Author: koomatzu

St Louis Hospital Bangkok

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St Louise hospital bangkok review

Some people find the thought of having to visit any of the Bangkok hospitals daunting, maybe it’s the prospect of a confusing language barrier or the association with the vermin filled streets outside! Well, on the contrary, Bangkok hospitals have a pretty squeaky clean reputation and even attract people from across Europe and America, making Thailand one of the leading countries for medical tourism.

Hospitals in Thailand are mostly private and offer a selection of differently priced hospitals to choose from… but this leaves people confused as to which Thai hospital to choose. In rare cases, some of even the most expensive hospitals in Bangkok have been known to delay proper treatment in order to keep patients longer and make more money for them.

Well, I’d say I’ve become quite an expert on Bangkok hospitals during my 7 months living in Thailand and numerous unfortunate mishaps. I’ve suffered torn ligaments, broken toes, infected bug bites, dog bites and much more! Woe is me! However I have loyally used the same hospital in Bangkok, St Louis Hospital, and I’m guessing it’s also one of the cheapest hospitals in Bangkok.

Bangkok Hospital Review

St Louis Hospital Bangkok is a non-profit, Catholic hospital located right next to BTS Surasak in Sathorn. During lunchtimes, you can find a busy little market in the courtyard at the front of St Louis Hospital selling clothes, treats and cooked lunches. When you enter the main doors you’ll find an impressive, huge, shiny lobby with a welcome desk. The staff are helpful and speak reasonably good English to register you and point you in the right direction. You don’t need to make appointments and despite turning up without a reservation, you can usually be seen within 20 minutes of arriving. Amazeballs!

Did I mention how big and shiny St Louis Hospital is? I’ve visited St Louis Bangkok about 3 or 4 times altogether now – Orthopaedics, dermatology and A&E – and every single time, the doctors and nurses have shown compassion, concern and confidence in their own abilities. They are enthusiastic to help, patient with your questions and knowledgeable about the course of action. St Louis hospital is way cheaper than most of the other Bangkok hospitals and I think I trust the staff there more because of the fact that it’s not for profit.

Each time I have visited St Louis Hospital Bangkok, my hospital bill has averaged around 1000 baht (that’s a little over £20 or $30). I have had cheaper hospital experiences in Thailand up north but this is the capital city and St Louis Hospital is quite shiny. My first visit, the doctor gave me a splint for my torn ligament which was 800 baht plus the doctor’s and staff fees at around 300 baht. When I went to A&E I was prescribed antibiotics for a couple of hundred baht plus maybe 250 baht for the doctor’s time. Another time I had to pay 1500 baht for some fancy medicine.

Read about my other hospital experiences outside of Bangkok – Bitten by a dog in Pai and Maharaj Hospital in Chiang Mai.

My review of St Louis Hospital Bangkok:  10/10

 

Best Place To Buy Clothes In Bangkok

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plus size bangkok

Are you struggling to find cool clothes shops in Bangkok? Scratch that, are you looking for a shop in Bangkok that sells cool clothes, at a cheap price and in all sizes including plus size? I’m personally not keen on the quality and styles of the clothes on the streets and in the markets of Bangkok, but then on the other hand, I can’t afford to buy the overpriced fashionable clothes in the big Bangkok malls either…

Best place to buy clothes in Bangkok

My favourite shop for buying clothes in Bangkok is called Warehouse Export (N.B. not the famous European brand Warehouse). It sells a range of clothing sizes all the way up to XXL plus sizes for both men and women. This chain of shops specialise in importing clothing, particularly from Korean brands and other popular fashion brands such as H&M. The thing is though, they don’t tend to advertise this and so are a somewhat underrated, unappreciated clothing shop in Bangkok.

