Thailand - Pukett etc
Discussion
Hi all,
After a lot of persuading I have managed to talk my wife into going to Thailand which up until now she has been dead against due to "stories" she had heard.
Well now that we can go I am looking for tips of what to do/what not to do so I can avoid the "I told you we shouldn't have come here" comments.
The plan is two nights in Singapore or Hong Kong, then one or two nights in Bangkok before heading to Pukett for relaxing and sight seeing for seven to ten days.
Anyone got any tips or recommendations.
thanks.
After a lot of persuading I have managed to talk my wife into going to Thailand which up until now she has been dead against due to "stories" she had heard.
Well now that we can go I am looking for tips of what to do/what not to do so I can avoid the "I told you we shouldn't have come here" comments.
The plan is two nights in Singapore or Hong Kong, then one or two nights in Bangkok before heading to Pukett for relaxing and sight seeing for seven to ten days.
Anyone got any tips or recommendations.
thanks.
There are some nice sights in Bangkok, Big Budda, the temples, night markets, thai boxing and the shopping complex. The temples are worth visiting if you are in to buildings and architecture.
Phuket is lovely, the beaches are some of the best in the world. The main are is Patong, thats where all the bars and clubs are. The beach is crowded and dirty. If you want a nicer area I would recomend Kata beach, I have stayed at Kata Thani, the resort is awesome, mainly couples and families there, no riff raff. Beach is clean, white sand and clear blue water.
When in Phuket visiting Phi Phi is a must, its where the film The Beach was made. Make a day of it, go snorkeling in the middle of the ocean, see all the beautiful islands and you get some great food.
The night markets in Phuket are quite good, some good bargains to be had. Thailand is an awesome place, locals are really friendly, just make sure you stay in a nice area.
Phuket is lovely, the beaches are some of the best in the world. The main are is Patong, thats where all the bars and clubs are. The beach is crowded and dirty. If you want a nicer area I would recomend Kata beach, I have stayed at Kata Thani, the resort is awesome, mainly couples and families there, no riff raff. Beach is clean, white sand and clear blue water.
When in Phuket visiting Phi Phi is a must, its where the film The Beach was made. Make a day of it, go snorkeling in the middle of the ocean, see all the beautiful islands and you get some great food.
The night markets in Phuket are quite good, some good bargains to be had. Thailand is an awesome place, locals are really friendly, just make sure you stay in a nice area.
Thailand is indeed a wonderful destination for a holiday.
I have visited Thailand over the last 20 years or so ans seen huge changes. Not all for the best.
Phuket is probably the safest destination for the first time visitor. It is very geared toward tourism. This brings many issues.
Firstly, it can be extremely busy, smelly, dirty, noisy and brash. Think Loret de Mar with funny writing. However, this is limited to pockets of development, some quite huge, around the tourist hus.
Patong is the main resort. It is a heaving cesspit of bacteria, in my view. I wouldn't stay within 5 miles of it. You have had Kata suggested; that is indeed a worthy choice. Also consider Karon, Kamala, Bang Toa and Promthep. Better still, venture off Phuket.
Whilst Phi Phi has been suggested, you would be bonkers to visst just for the day. You will see Phi Phi at its very worst, with hoardes of day trip boats arriving, it looks like D Day. Certainly go there, but aim to arrive when everyone else is thinking about leaving and stay at least for the night. If not 2. At nightit becomes a far more atmospheric idyl.
Better still, head to Racha. Same rules apply - busy in the day, quiet once the day trippers have gone.
If you have to spend most of your time on Phuket, consider 2 centres. You could look at Mom Tri's Boat house or Villa. Both wonderful. Le Meridien, just outside Patong, is very secluded. Can have a large contingent of Russian visitors.
Big international hotels at Laguna have lots to offer, but not especially "Thai".
