Bangkok Travel Guide

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Inside Paribatra, the Helicopter Departure Lounge at The Peninsula Hotel Bangkok

January 18, 2012 at 10:21 AM | by | Comments (0)

The 34th floor may not sound like so high, but in an area with no other skyscrapers to challenge it, the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok's Helicopter departure lounge might as well be in heaven. Named "Paribatra" after HRH Prince Paripatra Sukhumbhand, Prince of Nakorn Sawan, the Pen's helilounge is one of those sweet secret spaces often heard of a city, but rarely visited. The only ways to access this one? You must either book a helicopter flight transfer for a grand chunk of change or rent out the place for a private function with others who appreciate aviation history; in other words, it's hardcore.

We managed to sneak around the helilounge recently, and though the helipads remained out of reach (for now), we did sink our heels into the rich carpeting, get up close with jet engine parts as wall decoration, and drink in what may be the best view in Bangkok, of Bangkok. You see, The Peninsula sits on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, opposite like 90% of the central district. Therefore, The Peninsula is essentially gazing over at the metropolis, with the helilounge winking.

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There are Still Airplanes at Bangkok's Flooded Don Mueang Airport

October 31, 2011 at 2:50 PM | by | Comments (0)

Thailand's really tragic flooding of the last few weeks has been all over the news, complete with shots of locals pushing their belongings on rafts, homes lost. The water has reached Bangkok, but luckily still not the very center. It has however reached one of the city's two airports—Don Mueang Domestic Airport—out of which we flew only a month ago.

Don Mueang (DMK) is a huge complex owing to its history as the former main international airport for Bangkok...until Suvarnabhumi opened. Now it's just a hub for a few domestic airlines and it was most recently the makeshift emergency flood operations center. You know it's serious when the flood operations center is itself flooded out.

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Plane Spotting at Bangkok's Golf Course Sandwiched Between Two Runways

Where: Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand
October 13, 2011 at 11:22 AM | by | Comments (0)

In our Prime Plane Spotting series, we've discovered quite a slew of odd places to get right up near the big jets; there've been coffee shops, a pool, Venetian water taxis and even an IKEA, but never before have we found a golf course.

At Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport, an entire 18-hole, par 72 golf course sits between the two runways. It's called Kantarat. Seeing it is believing it, and even better is crossing from hole to hole in a golf cart, waiting for a red light to change so you can drive across the tarmac for your next shot.

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Travel Confessions: 'I Was a Dental Tourist in Thailand'

Where: Siam Soi 2, Bangkok, Thailand
October 11, 2011 at 2:54 PM | by | Comments (3)

And now, a first-person confession account of medical tourism:

I was in Thailand with a broken tooth. Granted, it had been broken for a while after chomping on some blackcurrant gummies in London, of all things. And then, while in Bangkok, I broke another one chewing blueberry gum. What was happening to my mouth? But more importantly, could I get this all fixed here for a fraction of what it'd cost me back in the States? Thailand is growing famous as a destination for dental tourism and without a dental plan, my US dentist was quoting well into four digits for a crown, so I decided to give it a go.

While researching and stopping into clinics around the city, the first warning I got was not to necessarily trust the Thai dentist clinics that rank highest in Google Search. Duh. The second was not to ask a local for a recommendation as that's about as trustworthy as the Google Search thing. Oh well, I went against the latter warning and sought advice from a local I trusted and she named The Dentist Clinic by the upscale Siam Paragon mall. Bingo.

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The Musts of Bangkok: Boozing It Up Above the City at Sky Bar

October 7, 2011 at 4:29 PM | by | Comments (0)

These days, when you think of Bangkok, does the "Hangover 2" phrase "Holla, city of squalor" pop into mind? It did ours, until we freaking went there and got tangled in its web of awesomeness. Bangkok is truly a world metropolis to be experienced over more than a few days, but we'll be detailing several places and things that simply can't be left undone. Join us, but watch where you step.

You MUST have a drink on the 63rd floor Sky Bar overlooking the entire city.

Okay, we'll be the first to admit that Sky Bar at the Lebua Hotel at State Tower is possibly the most touristy place you could go in Bangkok, but that doesn't mean it's not an awesome experience we enjoyed in spite of ourselves. The image of the open-air round bar hanging out, seemingly a precipice, 63 stories above the city is a famous one. It's so famous that there are photography guards who do not allow guests to take any snapshots outside of the bar area itself.

If you can deal with those guards and the New York prices of the cocktails, then Sky Bar is an ideal little exclamation point at the end of a great trip to Bangkok. At the very least, you'll be struck with awe at the breadth of the metropolis.

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The Musts of Bangkok: Hopping the Chao Phraya River Boat Bus

October 6, 2011 at 3:31 PM | by | Comment (1)

These days, when you think of Bangkok, does the "Hangover 2" phrase "Holla, city of squalor" pop into mind? It did ours, until we freaking went there and got tangled in its web of awesomeness. Bangkok is truly a world metropolis to be experienced over more than a few days, but we'll be detailing several places and things that simply can't be left undone. Join us, but watch where you step.

You MUST hop the river's bus boats to get where you're going.

If you think there's a ton of ways to get around a metropolis like New York City, then you need to spend some time in Bangkok, which may just take the cake for variety of public transportation options. There's taxis, tuk-tuks, motorbike taxis, buses, songthaews, longboats, the subway, the Skytrain, commuter and hotel boats and the Chao Phraya Express Boat. The latter, if you can't yet tell from the topic of this story, is our favorite by far.

