Lumpini Park

Posted on May 23, 2013 by koomatzu

Lumpini Park, Bangkok’s first public park, was opened by King Rama VI in 1925 – you can find his statue at the main gates. It was named after Lumbini, the famed birthplace of the Buddha in Nepal. The Bangkok park offers huge, natural open grounds of lush, shaded greenery and peaceful lakes.

You will find a serious amount of Bangkokians snoozing on the lawns and benches around Lumpini park but on the other hand, exercise is greatly encouraged within it’s walls – the sheer size of the park makes it very popular with runners and great for cycling in Bangkok (although cycling is only officially allowed between 10 am and 3pm). You can even find an outdoor gym full of hulking Bangkok locals benching tyres on rusty bars as well as other random exercise equipment throughout the park grounds.

The large old trees that line the paths in Lumpini park make it a refreshing stop in Bangkok to cool off in the shade. There are many open areas to stop and rest or have a picnic but there are also more interesting displays such as the Palm Garden – an array of gigantic, tropical trees; the Chinese pagoda – set amongst an arrangement of flowers, overlooking the stillness of the lake; the lake island hidden amongst it’s many palms and floral displays.

To the locals of Bangkok, Lumpini park is more than just a display of flora and fauna, it also has a library, school, social club, homeless centre and a youth centre which offers sports activities like tennis, swimming and basketball. On the last Sunday of every month from around 7.00 until 9.00am, local monks hold Buddhist Sermons; During February to April, the palm garden hosts live music from 16.30 every Sunday. Pedal boats and rowing boats are available for rent for 30 baht per half hour. If you can wake the boat guy up anyway.

There are currently, as of 2013, building works being undertaken around parts of Lumpini Park which make it a little less peaceful and calm as it could be. The maze-like roads that wind through the park are also used by a surprisingly large number of trucks, either construction related or just garden maintenance related (e.g. they use one fire engine-looking truck to water all the foliage around the Bangkok park). Lumpini park is so big though that it is possible to escape these disturbances – For a more calm and peaceful park in Bangkok though, it may be worth checking Benjakiti Park.

How to get to Lumpini Park

You can either take the MRT Subway to Lumpini and follow signs within the station to the park, or you can take the BTS Sky Train to Sala Deng and follow signs from there to the MRT.

Mr Jones’ Teddy Bear Orphanage Bangkok

Posted on May 22, 2013 by koomatzu

Mr Jones’ Teddy Bear Orphanage is a quirky and cute Bangkok patisserie with unique character – there are two branches in Bangkok, one cafe located in Seen Space, Thonglor (on soi 13), and the other cafe in Siam Centre (at BTS Siam). The attention to detail and presentation is amazing – Teddy bears line the walls, swing above from the ceiling and even squeeze in amongst the cafe seating and tables. Mr Jones’ cafe interior is light and airy with classic, pine decor and an elaborately enchanting display of amazing cakes for customers to choose from in the foyer.

Mr Jones’ Teddy Bear Orphanage offers take-away or eat-in and have also recently added a brunch menu to accompany their drinks and desserts; brunch menu prices start from 150 baht and they offer tuna sandwiches, classic eggs and bacon and eggs bennedict. Patisserie cakes cost from around 80 baht to 150 baht and they have pretty much any kind of dessert and flavour you can dream of, from giant marshmallows and apple pies to oreo pizzas and custard cow poos. For all the other brits out there, they even have english scones and jam! Something I’ve craved in Bangkok for months (*drool).

Smoothies, coffees and milkshakes can cost up to 150 baht. It’s not that cheap for Bangkok but hey, you’re also paying for the scenery and charm that comes with it. When the waitresses serve your food and drinks, you almost don’t want to ruin the effort put into making it by eating it – food and drinks come served with a tiny, toy soldier accompanied by a delicate pot of yogurt, strawberries and flowers positioned on the side of the plate.