My suggestion would be a few days on Phuket at whatever type of hotel takes your fancy, then head an hour and a half north (by road) to Khao Lak. Just beautiful. Completely destroyed by the tsunami, but now back, even better. Some great hotels up there and more typically Thai.
Bangkok is a complete assult to the sense for the first time visitor.
There is a huge amount to see and do. A massive spectrum of hotels, from hostels to 5+ star.
If you PM me, I would be happy to try to help you more specifically. Just let me know the things you want to do and budgets.
For the second poster, the rainy season depends on which part of Thailand you are visiting. If the weather isn;t right, consider a different location. Again, PM me and I'll try to help directly.
I have visited Thailand over the last 20 years or so ans seen huge changes. Not all for the best.
Phuket is probably the safest destination for the first time visitor. It is very geared toward tourism. This brings many issues.
Firstly, it can be extremely busy, smelly, dirty, noisy and brash. Think Loret de Mar with funny writing. However, this is limited to pockets of development, some quite huge, around the tourist hus.
Patong is the main resort. It is a heaving cesspit of bacteria, in my view. I wouldn't stay within 5 miles of it. You have had Kata suggested; that is indeed a worthy choice. Also consider Karon, Kamala, Bang Toa and Promthep. Better still, venture off Phuket.
Whilst Phi Phi has been suggested, you would be bonkers to visst just for the day. You will see Phi Phi at its very worst, with hoardes of day trip boats arriving, it looks like D Day. Certainly go there, but aim to arrive when everyone else is thinking about leaving and stay at least for the night. If not 2. At nightit becomes a far more atmospheric idyl.
Better still, head to Racha. Same rules apply - busy in the day, quiet once the day trippers have gone.
If you have to spend most of your time on Phuket, consider 2 centres. You could look at Mom Tri's Boat house or Villa. Both wonderful. Le Meridien, just outside Patong, is very secluded. Can have a large contingent of Russian visitors.
Big international hotels at Laguna have lots to offer, but not especially "Thai".
My suggestion would be a few days on Phuket at whatever type of hotel takes your fancy, then head an hour and a half north (by road) to Khao Lak. Just beautiful. Completely destroyed by the tsunami, but now back, even better. Some great hotels up there and more typically Thai.
Bangkok is a complete assult to the sense for the first time visitor.
There is a huge amount to see and do. A massive spectrum of hotels, from hostels to 5+ star.
If you PM me, I would be happy to try to help you more specifically. Just let me know the things you want to do and budgets.
For the second poster, the rainy season depends on which part of Thailand you are visiting. If the weather isn;t right, consider a different location. Again, PM me and I'll try to help directly.
Jings, you're asking on somewhere to go that isn't the embodiment of the stories you hear about Thailand, and people are giving you advice of going to Patong, Bangkok and Phi Phi?!? Whilst I was far from shocked, Patong is not a place to go for "peace and quiet". It's loud, dirty, smelly, full of bars, lady-boys and "ping pong ball" shows. Admittedly I was there for one night, but I can't recommend it in the slightest.
Koh Phi Phi is not that dis-similar with mediocre beaches on the main island, loads of people, "buckets" for sale everywhere, bars which offer a free bucket if you enter the Thai Boxing ring... If you do decide to go, make sure you book somewhere to stay as when I arrived, it was impossible to find a hotel - it was fully booked. The ferry from Phuket Town takes around 3 hours if memory serves so a day trip isn't really feasible...
Bangkok was one of the most unpleasant cities I've ever visited and as a solo male traveller I was constantly bombarded with offers for sex, prostitutes, "boom-boom", ping-pong ball shows... If thats your thing, great but for me, it was horrid.
Singapore is a lovely place and there are some amazing things to see, but the post about Orchard Towers... it's other name is Four Floors Of w
es.
