Bangkok: March 2006

In Part 1, our cultural correspondent, Po Scard (above left), discovered that Ray and Nikki found Bangkok a city of many contrasts. If you missed it, you can read it at: Three Weeks in Bangkok (Part 1).

In Part 2, Po is joined by our transport correspondent, Mo Ped (above centre), who takes a closer look at how to get around Bangkok. And our resident Chef, Hi Plo Teen (above right), continues the theme of contrasts from Part 1 by looking into some of Ray and Nikki's dining and entertainment experiences in the city.

Part 2: Bangkok - Lock, Stock and two Smoking Buses

Anyone who has been to Bangkok will tell you that it has some of the worst traffic jams in the world and subsequently, the air is filthy with pollution and short journeys in town can take forever.  If you only have a limited amount of time to spend in the city, it really works to find as many alternative ways of getting around as possible, as our pair of travellers discovered.

The Bangkok traffic can be virtually impossible to navigate and is a major source of pollution (above)

One of the reasons that the Bangkok air is so polluted is that the vehicles on the road are very old and literally blast diesel fumes out all day long. "If you stand behind a bus, you can see tons of thick black smoke coming out of the exhaust.  The buses are old and there does not appear to be any emissions control - perhaps the Bangkok municipality cannot afford to modernise the fleet.  If this is the case, then people's health will be at greater risk simply because of economic hardship, which is a tragedy" said Ray.

One of Bangkok's many old public buses (above).  Very cheap to run and use, but very expensive in terms of the environment

If you are a stranger to the city, getting to know the bus routes can take a lot of patience. "We discovered that the buses were very cheap to use and run frequently on all of the main routes" said Ray. "So we made good use of them and realised that we probably saved quite a bit of money, by not taking taxis as most tourists typically do" said Ray. "Riding the buses requires extreme vigilance as most places look the same and it is hard to know where to get off sometimes" he added.

If you require more personalised transportation on Bangkok's roads, there are plenty of Tuk-Tuk's, which are half motorbike, half taxi type of vehicles with an engine that makes the "Tuk Tuk" sound, hence the name. "We found out that it really worked to agree the fare in advance when we used a Tuk-Tuk" said Ray. 

The drivers are notorious for schemes and scams and there are many warnings issued to foreigners.  For example, you want to go to a particular temple and a tuk-tuk driver approaches you.  He will tell you the temple is closed that day for a religious ceremony and recommend somewhere else instead, offering to take you there at the same time.  "This is one of the most common scams" Ray told us.  "Another is when the driver quotes you a really cheap price, but ends up taking you to various shops en route where relatives of his work.  Fortunately, this never happened to Nikki and me" said a relieved Ray.

A Tuk-Tuk in Bangkok (above) - travel in one with caution!

Having tried moving around on the roads, our intrepid travellers thought they would look for other, more effective ways of making some of the journeys they had planned across the city. "We noticed that many local people were using the river buses, so we decided to investigate'" said Nikki.

"There must be a better way of getting across town". Nikki, standing in front of one of Bangkok's many bridges along the Chao Praya river that divides the city in two, discovers river buses and decides to investigate

"We found out that the river buses provide a fantastic way of getting around" continued Nikki. "There are stops at many places on both sides of the Chao Praya river, which cuts right through the middle of the city and is a main transport artery for people and freight" she told me. "There was a stop within five minutes of our guest house and going on the river was just much nicer than being stuck in a bus, although the water was quite choppy some days and that meant the ride could be a bit rough" she said.

Below: The river is a main transport artery for people and freight and is a wonderful sight to see whilst getting around

Above: A Bangkok river bus - very cheap to use and more pleasant than travelling by road

Ray disembarks from a river bus on his way to the centre of town

Everyone uses the river buses - this Buddhist Monk is a regular traveller

The river buses provide a prompt and efficient service, which is essential as it is one of the chief weapons the municipality has of keeping road traffic to a minimum.  The efficiency and profitability of the river bus service relies quite heavily on getting people on and off as quickly as possible, which can be quite difficult on days when the water is rough.

"Watching the conductors do their job is a real sight to behold" said Nikki. "The conductor rides on the platform at the stern of the boat and uses something akin to a bird whistle to communicate with the driver at the front as they approach and depart from each stop.  This enables the two of them to manouver the boat very precisely and hear each other over the din of 100 plus passengers and other boats.  It is a very basic system but it really works" she told me.

