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.

Homesickness

Posted on April 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Four months ago, after much deliberation I finally got off my ass, took action and moved to Thailand… and now I feel homesick already -_-. The first three months living in Thailand I didn’t feel even the slightest bit homesick, possibly from being distracted by the novelty of being in a new country. But then the homesickness kicked in and when it did, it hit hard. For a month now I miss England, and the homesickness seems to be so unrelenting that I even started to question… is it actually homesickness or am I simply ‘done in Thailand’ already?

I’ve adapted to the hectic environment of Bangkok and learned a lot too. But at the same time… I miss home – I miss the music… food.. I miss snow and wrapping up in the cold weather (and not being sweaty!) and I miss having a stable job and income! I find it difficult to get a proper job in Thailand and am gradually eating away through my life savings. To put it simply: Should I really be wasting my hard earned money mooching around in the sun when I’m not gaining much else from it?

So grey and Englandy!

Living in Thailand has made me learn not to take my home for granted, to appreciate it when I do get home. This insight alone has made my trip to Thailand worth everything already. The grass is always greener on the other side and as much as Thailand has always had a romantic and paradisal association in my mind, it still has it’s imperfections just like every other country. People can still be unfriendly… or even annoying! Just as much so as in my own country. I love Thailand but in reality it has many positives and it also has it’s weaknesses just like anywhere else…

You can search and search for that part missing in your life but moving to the other side of the world does not necessarily automatically cure the naturally miserable, grumbly bastards like me…. some us just need to learn that for ourselves. I think that all the discontentedness some of us feel is inside our heads and if we want to be truly happy, we need to examine inside our minds rather than the world outside. Otherwise we will never be happy no matter where we live.

…It’s still badass to move to a tropical country though!

So I try not to let my homesickness delude me, it’s important to appreciate and make the most of the opportunity to live within such an interesting and lively culture. Living in another country, as opposed to travelling, can teach you a lot more and provide you with some much more realistic and unique experiences. Bangkok is an awesome city to live in… So I will suck it up, get me a nice roast dinner from the pub and listen to some Red hot chili peppers until I am cured once again.

A good cure to homesickness? Socialize and meet people in Thailand.

Update! Turns out homesickness and culture shock hits you a lot harder in reverse, when you actually return back to your rather uneventful hometown… if you’re feeling homesick and in need of some positive thinking or appreciation of all things Thai, read about my return to England here.

Trains In Thailand

Posted on April 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Do trains in Thailand get fully booked?

Do I need to book the train in advance in Thailand? In my opinion it is best to book ahead when travelling by train in Thailand just to be sure to avoid disappointment. I especially recommend it around new year and before the dates of the full moon party if travelling South. It’s not easy to book trains in thailand though… it’s a real ball ache actually. You can’t book Thailand trains online through the official Thai railways website – either you have to do it through a travel agency or make an extra trip to the train station itself before hand. If you are very lazy like myself though, you may find www.thailandtrainticket.com a useful website to book Thailand trains online.

Hualumpong Train Station Scam

I did not book the train ahead when I took a trip to Koh Samui this weekend in Thailand. The trains and buses to the islands and beaches of Thailand get pretty full up what with them being one of the biggest attractions for foreigners. However, having the prematurely anti-social spirit of a grumpy, elderly woman, I also did not realise that I was travelling around the busiest time of the full moon party. I had my hotels sorted, transport planned by the exact memorized Thailand train timetable… We arrived at Hualumpong train station one hour early before the 19.30 train was supposed to leave Bangkok for Surat Thani and nonchalantly approached the man on the tourist information counter for a timetable.

After asking a colleague about our train, the Thailand tourist information guy then informed us that the trains to Surat Thani were actually all fully booked that day. At this point I was starting to panic that I had screwed up our plans. But it wasn’t a problem – he explained to us that there was also a bus that went there… only it was due to leave in 10 minutes time. He bought us to another Thailand tourist information office and handed us over to the travel agent. Again, the new man reasserted that there was a bus about to leave in 10 minutes but it may be fully booked. My panic bar crept up slightly more… He phoned someone up to check for us and eventually turned back to us. “They have last two seats left. But they cost this much:” He got his calculator out and punched the numbers into it – 1300 baht each.