For me, I'd suggest skipping Thailand and trying Cambodia. The people are nicer, it's less touristy but still geared up for holidays. You have the cultural sites of Angkor (Siem Reap) in the North, the randomness of a Cirque Du Soleil esque circus in Battambang (along with a bamboo train), the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh, Beach life in Sihanoukville (along with the islands like Bamboo Island just off the coast) and then nice chilled life in Kampot and Kep. Cambodia is seriously cheap, with a pint cost $0.50, a nice bed $4, a fresh fish BBQ $3, a 8 hour bus $20...
For Thailand, check out Chang Mai and Pai in the north. For randomness, look up the Gibbon Experience in Laos, you could head to 4000 islands in Southern Laos... If you fancy combining Thailand and Cambodia, start in Bangkok and island hop into Cambodia...
As a slight point of note, I left on a round the world trip a year ago and have travelled through South and Central America, the states and S.E. Asia for the last 4 months (albeit just Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore) so was after a very different experience to a vacation
I'm in Australia now
Koh Phi Phi is not that dis-similar with mediocre beaches on the main island, loads of people, "buckets" for sale everywhere, bars which offer a free bucket if you enter the Thai Boxing ring... If you do decide to go, make sure you book somewhere to stay as when I arrived, it was impossible to find a hotel - it was fully booked. The ferry from Phuket Town takes around 3 hours if memory serves so a day trip isn't really feasible...
Bangkok was one of the most unpleasant cities I've ever visited and as a solo male traveller I was constantly bombarded with offers for sex, prostitutes, "boom-boom", ping-pong ball shows... If thats your thing, great but for me, it was horrid.
Singapore is a lovely place and there are some amazing things to see, but the post about Orchard Towers... it's other name is Four Floors Of w
es.For me, I'd suggest skipping Thailand and trying Cambodia. The people are nicer, it's less touristy but still geared up for holidays. You have the cultural sites of Angkor (Siem Reap) in the North, the randomness of a Cirque Du Soleil esque circus in Battambang (along with a bamboo train), the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh, Beach life in Sihanoukville (along with the islands like Bamboo Island just off the coast) and then nice chilled life in Kampot and Kep. Cambodia is seriously cheap, with a pint cost $0.50, a nice bed $4, a fresh fish BBQ $3, a 8 hour bus $20...
For Thailand, check out Chang Mai and Pai in the north. For randomness, look up the Gibbon Experience in Laos, you could head to 4000 islands in Southern Laos... If you fancy combining Thailand and Cambodia, start in Bangkok and island hop into Cambodia...
As a slight point of note, I left on a round the world trip a year ago and have travelled through South and Central America, the states and S.E. Asia for the last 4 months (albeit just Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore) so was after a very different experience to a vacation
I'm in Australia now Edited by American iv on Friday 9th March 08:23
The problem with going to all the touristy places is that you'll see the worst of the locals.
I've been going to Thailand for ten years, to visit mates out there. I'd never particularly bothered with the temples and such in Bangers and only went to Khao San Road for the odd piss-up. As my friends lived in more Thai-residential areas, all I saw was small restaurants and bars catering for the locals. As a result, I was always treated wonderfully.
On my last trip, I took my GF and we went to the palace and temples and it was a much less pleasant experience. Constant hassling by hawkers and taxis that refuse to use the meters. So I can fully understand people forming a bad opinion on the Thais. Thankfully, the islands are much more laid back.
With regard to the beaches of Cambodia, Sihanoukville isn't a patch on the Thai islands and you will be hassled endlessly by beggars etc. I did enjoy some crazy nights in PP and SR, and Angkor is beautiful, but it is harder work than Thailand. So much so that, back in Phnom Phen, I chose to eat inside the restaurants rather than on the lovely verandas, just to avoid the beggars' constant interruptions.
I've been going to Thailand for ten years, to visit mates out there. I'd never particularly bothered with the temples and such in Bangers and only went to Khao San Road for the odd piss-up. As my friends lived in more Thai-residential areas, all I saw was small restaurants and bars catering for the locals. As a result, I was always treated wonderfully.
