Bangkok Travel Answers

Hotels in Pattaya are usually cheaper than Bangkok. (Transportation is only 10 baht.) You could have a few nights in Bangkok and a couple in Pattaya and then back to Bangkok. When you do a day tour to Pattaya you don't see that much. Too late? Also there are OTHER hotels in Bangkok where you can use the Skytrain or even connect with the Airport Rail Link. The Skytrain can bring you to Chatuchak, Patpong Market, subway, Ekamai bus terminal, Siam Malls, etc. If you are booked already you will have to figure out the bus system or use meter taxis instead. When you use a meter taxi in Bangkok DO NOT bargain the fare. Use the meter, have small bills and coins to pay the driver. Usually waving a moving taxi over instead of a lurking taxi is better. Parked taxis more often want to bargain the fare. Meter starts at 35 baht. Tuk-tuks cost more than meter taxis for tourists, besides not that easy for adults to see anything without bending over. In Bangkok you can get tours through local travel agencies. They will have a list of tours you can sign up for. They will pick you up at your hotel and return you safely at the end of the trip. There are many travel agencies in Bangkok. Many of he major malls like Big C and Lotus Tesco have computers. MBK and Panthip Plaza (Phetchaburi Road) sell computers. Make sure you know what the price is in your country first. I don't know about India, but compared to the US and some places in Europe - Thailand is not that cheap for computers. There are some lookalike copies sold as original equipment. Getting a computer with lots of free software doesn't mean anything if the software is not legal and supported by updates. I wouldn't do Siem Reap on a single day. Too far from Thailand and the airfare is not cheap. At least 3 days in Cambodia not a single day. Same for Phuket, so far away you must fly there - 3 plane tickets and waiting at airports coming and going, etc. You can do Pattaya with a 2 hour bus ride from Bangkok, Ekamai bus terminal. Last time I used the bus the ride was 113 baht for the A/C VIP bus. You can get tickets for flights from local travel agencies. The travel agencies that often have complaints are more often in the Khao San Road area. Especially bus rides purchased from travel agencies. For bus rides get the ticket from a real bus terminal. Phuket is the most expensive place to visit in Thailand. Local transportation is over charged. Good luck.

Thanks Rich! You are always first to reply. Yes, you are correct, Phuket is very expensive. Let me talk to Tina, if she can suggest something. Yes, I was thinking about spending night in Pattaya. My daughter is very much interested for that under water scuba experience. Since, you stay at Phuket, can you suggest a budget hotel under USD$30 or so? Phuket air fare is cheap if buy from Air Asia in India. Can you suggest some name of a travel agency at Bangkok for showing us the city and main attractions? Almost, everyone, I know has suggested not to but tours or air tickets from Khaosan Road. So I am going to avoid that. Any name please! Thanks Rich once again for the help provided.

Agreeing with everything Rich said above, especially the part about Siem Reap. You need a good 3 full days in order to enjoy Angkor Wat and, as he mentions, it is too far away for one day return. Tina is a good friend of mine as well. She lives at Perth however and only visits Phuket where she stays for a couple of months at a time. Are you sure she will be there during your visit? You might want to drop her an email to make sure your dates coincide.

I have avoided Phuket for the past 5 or 6 years and have no current advice for specific hotels. I preferred Phuket Town anyway. I live in Pattaya for a good part of the year. When you use use a discount airline to get to Phuket your weight allowance is much less than your big plane flying in from India. You might want to store some items at your Bangkok hotel so you do not pay extra for being overweight. You are trying to pack a lot into a few days. You daughter wants "underwater scuba experience" but have you researched that? One day in Pattaya or one day in Phuket may not be enough to set something up. Most of the travel agencies in Bangkok are reliable. Khao San Road travel agencies do come up for bus problems. I have used the Business Inn Travel agency in the past and a couple others in the Sukhumvit Road area. Business Inn is located on Soi 11/1, not far from the Swiss Park Hotel but closer to Sukhumvit. But other places are reliable and even convenient. Your hotel can recommend a reliable place near your hotel. Compare prices.