Now, from my experience living in Thailand so far, it’s never a good sign when people get out the calculator. People normally expect you to haggle when they get out the calculator, so obviously they type in some ridiculously over priced figure to start off. I did not expect to haggle over a bus ticket in an official-looking booth in a train station though. I enthusiastically nodded my head with relief. Yayy we got the last two tickets! So lucky!

…. 50 minutes went by after we bought out train tickets. Not only did the bus not leave 10 minutes after we had been told it would, but about 15 people entered the office after us and bought tickets for the very same journey. He’d just lied to us to panic us into paying more for our tickets -_-

I don’t think joint bus and ferry tickets from Bangkok to Samui should cost any more than 1000 baht. Maybe they can cost even less than this I am not 100% sure as maybe I was ripped off the 2^nd time I bought tickets also! Who knows? Either way, I’m not sure what happened. It is a possibility that the trains were not fully booked and the overly helpful Thailand tourist information guy just got paid commission from bringing tourists to book bus tickets. On the other hand though, it was four days before the full moon party and it’s a very popular route for tourists in Thailand afterall.. Being ripped off though, particularly on the very first day of a trip in Thailand, can be really demoralizing and frustrating.

Be warned and do not make the same mistake. Try booking the train in Thailand in advance and don’t let people panic you into paying more than you should. Hopefully someone else can gain something from this experience and some good may come from my gullibility. 😉

Thailand Island Hopping

Posted on April 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Island hopping in Thailand

For those interested in island hopping from Bangkok, here is a rough guide on how to get to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan as well as some ideas of what to do on the islands in Thailand. Phuket is located the opposite side of the mainland and in my opinion, the beaches are more attractive with soft, fine white sand. However these three islands are a little less built up than Phuket and ideal for island hopping in Thailand.

Personally, I get bored staying too long on a beach, even if trying my hand at some of the watersports and chilling out in the bars on the shore. However, getting to these particular islands from Bangkok can take a long time if you’re not flying, so you kind of need to spend more than just a few days island hopping in Thailand just to make your time travelling there worthwhile. However, a flight to Koh Samui costs from around 3000 baht each way.

Koh Samui

How do you get to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangnan from Bangkok

You can catch a joint ferry + sleeper train from Hualumpong train station in Bangkok to get to any of the islands in Thailand. An ideal time to catch this train is around 19.30 as this way you can get a decent night’s sleep rather than waste day time – the ferry arrives on each of the islands late morning the next day. If you book the joint ferry ticket you will be taken to a shuttle bus to connect you to the Don Sak ferry port from Surat Thani to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, respectively.

I recommend booking the train in advance for island hopping in Thailand though – it can get booked up at times, leaving you prime pickings for a stitching up by the tourist info people booking the buses. You can read my article on why you should book train tickets in advance in Thailand here. Trains to Surat Thani cost around 1300 baht each way (depending on the class).

Alternatively, for island hopping in Thailand you can also catch a bus straight from Bangkok to Surat Thani or Chumpon. From here you can take the ferry to Koh Samui etc. The bus to the Thai islands from Bangkok is slightly quicker and cheaper than the train but not as comfortable; it’s a pretty grueling journey being stuck on a bus for over 8 hours though. A joint bus + ferry ticket costs around 1000 baht if you book with Lomphraya – prices vary from company to company though. You can book tickets at any tourist office in Bangkok, it’s best to do in advance to avoid paying more or being stuck on the slower ferries and coaches.

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is the largest of the three islands and more built up too. Koh Samui has plenty of places to eat, bars on the beach and five star resorts. For those visiting Samui for the nightlife, Chaweng is the busiest and liveliest area of Samui to stay. Ark Bar Beach Resort costs around 1500 baht per night and is ideal for the younger tourists to stay in Koh Samui. Bophut is quieter but still packed with plenty of restaurants and pubs on the seafront as well as other day time activities available. This makes it ideal for couples, families or more chilled out groups of friends staying in Koh Samui. Smile House is a very good hotel to stay in Bophut costing from 1200 baht per night.

How to get to Koh Samui: You can book a ferry at any travel agents or directly at the main ferry ports such as Tong Sala on Koh Phangan or Surat Thani on the mainland. Island hopping on the ferry to Koh Samui takes roughly 1.5 hours from the mainland. Taxis generally charge around 600 – 900 baht to transfer you to your hotel from the ferry port on Koh Samui, there are some minibuses around though – one company called Travel Hut seems pretty reasonable. They have an office located around the port and charge 150 baht per person to drop you to your hotel. Alternatively, you can hire motorcycles for 250 to 400 baht per day (dependant on the engine size). It can be a fun way to explore Koh Samui island and it’s beaches, although the islands in Thailand are quite famous for their particularly dangerous roads so take care.