On my last trip, I took my GF and we went to the palace and temples and it was a much less pleasant experience. Constant hassling by hawkers and taxis that refuse to use the meters. So I can fully understand people forming a bad opinion on the Thais. Thankfully, the islands are much more laid back.
With regard to the beaches of Cambodia, Sihanoukville isn't a patch on the Thai islands and you will be hassled endlessly by beggars etc. I did enjoy some crazy nights in PP and SR, and Angkor is beautiful, but it is harder work than Thailand. So much so that, back in Phnom Phen, I chose to eat inside the restaurants rather than on the lovely verandas, just to avoid the beggars' constant interruptions.
rsv gone is right - there are a lot of beggars on the beach at Sihanoukville itself, but you can get to another beach easily enough and the islands off the coast are meant to be significantly better than what Thailand has to offer.
The Islands, whilst slightly more laid back, are far from the idyllic paradise they are rumoured to be, although again, this is just what I found.
It's a personal thing - I preferred Cambodia to Thailand, but then only ended up in the Tourist areas of Thailand, which as pointed out, aren't a true reflection of the peoples or the country.
The Islands, whilst slightly more laid back, are far from the idyllic paradise they are rumoured to be, although again, this is just what I found.
It's a personal thing - I preferred Cambodia to Thailand, but then only ended up in the Tourist areas of Thailand, which as pointed out, aren't a true reflection of the peoples or the country.
Having travelled around a lot of SE Asia in the last couple of years, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia I think it is easy for people to generalise. Pretty much all major cities will have their dark and good sides to them, it just depends on where you end up, I sort of think this applies to the countries as a whole also.
There is a lot of seedy resorts in Phuket such as Patong which might suit some people. If you want peace and quiet then look right up in the north of the island and check out Mai Khao beach. As for Phi Phi, basically it is a bit of a st hole, sewage running down the streets and rubbish piled up everywhere with crowds of backpackers getting fked. Another hour or so on from Phi Phi is Koh Lanta which resembles the more traditional and laid back Thailand.
Singapore is civilised, I found it a bit too sterile and manicured for my liking but it is a good starting point if you are looking to ease your way in to SE Asia.
There is a lot of seedy resorts in Phuket such as Patong which might suit some people. If you want peace and quiet then look right up in the north of the island and check out Mai Khao beach. As for Phi Phi, basically it is a bit of a s
t hole, sewage running down the streets and rubbish piled up everywhere with crowds of backpackers getting fked. Another hour or so on from Phi Phi is Koh Lanta which resembles the more traditional and laid back Thailand. Singapore is civilised, I found it a bit too sterile and manicured for my liking but it is a good starting point if you are looking to ease your way in to SE Asia.
Edited by Jackleman on Saturday 10th March 09:58
American iv said:
Bangkok was one of the most unpleasant cities I've ever visited and as a solo male traveller I was constantly bombarded with offers for sex, prostitutes, "boom-boom", ping-pong ball shows... If thats your thing, great but for me, it was horrid.
Singapore is a lovely place and there are some amazing things to see, but the post about Orchard Towers... it's other name is Four Floors Of wes.
Well amazing how different people can be. I hate Singapore with a vengeance. A sterilise, soul-less place with a population of automatons. And the Singaporeans are not particularly friendly, in fact they can be very rude and hostile. Most visitors will of course never actually meet one apart from the immigration officer and taxi drivers as all the hotels, restaurants, shops etc are all staffed by foreigners, usually Filipinos.Singapore is a lovely place and there are some amazing things to see, but the post about Orchard Towers... it's other name is Four Floors Of w
es.On the contrary I find Bangkok to be one of the worlds greatest cities. It has character, history, some amazing sights, great shopping, one of the worlds greatest cuisines, some of the best bars and nightclubs I've been to anywhere, some of the worlds best hotels, best spas, great shopping, friendly people and generally fantastic service. And I rarely get asked about prostitutes, in fact many times I've been there and not even seen a working girl, which is not what can be said of Singapore these days as the place is crawling with hookers and dodgy massage shops.
