TRANSPORTATIONGUIDE

How to get around Bangkokincluding some money-savingtips!

SIGHTSEEING Insight information to someof the most important sightsin Bangkok.

Listing some of the bestshopping centres in Bangkok.

SHOPPING GUIDE

AND MUCH MORE..

Some of the Best Bars & Clubsfor a great night out.

DRINKS ANDPARTY

This Guide was made possible thanks to :

TABLE OFCONTENTS

ABOUT OFF THE PATH

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF ANGELS

WHEN TO TRAVEL TO BANGKOK

HOW TO GET AROUND BANGKOK

SIGHTSEEING IN BANGKOK

SHOPPING IN BANGKOK

WHERE TO STAY IN BANGKOK

WHERE TO EAT IN BANGKOK

WHERE TO DRINK & PARTY IN BANGKOK

BANGKOK OFF THE PATH

LEARN THAI FOR BEGINNERS

5

6

9

10

12

16

23

27

31

34

39

43

EASY PRINT AND FOLD TRAVEL GUIDE 44

ITINERARY RECOMMENDATIONS 46

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointedby the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do...

Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain -

Off The Path was founded in 2011 by Sebastian Canaves. Sebastian is half Spanish, half German. He was born on the Spanish island Mallorca where he lived until he was 13.

He moved to Austria for four years before moving to Australia when he turned 18. He spent one year living and working in Brisbane and after being hit by a car in Sydney, he moved to the Netherlands. There he studied International Business and Management, which was followed by semester in Bulgaria studying Jour-nalism and Mass Communication.

In 2012 he lived and worked in Bang-kok, Thailand.

Today he has his homebase in Berlin, Germany and travels the world from there.

Off The Path is an adventure travel blog. It publishes articles from around the world and is one of the premier information resources for active travel-ers, offering some of the finest adven-ture travel advice.

Follow us on our social mediachannels :

ABOUTOFF THE PATH

facebook.com/offthepathcom

twitter.com/offthepathcom

@offthepath

ABOUTTHIS GUIDE

Lumpini ParkEnjoy a peaceful evening.

“One Week In…” is a series of E-guide books published by Off-The-Path.com. The idea behind theE-Guides is to help you around a city or country within a week. It’s aimed forpeople that don’t have that much time to travel but still want to experience the city as much as possible and try to live like a local. Slow travel and getting to know a place requires a lot of time.

With the “One Week In…”-Guides one should be possible to get to know and experience a place faster than usual.

Guides about following destinations will be published in the future:

- Myanmar- Norway- Mallorca- Berlin and many more…

TOURIST MAP

LEGEND

CHATUCHAK MARKET

TERMINAL 21 MALL

FORTUNE TOWN

SIAM PARAGONSUKHUMVIT SOI 11

MBK MALL

CENTRAL WORLD

CENTRAL PLAZA

TOWARDS AIRPORT

KHAO SAN ROAD

GRAND PALACE

WAT ARUN

FLOWER MARKET

WAT PHO

VICTORY MONUMENT

FORENSIC PATHOLOGYMUSEUM

UNION MALL

NIGHT MARKETHUAI KHWANG

ROI FAT MARKET

LUMPHINI PARK

TEMPLE

PALACE

ATTRACTION

MARKET

SHOPPING MALL

PARTY

PARK

FLOWER

BTS

MRT

AIRPORT LINK

* Illustrative Map only. Not true to scale.

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty,charm and adventure. There is no end to theadventures that we can have if only we seek

them with our eyes open.

- Jawahar Lal Nehru -

WELCOME TO THECITY OF ANGELS

While most of us think of Los Angeles when hearing “City Of Angels”, it is also the local name for Bangkok. Bangkok is only the English alias for Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, which is a shortening of “Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Nopphara-tratchathaniburirom Udomratchani-wetmahasathan Amonphimanawa-tansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukampra-sit” meaning:

City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate.

Many tourists and travelers that arrive in Bangkok are overwhelmed by the chaos, dirty streets, pollution and the amount of people on the streets. Many simply use Suvarnabhumi Airport as a stopover to continue down south to the islands or up north to the jungle. But many never get to experience the craziness and beauty of this huge city that extends all the way to the gulf of Thailand.

With a population of officially over 8 million it is one of the biggest cities in South East Asia.

Bangkok has something to offer to every type of traveler. From cheap hostels to 5-Star hotels. From street food stalls to Michelin-Star restau-rants. From cheap $1 shirts to luxury brands. Anybody, with any budget, will love this city once they know how to get around it correctly.

WHEN TO TRAVELTO BANGKOK

It’s always warm in Bangkok and the concrete buildings and many cars aren’t doing you a favor by cooling down the heat in the narrow streets and alleys.

The best time to travel to Bangkok is during the winter high season (November - February/March.) Tem-peratures are around 25-30C and it’s not as humid as April and May.

High season also means that prices are more expensive than during the rest of the year. If you are travelling on a budget and still want to experience Thailand with reasonable temperatures, visit between June to November. Officially the rainy season, but it’s not as hot as April and the rain showers usually only happen once a day around 6 PM. Unless you are in the rain forest, it won#t rain for very long.

April to June are the worst months to travel since its the hottest time of the year and gets incredibly humid. How-ever its important to remember that the Songkran Festival is in April.

IMPORTANT EVENTS & FESTIVALSCALENDAR ON NEXT PAGETIP

China town comes to life with people dancing, and celebrating this festive day.