Benjakiti Park

Posted on May 17, 2013 by koomatzu

Peace amongst the hustle and bustle of central Bangkok…

Benjakiti park lives in the shadow of the more famous and renowned Bangkok park, Lumpini Park. Benjakiti park is extremely quiet, maybe you’ll come across the odd jogger or cyclist, there seem to be an oddly large number of security officers and gardeners working there as well – and thats about it… It’s actually located close by Lumpini Park and in easy walking distance of Asoke’s Terminal 21 (you can read about Terminal 21 here) so makes a contrasting break from a day out shopping in Bangkok.

The man-made lake at Benjakiti park occupies the majority of the landscape, with decking and seating looking out over the water and the Bangkok sky scraper reflections. From the decking area running along side the rectangular lake, the view is a beautiful juxtaposition of the modern city scape and colourful natural beauty of the Bangkok park itself. By no means is it a natural, wild looking park though – the gardens are well maintained and the layout has a structured, methodical feel – uniform rows of bold, purple flower displays line the lake with constistancy and punch.

Some may not like the unnaturalness of Benjakiti Park, but I personally see it’s perfection as striking. Ironically, the lack of other people due to it’s underatedness make it incredibly more peaceful and the over-employment of gardeners there make it absolutely immaculately well kept! Benjakiti park is a little smaller than Lumpini park, so is maybe not as great a place to go long distance jogging in Bangkok (ideal if you run about 2km though), but it does have it’s own outdoor exercise equipment for a cheap workout. There are also peddle boats to take out on the lake – although I have never once seen anybody using these either.

You may also be interested to check out the nearby Retro Live Cafe – ideal for lunch with friends in Bangkok. It opens for lunch between 11am and 2.30pm and the international buffet costs 420 baht per person. On evenings, particularly Fridays, they boast live music performances from famous bands and singers.

How to get to Benjakiti Bangkok Park

The easiest way is to take the MRT to Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. Take exit 3 to the Convention Centre and then carry on walking left up the road once outside the station. Benjakiti park is also about a 10 minute walk from Asoke BTS station.

Baiyoke Tower

Posted on May 14, 2013 by koomatzu

Baiyoke Tower is located in Bangkok and is the tallest building in Thailand with 84 floors of shopping, sky restaurants, exhibitions and it’s very own sky hotel. For 300 baht you can purchase a ticket to visit the revolving Bangkok rooftop on the 84th floor – the city views of Bangkok are pretty amazing, particularly at sunset (although it gets busiest at this time). It is a little uglier than some of the fancier Bangkok rooftop bars though – with wire surrounds that make you need to artfully peep your camera through one of the gaps to take a decent photo.

Bunny rabbit!

For the 300 baht entrance fee, you get a free drink on the Baiyoke Tower sky bar and a free visit to it’s small Thai exhibition – particularly good for photo taking in the set up photo corner scenes. The sky bar is somewhat shabby for the tallest building in Bangkok and also has a very random space/ sci-fi kind of theme; the staircase walls are painted with a starry pattern, lined with giant, model killer aliens and the cafe has it’s own waitresses dressed in silver spacemen suits. Just a little random. The Baiyoke Tower Sky bar has some nice cakes though and great views of Bangkok city to sit and take a break.

‘Ooooh I love a bit of cake!’ – Note the special, silver spaceman sprinklings

Baiyoke Buffet

Also in the Baiyoke Tower are many different sky restaurants and buffets with impressive Bangkok views to choose from throughout the different levels of the sky tower. For the cheapest, try the fruit Baiyoke buffet on the 18th floor – for 350 baht you can sample the many Thai fruits and get free entrance to the revolving observation deck on the rooftop included, so it only actually costs 50 baht extra than the standard ticket. Another one of the more interesting Baiyoke buffet sky restaurants is the themed Baiyoke Floating Market charging 560 baht for a buffet dinner and, again, entrance fee to the Bangkok rooftop.