Walking Street, Fisherman’s Villaage

What to do in Koh Samui: If staying in Bophut, it can be a good idea to make sure you are staying in Koh Samui on a Friday. In Bophut fisherman’s village there is very lively ‘Walking Street’ every friday night, complete with fire poi shows, traditional thai performances and many stalls selling silks, clothing, handmade coconut beauty products, artwork and authentic Thai snacks. During the daytime, chill out on the beach or try your hand at windsurfing for 360 baht per hour. The conditions in Koh Samui are apparently the best in the world for windsurfing so it’s not a bad place to try it out if you’re interested. As well as windsurfing in Koh Samui, you can also rent kayaks for 250 baht.

Bophut

Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is primarily known for it’s famous Full moon parties and Jungle parties. The best place to stay for groups of friends and good nightlife on Koh Phangan is Hat Rin. V2 Seagate Hip Hotel is situated right in the middle of the nightlife in Hat Rin at a reasonable price too. For families and couples though, a good place to stay on Koh Phangan is perhaps Than Sadet. Mai Pen Rai bungalows on Than Sadet beach are very cheap at around 500 baht. They are located off the beaten track with their own peaceful, secluded beach.

How to get to Koh Phangan: A ferry to Thong Sala from the other islands costs around 400 baht and it is worth booking in advance with one of the tour offices during the full moon party time. You can also catch a slightly cheaper long tail boat from Maenam beach pier on Koh Samui but you cannot book this one in advance. Again, you can hire a motorcycle once in Koh Phangan but I would only recommend this for very confident drivers as the roads can be very steep and.. jungly.

What to do in Koh Phangan: There are other beach parties throughout the month in Koh Phangan as well as the full moon party, you can check the dates here to plan when to go. You can hire snorkels for 100 baht per day and kayaks for as little as 100 baht per hour. For fans of the tv shows Takeshi’s castle and Wipeout, you must visit Koh Phangan Wipeout located not too far from Thong Sala pier at Laem Son Lake. It costs 500 baht for the day and they are open Tuesday – Sunday 10am until 6pm.

Than Sadet Beach

Koh Tao

Koh Tao is the smallest and most unspoilt of the three islands which makes it ideal for nature lovers and scuba divers island hopping in Thailand. There is an abundance of sea life and coral reefs for diving. Koh Tao is popular island with divers and younger travellers, it’s ideal for groups of friends looking for adventure and cool nightlife.

Sairee beach is the most popular and lively area to stay on Koh Tao but the beach is rather dirty and neglected – it’s worth a visit for the nightlife on the evenings at least though, especially the bars along the beachfront. There are many other more secluded bays such as Ao Leuk and Mango bay for prettier beaches. Koh Tao Resort in Chalok is a good medium with a cool divers community and small, sandy beaches.

It’s best to rent a scooter for 150 baht per day to get around Koh Tao as you cannot catch taxis for any less than 250 baht per journey. Taxi drivers on Koh Tao will generally want between 50-100 baht per passenger or 400-500 baht per journey and will not be haggled down to less than 250 baht.

How to get to Koh Tao: Again, you can book a ferry to Koh Tao for around 400 baht from either Koh Samui or Koh Phangan. To get from Bangkok to Koh Tao, you can catch a coach to Chumpon pier and take the ferry straight to Koh Tao. It’s slightly quicker to get to Koh Tao from Bangkok than it is to get to Koh Samui or Koh Phangan; the bus can get there in 6 hours and the Lomprayah catamaran ferry 90 minutes. You can book joint ferry + bus ticket for around 1100 baht per person. Alternatively, you can hire a minibus and driver from 3000 baht for the day, it may well make a fun road trip.

What to do in Koh Tao: There are absolutely loads of different companies which offer scuba diving courses on Koh Tao, from 1 day to 7 days in length and it is the most ideal island to do this out of the three. Alternatively, if you feel there is not enough to keep you entertained on Koh Tao alone to make it worth staying, you can just book a day trip there instead through any of the Tour agencies on the other islands for around 700 baht. This usually includes some lunch, snorkel hire and a trip to Angthong National Marine Park as well.