WHEN TO TRAVELTO BANGKOK

There are many events in Bangkok that are worth planning your stay around them.

FEBRUARY 10th February

CHINESE NEW YEAR

To have fun is part of Thai culture, this festival though is a blast. April is the hottest month of the year and people go crazy in water fights and street parties. The best place to celebrate this event is in Silom where many locals are. Travelers meet and cel-ebrate at Kaoh San Road.

APRIL 13 - 15 March

SONGKRAN FESTIVAL

One of the most anticipated events in Bangkok, people from all over the world come to Bangkok for this event. Restaurants and street stalls across the city put up yellow flags to announce their participation. Most stalls you will find in China town.

OCTOBER TBA

VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL

On the 9. of November the Chao Praya River is the host of the Royal Barge Procession. Try to make your way up to the old part of the city around the Wat Pho and Wat Arun from where you will have a great view of the barges arriving around 16:00. Since the royals are taking part in this procession it will probably be full and you have to be early to get a good spot. The rehersals take place on the 2nd and 6th of November.

NOVEMBER 09th November

ROYAL BARGE PROCESSION

This festival falls on the full-moon night of the twelth lunar month. Along the Chao Praya River locals and expats meet to celebrate this event. They gather at the river banks with their lit krathongs and release them. The whole sky is quickly flickering from all the thousand pinpoints of light.

TBA According to theMoon

LOY KRATHONG

As in most parts of the world, Thais also celebrate the western way of new years eve. The biggest countdown event is at CentralWorld Square.

DECEMBER 31st December

NEW YEAR’S EVE

HOW TO GET AROUND

BANGKOK

Bangkok is a huge city and it can be a little confusing when arriving for the first time. This guide will hopefully help you figure out how to get around in Bangkok easily.

When you arrive in Bangkok at the Suvarnabhumi international airport you have the option to take the Airport City Link that connects you with the city within 15 to 30 minutes depend-ing on which train you take. The Express Service takes you to Mak-kasan, from where you can switch to the MRT line, in 15 minutes and the regular train in 30. The Express Ser-vice costs 150 THB and the normal service 45 Baht. You will find the Airport City Link in the basement of the arrival hall. Traffic in Bangkok

Be ready for a crowded city.

AIRPORT CITY LINK

Bangkok is a taxi city much like New York. Locals often drive everywhere with their cars causing frequent traffic jams. Taxis are the most comfortable way to get around. Prices start at 30 baht and then cost you a couple of baht every hundred meters. For a distance of 10 kilom- eters you usually pay around 70 Baht.

TAXI

The BTS connects you easily with most places of interest in the city. The fares depend on the distance you are driving and vary between 15 to 40 baht one way. They have daily tickets, three day tickets and monthly sub-scriptions. If you stay longer than three days a prepaid card might be worth getting as you only need to top up every now and then. This way, you only pay once and don’t need to cue up to buy tickets each time.

BTS

if you arrive at the SuvarnabhumiInternational Airport DON’T go to thetaxi stand downstairs. Go to theDeparture Area, which is located onthe third floor, and take a taxi fromthere. This way you save 50 BahtAirport fee. The taxi ride from Airportto the city costs around 200 Baht.

TIP

ALWAYS DRIVE WITH THE METER ON.Make no deals with taxi drivers. Theyoften try to rip you off.

The Metro has one line, which con-nects you from the train station, Hua-lomphong, in the west of the Bangkok, to Bang Sue in the north. The MRT connects you to places like the Chatuchak Market in the north of the city.

MRT

During rush hour the bike taxis are a great alternative for a short distance ride since they get through between the cars. They are cheap and quick and adventurous. Just be careful with knees since the drivers drive between the cars.

MOTORBIKE TAXI

Ferries are a great way to get around the city. They have different lines, some go fast and only stop at certain stops on the river, others are very slow and stop at many. Its a great way to see the city from the water a little and perfect transporation during the many beautiful sunsets in Bangkok.

FERRIES

Tuk Tuks are there mostly for tourists or farmers who transport their goods from home to a market or vice versa. They have no meter and you have to make a deal with the driver before getting the tuk tuk. They will often overcharge you. If they offer you a very cheap day tour they will probably take you from one shop to another where they get a commission for each person they bring!

TUK TUK

Buses in Bangkok are very unreliable and have no timetable. If you haven’t spent a long time in the city you prob-ably won’t understand which bus goes where and when. As a visitor it is safer to stick to the transportation methods mentioned above. However, driving with the bus in Bangkok can be a big adventure.

When taking the bus you don’t need to buy the ticket with the driver, simply take a seat and sombedoy will come and sell you a ticket.

There is currently a promotion with government run buses, where about 50% of them are actually free! They are the red buses and have a big blue sticker in their front window, which would help distinguish them from the paid buses. If they don’t have the sticker, they’re still the cheapest buses to ride, for only 6.5 Baht per journey.

BUS

Taxi in Bangkok

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel isto be able to experience everyday things as if for thefirst time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is

so familiar it is taken for granted.

- Bill Bryson -

SIGHTSEEING INBANGKOK

Bangkok has many tourist attractions which may suit every travelers taste. Depending on your itenary, you can plan to visit important tourist places. Although almost all the attractions in Bangkok are worth a visit, you could carefully plan your daily travel to accomodate these attractions.

Wat Pho

Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is achange that goes on, deep and permanent, in the

ideas of living.