Photo corner

Baiyoke Tower Shopping

Being located in Pratunam, there are absolutely tonnes of markets and malls to shop but there are also four floors of shopping at the bottom of Baiyoke Tower. The shops in Baiyoke Tower are especially ideal for men – I do believe Bangkok is a little lacking in men’s clothes shopping personally. The first few floors are a little boring, mainly wholesale shirts and t-shirts, but the fourth floor get’s a little more creative and indie.

You can find many alternative styles of clothing on the fourth floor of Baiyoke Tower such as custom made biker style shorts as well as some nerdy retro T-shirt designs (particular Star Wars parody designs). I do love a bit of retro nerdiness. The shops around Pratunam are mainly wholesale orientated, so it’s best not to haggle in many of the shops as they have set prices and discounts. T-shirts generally cost around 200 baht (you can check out more typical Thailand clothing prices here).

For people with more expensive tastes, a more sophisticated alternative to the Baiyoke Sky Tower in Bangkok is the State Tower, but Baiyoke Tower is still very reasonable for the price in my opinion. Although I would not recommend a visit to Baiyoke Tower as an attraction on it’s own, it is actually ideally loacted around the central area of Bangkok. Therefore it is not a bad detour to take combined with some cheap shopping around Pratunam, or maybe to explore the modern centre of Bangkok a little further afield (maybe a 20 minute walk), Central World, Amarin Shrine or the Phallic Shrine in Chit Lom.

How to get to Baiyoke Tower

Take the BTS to Phayathai station and then the airport link to Ratchaprop station. Make sure to catch the City Line train and get off at the first stop. From here, there are many sign posts to follow to the Baiyoke tower – you can even see it from the station.

Rock Pub Bangkok

Posted on May 13, 2013 by koomatzu

Need some good music in your life in Bangkok?! Hell yeah, tell me about it…

The Rock Pub in Bangkok has live music every night starting from around 9.30pm. The bands seem to be mainly cover bands for punk, grunge, rock and old skool metal genres and they’re pretty spot on with their reproductions. In my experience so far, many Thai singers seem awesome at mimicking original voices and styles.

Regular Greenday cover band

The pub itself is not too bad inside – where I’m from, if you go to an alternative style bar or live music venue, it’s gonna be pretty grubby and dingy. It’s just to be expected. But the Rock Pub in Bangkok is kept pretty clean – nice leather stools, flat screen TVs with music videos… whilst still maintaining a smooth, dimly lit, alternative, badass aura about it. Oh and the acoustics are good or whatever.

Don’t expect it to be that cheap though. But then don’t be a scab – live music venues and bars never are. Beers cost from 119 baht a bottle to 750 baht for a 3 litre tower of Chang and from 75 baht for a soft drink.

How to get to the Rock Pub Bangkok

Head to BTS station Ratchatewi and take the exit opposite Asia Hotel (which has it’s own floating link from the station). It’s right at the bottom of the BTS steps, next to the fried banana lady. Mmm fried banana lady.

Hangover 2 Hotel

Posted on May 7, 2013 by koomatzu

The Sky Bar at Lebua State Tower Hotel in Bangkok is more commonly known as the famous bar from Hangover 2. It has a highly sophisticated restaurant and bar 63 floors high above the city, reputedly the tallest rooftop bar in the world. In fact, visiting the ‘Hangover 2 hotel’ is one of the top ‘must do’ activities on most people’s bucket lists when they travel to Bangkok on holiday, so if you’re feeling stumped and overwhelmed about what to do on holiday in Bangkok, it may well be worth a visit.

And you know what? It’s not even that expensive – In many people’s home countries, an opulent, world famous hotel and bar sixty-three floors tall above the capital city would be far from their reach. The bar and restaurant can understandably be a little expensive by Bangkok’s standards, but to stay the night at the Hangover 2 Lebua hotel can actually cost from $100 a night. You can make bookings here.

Aside from the hotel’s popular association with Hangover 2, the views and atmosphere can be quite breath taking and there are many other equally impressive restaurants and bars within the tower to choose from.

