World Traveler

I was in Bangkok and I wanted somewhere to go that I hadn’t been before. Anyway, I got chatting to one of the tuk-tuk drivers and his English was excellent and he told me about loads of places that I hadn’t heard of and hadn’t been to. We set of for Lumpini Park which has a huge night market, plus a huge area where you can sit and have dinner and/or a drink. There is a huge stage where bands perform and dancers too. It was an excellent night and the tuk-tuk driver took us for free so I bought him a drink and we all had a fabulous time.

I then travelled around Thailand for a while and a few months later I got back to Bangkok, I was sat outside having a drink with some other travellers and I bumped into the same tuk-tuk driver, he stayed for a drink and we got chatting and he said he would take us out again and as I had a great time last time I trusted him to pick a good place.

We arrived at the place and paid to get in and shortly realised it was a ping pong show (not the sport, but it involves ladies on stage – get the gist?) I found it embarrassing enough but just to be a bit worse, I had my mum with me, but hey, I was in Thailand so I suppose it something that has to be seen! The girls on stage started the show by shooting ping pong balls (with their lady bits) into pint glasses, then proceeded to pull out, scarfs, flags and even razor blades which they actually demonstrated cutting paper with first!

After that, it just got worse and worse (I’d rather not go into detail but believe me it was horrible!) I stared at the wall the whole time as I couldn’t look and then made a swifty exit! It certainly was an experience that I never expected to have!

Read more about Thailand……

I found out about Air Asia when I was travelling around South East Asia and although I was on the smallest budget ever imaginable its a very economical way of getting about. Air Asia is one of the few budget airlines operating in Asia and is a great way to travel around Asia cheaply.

With flights between Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore it connects you with ease to the whole of South East Asia. Flights are as cheap as chips, literally, with many flights as low as $10 USD including taxes! When I was travelling Asia I often found it was actually cheaper to fly than to get a long distance bus or train - that makes a change and its certainly an easier way of getting around, rather than on a bus with random children and chickens on your lap!

Air Asia has now introduced a new route that links Australia’s Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur, hopefully there are more routes to come connecting Asia to other parts of the world at very low prices. Flights are quick and easy to book with either online or telephone booking facilities. Some travel agents also book Air Asia flights but at a slightly increased cost. The website is really user friendly and its also available in a few different languages and has currency converters etc. There are usually special deals on flights and regular sales for even bigger bargains. The website is www.airasia.com

I have flown with Air Asia plenty of times and generally flights leave and arrive when they should do and the staff are generally very helpful and friendly. I would highly recommend them, although I haven’t yet flown with them long haul.

More travel deals….

Bangkok is a huge city and it spreads itself out fairly far.  There are loads of different areas to the city too so there is plenty of exploring to be done.  My favourite areas to visit include Siam, which is great for shopping, Khao San Road, which is the tourist hang out with a market which is on during the daytime and night time, and Lupini Park where there is a huge night market, plus an outside eating and drinking area with a huge stage that has nightly music performances - with dancers. 

There is plenty to see and do in Bangkok so whether its a visit to the particularly stunning Grand Palace or a trip to the Siam Niramit Theatre for a fabulous show, shopping, partying or a visit to one of the many cabarets, your never bored that’s for sure and if your tired from a hectic day of sight seeing then you can unwind with a Thai massage. 

Fabulous temples and statues are dotted around the city and there are loads of different modes of transport to get around; taxis, tuk-tuks, tricycles, buses, the sky train and boats are all very cheap and easy to use but watch the prices of taxis and tuk-tuks from big hotels as they will be about ten times the normal price!  I love Bangkok, its one of my favourite cities.

http://www.worldtravelerjournal.com/bangkok-an-exciting-urban-adventure/

I wonder why women are so ridiculed for what men call an insatiable appetite for shopping.My husband just becomes too sweet whenever he senses my eyes fancying something. At his sweetest best, he very enthusiastically tries to draw my attention to something else[more interesting] and then something else and then again something else and …. Before I could crack his “coded message” [meant to steer me clear of shopping], I used to rejoice in his enthusiastic participation in “window shopping” and finding interesting things![not anymore]

I dont remember who made the “profound” observation that when men are upset they invade countries and show aggression, and women either eat or go for a shopping! [You decide which is more constructive!Which one builds health in an economy and which is disastrous to economic health of entire states]

But once in Bangkok[Check the weather in Bangkok now], he was really so different!Probably because it is bangkok - the city of angels, the shopping paradise of the world.[Compare price for flights to Bangkok]

Prices are low and quality generally high and the range and variety is pretty amazing - Thai silk scarves, gemstones[Beware of the gigantic gem scams], tailor-made clothes and traditional handicrafts.There is something for everybody.Street stalls and shops on the street, with smiling Thai faces behind the counters, will generally have lower prices for the same product than the higher end shopping centers and department stores[because they pay a high establishment cost]However, this does not mean that the price difference does not reflect on the quality of the product.Nancy Chandler’s Map can be a very helpful guide in locating the right places.

But the fun is not so much in the shopping plazas as in the night markets dipped in the exotic Thai flavor.You have the 35 acres Chatuchak weekend market, the Suan Lum night bazar, the Pratunam Market[best for buying clothes] and the much talked about PatPong Night market[map]

In case you are fortunate enough to have missed the reputation of Patpong, it is the heart of Bangkok’s notorious redlight areas.The place seems entirely made for men.The nightlife strip runs along two short lanes. Bars share street-space with restaurants, massage parlors, a couple of hotels.The sex industry began during the Vietnam War when it became the base for rest and recreation for the American soldiers, but from their Patpong’s “reputation” took off on its own.The night market in overcrowded streets sell fake watches and clothes mostly and is packed with white men mostly.

It is convenient to take the Bangkok Metro for going to most places in Bangkok.And in between your touring of the city dont forget to taste the fabulous Thai food made in a local style and served in a local ambience.

By the way, did you know the real local full name of the city is Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit Thank God, I did not read in a school in Thailand, surely I would have been expected to know the capital of the country!