Bangkok you will be offered those things in about 3-4 areas which are touristy in the extreme. Patpong, which is mostly a night market selling copies and has a few girly bars left, Khao San Rd and then lower Sukhumvit (mainly Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy which are 'brothels' anyway) Stay out of those areas and you will virtually never be offered anything.
And I'll echo some of the previous advice, avoid Patong Beach in Phuket, just horrible. The Thais there are horrible, the westerners are all generally of the ilk that you would normally avoid (drunken Aussies, rude Russians and other assorted Europeans)
And don't ride a scooter/motorcycle without a helmet, or even better don't ride one at all. And never hire any jet skis or other watercraft.
Edited by thehawk on Sunday 11th March 15:30
Me and the Mrs got back from three weeks in Thailand yesterday. Its an amazing place and you'll love it. Do your research and lots of it, and you'll be fine.
We only really stuck to the tourist area's and we were fine. Two trips to Bangkok over 5 days were superb! We both enjoyed it much more than we expected. To be fair I was with my wife, but I was never once approached in Bangkok for anything sex tourist orientated.
Staying in Bangkok is very cheap, regardless of the level of comfort use desire and travelling around Bangkok is also cheap. Make sure you take full advantage of both of these! The Sky Train system is the best of any city train system I've ever used - think air conditoned coaches which are nearly twice as wide as those on the London underground and about half the price. The Sky Train only covers certain parts of the city though. Places like China Town are not covered by the Sky Train.
Tuk Tuks have their uses. They can be an easy way to get around a city which can be disorientating. Not nice for any lengthy journeys though. If your going more than a mile or so, get a metered cab which will be safer and air conditioned.
Also, if you are planning to see the river area make sure you use the public transport system. It costs 15 Baht per person per day. Most private long tail boats will want stupid money just for an hour of their time.
My only real gripe about Bangkok is the air quality is terrible when it's hot. Although, the time of year you mention, I would imagine it to be slightly cooler and the rain may help too.
As for beach resorts, the advice given above is useful and accurate. We had two nigths in Patong and that was enough! It's as much of an assault on the senses as Bangkok, if not more! Although our first night was quite interesting as it was a holy day which meant no one could sell alcohol. This one happens between three and four days a year though.
If you have a night out along Bangla road, it's extremely in your face. Not nice for some, but go into it with an open mind and you should be okay. People take their kids down there, you see old couples too, so there's quite a mix of people. Most of whom are there out of curiosity which is understandable.
We also stayed in Ao Nang, which is like the costa del sol. It's useful as a jumping off point to get to places like Railay Beach - which is lovely, although it is also very commercialised. You can also get to Phi Phi from here but we didn't bother. We did the four islands trip, and to be honest they can all get a bit samey.
The one place I wold recomend looking at is Koh Tao. Its on the other side of Thailand and is above Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. We only did a day trip here but I wish we'd had a couple of nights there as it was so nice. Its also a brilliant place to go if you are thinking about go diving.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I don't think you can't go wrong in Thailand so you will have an awesome time.
We only really stuck to the tourist area's and we were fine. Two trips to Bangkok over 5 days were superb! We both enjoyed it much more than we expected. To be fair I was with my wife, but I was never once approached in Bangkok for anything sex tourist orientated.
Staying in Bangkok is very cheap, regardless of the level of comfort use desire and travelling around Bangkok is also cheap. Make sure you take full advantage of both of these! The Sky Train system is the best of any city train system I've ever used - think air conditoned coaches which are nearly twice as wide as those on the London underground and about half the price. The Sky Train only covers certain parts of the city though. Places like China Town are not covered by the Sky Train.
Tuk Tuks have their uses. They can be an easy way to get around a city which can be disorientating. Not nice for any lengthy journeys though. If your going more than a mile or so, get a metered cab which will be safer and air conditioned.