I have been to H&M in the Bangkok malls before during their big sales of up to 70% off and it get’s crazy! Everybody in Thailand seems to love H&M particularly the richer people, despite it’s reputation in the West as a budget brand! However I’ve seen clothing in Warehouse Export for a quarter of the price of what I’ve seen the exact same item selling for in H&M. Not quite sure how they manage that one, but basically, always make sure you check out Warehouse in Bangkok before shopping for clothes in H&M or you might end up kicking yourself!

Warehouse Export mainly price their clothing at two standard prices, the most common clothes prices being 220 baht and 280 baht for dresses, and 350 baht for denim jackets. Other than the good quality, another bonus of shopping in Warehouse in Bangkok is that they have changing rooms! Great, now you don’t have to waste your money buying clothes that don’t fit properly or just look plain unflattering.

Warehouse sells some really cool clothes and has a really wide range from cardigans, denim jeans and jackets, scarves, vests, casual dresses, maxi dresses, t-shirts, hoodies… everything! The Bangkok Warehouse shops tend to be pretty tiny and tightly packed, it’s a bit of a squeeze but still nicely laid out to not be messy like a jumble sale.

Where to buy clothes in Bangkok

For cool styles, bargain prices and plus size clothing in Bangkok, Warehouse Export have branches all over the city, in fact all over Thailand I believe. In Silom, head to Silom Central and check out the third floor opposite Asia Books. In Asoke, you can find Warehouse on the London floor of Terminal 21 (exact floor to be confirmed!) just at the top of the escalator.

There are two Warehouse Export outlets in the MBK – pick up a map at the entrance to find them (the MBK branches are very small though – they may not have changing rooms if I remember rightly). Or, if you live across the river in Thonburi, The Mall Thapra  near BTS Talat Phlu also has a branch.

Anyway, in my opinion, this is where to buy clothes in Bangkok. 80% of my wardrobe in Bangkok came from Warehouse! Cheap clothes, pretty dresses, cool clothing and plus size in Bangkok.

See my other guides to Bangkok shopping malls, clothes shopping in Bangkok, shoe shopping in Bangkok and bargain markets in Bangkok here.

 

Bangkok to Koh Samet

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bangkok to koh samet

Best beach near Bangkok

In my opinion, Koh Samet is a somewhat underrated island in Thailand. Not only is it only a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive from Bangkok to Koh Samet, but I think the beaches are just as beautiful as the further away islands of Thailand such as Koh Samui and Koh Phangnan. For the best beach near Bangkok, if you’re looking for expat day trip ideas or beach breaks for tourists in Thailand, Koh Samet is a great option.

Many of the more famous islands of Thailand can sometimes be a little too touristy, taking away from the Thai culture and way of life. However Koh Samet is a very popular island in Thailand with local Thais who visit on the weekends to escape city life in Bangkok and just chill out on the beaches. This gives it a really different, special vibe to the other Thai islands and makes Koh Samet much more laid back and real.

Bangkok to koh samet

Where to stay in Koh Samet

Koh Samet is not an island for sightseeing and temples; it is a notorious island for simply relaxing on the beach, eating and drinking. There are still many water sports to try along the shores though. When looking for hotels to stay in Koh Samet, bare in mind that accommodation on all of the Thai islands is quite a lot more expensive than northern mainland Thailand and Bangkok.

Sai Kaew Beach

Sai Kaew Beach (pronounced Sai Gaew) is the most popular area of Koh Samet in the main town to the North Eastern end of the island. The sea is clear with soft white sand beaches and a huge choice of restaurants and bars along the sea front. Sai Kaew beach is great for groups of friends and couples with plenty of nightlife including open-air clubs and beach bars with bean bags lining the beach. Sai Kaew is where many young Thais from Bangkok spend their weekend to let their hair down and it has a fun and carefree atmosphere. Nice, clean, reasonable priced hotels at Sai Kaew are Chilli Hotel from only 800 baht per room and the Lima Bella Resort from 1600 baht per room

Wong Deuan beach

Wong Deuan is another popular main beach of Koh Samet only it has a slightly more sophisticated reputation with less vodka buckets than Sai Kaew. The beach at Wong Deuan is arguably not as nice and less clean than others on the island though. Vongdeuan Resort provides the best value accommodation in Wong Deuan and offers reputable and charming mid-range cottages to stay from only 1400 baht.

