Bangkok is huge! So huge that there is nobody at all who can claim that they know the whole city. With the many millions that live there it’s a world of its own, the traffic with its jams, the rush hour and the air (which in fact has got a lot better over the past few years). With the many contrasts that one experiences it is in fact really like that: Either you love it, or you hate it. After my first visit there I personally decided to love it, even though I’m not so keen on crowds of people and loads of pushing and shoving. Anyhow, I still feel quite good when visiting the place.

But even we most certainly won’t get to know Bangkok really, but that’s not supposed to be the point of our short excursion. Not just because the town is so large, gigantic in every way, alone the sight of the amount of concrete used to build the place nearly knocked me over backwards. Even for example, the contrast between rich and poor or the different cultural values compared with ours, the customs and views of things that reveal themselves only superficially, but we as casual visitors don’t really question let alone understand. All this and much more makes us feel a little like a tiny little grain of sand in the desert, and to stay with this metaphor, “we quite often can’t see the woods because of all the trees”.

But don’t let yourself be discouraged: Even when you visit for the first time and don’t immediately come to terms with things, Bangkok is still quite simple. It’s just Thailand! Nobody has to be afraid of straying off or getting lost, BKK is safe, crime doesn’t play much of a part, most certainly a great deal less than in other metropolises around the world.

Our claims on the town, and I think I can speak for most visitors who are here for pleasure, are of course different. For this reason things are quite different for us.

Bangkok is small! Doesn’t matter whether one is a “cultural tourist” (YUK!!!!), who wants to take a look at all the temples, palaces and other attractions (which cannot be done within a few days), or whether one has come for the other type of “pleasure” (the town has a lot to offer): The beaten track that were all moving along has already been very well beaten. We always move around the same paths. It’s a fact that over the years one meets the same acquaintances again and again. Somehow that’s reassuring isn’t it?

For those amongst us who are always „willing“ to have a bit of pleasure, and I must admit that I belong to this group, the same old streets and corners again and again play their part. There is for example the NANA entertainment down the Sukhumvit Road with all the bars and side streets belonging to it. The nearby “Soi Cowboy”, which is really a short street, so short that when looking closely one wonders how it’s possible to have so much fun there and make so many different experiences. And not forgetting PATPONG!! Yes, that’s where you will find all the “catalogue tourists” and families such as one would probably find on Mallorca, one would be surprised. But don’t worry, they just spend their time down the markets, buying this and that and a few souvenirs to take back with them to show off. Don’t be afraid, one doesn’t meet these type of people in the places where we hang around…

One or the other of you will manage to make it to Chinatown; it all depends on the state of the traffic, from the Sukhumvit area with a taxi it takes about 30 minutes. Down here for example, it’s great for buying gold. Or the Khao San Road where in earlier days the back-packers used to hang about and where these days one will only find those ripping-off the sensations tourists. Don’t want that? Good, let’s concentrate on the more important things.

We’re now going to, although we will risk a view from the Bayoke Tower (BKKs highest building), eat some typical Thai food and take a stroll through some of the shopping malls, mainly concentrate on having “fun”, fun with the girls! That’s exactly the reason why I continuously visit Bangkok. The Gogo Bars and amusement miles are unique in this world, even though Pattaya has a word to say; it is in this sense larger and has more mass on offer, BKK just stands alone.

Soi Cowboy is still well worth paying a few visits to, especially the smaller bars during the afternoon, one can have quite a bit of fun at a reasonable price. But even here it is recommendable to keep one’s eyes open or they will manage to get you to buy them one drink after another and I am talking about loads of drinks; but not in all of the bars. Then again, on the other hand, is that not what we are awaiting? Many of the bars have short-time rooms; even in the bars one can do “this, that and the other”. Don’t expect too much here in the bars, regards from the lads with brown shirts. Not that the police are present at all, one doesn’t hear or see anything of them. However, the bar owners are still “afraid” of them with fines and at worst the closing down of the bar being threatened.
 

The Soi Cowboy is down the Sukhumvit Rd. 23, “ASOKE” BTS Station, one further along as the „NANA“. Just down the steps and across the crossroads.

The Sky-train (BTS) is ingenious and super modern. Click onto the link and take a look at the homepage, one will also find a network plan and a price calculator.
 

The reason why it’s ingenious is because even if there are bad traffic jams one is still able to travel around and reach ones destination quickly, safely and in a fully air-conditioned atmosphere for not much money at all. For example, from the Sukhumvit Area „NANA“ Station to Patpong (“SALA DAENG” Station) in nine minutes including changing trains once for only 25 Baht. A taxi would cost 50 to 60 Baht and would take 15 to 20 minutes (that’s if there is no traffic jam). A motorbike taxi costs about 80 Baht and takes about 10 minutes. There are also tickets with larger amounts of credit for example 100 Baht meaning that one doesn’t always have to buy a new ticket and in addition to this day tickets are also available.
 

The card with the chip can be obtained from ticket machines, this being quite easy due to the procedure to do so being well described. It is also possible to get tickets from the friendly assistant at the ticket window, money can be changed there too or questions answered.
 

Apart from that, one has an impressive view from high above the streets of Bangkok, even from the two storey station (don’t worry there are escalators) one is able to get a good and interesting view of the area. Some of the views however are of demolition work, building sites or the motorways with their huge amounts of concrete; these of course leave a more uncomfortable impression of the Thai metropolis. They’re not just carrying out the odd job here, these are huge projects.
 