- Miriam Beard -

SIGHTSEEING INBANGKOK

One of the most beautiful temples of Bangkok is Wat Arun. Located at the western shore of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

The English translation is ‘The Temple of the dawn’. During dawn, the first lights of the morning reflect off the surface of the temple with pearly iridescence. During sunset the view is absolutely stunning.

To get there you can take one of the many ferries i.e. the one at the oppo-site river side at the wat po also known as the temple of the reclining buddha. The ferry only costs 3 baht (0,075 Euro).

The entrance to the Wat Arun is 50 Baht (1,10 Euro) and worth every single baht. Go and buy an orchid to respect the gods in one of the many little inner temples.

You can go to one of the upper levels but to get up there you have to climb very steep stairs and getting up is easier then going down again. From up there, you have a great view. The best view during sunset is on the other side of the river at a little park close to the ferry stop. Set up your tripod there and you’ll have a great view of the wat arun with the sun going down behind it!

WAT ARUNTHE TEMPLE OF DAWN

Spectacularsight in theevening.

SIGHTSEEING INBANGKOK

Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan or as most people know it “Wat Pho -Temple of the Reclining Buddha” is one of the most visited attractions in Bangkok.

The temple is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in Bangkok and features the famous reclining Buddha, which measures more than 40 meters long and 15 meters high. This statue amazes you with its size when you enter the room where it is laying. Very impressive and everything made out of gold! To avoid the masses it is recommended to visit Wat Pho at the end of the day.

At about 5 PM not many tourists are running around the temple and you have a lot of time to take enough pictures and quietly wander around the halls and inspect all the single Buddha sculptures around the Wat. At the foot of the reclining Buddha you can find over 100 panels which display symbols by which Buddha can be identified like white elephants, tigers, flowers and many more.

In the corridor on the backside of the Buddha you can find 108 bronze bowls, which indicate the 108 charac-ters of Buddha. Visitors drop coins in

these bowls as it is said that they bring good fortune. Additionally, this also helps the monks to maintain the wat.

The Wat Pho is also the home of the traditional Thai massage. It is home to the first public University of Thailand. We didn’t count them all but we’ve seen quite a lot. They say that it is also home to the biggest collection of Buddha images, more than 1000 images hang on the walls of the temple.

WAT PHOTEMPLE OF THERECLINING BUDDHA

SIGHTSEEING INBANGKOK

KING’S OLD RESIDENCE

GRANDPALACE

Withing the complex there are many individual buildings including the Wat Phra Kaew, which is known for its Emerald Buddha. This buddha dates back to the 14th century.

The tickets for the Grand Palace are sold between 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM . The tickets are also valid for the Vimanmek Palace and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall. Remember to not throw them away after you have visited the Grand Palace.

The old residence of the King is now open to the public. Today the palace is only used for official ceremonies.

The tickets for the grand palaceand wat phra kaew cost 500 Bahtper Person.

TIP

A strict dress code applies. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves (no tank tops. If you’re wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks. Bare feet are not allowed. Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entrance that can provide clothes to cover you up properly (a deposit is required thought).

Probably the biggest Marketyou have ever seen.

Chatuchak

SIGHTSEEING INBANGKOK

WEEKEND MARKET( Saturday & Sunday )

CHATUCHAK

This market is one of the biggest you have probably seen. Over 9000 shops can be found in over 27 sections.

Hundred of thousands of visitors come here each weekend. You will not only find tourists and travelers here but also locals and expats doing their weekly shopping.

Are you looking for antiques? Here you will find nearly everything! Not what you are looking for? What about Clothes? Thousands of shops will sell you fake Louis Vouitton bags and cheap Ralf Laurren Polo shirts but you can also find young Thai designers who have little shops here with very affordable prices. If you are not look-ing for clothes, how about food? In each section you will find little restau-rants with delicious Thai food, for 30-40 baht (1 €) you will find a good meal with a drink!

TIP

YOU CAN GETNEARLY EVERYTHING.

Remember that bargaining is part of the purchasing process and is part of the whole experience. Every price is too expensive. Take a deep breath when you hear the price and roll your eyes, the sales person will automati-cally go down about 20 per cent. If you now ask for a even lower price you will meet at about 25-30 % lower than the original price! You can of course try to negotiate more but that is already a pretty good deal!

You can get bigger discounts if you buy more than one thing for several people!!!

You will need a lot of time for this market. Plan at least 3-4 hours but you can easily spent the whole day there!

YOU HAVE TO BARGAIN.

If you plan to eat some insects like cockroaches, or grass hoppers you should go out of the market. Near the fish market at the east side of the market you will find some little wagons that cell some insects.

Having lived in Bangkok I know that if you buy something of value and tell the seller that you live in the city they often give you an additional discout. Tell them that you live in “HuayKwang” or “Ladprao.” If you are lucky you’ll get another 10-15 % discount! Good luck!

LOOKING FORDELICIOUS INSECTS ?

SHOPPING INBANGKOK

Bangkok is a shopping paradise fortravellers of all budget. From street stalls to big Malls, you could get just about anything you wish to buy. Bar-gaining is the key to a happy shop-ping experience.

Most Luxurious ShoppingMall in Bangkok.

Siam Paragon

One of the most famous places for shopping in Bangkok is MBK. This huge shopping mall offers anything any traveler needs. A new camera, new clothes, fake backpacks, shoes, and much more! MBK is located at the BTS stop National Stadium. They also have a second hand camera shop in the ground floor where you can find some great bargains.