Ao Prao and Ao Kiu Na Nok beaches

Ao Prao and Ao Kiu Na Nok are contrastingly more secluded and peaceful than the other beaches of Koh Samet, arguably offering the best beach near Bangkok. Ao Prao is along the West of Koh Samet and Ao Kiu Na Nok is to the southern end. Accommodation is more expensive in these areas and the atmosphere is much more quiet for an exclusive, romantic getaway. Ao Prao Resort is a beautiful hotel to stay in at Ao Prao or the luxurious Paradee Resort is ideal for honeymooners or special occasions.

best beach near bangkok

Bangkok to Koh Samet

Firstly, you will need to head from Bangkok to Rayong. You can get from Bangkok to Rayong by bus for only 170 baht from Ekkamai bus station. Ekkamai bus station is located right at the bottom of Ekkamai BTS station. Buses leave hourly from 8am and the journey takes about 4 hours.

However a slightly quicker alternative to this is taking the minibus from Bangkok to Rayong from Victory Monument for around 200 baht. This takes around 3 hours instead. To take the minibus from Victory Monument to Rayong, take the BTS to Phayathai and take exit 4. At the bottom of the stairs turn back on yourself until you find a row of buses.

All buses and minibuses from Bangkok to Rayong stop directly opposite Ban Phe pier. You can catch either a ferry (45 minute ride for 100 baht) or a speed boat (20 minute ride for 250 baht) at the pier every hour from 8am until 6pm. The main ferry to Samet takes you to Nadan Pier near Sai Kaew. The speed boat ferry to Koh Samet also stops at Nadan pier but can also drop you directly at the shore of your preferred resort.

 

Thailand Tourist Visa

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What Visa should I get to go to Thailand?

If you are planning on visiting Thailand for a simple short-term holiday, a Tourist Visa will normally provide a long enough length of stay (up to six months) for most people. Also, it depends on what country your passport was issued in (scroll below for a full list), but most Passport holders can stay in Thailand for up to 90 days without even having to apply for a Thai Visa all thanks to the Visa Exemption Rule in Thailand.

Want to skip the boring details? Take a gander below at Entering Thailand Without A Visa.

How do I apply for a Thailand Visa?

If you are from one of the below listed countries, you do not need to apply for a Tourist Visa before departing for your holiday to Thailand under the Visa Exemption Rule. You do absolutely nothing, immigration will simply issue you with an arrival card and stamp on arrival at the airport in Thailand. The only catch is that you cannot stay in Thailand for longer than 30 days at a time. This means you need to cross the border, get your passport stamped and re-enter every 30 days, but this isn’t usually a problem for travellers planning on exploring the neighbouring countries such as Laos, Malaysia and Cambodia anyway.

Providing you leave Thailand every 30 days, you can stay for a maximum total of 90 days within a 6 month period without a Thai Visa. It may be worth noting though, that if you first enter Thailand at a border crossing rather than an International Airport, your Visa will only allow you a stay of 15 days, rather than 30 days.

What about a Thailand Tourist Visa?

The only time you will need to apply for a Tourist Visa in advance, is if you are only booking one-way flights and don’t have any other proof of onward travel out of Thailand. Some airlines may have a problem with this and refuse to allow you to fly. Another advantage of applying for a Tourist Visa in advance, is that you will be permitted to stay in Thailand for the first 60 days instead of 30 without leaving.

This means that if you apply for a triple entry Thailand Tourist Visa in advance for around £75, you can stay for a total of 6 months instead of 90 days – as long as you exit and re-enter Thailand every 60 days. Either way, in this case, you need to make sure to apply for your Thai Tourist Visa at your local Thai consulate at least a week or two in advance – Most Thai consulates generally take no more than a few days to process Thailand Visa applications. You can also apply in person if running low on time, this typically only takes up to an hour.

