Tag: Bangkok Field Trip

View All Tags

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / / / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / / /

The Musts of Bangkok: Touring the Blinged-out Grand Palace

Where: Thailand
October 3, 2011 at 5:12 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 see the Grand Palace for yourself.

If there's something you need to understand about Thailand, it's that the king and veneration of the royal family is everywhere, and it gets glitzy. The Grand Palace in the center of Bangkok should be first on your itinerary to come to terms with this, as it's really less of a Palace and more of a village built of gold and richly hued mosaics.

You don't have to worry about waking up the current King and Queen when visiting hours begin early in the day; the Grand Palace is only used for events and backgrounds of tourist photographs these days. Still, the history is palpable, or nearly so as there's one building completely dedicated to illustrating the story of the Ramayana.

more ›

/ / / / /

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]

Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (effective 3/21/12) and Privacy Policy (effective 3/21/12). © Condé Nast. Your California Privacy Rights. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.
Ad Choices