You can rent ATVs for around 1000 baht to get around Koh Tao, not only are they good fun and safer than scooters, but they can also get you to some of the more isolated and more beautiful bays of the island too. Koh Tao also has a shooting range and an island-to-island zip wire for more beach-unrelated fun.

Island hopping in Thailand. For more Thailand travel ideas and tips, click here.

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.

The Nest Rooftop Bar Bangkok

Posted on March 15, 2013 by koomatzu

The Nest is a very sophisticated rooftop bar & tapas restaurant located above the Le Fenix Sukhumvit hotel on Soi 11, Nana in Bangkok. It is a fantastic rooftop bar in Bangkok to visit for a chilled out and relaxing evening – even better if you just need to unwind after a hard day’s work. After you enter the dimly lit Nest rooftop bar, you will be welcomed by staff and taken across a small bridge across a tranquil pond. The view of the top of the city and Bangkok skyscraper tops is impressive but even more impressive when you are then taken across a floor of sand to a very comfortable looking bed-like sofa.

After kicking off your shoes and making yourself comfortable amongst the cushions on your own private cocoon-like bed, you can enjoy a cocktail and drift away into a snooze-like state of relaxation. With the reflecting disco ball style lights flickering away hypnotically, the large projector screening breakdance dance-offs and skate boarding tricks behind the bar, the chilled out beats of funk and dubstep; it really is too easy to just fall asleep.

It’s not very cheap… yet at the same time, for a rooftop bar in Bangkok it’s not expensive either. Cocktails in The Nest rooftop bar average about 280 baht for a generous sized glass, and bottles of beer cost around 150 baht; however at happy hour between 6pm and 9pm cocktails cost only 200 baht and beers only 80 baht. Tapas dishes cost between 120 and 250 baht, Thai food from 90 baht and western dishes up to around 300 baht. We ordered pesto pasta chicken for 220 baht and fish and chips for 250 baht. The portions were slightly small but they were quite tasty.

The staff at The Nest Rooftop bar Bangkok were also very quick and efficient, but one thing in particular that I appreciated about them most was that they didn’t hover over you pressuring you to order like they do in so many other restaurants and rooftop bars in Bangkok. But they were still really quick to notice when you were actually ready to make your order. The Nest rooftop bar have live music after 9pm most nights and it is definitely worth a visit for a chilled out night in style in Bangkok.

Directions to the Nest rooftop bar Bangkok: Head down Soi 11, Nana (just near the BTS station). Continue to the end of the road and turn left. You will notice Le Fenix hotel on the corner as the road bears right again. The Nest Rooftop bar is at the top of Le Fenix hotel.

Sathorn Saint View Serviced Apartments, Bangkok

Posted on March 15, 2013 by koomatzu

Sathorn Saint View is both a long stay apartment complex as well as a short stay hotel in Bangkok. If you’re looking for some cheaper budget accommodation in a convenient location, then Sathorn Saint View can be a good choice of apartment to rent in Bangkok. Including the more expensive rooms, all apartments in Sathorn Saint View are open plan studios with no kitchen, just a fridge (and microwave in the better apartments). Rooms are relatively cheap and vary from between 5000 (£100 or $150) and 12000 (£250 or $400) baht per month or from 600 baht per day.

The Area Around Sathorn Saint View

Sathorn Saint View is in Sathorn, just a 5 or 10 minute walk to the Surasak BTS sky train station. Just four stops away for 25 baht on the skytrain is the Siam interchange, the hotspot of Bangkok. Alternatively, about a 20 minute walk from the apartments is the central pier, where you can catch a ferry from about 10 baht which will take you to the old district of Bangkok where Khaosan Road and all the main areas for sightseeing are. Also within easy distance, there’s Silom Road which has plenty of choice of restaurants and shops, just about a 15 minute walk away.

A review of Sathorn Saint View serviced apartments

With this convenient location and low price in mind, you can’t have everything for nothing in life.