Entering Thailand without a Thai Visa

  • Obtain an entry stamp and arrival card after landing at the airport in Thailand
  • Leave the country or cross the border within 30 days of arrival in Thailand
  • You can exit and re-enter Thailand up to 3 times for a maximum stay of 90 days
  • Must provide proof of adequate finances, for example cash of at least 10,000 baht per person
  • Must have at least 6 months passport validity
  • Must have proof of onward travel within 30 days of arrival in Thailand. For example a return flight ticket or train ticket out of Thailand
  • Passport must be issued by one the listed countries below

Countries under the Visa Exemption Rule in Thailand

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahrain
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau
  • Malaysia
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Russia
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Vietnam

Alternatively, anybody planning on acquiring a Non-tourist Visa in Thailand must apply in advance. You can read more about staying in Thailand long-term and other Thailand Visas here.

Banrie Coffee & Beer Garden Bangkok

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Banrie Coffee makes for both a quaint, pretty daytime cafe and a laid back, cozy night time beer garden in Bangkok. The look of Banrie Coffee is almost ruin-like, reminiscent of the remnants of a historical Thai landmark. The gardens are enclosed by an old, ancient wall with battered holes serving as windows looking out onto the Bangkok city streets. Inside the gardens, many huge trees scatter the grounds linked by colourful flags hanging cheerfully between them during the day. Banrie is open in Bangkok 24 hours a day every day with fairy lights illuminating the gardens at night.

banriecafe

Banrie Coffee serves a selection of Thai food, coffee, cake, milkshakes, cocktails, wine and beers complete with live, mellow Thai music during the evenings. Bottles of wine don’t come too cheap and vary between 1000 and 2000 baht. You can buy cocktail jugs for 300 baht and beer towers for 500 baht for 2.7 liters. The chilled out atmosphere with mild, live Thai bands and the pleasant, warmly lit natural  surroundings of Banrie Coffee Bangkok make it a must visit local Thai hangout.

banrie

How to get to Banrie Coffee Bangkok

Simply take the Sukhumvit line BTS to Ekkamai. Banrie Coffee is right next to the BTS station, at night time you can just follow the sound of music. Banrie Coffee is difficult to miss.

Living in Thailand

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6 months in thailand

6 Months In Thailand

It’s been about 6 months since I moved to Thailand in November now. During the first few months living in Thailand I struggled to adapt to life. The culture shock hit me and I felt incredibly homesick, in fact, I could only look forward to the day I went back home, rather than appreciate my new life in Thailand.

I felt lonely and outcast living in Thailand society, taking every little reaction from a Thai person personally. Despite seeing no point in staying in Thailand any longer, I perservered, determined to see my stay through and past the 6 month mark.

Expat friends living in Thailand who originally moved only temporarily have ended up staying permanently. People always say to me, once you get past your first 6 months in Thailand, you’ll never want to go back home…. And they were all right! I pushed through the first 6 months in Thailand and now it has become my home. I’m happy here. But now I find myself in a quandry; not wanting to go back to England but not wanting to abandon my friends and family there either.

6 months in thailand

In one sense, through taking the big step of moving to Thailand, I have succeeded and found my place to belong in the world. Yet in another sense, I have given my life more confusion and anguish by being torn between two homes. The way of life in Thailand, the people and the laid back simplicity have trapped me here now. I have other lifelong dreams like travelling America and seeing the rest of the world, but I’m simply left feeling drawn back to living in Thailand now!

When I picture myself returning to England, I see myself feeling homesick for Thailand. I struggle with the thought of leaving my new friends in Thailand… It seem like I’ve gone and put myself in a lose-lose situation now!

