each way for domestic Thailand?

Thanks.

numpty

and another one here

l etoile

I can't answer your first question since I booked my flights in advance, but yes it's US$55 each way for domestic plus fees and taxes.