Breeze restaurant serves world-class gourmet food with the choice of dining on a suspended glass sky-brige for a bird’s eye view of Bangkok city. Cafe Mozu is a colourful poolside cafe serving various world cuisines; Distil bar has it’s own nightly resident DJ and open-air cigar terrace; Lebua Lounge offers an extensive and high quality range of teas and pastries in a classic and cozy setting; the Sky Bar and Sirocco restaurant have amazing rooftop views, as seen in the Hangover 2 movie, and a live jazz band every night.

Cafe Mozu

If you are planning on visiting State Tower, it is highly recommended that you book at least seven days in advance to avoid disappointment.

How to get to the Hangover 2 Hotel

Head to the very western end of Silom Road and you will find it on the corner where the main road meets Charoen Krung Road. From BTS Saphan Taksin, head up Charoen Krung Road until you come to the next main intersection.

Hangover 2 Thailand, Hangover 2 Hotel Bangkok, Hangover 2 Bar, Rooftop bar Bangkok

Yoga In Bangkok

Posted on April 26, 2013 by koomatzu

If you want to practise yoga in Bangkok, you’re just in luck! Bangkok has a great range of yoga schools and yoga classes, many of which offer monthly rates for unlimited yoga classes. The cheapest yoga class in Bangkok that I have found so far is Yoga Elements, however Iyengar hot yoga has a great reputation as being a hardcore workout among expats in Bangkok.

Directory of Yoga classes and prices in Bangkok

Yoga Elements Bangkok

Where: Chit lom
Drop-in price: 500 baht
Monthly price: From 2000 baht for 15 x 90 minute sessions
Website: www.yogaelements.com
Review

The Yoga Place Bangkok

Where: Thong Lo
Drop-in price: 350 baht
Monthly price: 3000 baht for 10 x 90 minute classes
Website: www.theyogaplace.in.th

Iyengar Yoga Studio Bangkok

Where: Thong Lo
Drop-in price: 500 baht
Monthly price: 3400 baht unlimited use
Website: www.iyengar-yoga-bangkok.com

Yoga Sutra Thai Bangkok

Where: Chong Nonsi
Drop-in price: 500
Monthly price: From 9000 baht for 3 months unlimited use
Website: www.yogasutrathai.com

Lullaby Yoga Bangkok

Where: Ploenchit & Lumphini
Drop-in price: 550 (200 for first timer)
Monthly price: Around 3500 baht for 15 sessions
Website: www.lullaby-yoga.com

Absolute Yoga Bangkok

Where: Amarin Plaza, Silom Road (BTS Saladaeng), Prom phong, Nonthaburi, Lad phrao (MRT Pha Ho Yothin), Pinklao, Crystal Park
Drop-in price: 650 baht
Monthly price: 4900 baht for 10 classes
Website: www.absoluteyogabangkok.com

YogaFly Bangkok

Where: Pilates Station Prom Phong
Drop-in price: 550 baht
Monthly price: –
Website: www.pilatesstation.co.th

Not interested in yoga in Bangkok? For gyms and their prices in Bangkok, see my Bangkok Fitness Club directory here.

Lonely In Thailand

Posted on April 16, 2013 by koomatzu

Social Networking In Thailand

The expat community in Thailand is surprisingly small and cosy but I also believe that just living in another country instantly equips you with many common interests to meet and connect with other like-minded expats. Most people who have moved to Thailand will not only tend to share a similar attitude and outlook on life but will also usually be open minded enough to posess an interesting array of alike hobbies. There are many useful social networking websites kicking around to help you to meet other expats if you do get lonely in Thailand. In some people’s cases it can be hard to connect and meet with others and make friends in Thailand otherwise.

Social networking websites in Thailand

I have personally tried and tested some of these social networking sites myself and have found them to be very friendly and welcoming in Bangkok. It’s definitely worth a try to network with other expats in Thailand – there is nothing to lose from trying if you start to feel lonely in Thailand at least. Personally, when I am being anti-social in Bangkok, it makes me considerably more homesick also.