MAHBOONKRONG

This relatively new and modern shop-ping mall is located between the BTS stops Chit Lom and Siam. Here you will find more international brands and is more expensive than MBK. If you are looking for the perfect style you can order a free consultant who is going to take you shopping. If you need something special for a event this might be the right thing. You need to make an appointment for this. Informatoin you will get at the info booth in Central World.

CENTRAL WORLD

For tech-lovers this is a dream come true. Panthip sells everything from the newest high end electronics, to the cheapest imitations, and everything in between. It definitely lives up to its nickname “IT World”. I’ve gone there several times to find abstract elec-tronic components, like VGA adapt-ers, or replacement cell phone batter-ies. I also had a hard drive repaired. This is your one stop shop for elec-tronics, and you’re almost guaranteed to find the best deals there, just due to the sheer volume.

PANTHIP PLAZA

TIPIf you buy a lot you can get a TAX refund at the Airport when leaving the country! Simply keep all receipts and fill out the paperwork. There is a big office at the departure lounge at the Airport taking care of TAX refunds.

The most luxurious shopping mall is Siam Paragon located at the BTS station Siam. This huge mall has anything you can buy for a lot of money. If you love shopping and spending money, this should be no problem at Siam Paragon.

The cinema in the top floor is one of the newest and most luxurious cin-emas in Thailand and offers different seating categories. If you love going to the movies make sure to try the gold ticket. You will get served while watching the movie from your huge seat and they provide snacks and blankets and pillows while watching the movie on one of the biggest screens in the country.

SIAM PARAGON

Located directly at the MRT stop of Rama IV (Rama 9) Fortune Town is the shopping mall when it comes to elec-tronics. Here you will find cheap cam-eras, mobile phones, DVD players, DVDs, Computers and anything that has to do with electronics.

FORTUNE TOWN

Opposite Tortune Town is Central Plaza. Another big mall that on 6 floors offers many thai labels. On the upper floors of any mall you mostly will find the entertainment area where cinemas and restaurants are located.

CENTRAL PLAZA

There are many places where you can get a custom made suit done. Most though will charge way too much and the quality will not be good enough. Take care of places where Tuk Tuk drivers offer you to drive for small amounts or for free. These places pay the fee with a provision if you buy something.

CUSTOM MADE SUITS

Located in the north of Bangkok and away from all the tourists you will find Union Mall at the ever busy Lad Phrao junktion. It boasts easy access from the MRT Phahon Yothin station. Union Mall serves a younger crowd, mainly university students and young office workers. Great place to go shopping with locals in Bangkok.

UNION MALL

This shopping mall brings the dream of traveling into Bangkok. With its cutting-edge concept that has some of the world famous cities under one roof. You can go shopping in Tokyo City, London’s Carnaby Street, bar-gaining in Istanbul or wander around San Francisco.

When shopping at Terminal 21 it feels like walking down an airport isle. The floor signs direct you to different cities and the crisscrossing network of escalators will make you feel like being at a new airport.

Terminal 21 is located at BTS stop Asok and MRT stop Sukhumvit.

TERMINAL 21

To awaken quite alone in a strange town isone of the pleasantest sensations

in the world.

- Freya Stark -

WHERE TO STAY IN

BANGKOK

In Bangkok you can stay in hostels for cheap as 100 Bhat (2,50 €) but the average prices nowadays are at 300 (7,50) This price is for shared rooms. For private rooms in hostels you pay about 400-500 (10-12 €.)

Bangkok also has a lot of high end hotels where rooms are at 6.000 Bhat (150 €.)

If Bangkok is your last stop of your Thailand trip it often is worth to treat yourself to a nice hotel after back-packing around the country for weeks.

Banyan Tree

If you are looking for something more in a hotel than just a night to sleep at then check out the contemporary designed boutique hotel, Loft 77. The hotel is designed to put guests in a relaxed frame of mind with its cool colour scheme adapted all over the building. The hotel has rooms open to balconies for a beautiful view of the

city and is located close to Seacon Square, Tesco Lotus and Paradiee Park. For any thrift shopping, be sure to visit the Chatujak or JJ Weekend Market, both popular for Arts and Crafts, Clothing, Books and Food in BKK, just don’t forget your sunscreen before you go! For a Budget Studio with private bathroom, prices start from €19.70 per night per person.

For the best places to stay in Bangkok, our friends at Hostelbookers.com have given us a selection of their highly rated hotels. From the comtemporay to the traditional, from the bustling Thai street views to peaceful spa hotels and from the night life to the city historical sites, everyone has a choice!

THE LOFT 77 HOTEL

The Hotel De’ Moc is conveniently located in the heart of Bangkok, the perfect vacation near all the great tourist attractions, such as Rattanako-sin Island, Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha, Emerald Buddha, Democ-racy Monument, and the stunning Golden Mount.

The hotel is next to Khao San Road, world famous for its bustling street market, variety of Thai restaurants, and exciting nightlife. For a Superior Private Double prices start from €30.21 Per Person per Night.

HOTEL DE’ MOC

WHERE TO STAY IN

BANGKOK

The Loft 77 Hotel

Hotel De’ Moc€19.70 per night per person onwards

€30.21 per night per person onwards

Located within walking distance from BTS On Nut, and 20 minutes from Suvarnabhumi Airport via expressway, the Imm Fusion Sukhumvit is perfect for a fabulous city break. Sporting Bohemian design elements you step right into a lush environment.