The river bus conductors are highly skilled and can perform very tricky manouvers at high speed by "whistling" to the driver.  This guy is obviously used to resting precariously on the safety strap between stops (above)

Above: The conductor prepares the boat for departure from one of the many stops, which are floating platforms on the waters edge

Ray enjoying the ride - he was lucky to get a seat!

Another solution that Bangkok has found to it's traffic problems is the Skytrain - a very modern, overhead rail system that was opened in December 1999 to ease the congestion in the centre of Bangkok. 

"When I first saw the Skytrain, it made me think of the movie 'Bladerunner' as it is not difficult to imagine Bangkok becoming like the grey metropolis depicted, with it's neon signs and overhead rail system" said Ray. "We were able to take the river bus to Sathorn Bridge, transfer on to the Skytrain and ride 4 or 5 stops into the central shopping area" he added.  " Apart from anything else, getting on a Skytrain was such a relief as they are heavily air-conditioned and it gave us a few minutes break from the sweaty, humid and dirty city air each time we got on" he explained.

The BTS Skytrain is fast, efficient and very cool!

So, if you do not want to travel around on buses, boats or trains, what other alternatives are there?  Well, apart from the motor-cycle, which is the most popular choice, there is always the good old fashioned bicycle.

"We discovered the joy of riding bikes around the city by chance" said Nikki. "We bumped into someone we had met on our travels who had been on a half-day cycle tour the previous day.  He was so enthusiastic about it that we took the tour ourselves.  Not only did we see many parts of the city that we would never have come across, which was great in itself, we also realised that cycling was a great way of covering relatively long distances with comparatively little effort" she explained. "Ever since then, we have regularly hired bicycles and continue to enjoy it as a means of getting around.  It also gives us a great way to exercise whilst we are travelling!" she added.

Above: Ray and Nikki, pictured on their bikes beside the Chao Praya river, enjoy riding around Bangkok

Above: Ray stops during the half-day cycle tour to take in one of Bangkok's most famous attractions - The Grand Palace

Bangkok or Barnes?  It is difficult to tell from this picture, apart from the Pagoda at Wat Arun in the distance giving a small clue

Above: "Now, it was left, right, then left again... or was it?!" Ray navigates through the backwaters of Bangkok's many suburbs on his bike

Above: Ray picks a banana from a tree - these actually are growing wild on the outskirts of the city - something Ray and Nikki would never have seen if they had not taken the cycle tour

Above: There are many paths along the sides of narrow waterways, as most people who live along the river get to and from work by bicycle, unless they have their own boat!

Above: At the end of the cycle tour, everyone was transported with their bikes 18 kilometres back to the start by longboat, giving the riders a much needed and welcome rest

Below: There are few sights more beautiful than Bangkok seen from the Chao Praya river at dusk

As you can see, the river provides a very pleasant way of getting around, and enables people to move in and out of the city centre quickly and easily. So, what are the reasons that make people want to come in and out of the city centre?  I put this question to Nikki: "Shopping was one of the big attractions for both of us - although I was interested in clothes and Ray wanted to look at the gadgets, so we sometimes split up and met again later" she answered.

Above: Nighttime in Siam Square, Bangkok city centre - home to several shopping malls that are the size of small towns!

Inside one of Bangkok's many shopping malls - consumerism is rampant and continues to grow at an alarming rate in Asian countries

Above: One department store in Bangkok had a special "Food from Britain" exhibition on when Ray and Nikki visited - a great opportunity to experience what Britain must be like from a Thai person's point of view!

As in many other countries, wherever there are people clustered together in large numbers for shopping, there will invariably be many choices when it comes to eating.

"Every one of the huge malls has at least one or two food courts, offering a hundred different choices and then there are the markets and street vendors offering cheap, healthy food on the go. Of course, there are also plenty of upmarket, swanky restaurants that cater for tourists and the wealthier citizens of Bangkok who want a taste of the affluent western lifestyle" she added.  "We decided we would try out a few of the alternatives" she told me. 

Above: Nikki takes a break from shopping to eat at one of the trendy food courts - this one is at the top of the Siam Discovery centre

For backpackers and budget travellers, Bangkok is about as close to heaven as you can get when it comes to eating out.  "People who live in the city rarely eat at home as food is so good and so cheap" said Ray. Most budget 'restaurants' are not really restaurants in the way that westerners would expect - most of them are very small and cramped and the proprietors actually live there - it is as if they have opened up their own kitchen to make food for the local neighbourhood" explained Ray.

