Jaunted - bangkok

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

JetSetCD — 2012-01-18T10:21:07-05:00

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.

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

JetSetCD — 2011-10-31T14:50:00-05:00

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.

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

JetSetCD — 2011-10-13T11:22:52-05:00

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.

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

JetSetCD — 2011-10-11T14:54:33-05:00

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.

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

JetSetCD — 2011-10-07T16:29:53-05:00

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.

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

JetSetCD — 2011-10-06T15:31:59-05:00

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.

Finding Buddha at Bangkok International Airport

JetSetCD — 2011-10-06T12:01:04-05:00

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.