The hotel includes a Pool and Spa area for all you chill seekers and for the opposite explore the trendy Thonglor area which is home to hip restaurants & bars. Prices for a private room start from €14.43 per person per night (breakfast included)

IMM FUSION SUKHUMVIT

IMM FUSION SUKHUMVIT

SUPHANLAKE HOMETEL

€14.43 per night per person onwards

Suphanlake Hometel is located 6.5 kilometres away from Suvarnabhumi

Airport, only 10 minutes by driving. The hotel is situated in front of 60th Anniversary of Queen Sirikit and walk-ing distance.Bangkok City, China Town,Exhibition Center, Museum and Famous Siam Park are now acces-sible from the new city train station for only 40 Baht. Double room prices start from €8.54 per person per night. SUPHANLAKE HOMETEL

€8.54 per night per person onwards

Sakul House is a modern designed small hotel, located on Soi Rambuttri, one block away from Khaosan Road. Soi Rambuttri, is in the prime location of Bangkok’s Rattana-Kosin’s Island (Bangkok’s historical quarters), just in case you fancy getting your city knowledge on! Prices for a Private Double start from €24.96 per person per night.

SAKUL HOUSE

€24.96 per night per person onwards

If you want to be located in “central” (there is no real center in Bangkok) and don’t pay too much while having a nice room the Smart Suites might be the right hotel for you. It’s located on the popular sukhumvit soi 11 in a small and quiet alley. Rooms start at 800 Baht (€20) and have an ensuite bathroom.

SMART SUITES INSUKHUMVIT SOI 11

€20.00 per night per room onwards

Nice little and cozy hotel located right at the Lumphini Park and next to the MRT stop Si Lom. Rooms are big and comfortable and start from 715 Baht (€18)

URBAN HOUSE IN SI LOMNEAR LUMPHINI PARK

€18.00 per night per room onwards

Pool, big rooms and a stones throw away from Kaoh San Road. This hotel is perfect for anybody who wants to stay and experience the popular backpacker area. Rooms start from 875 Baht (€22)

VIENGTAI HOTEL ATKAOH SAN ROAD

€22.00 per night per room onwards

This hostel is very central located near the BTS station Asok and MRT station Sukhumvit. In the neighbor-hood you will find Terminal 21, Sukhumvit Soi 11, Soi Cowboby and you can get anywhere withing 20 minutes with public transportation. The hostel is clean and has good service. Shared rooms start at 400 Baht (€10) and are divided by gen-ders. They also have prive rooms for 375 Baht (€9.75)

ASOK MONTRI HOSTELNEAR SUKHUMVIT

€10 per night for shared room onwards

WHERE TO EAT IN

BANGKOK

Bangkok has some of the best street food in the world. These are a few great restaurant where you need to eat while in Bangkok.

If you are vegetarian or vegan it’s nota big deal to find something inThailand. There are many vegan andvegetarian meals on the menus inmost restaurants.

TIP

At Thip Samai in Banglamphu (near Khao San Road) you will find probably the most famous Phad Thai.

Address : Phutthamonthon Sai 4, Salaya, Bangkok

BANGLAMPHU

Not far from Kaoh San Road you will find the Victory Monument (BTS Sta-tion Victory Monument.) There is a large street market here with street vendors, outdoor seating and many diners that stop for a bite to eat. Here you will find all the typical noodle and rice dishes but also some other more quirky things.

VICTORY MONUMENT

If you want good, fast and cheap food go to one of the many restaurants and food courts in office buildings. There the food is good and very cheap and since office workers don’t have a lot of time it often also is fast! You can get a full meal with a drink for less than 60 Baht.

CHEAP EATS INOFFICE BUILDINGS

This place offers a wide range of vegetarian and vegan meals.

It is located in Banglamphu. 152 Thanon Din So.

ARAWY VEGETARIAN FOOD

If you’re slightly carnivorous, this is a must try! Similar to a Korean BBQ, a Thai BBQ consists of a massive meat buffet, all pre marinated. There’s often a hefty salad selection as well, in addition to some pre-cooked side dishes such as steam buns and shish-kababs. Once you’ve loaded your all you can eat plates, you bring the food back to your table and cook it to your own perfection on a grill placed in the centre. There’s also a soup base around the grill, which you can boil noodles and veggies, as it collects the meat drippings. These are scattered all throughout the city, and are a cheap, BIG meal. The meal alone will cost 129-149 Baht, though the drinks are extra, and could easily double that cost.

THAI BBQ

On Thanon Pracharat Bamphen you will find a daily night market. At 8 PM vendors start to build their stands and sell all kinds of things on the street. You can also eat very well on the street stalls. Be warned, night markets are full with rats.

NIGHT MARKET HUAIKWANG

Thai Food

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.

- Robert Louis Stevenson -

WHERE TODRINK AND PARTY IN

BANGKOKEven prior “Hangover 2”, Bangkok has had a reputation for being one of the craziest cities in South East Asia. The sentence “Once Bangkok has you in its grip, it won’t let you go” is very true. Bangkok‘s Nighlife can be dirty and glamorous at the same time. Many clubs, bars and lounges invite you to party as if it would be your last day on earth.

Wine Connection

WHERE TODRINK AND PARTY IN

BANGKOK

Cheap CharliesDon’t forget to leave youbusiness card here.

Located at one of the most popular streets of Bangkok, cheap charlies attracts all kind of expats to Sukhum-vit Soi 11. At around 7 pm the bar fills up with expats from all around the world. You will find the traveler who is living on a budget in Bangkok and trying to figure out the next step in his life or the business man who stops by after an important meeting. It’s a very diverse bar with many faces.