The downside of Sathorn Saint View:

Some of the staff are quite nice but a lot of them aren’t particularly helpful and just aren’t particularly enthusiastic or welcoming for some people’s tastes.
The professional images on the hotel website are very deceiving. The gym is somewhat ill-equipped in comparison to the these images. Personally, I’ve completely written off the gym. It comprises of a rusty old, dirty weights bench, 3 treadmills and an even rustier pull down cable bar machine. And maybe the odd dead cockroach. It’s real grubby… and to top it off, not only is it located in a boiling hot, green house stylee room on the rooftop but it’s got no aircon either. It’s pretty unbearable during midday in Bangkok. The swimming pool seems okay but it’s just a bit on the small side.
The cleaners don’t really do their jobs so well and the dirt can really accumulate after a while. They also tend to skive off on the roof and perv on any of the female guests either sunbathing or using the gym.
Directly outside the building, there are some dodgy alleys you need to walk through to get to the main road. Being a lady, I felt a bit nervous on my own after dark.. Maybe a more seasoned traveller might scoff at this and survive just fine.. but for those of a more nervous disposition such as myself, you might want to bear this in mind. Bag snatchings and crime can be a more common occurrence in the sois around here and this is particularly bad for tourists who are bigger targets and more at risk of falling victim to this.
The internet can be frustratingly slow. If you need internet for anything important, then bare this in mind. It was a big problem for us. There doesn’t seem to be a limit on the internet usage so even though you have to pay 750 baht per month for wifi in your apartment, you may still be sharing it with somebody downloading ten movies a night.
The food in the restaurant is rather greasy. The sandwiches are the only thing on the menu that I could eat. I am not a fussy person at all, but let’s just say eating here has put me off fried rice for life. Every time I think of that greasy meal I feel nauseous…

On a more positive note though!

There is a a really cool looking temple and grave yard behind the apartments – it’s nice to hear the chants from the nearby mosque and the birds singing throughout the day. It’s a peaceful area compared to staying on a main road.
The more expensive apartments are also quite nicely furnished, with a nice lobby area downstairs and a roof top garden.
There is an awesome little restaurant directly next door which is lovely and cosy, and on top of this you can buy a really tasty meal from about 40 baht to eat in or take away.
In terms of location and size, Sathorn Saint View is decent value for money for long stay residents being within easy walking distance of the BTS.
You do not need to sign a long contract. You can pay monthly to stay there and just give two weeks notice when you wish to leave.

Sathorn Saint View has so much potential, it just seems a bit neglected. For apartments to live long term in Bangkok, you can find cheaper and better value for money if you don’t mind staying further from the centre. However it is not a bad price really when considering the convenience and closeness to the BTS and Silom. If you don’t mind basically living in a hotel room then it’s a good bargain. However, if staying in Bangkok on holiday, I think that there are much better value for money hotels in Sathorn. The charming youth hostel, Saphai Pae down the road looks better value. Or Eastin Grand, complete with it’s own walkway to the sky train station! How I envied those tourists…

Cheap Charlies Bangkok

Posted on March 15, 2013 by koomatzu

Cheap Charlies is a very casual and laid back, outdoor open bar just off the main Soi 11 in Nana, Bangkok. It’s a small and cozy bar with plenty of character, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the main street. After searching for an opening amongst the maze-like, driftwood structure of the bar itself and it’s assortment of knicknacks; ordering a drink from the engulfed Cheap Charlies owner can be quite a challenge in itself. This, mixed with the cozy old fairy lights, miniature train chugging along it’s track at the top of the wall of worldly souvenirs at the bar, definitely make Cheap Charlies a more interesting experience than your average pub in Bangkok.

The selection of music played in the background of Cheap Charlies Bangkok tends to be a laid back mixture of country, honky tonk, classic rock and rock and roll. Being able to sit amongst this casual environment and still be on the street people watching is very entertaining and the vibe among it’s loyal patrons can be quite friendly and welcoming.

Cheap Charlies gets busy later throughout the night though, and it can be difficult to squeeze in and fit in the crowd let alone even grab a chair to sit down. It’s great for the atmosphere if you are happy to stand though, and if not, dropping by Cheap Charlies earlier in the evening before 9pm is ideal for some quieter starting drinks before heading out to other Bangkok bars and clubs. The drinks are a reasonable price at Cheap Charlies costing from 60 – 70 baht for a bottle of beer, 70 baht for spirits and 20 for soft drinks.

How to get to Cheap Charlies Bangkok: You can find Cheap Charlies on Soi 11, which is just next to the BTS Nana station. From here, it is just a few hundred metres down the road on the left hand side, past ‘Zanzibar’. You will see the tiny bar down an alley just past this.