Also, if you are planning to see the river area make sure you use the public transport system. It costs 15 Baht per person per day. Most private long tail boats will want stupid money just for an hour of their time.
My only real gripe about Bangkok is the air quality is terrible when it's hot. Although, the time of year you mention, I would imagine it to be slightly cooler and the rain may help too.
As for beach resorts, the advice given above is useful and accurate. We had two nigths in Patong and that was enough! It's as much of an assault on the senses as Bangkok, if not more! Although our first night was quite interesting as it was a holy day which meant no one could sell alcohol. This one happens between three and four days a year though.
If you have a night out along Bangla road, it's extremely in your face. Not nice for some, but go into it with an open mind and you should be okay. People take their kids down there, you see old couples too, so there's quite a mix of people. Most of whom are there out of curiosity which is understandable.
We also stayed in Ao Nang, which is like the costa del sol. It's useful as a jumping off point to get to places like Railay Beach - which is lovely, although it is also very commercialised. You can also get to Phi Phi from here but we didn't bother. We did the four islands trip, and to be honest they can all get a bit samey.
The one place I wold recomend looking at is Koh Tao. Its on the other side of Thailand and is above Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. We only did a day trip here but I wish we'd had a couple of nights there as it was so nice. Its also a brilliant place to go if you are thinking about go diving.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I don't think you can't go wrong in Thailand so you will have an awesome time.
Sorry to hijack this thread!!
My dad lives in thailand in bangkok around 20 km,s away from city long story but he has never told us his exact address.I have booked 2 flights leaving 3rd may for 14 days for me and the mrs no accomodation.
I have a mate who was going with us and being he had been there a few times before he was gonna show us around.As usual the nob has just dropped out so im left to organise this from start to finish.To start the mrs is use to the spain, cyprus boring laying on the beach type holidays and not adventurous,hates boats,heights,bla bla. I know tell me about it!!!
My dad says 1 day in bangkok and then down to phuket and patong for the holiday as he lives there and his mrs whos thai him 76 years old her 34 yes 34 reckons it cheap.The original plan was 2 nights in bangkok and my mate said forget everywhere and fly down to ko samui and forget the rest or maybe 5 nights in ko samui and then over to phuket.I dont want to spend or lose days or valuable hours flying back and forth.The wife would like to do wat she normally does sit down on sunbed talk to everyone and sip pina coladas all day long but me wanna get amongst it so im in difficult position as i was gonna slip off on moped with the mate and do my own thing.
Obviously i need to sort this asap as time slipping away but other suggestion was to organise flight ring my dad and get his thai wife to book hotels as i assume she would get a better deal what do you think guys oops and gals!!
My dad lives in thailand in bangkok around 20 km,s away from city long story but he has never told us his exact address.I have booked 2 flights leaving 3rd may for 14 days for me and the mrs no accomodation.
I have a mate who was going with us and being he had been there a few times before he was gonna show us around.As usual the nob has just dropped out so im left to organise this from start to finish.To start the mrs is use to the spain, cyprus boring laying on the beach type holidays and not adventurous,hates boats,heights,bla bla. I know tell me about it!!!
My dad says 1 day in bangkok and then down to phuket and patong for the holiday as he lives there and his mrs whos thai him 76 years old her 34 yes 34 reckons it cheap.The original plan was 2 nights in bangkok and my mate said forget everywhere and fly down to ko samui and forget the rest or maybe 5 nights in ko samui and then over to phuket.I dont want to spend or lose days or valuable hours flying back and forth.The wife would like to do wat she normally does sit down on sunbed talk to everyone and sip pina coladas all day long but me wanna get amongst it so im in difficult position as i was gonna slip off on moped with the mate and do my own thing.
Obviously i need to sort this asap as time slipping away but other suggestion was to organise flight ring my dad and get his thai wife to book hotels as i assume she would get a better deal what do you think guys oops and gals!!