Meetup has an unbelievably wide selection of different groups for people to meet and either help out in the community, get some exercise or brush up on their language skills. Meetup groups in Thailand vary in size from about 5 to 30 people and include volunteer groups, beach volleyball groups, language groups, motorcyle touring, jam sessions, web developers and naturist groups! And many more! There is something there for everyone…

Chickynet is a women-only social networking site in Thailand. Personally, I think it can sometimes be quite difficult and lonely in Thailand for women, as a large proportion of expats seem to be men. Chickynet is great for socialising, hanging out and meeting with other women in Thailand. It also hosts numerous events, has a classified section and forums for help and expat advice. I highly recommend joining this community if you don’t yet have many aquaintances in Thailand.

For the fitness and beer enthusiasts, there are many Hash groups which exist around Thailand both for cyclists and runners. If you like running and biking, mixed up with some heavy drinking then give it a try. The Bangkok Hash House Bikers host many cycling events and meetups around Bangkok, or there is a runner’s Hash in Bangkok that meet Mondays, The Hash Pub in Chiangmai, Pattaya Hash in Pattaya… There are absolutely tonnes of other Hash websites to choose from in Thailand depending on your area…

Shared workspaces

For people who are self employed or similar, there are a selection of rentable shared office spaces around Bangkok which are ideal for meeting likeminded people.. or simply for those who are becoming lonely and bored of sitting at their desk in their y-fronts, scratching at their balls eating cheetos.

Hubba is located in Ekkamai in Bangkok and costs from 100 baht per day depending on which package you purchase with them. They offer a free trial so there is no pressure to join up at least. Some snacks and beverages are included in this price such as cakes from their pantry. The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed and they can arrange meals for you very cheaply to eat and socialise with the rest of the staff.

Launchpad is another share workspace in Bangkok, Sathorn – you can read more about Launchpad here.

Expat Pubs in Thailand

Another great way to meet expats in Thailand are the western style pubs – there are many people who network and make friends more casually in this way. In Bangkok for example, you can find Irish and English style pubs along most of the main stretches of activity – Silom has many to choose from along the whole of Silom Road, Nana is also a particularly pub-filled part of the city. Phrom Pong and Ekkamai also have good selections. Check out Durty Nellys, The Robin Hood and The Black Swan. In Silom near BTS Sala Deng, The Roadhouse is a particularly social pub amongst Bangkok expats. None of these places are cheap, but then foreign luxuries in Thailand never are.

If nightclubs are more your scene, try the expat rich Levels on Soi 11 in Nana, Bangkok. For the more creative crowd I would recommend a visit to the small and cosy Jam Cafe in Sathorn (the end nearest BTS Surasak Bangkok). The Jam Cafe often hosts cult movie nights and other interesting events to get people meeting and socialising. They also make some good fish and chips, burgers and veggie meals for only 100 – 150 baht.

Chao Mae Tuptim ‘Penis Shrine’, Bangkok

Posted on March 20, 2013 by koomatzu

Nestled away in a random and hidden spot of central Bangkok, you can find the very surreal Phallic shrine; a small site filled with numerous, large carvings and phallic statues. It is located within the grounds of the very posh, and maybe unfortunate, Swissotel Nai Lert hotel. Crossing over the small bridge leading into the typical Bangkok cityscape scene of the Swissotel grounds and it’s concrete car park, you will see a very small and overgrown-looking garden tucked away amongst some trees. If you were not actively looking for the penis shrine you may well easily miss it as it so hidden away, almost as if it has been conveniently shoved into the corner and out of people’s view.

A visit to the penis shrine in Bangkok can be a somewhat odd experience. Sometimes there may not be another visitor in sight, the only other signs of life around being a couple of stow away workers slacking off around the outskirts of the garden and a family of cats who have made their home underneath one of the many piles of phallic sculptures.

