Bangkok Thailand for visitors

Call it what you will, this is a city for participants Bangkok, Krung Thep (Thai name) is a city where, once you step outside of you hotel you are a participant. You cannot possibly be anything else.
Out the door, and wham! The pollution hits you, the traffic hits you, the noise hits you, the smell of the city hits you. God. It's awful. Maybe. But you're here, you're alive, you're bitchin' and complainin' but you are in the most full of life city on the face of the earth.

Call it what you will, this is a city for participants
Bangkok, Krung Thep (Thai name) is a city where, once you step outside of you hotel you are a participant. You cannot possibly be anything else.

Out the door, and wham! The pollution hits you, the traffic hits you, the noise hits you, the smell of the city hits you. God. It's awful. Maybe. But you're here, you're alive, you're bitchin' and complainin' but you are in the most full of life city on the face of the earth.

Forget what you've heard. Forget what you expect. Forget what it. This Bangkok, expect the unexpected. Bangkok is action. Every-where you go, 24 hours a day there is something going on. Bangkok is safe, no matter what TV stations say to the contrary. One can venture almost anywhere, anytime with-out apprehension. Get out. Get involved. Bangkok is sightseeing, and you know what brother? You are one of the sights.

Bangkok is eating (not dining, bloody eating, the Thai's never stop). Bangkok is party city, big time. It is many things to many people more than we can cover here, of course, but read on and get your appetite whetted.

If you have a bit of time, and some dollars in the pocket, the entertainment world, to coin a cliche, is your oyster in Bangkok. Of course, fun can be had at any roadside stall selling cheap food and blasting out Thai pop songs, but if the mood calls for a wee bit more sophistication, venture out, and sample some delights.

This is assuming that one has already exhausted the in-house entertainment provided by any five-star hotel worth its spurs. Not too far from Patpong, the raunchy collection of girlie bars for which Bangkok is unjustifiably infamous, and the leading riverside hotels, is Soi Sarasin, a genteel, tree-lined avenue sided by the expanses of Lumpini Park. It boasts a cluster of bar and restaurants catering to Bangkok's fast lane set. Most serve food, some have live music and on Friday and Saturday nights it's standing room only, probably on the pavement outside.

Mid-week, though, it's well worth a visit for a tipple in a less crowded environment. In this neck of the woods, Brown Sugar has staked its claim as the place to be seen sipping a Corona or Chivas-Coke. Live jazz is provided by the best resident jazz bands in the region, with patrons occasionally jamming along. The suds are not cheap at 180 baht a beer-street price 22 baht-but the atmosphere is good, and the music always excellent. Dress is consciously underdressed.

Moving on a bit, Soi Lang Suan is home to several bars, and clubs. The Dom Perignon is a first- class French restaurant. Moscva is the only Russian restaurant in town and theme pubs abound. Dux, on Soi Lang Suan 5 is a nifty, but understated little place to see and be seen in, with the theme of.. yep you guessed it.

Around midnight has long been popular spot. the live music is jazz/pop. Most of the restaurants and clubs are within 100 yards of Soi Sarasin, so take a stroll. You may even end up at an authentic sidewalk Thai restaurant: sip a cold beer or whisky beneath the trees while you ponder your next move. The prices may amaze you - they are a wad cheaper than hotel bills with their plus totals at the end of the night.

In the past few years, Bangkok has positively bloomed in terms of one-stop entertainment night spots. These usually feature a restaurant, a disco, pub, karaoke bar and night club under one roof, Their inspiration lies in New York, but practically, they have caught on with the in crowd in a major way because of Bangkok's appalling traffic, where a visit to more than two destinations in one night is a major undertaking.

Among the hotels, Spasso at the basement level of The Grand Hyatt Erawan in Rajadamri Road, near Ploenchit, and Cheers Pub in the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, on Silom Road have caught on as the place to be. Catching on quick with the local expat scene is Sharon Woods at the Pan Pacific on Rama 4 Rd. World class is how I could best describe this lady, she is well worth a visit.

The list goes on, but by now one should be exhausted. If not, invest a few baht in a local newspaper, and explore some more.

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