It is also interesting to just observe people, apart from tourists and expats (there are foreigners living there) even the more well off Thais and many school pupils and students use the train. Those with just small wages cannot afford to use the “heavenly” train built by Siemens, they use the numerous Baht-busses, they only cost 5 Baht each way. Even though they are not acclimatised, the routes are pretty much inscrutable for us and the only way of keeping them cool is to open the windows, this in fact is the only way many Thais are able to get to and from work.
 

Photos: Taken along the stretch between „NANA“ and “SALA DAENG” (Patpong). Change trains please, let’s work an appetite up. The trains and stations are clean and tidy and even though one is in the middle of Bangkok one still meets many friendly smiling people. Of course here and there the odd (not so bothersome) beggar such as the small girl who has been placed where she is because of the tourists. Never give the kids anything at all and don’t buy anything from them, they don’t profit themselves and are only exploited; the best thing to do is buy them a lemonade.
 

The “spick and span” (typical Thai) personnel standing around on the platforms make sure that everyone stands back as the trains come in and leave by the minute and that nobody videos the facility, – don’t know why – on the other hand photos are allowed. Word doesn’t seem to have got around all that much that nowadays all digital cameras also take videos.
 

By the way it is also possible to catch the sky-train to get to the Ekkamai Bus Station, from here it is possible to get to all destinations in Thailand in good, regular, punctual, comfortable, acclimatised and reasonably priced busses. For example it only costs about 100 Baht to get to Pattaya, the journey takes about two hours.

Oh yes, well worth buying in Bangkok are goods from the tailors, but there are definite differences in the quality. My favourite tailor is Gulati, Sukhumvit Soi 3. Is directly on the corner opposite the „NANA“. That’s where you can get fantastic made to measure shirts for about 600 Baht a piece (after haggling, of course he asks for more at first), a suit costs between 4000 and 6000 Baht depending on the material. All my mates, many expats, all have their clothes made there, and nowhere else.

It’s like this: All the tailors in Thailand are completely controlled by Indians, and those who do the actual work over night are always the same people (Thais), they mainly work for a number of contractors, but this one here really does good work. If there is something wrong then complain, alterations will be completed by the next day. So, were the hell else can one get a made to measure shirt for 12 Euros? In stores at home you will only get a couple of cheap T-shirts for that price and then only during a sales… have to go down there two or three times for a sitting when ordering a suit, to try it on to make sure it fits etc.

And the two beauty salons between Sukhumvit Soi 5 and 7 are also worth while visiting – this is part of the stretch I have to get through during a visit to Bangkok. At this place one only has to fork out 500 Baht for fingers, feet and hair, there are three nice girls who get to work on you, which means one is able to leave the place completely done up after about only 30 to 40 minutes, holiday time is valuable
 

The hustling street “Sanam Luang” near Lumpini Park is an address sometimes recommended, but not all that good if one speaks no Thai and has no car, in fact not even then really (such as I once discovered with my mate from Jomtien).
 

Finally I would like to mention Pantip Plaza, that’s where I like to buy music CDs (current music, mp3) for 100 Baht per CD. See the picture gallery on the previous page.

With a friend who lives in Pattaya who was in BKK with his own car, we had a trip through Bangkok. We went down Lumpini Park and Sanam Luang where the pros walk the street. To make things short, the evening was a waste of time. Something from the dairy:

I met S. we drove down to Sanam Luang and to Lumpini. S first of all lived in the Playboy hotel and found it ok. We dragged a couple of hens along from Lumpini, that was a waste of time! They wanted to take the piss. In the hotel mine said that she wanted the money first, I laughed and phoned S. He had the same problem. Quick meeting in the hotel corridor… Suddenly they both said that they would have to leave at 5 in the morning but we had booked them for LT, the reason being they had to go to school.

These two hadn’t seen a school in a long time and that was for sure. One started blabbering on about her “boyfriend”(of course I couldn’t understand a thing so S translated), which earned us the laughter from one of the hotel employees who was just passing by. So, right from the very start they hadn’t wanted LT, just the doe and after a quick screw, off and away. Even our offer of ST for half the price was turned down – anyway with payment afterwards. This resulted in them having to travel back at their own cost without receiving a single Baht from us. Obviously they seem to have some success with this trick.

We then went down to the NANA, we both had a hen sitting next to us, and funnily enough they both had the same name. Technically speaking, mine wasn’t really my taste, (she was just 18 and new to the business), we decided to swap girls. Things worked out well with these two. I gave mine 1100 for ST plus a 100 tip and even picked her up at 2 in the morning for LT and gave her another 1100 Baht. To stay with the topic, I booked her for both the last two days, altogether for the two days I paid 3000 (1 LT and the following day only ST) plus 2 times 500 BF. She’s 21, was a bit shy at first (pics as from the second day, no vids), but made me shoot my load twice during the first ST – I had actually wanted to save some – For the street walkers.

Well! Did actually land in NANA again, down with the street walkers is not recommendable for short trip tourists like myself, first of all because one should be able to speak Thai, ok, one could have a bit of luck. But why look so far when good things are right next door? She was really a sweet little thing, sometimes a bit melancholic, but nice and she had a good heart… During the evening she dragged me down to a huge Karaoke Bar in region where she came from. The pictures didn’t turn out that good, was too dark. Ordered a bite to eat, a bottle of Thai whiskey, Coca Cola and ice. Thai-like again. Was very nice and not too expensive, I was the only Farang.