The Bangkok penis shrine is around 100 years years old and Chao Mae Tuptim is the name of the spirit or goddess believed to reside there. There seem to mixed feelings from the locals of Bangkok about the shrine, some apparently finding it to be embarrassing and perhaps vulgar (I have heard that if you mention it to a member of staff in the Swissotel, most of them will deny all knowledge of it’s existence). There are others throughout the region however, who regard the penis shrine as a place of good fortune, endowing fertility to visitors who worship Chao Mae Tuptim at the phallic shrine.

Visiting Chao Mae Tuptim

The phallic shrine is very small in size, it is literally like stepping into somebody’s back garden. It is not really something that would make a trip worthwhile on it’s own (particularly if you do not have a specific interest in phallic sculptures), but there are absolutely masses of shopping centres, malls and cafes around to explore nearby, and so the penis shrine can make an interesting stop off whilst wandering through the area of Chit Lom. Other places to visit in the area include Central Chit Lom (a department store with an impressive and high quality food court below), Central World, Amarin Plaza, Pratunam, Erawan shrine and the Baiyoke Tower. Every other person who’s been to Thailand has a picture of themselves in the Grand Palace and Wat Arun – the shrine can make for a more unconventional detour to the usual tourist sights.

And besides, who wouldn’t want a photo of themselves posing next to a giant pile of men’s oversized gooblies?

Directions to the Bangkok penis shrine

Take the BTS to Chit Lom and follow the exit signposted for Central Chit Lom. You should be walking in the direction towards Ploenchit, rather than back towards Central World. You can exit through the air conditioned Central Chit Lom and head back onto the main road with the BTS on. From here, carry on walking left along the main street until you come across a road turning left with a small canal running along the right-hand side of it.

Continue to the end of the street until you see a small bridge across the canal and a security guard booth just on the other side. Walk on through the car park and follow the road to the left. Straight ahead of you from here you will notice some trees and a small garden which is the penis shrine.

Erawan Elephant Museum, Bangkok

Posted on March 18, 2013 by koomatzu

Located just on the outskirts of the city of Bangkok, you can find the unmissable Erawan Museum- a unique museum in that it is enclosed within a 43 metre tall, giant elephant. It was built in 1967 by an eccentric multi-millionaire resident of Bangkok to preserve his collection of antique art and to showcase the four major religions of Asia. The grounds of the museum consist of beautiful gardens with carpe ponds, ornate statues surrounding the museum and a shrine built into the structure of the towering three-headed elephant above.

The main museum and shrine

Below the elephant building is the small museum dedicated to the history of Sukhothai and antique pottery of the region. The lobby-like area above this and under the shrine itself is very elaborately decorated with an extravagant and colourful circular staircase swirling around the dome shaped room up to the beautiful stained glass roof at the top. At the top of this level, you can either take the elevator or continue climbing yet more winding stairs which bring you into the body of the elephant itself.

Lobby area inside

Here, there is an interesting and unconventional shrine located at the very top of the structure, brightly decorated with a less traditional and modern edge to it than the more historical temples in Bangkok. There is also a small window at the top where you can view the scenery and gardens from above. Due to the actual size of the gardens and museum, a visit to Erawan Museum would need no more than an hour for many people. However the gardens, although small in size, have some intriguing sculptures and attractive flora for a little extra entertainment and relaxation.

Surrounding gardens

Entry to the Erawan Museum in Bangkok costs 300 baht for foreigners and 150 baht for Thais. It is open 8.00 am until 5.00 pm daily

How to get to Erawan Musem:

Take the BTS skytrain to the terminal station at Bearing. A taxi from here should only take 5 or 10 minutes and will cost around 55 baht depending on traffic. In thai, Erawan Museum is ‘peepeetapan erawan’.

Tip: Erawan Museum is a religious site, it is wise to try to dress a little more modestly to avoid the risk of being denied entrance to the actual museum and shrine. Avoid wearing short shorts or vests for example.

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Category: What to do in Bangkok