Bangkok Shopping Malls

Posted on March 10, 2013 by koomatzu

Best shopping in Bangkok

There are a absolutely tonnes of shopping malls in Bangkok, all with varying styles and price ranges. In fact there is too much choice for shopping in Bangkok if you are short on time. Welcome to the second part of my Bangkok shopping guide to help you find the right malls, department stores and markets to buy your style of fashion on your level of budget. Alternatively, for cheap shopping in Bangkok, see part one of my shopping guide on where to buy cheap clothes in Bangkok.

This part of my Bangkok shopping guide however, is dedicated to the more fashionable and (mostly) better quality shopping malls in Bangkok, starting from lowest price first.

Terminal 21 shopping mall

There is plenty of choice in styles at Terminal 21 Bangkok. On the upper levels of the mall, Terminal 21 has numerous, unique little shopping boutiques set out like a market but with some interesting décor to keep things interesting. Each level represents a county and is decorated accordingly. It’s one of the more interesting shopping malls in Bangkok to just simply hangout at.

It doesn’t just consist of indie fashion shops though, the ground floor and first floor of Terminal 21 both consist of designer and big brand shops such as Quicksilver and Superdry. The floor above this is women’s clothing, then shoes and accessories and lastly men’s clothing. Terminal 21 has is a nice mixture of designer and indie shops and is nicely laid out to find what you want. Plus it’s one of the more quiet and pleasant Bangkok shopping malls to browse around.

The prices at Terminal 21 are not bad for a shopping mall in Bangkok either – expect clothing to cost from 250 baht (at the very minimum, mind) and shoes from 800 baht. It’s all good quality stuff though, great for people who dislike the cheap, maybe not so stylish fashions in markets and on the streets. Of all the shopping malls in Bangkok, Terminal 21 is my favourite so far. But then, I’m not really into designer brand shopping myself – For more designer brand shopping, maybe check out Siam Paragon or Central Chitlom.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Good quality, pretty/ girly styles and dresses. Quiet and nicely decorated. Dining.

Price range at Terminal 21: Medium 250 baht – 3000 baht

How to get to Terminal 21: Follow signs from Asoke BTS station

Emporium shopping mall Bangkok

From skateboards, smellies and trinkets to pianos and home appliances, the Emporium shopping mall has a huge variety of shops. Among the designer brand shops you can find DKNY, Gucci and Dior; and sports brands such as Northface, Adiddas and Ripcurl. I’m not really into designer shopping in Bangkok myself, but I will point out for any likeminded people that there is also a nice selection of skater sneakers and nice Reef flip flops for 960 baht – the most comfortable flip flops I have ever seen!

This Bangkok shopping mall is a place for the wealthy though, if money isn’t an issue for you and you need some essentials and homely decorations to go in your new condo, Emporium Bangkok has loads of choice.

The top floor of Emporium Bangkok has an abundance of textiles, trinkets and home wares – all very tasteful and characterful. I noticed cushions costing between 1000 and 9400 baht… just an example of some prices at Emporium! Emporium top floor has nice shabby chic styled furniture, high quality toiletries and skin care products and a host of incense, candles and sets.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Designer brands and tasteful home decor

Average price range at Emporium: High; clothing from 1500 baht upwards

How to get to the Emporium: Located at BTS Prom Phong

MBK Shopping Mall Bangkok

MBK Bangkok is an absolutely huge shopping mall full of cheap clothing, shoes, electronics and even an arcade and cinema too. If you love a bargain and a cheap knockoff, then make sure you stop by the MBK mall in Bangkok. On the bottom floor of the MBK mall alone, there are thousands of shoes to choose from all starting from around 199 baht a pair. Not recommended shopping in Bangkok if you choose quality above quantity though. Personally I find some of the clothing at MBK Mall to be a little tacky, nothing special and poor quality too.

MBK Shopping Mall

I also find the mall itself to be soulless and lacking in charm – too mall-y for me! Shopping at the MBK reminds me of being in an airport… an airport if you messed it up with a load of cheap tat ;p Nonetheless, you can still find some nice stuff at Bangkok MBK Mall if you look hard enough, just avoid shopping at the MBK if you are of a fussy taste maybe.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Electronics and gadgets. T-shirts, polo shirts and knock-off Armani and Billabong clothing

Average price range at MBK: Low, 299 – 499 baht for shoes, 150 – 300 baht most clothing

How to get to MBK: Take the BTS Silom line to the National Stadium. Follow signs to MBK from the BTS National Stadium station.