Once you get past the 6 month mark living in Thailand, Thailand has you…

Petite Audrey Bangkok

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bangkok cafe

Petite Audrey is an elegant cafe restaurant in Siam Center, Bangkok. The bangkok cafe serves both savoury and sweet dishes in beautifully inviting surroundings. I appreciate the sleek, industrial theme of Bangkok’s Siam Center, but Petite Audrey seems to be decorated completely oppositely to the rest of the mall – this stark contrast makes it look all the more cozy and inviting when you walk past it though. The elegant, french style open windows combined with the airy interior and wooden floors separate the cafe nicely from the Bangkok mall.

petite audrey

The food served at Petite Audrey Cafe is mainly Italian and Thai. They also have a nice selection of salads with imaginative dressings from only 160 baht. Pizzas and pasta cost between 160 and 300 baht and Thai food from around 120 baht. The selection of deserts in Petite Audrey Bangkok is another story though! From tea flavour cakes and chewy chocolate brownies to a selection of waffles each the size of your face; Petite Audrey Bangkok has a huge selection of desserts to choose from and they all come beautifully and elegantly presented. Petite Audrey is a perfect cafe to visit for some sophisticated cake stuffing.

Siam Centre cafe

How to get to Petite Audrey Cafe Bangkok

Take the BTS to Siam station and follow signs to Siam Center, situated next to Siam Paragon. Take the escalators to level 4. Petite Audrey cafe is located around the middle area of the 4th floor.

Jobs in Thailand

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Since moving, I have seriously struggled to earn money and find jobs in Thailand. Unless you are lucky enough to have been transferred from a job at home to Thailand, or you can work from your computer as a programmer or web designer, the work restrictions for foreigners in Thailand can make life difficult. There are still a few other ways to earn money in Thailand though…

Earn money in Thailand

Writing online

Anybody can do these jobs in Thailand, although it doesn’t pay so well for the lesser skilled. You can either write content and blogs on websites such as Hirewriters or Textbroker, or you can write reviews for Reviewstream.com. There are also many websites that will sometimes advertise jobs writing product descriptions, for example, game descriptions and hotel descriptions for travel sites.

Hirewriters are not so fussy with the skill of their writers, but I have had trouble in the past actually signing up because they put a block on IP adresses from certain parts of the world. Textbroker pay better but are a little stricter – I actually, rather embarrassingly, was declined to join after submitting my writing sample to them. Ouch… but I’m not bitter or anything. (Puck you TextBroker! You ain’t gettin’ a link here, Puck You! *Sniff*)

Review Stream are easy to use to earn money in Thailand – you just need to write 200 word reviews for any product you choose and you can earn up to $3.50 each time. Their guidelines are very strict though and if you do not meet their criteria in your review, you only get about 50 cents… not so good. For the more creative people, try Squidoo or Zujava to write your own articles and earn money in Thailand.

Freelance

If you have any kind of skill like translation, writing, designing, drawing, programming, music; try signing up to one of the many freelancing websites available for other jobs in Thailand. You can try Guru, Odesk and PeoplePerHour. It takes some persistence to establish yourself at first but it’s worth a try if you have the skills – people charge good money on freelance websites.

I don’t have any skills in particular myself, but I managed to nab a small but stable, long-term job in Thailand on PeoplePerHour. I just spend a couple of hours every morning updating somebody’s website and Facebook page with daily offers. From this, I earn about £15 – £20 (average 800 baht) per day from it – which is really helpful. I spend the rest of my time doing courses on Udemy.com so that I can learn new skills to earn money in Thailand on freelance websites.

Another more random website is Fiverr where you can charge $5 for just about absolutely anything you want. Alternatively, make use of your new found knowledge of Thailand with e-Curator, a new travel advice service that relies on expats for accurate and local tips. For a 30 minute Skype conversation with a traveller hoping to travel to your area, you will earn $6.50.