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Finding Buddha at Bangkok International Airport

October 6, 2011 at 12:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport is massive, and this is something that must be experienced the understand. From the moment you step into the check-in area of BKK, it's all space and all filled with fellow travelers. Perhaps your eyes are drawn to the lines of counters for exotic airlines, or perhaps you're distracted by the numbers of western tourists dressed like they just crawled out of a rice paddy, but regardless there's one huge focal point smackdab in the center of the terminal: a Reliquary Urn of the Lord Buddha.

Kind of like the rest of the airport, it's giant and shiny. The multi-tiered golden reliquary is also surrounded by a garden of Thai flora, and it's pretty much the most ideal photo backdrop in the airport as evidenced by the flow of people posing in front of it.

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The Musts of Bangkok: Devouring Local River Prawns

October 5, 2011 at 5:12 PM | by | Comments (0)

These days, when you think of Bangkok, does the "Hangover 2" phrase "Holla, city of squalor" pop into mind? It did ours, until we freaking went there and got tangled in its web of awesomeness. Bangkok is truly a world metropolis to be experienced over more than a few days, but we'll be detailing several places and things that simply can't be left undone. Join us, but watch where you step.

You MUST eat river prawns like there is no tomorrow.

Thai food is amazing. We don't have to tell you that. But Thai food in Thailand...it's amazing. Sometimes, however, that plateful of beautiful glass noodles comes topped with several prehistoric-looking river prawns and you've either got to eat around them or eat through them. By all means choose the latter, even if their googley eyes and many legs bring back memories of high school biology class.

This is no 30-piece shrimp plate from Red Lobster, nosireebob.

These things are big, but gooOOOood.

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The Musts of Bangkok: Browsing the Melee of Chatuchak Weekend Market

October 5, 2011 at 9:49 AM | by | Comment (1)

These days, when you think of Bangkok, does the "Hangover 2" phrase "Holla, city of squalor" pop into mind? It did ours, until we freaking went there and got tangled in its web of awesomeness. Bangkok is truly a world metropolis to be experienced over more than a few days, but we'll be detailing several places and things that simply can't be left undone. Join us, but watch where you step.

You MUST get good and lost at Chatuchak.

If you've been to one, big market in a major Asian city, you've been to them all, right? WRONG! Each metropolis comes with its own flavor, its own grime, its own crazy insane buying and selling spree. Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok is the market in Thailand, mainly because it's the largest market in the entire country, but also because it's a place infamous for being able to buy anything (though times have changed).

What hasn't changed, however, is the labyrinth of small aisles that weave through vendors piled high with everything from run-of-the-mill cheapie Pashmina scarves (see photo above) to wall-size original works of art, to puppies wearing barrettes.

It's a melee, but it's worth it.

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McDonald's Has a Monopoly on Airport Food in the BKK Domestic Terminal

October 4, 2011 at 2:15 PM | by | Comments (2)

Flying domestic in Thailand through Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport? You've got one choice for grabbing some food in the terminal, and we're not kidding. It's McDonald's.

We spotted this airport food nook after stepping off a Bangkok Airways flight into BKK from HKT (Phuket) last week, and were shocked by their less than appetizing catchphrase: "The Only Restaurant in Domestic." Well, that may be right but the threat of it doesn't mean that we're going to give into a burger and McDs sundae when we're supposedly in the capital of awesome food. Where's the Pad Thai to go, at the very least?!

[Photo: Jaunted]

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Is This the Most Exotic Starbucks Food Item in the Pastry Case?

September 14, 2011 at 3:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

We may have just spotted what could be the most exotic Starbucks food item ever. It's a traditional Thai mooncake, but Mon Thong durian-flavored and with an egg baked inside. And you thought "cake pops" were weird!

This treasure was found at a regular Starbucks in Bangkok, so regular that it was in the ground floor of a new mall. The basket of mooncakes—each imprinted with the Starbucks siren logo—is a limited-time deal, however; mooncakes are eaten this week to celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival which took place on Monday.

The Moon Festival is a "time for giving thanks for the Earth’s bounty and to remember the ancestors," so it's a quiet event where families come together to go pray at a temple or at home, but the mooncakes must be on the table. Since 7-Elevens even sell them, far be it for Starbucks to miss the train. The fact that they're durian-flavored and extremely limited make it all the more special.

[Photo: Jaunted]

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You Know You're in a Market in Asia When...

September 13, 2011 at 1:26 PM | by | Comment (1)

What do you think of when you imagine a street market in an Asian metropolis? There's probably the stereotypical image of a slew of carts hocking spicy meats, plus tons of T-shirt stands and some knock-off purse booths. All of that is correct, but then you can turn a corner and encounter some of the more special offerings, like puppies. Or flowers made from a carved bar of soap. Or contact lenses that make your pupils look huge, thus making you look like an anime character.

And this is Japan, right? Wrong. It's Thailand. Sometimes it's difficult to tell, however. Bangkok has its districts like any great city; there's Chinatown, an Indian neighborhood, the Japanese district and—of course—the foreign backpacker ghetto that is Khao San Road.

While we don't advocate buying things off the street which you will then stick into your eyes, shopping for such things is a great only-in-asia experience. If you're dead-set on buying, though, the sushi-shaped contact lens cases were super cute.

[Photo: Jaunted]

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