Siam Center shopping mall Bangkok

Siam Center is located directly next to the unmissable Siam Paragon in central Bangkok. Notably, the selection of shoe shops is something I find most impressive about Siam Center. Shoes are not cheap at Siam Center but they are just so unique, quirky and cool. In particular, Siam Center has some very glamourous yet unusual designer, uber high heel shoes with intricate patterns and unconventional shapes; highly recommended shopping for the ultra-fashionable individual. Shoes at Siam Center range from around 1000 baht to 7000 baht.

Siam Centre

I would also recommend Siam Center Bangkok for sunglasses. Similarly as with it’s selection of shoes, there are also some highly unique and individual styles of sunglasses like nowhere else I have seen before. They are seriously some of the coolest sunglasses I have ever seen in my life, however the cost of these can hit as high as 30000 baht from what I have seen so far in Siam Center. Aside from the expensive and trendy fashions to be found in Siam Centre, I find it is also to be a fantastic place to come merely to admire the scenery of sculptures, abstract decorations and educational insights scattered throughout it’s many shopping floors.

Superdry Store at Siam Centre

The décor of Siam Centre is somewhat atypical of your standard shopping mall or shopping centre. With it’s dark and industrial, ultra modern theme which runs uniformly throughout and it’s many individual shop’s artistic and innovative embellishments and styles; strolling through Siam Center makes for a pleasant Bangkok shopping experience in itself. Not to mention the many elegant and distinctive cafes and restaurants which line the glass-roofed, airy top floor… damn I love Siam Center… if only I had more monies.

Although the food is actually still quite reasonably priced considering – from around 100 baht for a delectable looking meal, complete with the charming surroundings that come with it.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Ultra cool high heels shoes, sunglasses… or just as a trendy and interesting hangout in Bangkok

Average price range in Siam Center: Medium/ high. Clothing starts from 400 to 5000 baht

How to get Siam Center: Next door to Siam Paragon at BTS Siam

‘Mr Jones’ Teddy Bear Orphanage’ – Just one of the many interesting cafes Siam Centre has to offer

Central World Shopping Mall Bangkok

Located in Siam Bangkok, right next to Siam Paragon and in close range of Pratunam. Central World is another of one of Bangkok’s gigantuan shopping malls complete with it’s own cinema on the top floor. For around 1000 baht, you can purchase a luxury cinema ticket and watch your favourite movie on the big screen snuggled up on a 1^st class, squishy bed! Central World shopping mall has a huge range of high quality restaurants to dine in too for added non-shopping related entertainment.

Central World Bangkok has a whole range of global brands of fashion available and it’s a great mall for shopping in Bangkok if you are more accustomed to western styles of fashion as opposed to asian fashions. I think as a tourist or a new arrival in Thailand, some of us can be easily swept up and excited by how affordable the clothes are in the main Thai markets. We see the qualities of these goods through rose-tinted glasses, blinded by our love of bargains, but when you look a little more closely you might realise that many of the clothes from the Bangkok markets just aren’t very good quality after all.

Central World Bangkok

After living in Bangkok for a just a couple of months, I began to miss more fashionable, high quality clothing and Thai fashions just didn’t appeal to my tastes. Central World is ideal for people in this situation, struggling to adapt to the frilly, ribbon adorned Thai fashion. It is however proportionally expensive compared to the cost of living in Thailand – the clothing is no cheaper than you would buy it in the west, maybe in some cases even more expensive. The Zen department regularly have sales so you can still find some reasonably priced fashions in Central World if you look hard enough.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Global fashions and huge choice of shops

Average price range at Central World: Mid/ High, average 2000 baht per item of clothing.

How to get to Central World: You can take the BTS to Chit Lom and from here follow signs to Central World. The walkway from the station will take you straight there. You can also get there from Siam Centre BTS station, although it is very slightly further away than Chit Lom.

Siam Paragon

Again, as with Central World, Siam Paragon is a Bangkok shopping mall catered for global fashions at expensive prices. Siam Paragon is slightly more expensive than Central World and doesn’t tend to have sales as often. Siam Paragon also has a grand cinema on it’s top floor.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Designer brands

Average price range: High

How to get there: Follow signs from BTS Siam station

Check out my other shopping blog guides for more tips on buying clothes, shoes and gadgets in Bangkok