It was founded in 1982 by Mr. Charly himself who apparently is still watch-ing over you as a skull is hanging and looking down at the bar. Everybody who wants is welcome to leave his business card on a wall at the back of the bar which today covered by hun-dreds of cards from all over the world. Prices at this bar are very cheap and start at 60 baht for a chang beer. Mixed drinks cost 70 baht and wine 100 baht. Very reasonable and you will always find somebody to have a chat with.

CHEAP CHARLIE’S

Located at the busy Victory Monu-ment this bar attracts many expats who are into Jazz and live music. It’s a very relaxed and rustic bar with two stories. Saxophone has a very special vibe which gets your right from the second you enter the pub. Here you will not only find many expats who enjoy their drinks with nice live music, you will also find many locals who move their hips to the rhythm of the music.Prices are very reasonable and they have a big variety of drinks.

SAXOPHONE PUB

Q-Bar is also on Sukhumvit Soi 11. Opened by the same owner who managed the famous Q-Bar in Saigon, Vietnam. It is a very popular expat bar in Bangkok where you will meet many foreigners. It carries the biggest choice of spirits in Bangkok. There is nearly nothing that they don’t have and if it happens that they don’t have your liqueur of choice, they will make sure to have it the next time you come if you are a regular customer. The prices are more expensive than at Cheap Charlies and Saxophone but the atmosphere is nice.

It’s at the end of Soi 11 opposite Nest.

Q-BAR

Open since March of this year Zaks WinePub offers exceptional wines at everyday prices. The atmosphere is great at this bar and the PR manager Richard always tries to welcome every guest personally. Zaks is also at Sukhumvit Soi 11 between the German Beerhouse and the Australian Bar.

ZAKS WINE PUB

This dive bar is legendary in Bangkok. Known to few and loved by many!

This place seems to have no last order, it closes when the last cus-tomer leaves. It’s almost impossible to dance in here since it is so small, the service is non-existend since you have to grab the drinks yourself from the fridge however, the legendary Mr. Wong still insults you personally when you leave the door open too long. When at Wong’s Place you feel like back in the 80ies and 90ies! Legend-ary!

27/3 Soi Sribamphen, Rama 4 Road, Yannawa , Bangkok

WONGS PLACE

Wine Connection opened its new restaurant at the Rain Hill Shopping Complex on Sukhumvit 47. The chick restaurant is popular among expats in the area in thonglor. Surprisingly the prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious.

WINE CONNECTIONIt’s regarded as the hottest club in town and definitely worth going at least once while in Bangkok. Prices are extremely expensive but atmo-sphere is extremely good! Here you will meet many expats dancing to the finest electro beats Bangkok has to offer. The club is separated into two sections, one that is aimed at dinner, drinking and relaxing and another one which is aimed to party and dance!

BED SUPERCLUB

This place is so unknown that only a very small sign tells you that it exists. Right on Soi Cowboy this place is hidden on the third floor of a guest house. Simply walk into Soi Cowboy and enter the floor next to “The Corner” bar. Pass the main desk and take the elevator to the third floor. This place is open until late!

PENNY BLACK CLUB

Right at the Chao Phraya River lays this little gem. Viva & Aviv is nicely decorated with a big terrace where you can relax on a lazy Sunday or come for a sundowner after work. It’s located behind the river city complex. Take a boat from BTS station Saphan Taksin or go with the Metro to MRT Station Hua Lamphong and ask a taxi or tuk tuk to take you to the River City complex or Royal Ohrid Sheraton.

VIVA & AVIV

Open until very late this club invites party folks looking for their electro vibe. The cover charge is 300 Baht.

INSOMNIA

Formerly known as Narcissus this place is a three in one club. Over three floors you will find different rooms with different kinds of music. The mix of music is good and there is no cover charge. It’s located near BTS Asoke and MRT Sukhumvit.

NARZ

Commonly known as RCA, the Royal City Avenue is home to many clubs and one of the many epicentres of Bangkok’s nightlife.Clubs such as Route 66 and Slim are just two of the many clubs packed into this area. It’s located close to Rama 9 Road.

RCA

In the basement of the Intercontinan-tal Hotel Bangkok you will find one of the few late night clubs in Bangkok. Mixx has a nice balance of sound, light and elegant decoration. There are two sections inside where they

play different music. In the second (the smaller section) smoking is allowed. There is an entrance fee of about 250 Baht including one drink.

MIXX

The little rooftop bar is a nice hangout spot it the end of Sukhumvit Soi 11. It’s opposite Q Bar in the Le Fenix Hotel building. It has nice lounge furniture with live music and good DJ’s. On Wednesday they have a special evening where beers and cocktails are offered for 100 Baht. Nest is a nice place to start the eve-ning and continue the night in one of the clubs blow.

NEST

The Australian is packed with farang (Thai for foreigner) but you won’t only find Australians here, all kind of

find Australians here, all kind of foreigners come here to enjoy a coo-pers beer and watch some sports while enjoying a good homemade burger. They normally have a live band which is pretty good! Its always a lot of fun to come here for a couple of stubbies.

THE AUSTRALIAN

Located close to the BTS station of Phlon Chit, this is one of the central hotspots of Bangkok. Cocktails are expensive but good and the interior is a mix of gentleman’s club with a touch of modern sophistication. This is a great expat bar in bangkok to start with drinks and good cigars before going out to some of city#s clubs.