Hi Goutam, I stayed at the Rambuttri village Inn back in March and there are a couple of agencies right there on the little plaza in front of the hotel. I think the one I used for an Ayutthaya/Bang Pa In trip was called Joes (something like that. BTW, the hotel is a lot closer to Khao San road than to the Grand Palace, for that I'd use the river taxis.

Hi Goutam, Last February, I stop in Bangkok on my way to Laos. I took an aircon bus day trip to Kanchanaburi and visited Jim Thompson museum for the first time. This is my second time to Kanchanaburi and I went there this time just to buy some items from there. My first time was joining a tour. I recommend you to join a day tour from Bangkok because all the sight seeing places is not walking distance, you need to rent a bicycle or motorcycle in the hot sun or hire a taxi. It took me a long time using bus to get to the bus terminal that departs for Kanchanaburi. The bus ride is comfortable, don't remember the cost. If you go on your own on a day trip, you will not have much time for sight-seeing as you have catch the last bus back to Bangkok. On Jim Thompson museum, it is easy to get there by MRT or by bus, then walk along a narrow alley to the entrance - it is safe and many tourists walking going to the museum. The admission price include their own guide and quite an interesting tour. So you can do this on your own. I have been on an overnight bus to Phuket - you save a night's accommodation. In Phuket, there are accommodations for all budget and easy to join a tour for snorkelling. There is a James Bond island tour and tour to Phi Phi island. I have taken the bus to Poi Pet, Cambodia border and continue by local transport to Siem Reap a few years ago. The road from Poi Pet to Siem Reap then was horrid (safe but very bumpy) and in Cambodia, they squeezed two adults in front, and 6 persons at back. I forgot about the travel advice to buy two persons to get a single seat in front. Hopefully the road and transport has improved since. For me, 3D 2N is enough in Siem Reap as the Angkor wat pass is not cheap, it was 1 day, 3 days and 1 week pass.

As suggested before, don't bother going to Phuket unless you are spending 3+ days there. Taxi is very expensive there compare to Bangkok, and this is the best way to get around if you don't have a lot of time. October genearlly is still the rainy season in Phuket, but it's hard to say these days, with climate change. I think there is a one-day discover scuba program for people who want to try diving, but you can't dive 24 hours before a flight for health reason. I can't remember if it's before or after or both, a diver can confirm this. For Ayutthaya, take a bus from Mochit bus terminal. For Kanchanburi, take a bus from Southern Bus terminal. I would spend a night in Kanchaburi and take a day tour from there because a lot of attractions are outside of the town, and it'll be expensive to go on your own. The bus schedule is infrequent to those places.

Good travel advice. Just to add about the question of flying too soon after a dive... I got a scuba dive certification and had been told this. Usually, for shallow dives, like 8-10 meters, there is no problem with flying. It is for very deep dives like shipwrectk, cave diving where it is 30 m or more, there will be a concern of flying too soon. This is because, in deep water, more air dissolves more into our blood. When you decompress too quickly, eg come up to the water surface too quickly or fly too soon with air pressure is lower, air pockets may form in blood stream and cause health issues.

Thanks Homer and Rich. I already spoke to Tina, in fact we do on a daily basis over FB. She may be there on 6th Oct. Yes, I know it is just not possible to go and come back from Siem Reap in a day, even by air. I have kept two nights for Siem Reap 7/8th Oct and 9th we have flight from BKK to Kolkata. Will I require multiple entry visa if I go to Siem Reap on 6th evening and come back to BKK on 9th? yes, I think I shall follow the advise of you both , we shall buy conducted tour tickets from a good travel agent near the hotel Rambuttri Village Plaza. Yes, River Taxi would be a very good option for visiting the Wats. I shall remain in touch with you here itself.