Fly to Bangkok airport and get the bus into the city. Find a TAT office and they can book your accommodation, internal transport etc for you, for the whole trip. We did this and had a great time in Bangkok, Phangan, Krabi and Lanta, over three weeks.
I'd go to Phangan tomorrow, it's a great place and you can do loads there; boat trips, elephant rides, beaches, full moon party, hire scooters and explore the island (it's not huge but big enough).
Lanta is very quiet, bit too quiet for me, but very chilled if that is what you are after. As said above its more traditional and they have made an effort to keep out the sex tourism/clubs etc.
I'd go to Phangan tomorrow, it's a great place and you can do loads there; boat trips, elephant rides, beaches, full moon party, hire scooters and explore the island (it's not huge but big enough).
Lanta is very quiet, bit too quiet for me, but very chilled if that is what you are after. As said above its more traditional and they have made an effort to keep out the sex tourism/clubs etc.
popinoz said:
well his first girlfriend who chased him down was 19 believe it or not.He said as a single guy if you cant find a future wife in 3 hours of arrival then you have something seriously wrong with you.
Oh well, I'm sure his wife's family will appreciate the inheritance you would have got...thehawk said:
Well amazing how different people can be. I hate Singapore with a vengeance. A sterilise, soul-less place with a population of automatons. And the Singaporeans are not particularly friendly, in fact they can be very rude and hostile. Most visitors will of course never actually meet one apart from the immigration officer and taxi drivers as all the hotels, restaurants, shops etc are all staffed by foreigners, usually Filipinos.
On the contrary I find Bangkok to be one of the worlds greatest cities. It has character, history, some amazing sights, great shopping, one of the worlds greatest cuisines, some of the best bars and nightclubs I've been to anywhere, some of the worlds best hotels, best spas, great shopping, friendly people and generally fantastic service. And I rarely get asked about prostitutes, in fact many times I've been there and not even seen a working girl, which is not what can be said of Singapore these days as the place is crawling with hookers and dodgy massage shops.
Bangkok you will be offered those things in about 3-4 areas which are touristy in the extreme. Patpong, which is mostly a night market selling copies and has a few girly bars left, Khao San Rd and then lower Sukhumvit (mainly Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy which are 'brothels' anyway) Stay out of those areas and you will virtually never be offered anything.
And I'll echo some of the previous advice, avoid Patong Beach in Phuket, just horrible. The Thais there are horrible, the westerners are all generally of the ilk that you would normally avoid (drunken Aussies, rude Russians and other assorted Europeans)
And don't ride a scooter/motorcycle without a helmet, or even better don't ride one at all. And never hire any jet skis or other watercraft.
Good advice about scooters and jet skis.On the contrary I find Bangkok to be one of the worlds greatest cities. It has character, history, some amazing sights, great shopping, one of the worlds greatest cuisines, some of the best bars and nightclubs I've been to anywhere, some of the worlds best hotels, best spas, great shopping, friendly people and generally fantastic service. And I rarely get asked about prostitutes, in fact many times I've been there and not even seen a working girl, which is not what can be said of Singapore these days as the place is crawling with hookers and dodgy massage shops.
Bangkok you will be offered those things in about 3-4 areas which are touristy in the extreme. Patpong, which is mostly a night market selling copies and has a few girly bars left, Khao San Rd and then lower Sukhumvit (mainly Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy which are 'brothels' anyway) Stay out of those areas and you will virtually never be offered anything.
And I'll echo some of the previous advice, avoid Patong Beach in Phuket, just horrible. The Thais there are horrible, the westerners are all generally of the ilk that you would normally avoid (drunken Aussies, rude Russians and other assorted Europeans)
And don't ride a scooter/motorcycle without a helmet, or even better don't ride one at all. And never hire any jet skis or other watercraft.
Edited by thehawk on Sunday 11th March 15:30
The other one, is never shake the hand of a tailor!
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