It’s located next to the Plaza Athenee.

HYDE & SEEK

Located in Silom on the roof top of the Banyan Tree Hotel, you’ll find one of the high end roof top bars of Bang-kok: Vertigo Bar. This bar invites you to enjoy your evening overlooking Bangkok and the neighboring Lumpini Park while enjoying a delicioussundowner.

VERTIGO BAR

Vertigo BarEnjoy a magnificient view of Bangkokskyline with a delicious sundowner.

BANGKOKOFF THE PATH

Discover some of Bangkok’s Off-beat yet must visit places. Without these, your trip to this wonderful city may not be termed as complete.

Do not follow where the path may lead.Go instead where there is no path

and leave a trail.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson -

Tucked away just a few blocks from Chatuchak Market, this weekend night market specializes in all things vintage. Built on an old train yard, it offers a very unique location, with some of the old train cars still present for you to hop on and enjoy a drink.

There’s a number of food stands and bars set up with live entertainment, and this has become a bit of a thai hipster hangout. Similar to its neigh-bouring market, Rot Fai is only open on weekends, and is a great end to a day, with some wonderful photo opportunities.

ROT FAI MARKET

While most of the city sleeps the street in and around Chak Phet Road start to flourish at around 3-4 AM. This is when all the vendors arrive from the provinces around Bangkok with freshly cut flowers.

During the day, the whole market is a little sleepy which is perfect if you just want to shop around and buy a few things.

FLOWER MARKET

If you really want to experience Bang-kok, take a klong tour. The long-tail boats will take you around the canals and you’ll get a little glimpse of what Bangkok was like before all the modern buildings were in the city.

KLONG TOUR AROUNDTHE CANALS

This is an island which is actually in Bangkok’s suburbs, and easily a day trip for those short on time. Found on the Chao Phraya river, it’s not your typical beach island that Thailand is known for.

This island was actually man made a few centuries ago by cutting through the land to bypass a big loop the river naturally had. The bypass channel was intended to speed up travel time along the river, but in the process created a new isolated home for the Mon tribe who dug it out. This has helped develop an entirely new cul-ture amongst the inhabitants. It’s become popular for its pottery and a tempura of deep fried flowers, both unique to Koh Kred. You can rent bicycles and ride around the small island visiting all the villages along the way. It’s a great way to escape the bustle of Bangkok, experience some culture, and see some history! This is definitely one of Bangkok’s hidden gems!

KOH KRET

Something for the brave, or scientifi-cally minded, this interesting museum is located inside a hospital. It’s full of very graphic photos and displays. There are several sections. One which focuses on the history of forensics in Thailand. There’s an exhibit on pulmo-nary science, there’s an exhibit on the Tsunami of 2004, there’s even a mum-mified remains of Thailand’s worst serial killer.

The exhibits that are the hardest for some to swallow is the fetal deforma-tions, and the head injuries. Really a cool and very unique type of museum unlike any other. If you like the show CSI, you’ll probably really like this - just keep in mind, this is the uncen-sored edition

FORENSIC PATHOLOGYMUSEUM

The green lung of Bangkok. Take a stroll at lumpini park and join the locals during their workout. At 6 PM there is a lound noise and the whole park stands still to honor the king and listen to the national anthem. You have to experience this once!

LUMPINI PARKLumpini Park

Place your A4 size paper into your printer tray and print Side 1 ( mentioned on the page ) in landscape mode.

STEP 1

Place the paper with Side 1 facing towards you and fold along the dotted lines. Carefully follow the order of Fold.

STEP 3Thai is a very difficult language because it has no similarities with English or latin languages. Also it has a completely different alphabet.

To make learning Thai more easier and useful for you at the time of traveling, we have designed this section as a “ Handy reference guide”.

Simply follow the instructions on this page and take a print of the next 2 pages on a single page, front and back, and you shall have a real quick reference guide which will definitely help you in communicating with local people.

We strongly suggest you read these instructions well before taking a print.

For perfect fit, kindly take a print onlyon A4 size paper.

LEARN

THAIFOR BEGINNERS

INSTRUCTIONS :

Flip your paper and insert into printer tray to print Side 2.Note: Settings for double side printingmay vary on your printer. So take care of this while printing Side 2.

STEP 2

SIDE 1

SIDE 2

FOLD 1

FOLD 2

YOUR GUIDE

SIDE 1 ( CUT ALONG THE DOTTED LINE )

SIMPLECONVERSATIONSTARTERS

WHILESHOPPING

OTHERPHRASES

HELLOsawasdee krub (male)sawasdee ka (female)

THANK YOUkob koon (krub/ka)

How are you ?Sai bai dee mai (krub/ka)?

Fine Thank yousai bai dee (krub/ka)

Never mind / It’s ok / No Problemmai pen rai (krub/ka)

I cannot speak Thai phood Thai mai dai (krub/ka)

Please speak slowlyphood cha cha (krub/ka)

I don’t understand mai kao jai (krub/ka)

Where is the Rest room ?hong nam yoo tee nai (krub/ka)

How much does this cost ?nee tao rai (krub/ka)

What is thisnee arai (krub/ka)

Very expensivepaeng mak (krub/ka)?