Acting

Randomly enough, there is a demand for foreigners to work in extra and acting jobs in Thailand. Extra jobs in thailand don’t always pay so well though, particularly jobs for the Thai and Bollywood film crews, but Extra work pays the bills nonetheless. You need no previous work experience or skills to do Extra jobs in Thailand but it helps to be persistent in requesting work and getting chummy with the agents. Sucking up to people is something that is not my forte though… Click here for more info on acting and extra jobs in Thailand.

Teaching

Teaching jobs in Thailand are the most popular and well-known ways to earn money in Thailand. It is much easier if you have a degree and/ or TEFL teaching certificate. There are ways to get around this – build contacts to find jobs in Thailand without these requirements or find agents that can help find suitable teaching jobs in Thailand for you in kindergartens, for example.

Some agencies that might be able to work around a lack of degree in Thailand are Time2Talk, Super English, The Language, BFITS, and Malthus. If you struggle finding jobs in Thailand the honest way, you can always buy fake diplomas either online or on Khaosan Road. Teaching camps usually don’t require a degree and pay around 1000 bath per day for typical three day camps around Thailand. Check out Teaching jobs in Thailand for more info.

More on how to make money while living in Thailand

For a more comprehensive guide on how to earn money and jobs in Thailand, you may be interested in the e-book below. From all the books I’ve seen on making money while living in Thailand so far, this one seems the most honest, realistic and genuine – it’s not a dodgy get-rich-quick scheme but it does cover the most logical means of earning a modest amount of money to get by in Thailand. You can buy it for £$19.77 here.

jobs in thailandBuy the eBook for £$19.77 here

 

Hairdressers in Thailand

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beauty salon bangkok

 

Hairdressers in Thailand are cheeeap! If you stumble upon one of the ordinary barbers or hairdressers on the streets in the local areas of Thailand or outside of the main cities, you can get yourself a Thai haircut, wash and blowdry for as little as 100 baht. Cheap aye?

There are a couple of drawbacks to these cheaper, local hairdressers in Thailand though: It’s hard to know if they’ll actually be any good or even have any skill cutting hair; They very rarely speak English – most ladies’ worst nightmares when unleashing hairdressers on their luscious locks; They are only used to dealing with Thai hair types so they can be known to use the wrong hair products or chemicals and even damage western hair types.

My Thai haircut

When I injured my wrist on holiday in Thailand a couple of months ago, I found it hard to wash and do my own hair. Fed up of walking around looking like a dischevelled, scruffbag bird’s nest, I stumbled across a local Thai hairdressers in Chiang mai. It was a dark and dingy-looking, open-walled shop just off the main street charging 200 baht for a wash, cut and blowdry, and the hairdressers working there seemed surprised by my patronage. I asked, in Thai, for a haircut and wash, but only to cut a little… She ended up cutting off about 3 or 4 inches of my poor hair.

Also, on a recent drunken weekend in Thailand, my boyfriend ended up being taken to a Thai hair salon (which randomly had a pet squirrel running loose btw) by friends who showed the hairdresser a picture of a guy that looked like a cross between Mr T and Prodigy… Now that’s a hard look to pull off, but it does help if the hairdresser actually shaves your hair even remotely straight – not making it look like she did it with her eyes closed. Yeah yeah, it’s not a particularly good start to let your drunk friends pick out your hairstyle but it seriously looked bad… I think I could’ve had a better crack at it myself. Sorry for the Thailand hairdresser horror stories anyway, but just a heads up!

Never fear though, you can always opt for the more glitzy hairdressers in Thailand on the highstreets and in the malls of the city centres. A haircut and blowdry can cost from 400 baht upwards, but in some places they’ll speak English, have more specialist products for western hair and spend more time on their customer’s haircut.

Best Hair Salon in Bangkok

Where to find the best hair salon in Bangkok… Although I’ve not yet tried and tested them myself (I do plan to), these seem to be the most renowned and best hair salons in Bangkok, popular among expats because they speak English too:

Anderson hair salon Bangkok

Hair by Phonatip Bangkok Salon

Zen Red Hair Salon Bangkok *

*I am a little dubious of Zen Red hair salon in Bangkok, they seem to have mixed reviews but are meant to be specifically catered for western hairtypes and customers. Their website seems a little flashy to me as well, not as genuine as the other two.