Thanks Mimi, Paul and Liew. I grateful you participated to help me. I always trust VT before taking any decision. Yes, I shall try to explore Pattya for short Scuba experience. Do any of you remember the name of a good travel co in Khaosan Road or near rambuttri village plaza?

Sorry, I made a mistake about using MRT to get to Jim Thompson, it should be Sky Train. As you may know, it is faster to take Sky Train or subway MRT or river taxi to get from point to point and avoid being stuck in slow traffic in Bangkok, then walk or take a meter taxi to your destination.

Goutam, I believe you should be able to acquire entry visa as VOA. I'm not sure about India but, are you required to pre arrange your visa into Thailand? If not, it will be issued once you get there.

Goutam, I did mention in my last post, on the plaza just in front of the hotel there are 2 travel agencies, even on the Soi Rambuttri there are some. You don't need to go over to Khao San road.

You should check your visa to see if it says single entry or multiple entry. Once you exit Thailand, the visa will be void automatically if it is a single entry. For a week, I would just stay in Thailand, as there are plenty of things to see within the country.

Thanks Homer. Indians can get Visa on arrival. But I have taken it now as I had bad experience in April,when I was returned by immigration after getting boarding pass as I had 4 days less validity in my passport against the required 180 days. I am not taking any chance now.

No Mimi , I shall follow the advise and shall buy a conducted tour instead! This will be for Ayutthaya also. Do you have any idea how much the conducted tour takes in USD$?

I'm not sure about the cost of guided tours to Ayuthaya or Kanchanaburi, as I went there on my own. You can google online to give you some rough ideas, but I would suggest you to book when you get there, you can always get cheaper price than the quoted price on the internet.

If I remember rightly I paid 700/750 bath for the Ayutthaya/Bang Pa in trip and included return trip in a comfortable van, all entrance fees + lunch in a restaurant somewhere in Ayuttaya.

I remember my trip to Ayutthaya was going there by bus (faster) and coming back by river (optional buffet on board). Cannot remember the cost.

Thanks Paul, Mimi & Liew! That 700/750 Bhat sounds good with lunch and the correct price. In the net they quoted US$95 per person! I was little shocked. It's better to explore once I go there. I think with all your advises I should have a good trip! Thanks all of you. Please share with me if there is any tip or advise to be followed. Goutam.

i was out in bangkok in june there and have wrote a few things up for ideas to do, check the links if you wish. i will be writing more soon i'll post more links up when i get them written. squidoo.com/cobra-show-thail... squidoo.com/thailands-must-v...

Goutam: the price for a day tour to Ayuthaya varies depending on the type of transportation they offer, which can be boat or van. Alternatively, you can take a bus/train there, and then hire a tuk tuk for the day. There are usually many drivers at the bus/train station. It is more flexible this way.

Don't waste your money on the Tiger Temple - it is a scam and a fraud and not only makes no contribution to the conservation of Tigers but actually harms their conservation prospects.

Dear Khun, I have heard about that. In fact our close friend Tina has done some research on that. I shall take her advise before we go there. I fact, my daughter wants to see the place.

Thanks Troy! I shall surely check that now only. You come from Belfast, that's where my uncle lives. Thanks Mimi, I was thinking in that line too! To travel by bus or train then hire a Tuk Tuk for the day and return by Boat or vice versa! Return by boat with dinner would be great idea! But I have heard the dinner is very expensive!

Replies give you wonderful information. We usually take day tours to places (except Phuket) which can usually be booked from the tour desk in your hotel. We sometimes compare cost & itinerary with travel agent if there is one close to our accommodation I would not block book tours, they run each day. After a couple of trips you may want a free day or 2 or wish to do something else. We usually stay at Asia Hotel, it is a large hotel, well located with entry to Skytrain station direct from 2nd floor. 10 minute walk to Pantip Plaza, five minutes to MBK and other large shops. I think a day tour to Kanchanburi would be best, the attractions are spread out, check my Kanchanaburi page and you will see what a tour offers.

Thank you very much Mike. Your reply has been very helpful. I shall check your page. Regards, Goutam.