The bill please gep taang (krub/ka)

PLACESIN THAI

DIRECTIONSIN THAI

Airport sanam bin

Bus Station sa-tanee rot mai

Railway Station sa-tanee rot fai

Police Station sa-tanee tum road

Hotel rong raem

Embassy san tantood

Hospital rong-payabann

Postoffice prai-sanee

Market talaad

Goodbyela gon (krub/ka)

Goodluck kor hai chock dee (krub/ka)

Sorry / Excuse me ?kor thoad (krub/ka)

I need a doctortong karn mor ma raksa (krub/ka)

I want to go yaak ja pai (krub/ka)

Where is yuu tee nai (krub/ka)

Turn Left leeo sai (krub/ka)

Turn Right leeo kwaa (krub/ka)

Straight Ahead trong pai (krub/ka)

Stop here yuut tee nee (krub/ka)

Slow down cha cha (krub/ka)

Be Careful ra wang (krub/ka)

FOLD

FOLD

FOLD

FOLD

SIDE 2 ( CUT ALONG THE DOTTED LINE )

In Thai people put a “Khrup” (pronunced like “cup”) at the end of a sentence. Men say “khrup” and women say “ka”.

BASICNUMBERS

QUICKREFERENCES

This basic Thai language guide will help you feel a little comfortable while talking to locals.

LEARN

THAIFOR BEGINNERS

HELLO sawasdee krub (male) | sawasdee ka (female)

THANK YOU kob koon (krub/ka)

How are you ? Sai bai dee mai (krub/ka)?

Fine Thank you

Thai number symbols

Bangkok emergency numbers

sai bai dee (krub/ka)

I cannot speak Thai phood Thai mai dai

Goodbye la gon

Bus Station sa-tanee rot mai

Police - 191Tourist Police - 1699

Ambulance & Rescue - 1669Fire - 199

Sorry / Excuse me ? kor thoad

nung

suun

1

0

soong2

saam3

sii4

haa

nung

soong

saam

sii

haa

5

hok6

jet7

bpeet8

gao

hok

jet

bpeet

gao

9

sip10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9Brought to you by

www.off-the-path.com* offthepath doesnt take any responsibility for change in details whatsoever. This guide is for reference only.

Visit the Grand Palace (See Page. 20)

See where the King of Thailand lived and reigned over this big country.

ITINERARYRECOMMENDATIONS

HOURSIN BANGKOK24

10.00 - 11.30

Dinner at “Cabbages & Condoms”

18.00 - 19.30

Pub Crawl. Start at Cheap Charlies (See Page. 35) at Sukhumvit Soi 11 and drink your way up the street.

For after hour parties visit: MIXX, Insomnia or Wong’s.

19.30 - 02.00

Visit Wat Arun - The Temple of the Dawn (see Pag. 19)

14.05 - 15.30

Take ferry back to Tha Tien Boat Pier.

16.00 - 16.05

Take express ferry to Sathon Pier.

16.15 - 16.45

Take BTS to Asoke and walk to Soi Suk Chai (about 10 Minutes Walk) to the restaurant “Cabbages & Con-doms.” Weird and at the same time fun atmosphere, with excellent Thai food!

17.00 - 17.40

Visit Wat Pho (see Page. 18). About 10 Minutes away from the Grand Palace, the Wat Pho is known for its big laying buddha statue. Water is included in the ticket price.

12.00 - 13.00

Buy some street food and relax at the park next to the Tha Tien Boat Pier.

13.00 - 14.00

Take the ferry to the other side of the river to visit Wat Arun.

14.00 - 14.05

ITINERARYRECOMMENDATIONS

DAYSIN BANGKOK07

Start by exploring the old city of Bangkok. The Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun are located very close to each other and if you have time you should go explore all the little build-ings and temples within the com-plexes. You will be busy for the whole day!

DAY 1

Visit the floating markets a little bit outside of Bangkok. To finish the day of traveling visit one of the many sky bars to enjoy the sunset over the city.

DAY 4

Wander around China Town and indulge yourself in chinese and thai food. Walk down to the river and relax in the sun or visit Lumpini Park to relax in the biggest and one of the few parks of Bangkok.

DAY 5

Chattuchak Market is open on the weekends. Go and get lost between the thousand stalls. End your shop-ping day with a drink in Sukhumvit Soi 11 and drink your way up the street. Places to stop: Cheap Charlies, Zaks, Smile 11 (Street Bar) and more.

DAY 6

After a long night, treat yourself to a Spa and a massage. Massages start at 250 baht an hour and are a great way to spend a lazy day!

DAY 7

Visit Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand, which is about an 1,5 hours north on Bangkok.

DAY 2

Take the day off and do some shop-ping. Shopping opportunities in Bang-kok are excellent. See from Page 23

DAY 3

GUIDE MAP BELOW

TOURIST MAP

LEGEND

TOWARDS AIRPORT

START HERE

GRAND PALACE

WAT ARUN

WAT PHO

THA TIEN BOAT PIER

SATHON PIER

CHEAP CHARLIES

CABBAGE AND CONDOMS

BTS ASOKE

TEMPLE

PALACE

PARTY

PARTY

PARK

BTS

MRT

AIRPORT LINK

HOURSIN BANGKOK

24

* Illustrative Map only. Not true to scale.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel untilhe comes home and rests his head on his old,

familiar pillow.

- Lin Yutang -

www.off-the-path.com

All pictures by Sebastian Canaves (Off-The-Path.com).

All content is free to share with attribu-tion and not allowed to derivate.

CC BY-ND 3.0 DE

Thanks for the support to friend and fellow travel blogger Ian Ord from Wheresidewalksend.com