Above: A good example of a local 'restaurant' - the lady in the background lives in the room at the back next to the kitchen and prepares food everyday for people in the local area.  This particular one is vegetarian and was one of Ray and Nikki's favourite 'budget' choices with most hearty meals costing less than a pound

"You take me to all the best places" says Nikki to Ray

Even cheaper than the local 'restaurants' are the market stalls and street vendors, like these two pictured above

As good as the cheap food on offer is, Ray and Nikki realised that sooner or later, they would want to take a break from eating at market stalls and enjoy an experience of something much more luxurious.  Again, Bangkok does not disappoint and has a role call of some the finest international five star restaurants in the world. 

"Back in England when I was planning my trip, I had read about a top class restaurant called Sirocco and it had really caught my attention because it is on the 64th floor of the Bangkok State Tower (known locally as The Dome) and is the highest outdoor restaurant in the world!  I kind of made a personal promise to myself to go there, knowing it would cost a small fortune, and was waiting for a good excuse to make a booking.  Then I remembered that Nikki and I had met almost a year ago and the anniversary of our meeting was due whilst we were in Bangkok.  So, armed with my Gold Visa card, I made a booking for the big night so we could both celebrate in style at a romantic, unforgettable setting" said a very starry eyed Ray.

Above: The Bangkok State Tower, or The Dome as it is known locally, seen from the river during the day.  To enter Sirocco, you must take the express elevator to the golden dome and walk down into the outdoor restaurant

I asked Nikki how she felt about being taken to one of the finest restaurants in Asia.  "After the initial excitement of being asked, my first thought was about what on earth I was going to where!? Luckily, like all good girlie backpackers, I had brought the standard issue little black dress but had no shoes or accessories.  So a special shopping trip was rapidly organised and the great thing about shopping in Bangkok is that you do not have to spend a fortune to look good, plus I knew I could not take any more stuff with me when we left.  So, I managed to buy some kitten heeled shoes, a handbag and shawl for less than ten quid!  I am sure from a distance you could not tell the difference between my footwear and the Jimmy Choo's being worn by the woman sitting at the next table" said Nikki

Above: The view from Sirocco is simply stunning!  The sky bar is built on an extended jetty so that it feels like you are standing in the middle of the sky, and at 64 floors up, the wind is quite strong so you have the exhilaration of knowing you are a long way from the ground, but with the comfort of knowing you are completely safe

Arriving by taxi (no expense spared on this auspicious occasion) our diners took the express lift to the dome and were directed to the restaurant. "I could not believe my eyes" said Ray as he recalled the evening. "The stairway down to the restaurant has been designed with glass bannisters, so you feel like you are walking down an open stairway in the middle of the sky, like entering heaven! Added to this, we were being treated like royalty, probably because of the cost, which made us feel really special. I was doing my best to make sure that no one noticed I was wearing my trek shoes, and thereby protecting my 'cool' image" said Ray.

Above: The Dome, with a view of the stairway leading down into the restaurant and bar below

Below: The amazing glass sided stairway that takes you into the restaurant

Above and below: Dining at Sirocco is a truly unforgettable experience and goes on the "Must do" list for anyone travelling to Bangkok, if you can afford it

"Ray was the perfect gentleman, ordering Champagne when we arrived and re-assuring me that I was allowed to order literally anything from the menu irrespective of the cost, which made me relax and enjoy the experience fully" said a very happy Nikki.  "This has to be one of the most lavish and romantic evenings I have ever spent" she added.

Above: Our starry eyed couple really enjoyed a wonderful, romantic evening at Sirocco

Although dining is a universally popular thing to do for all sorts of people, no visit to Bangkok would be complete without participating in one of the city's most popular forms of entertainment - Karaoke!  Ray and Nikki headed to one of the modern 'studios' especially set up for the purpose and booked a private (totally soundproofed) room for a couple of hours to have a go at belting out some of their favourite numbers.

Nikki enjoying herself as she sings one of her favourite songs in the computer controlled, soundproof private room in the Karaoke Studio

Ray thinks about starting a second career in a boy band as he sings a hit song by The Backstreet Boys!

"We really loved the Karaoke and I can really see how and why people get addicted to it" said Ray.  "Our first session left us wanting more and we went back another night for a second go" he added. "Fortunately for our friends, there were no facilities for recording any of the songs so they will all be spared having to suffer listening to our Bangkok CD!" he mused.

Editors Note: Have you seen Part 3 of our Bangkok feature, "The Funny Thing is (Bangkok Special)", announcing the winners of our last caption competition, and bringing more hilarious images from Thailand's capital city for you to look at and ? To read it now, click here: The Funny Thing Is (Bangkok Special)

MOZZIE BYTE

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