How to ask for a haircut in Thai!

Dtong-gaan... – I’d like…

Dtat pom – Hair cut

Lem – Trim

Yawm pom – Colour

Sa – Wash

Bpao pom – Blow dry

Gohn noo-at – Shave

Dtok dtang noo-at – Beard Trimmed

Khae nit noy – Only a little

Yaa dtat hai san bpai – Don’t cut it too short

 

When using these phrases to get a haircut in Thailand, don’t forget to add ‘ka’ for women and ‘krap’ for men to be polite.

 

Tae Chio Chinese Cemetery, Sathorn

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chinese cemetery in sathon bangkok

 

Tucked away amongst the backstreet sois and nestled within the multitude of Bangkok skyscrapers of Sathorn, you can find a peculiar and unconventional Chinese graveyard; it’s an all-in-one park, gym, temple and hangout for the locals. It’s off the beaten track and hard to find unless you know about it, you don’t tend to find it in the guide books and you won’t find tourists there. It has the beauty and evocative history of the Chinese temples only without the tuk tuks and sometimes tacky tourist charades that come with some of the other more popular tourist sites.

chinese cemetery bangkok

There is a lot more to this unheard of Bangkok park than just your traditional temples though – you’ll find everything from old geezers playing cards and drinking tea, to pensioners playing tunes on the harmonica or singing classic thai songs on random karaoke machines; locals jogging through the Chinese cemetery, pumping iron to the backdrop of a colourful temple, or youths playing lively Takraw matches.

Chinese temple in bangkok

It’s quite an odd mish mash of activity considering the solemn and spiritual mood that usually lingers in the atmosphere of a standard graveyard. But nonetheless, it’s refreshing and completely typical of Thai culture and it’s laid back, open minded approach to life. If you prefer to see culture and everyday life in an authentic and chilled out setting – basically if you’re bored of repetitive, somewhat sheltered tourist sights and displays – a trip to Tae Chio cemetery can make for a pleasant change.

Chinese cemetery sathon

If you drop by during the day, you’ll find it to be a peaceful, unique park to sit and snack on some of the street food and snacks from the outside Bangkok sois. If you head to the cemetery at sunset, you’ll find it to be a lively and entertaining hangout for the younger locals just finishing work and school. Next to the gym and main chinese temple is a Takraw court -Sepak  Takraw is a popular Thai sport which I can only describe as being like a fusion of football, volleyball and acrobatics. It makes a really interesting sport to spectate and if you visit the cemetery in the evening, it’s likely you might be able to catch a game.

grave thailand

The gym at the cemetery is very much like the more well know outdoor gym in Lumpini Park, only I believe it to be a little more relaxed, less intimidating than the ‘beefcake feel’ of Lumpini park, and the Temple setting more distinctive and appealing to the eye. As a whole, the Tae Chio graveyard is a little rough around the edges – it’s not like the immaculately maintained, better known parks of Bangkok – but it has a spirit, creativity and vibe of a whole new level.

Sleeping dog cemetery

How to get there

Take the BTS to Surasak station in Sathorn and take exit 2. Continue with the direction of the traffic until you get to the main cross roads, continue left around the corner (soi 17) and follow the soi (Charoen 1) past the Seven Eleven. Head on into the soi, following left round the bend until the you see an apartment block called Sara Residence. Shortly after this the road forks straight ahead and right – Take the right turn and after about a hundred yards you’ll find the park on your left.

Surasak station is located next to Saphan Taksin station and just past Sala Deng BTS. Saphan Taksin is the main ferry hub to travel along the Chao Praya river and Sala Deng, Silom has many modern bars, shops and restaurants to hang out at. Sathorn and the Chinese Cemetery make for a convenient stop off if visiting these nearby Bangkok stations.

Bangkok city temple