Bangkok - the best and worst city

Visiting Kuala Lumpur was a good warm up for Bangkok.
Both are hot, sweaty, bustling Asian cities where competition for business of any kind is extremely fierce.
Sales people in the markets and even the shops are pushy beyond belief.

I adjusted, slowly. But I have a hard time being as blunt and rude as is necessary to have people leave you alone.

Bangkok was worse than KL even. Everybody is in your face trying to get you to buy something or use there services. From the fruit vendors in the market to the thai lady-boys.
The worsts by far are the tuk tuk (3 wheeled motorcycle taxi) drivers.

These guys make a business of trying to pull scams on unsuspecting tourists. Luckily I listened to warnings from other travellers and the Lonely planet and managed to avoid falling into the trap(s). Often they'll offer you some insanely cheap price to take you somewhere you want to go. But as soon as you are in the vehicle they take you around to Jewellery Shops/Souveneir Shops/Strip Clubs etc that pay them comission to get you there. And usually you're now so far out of the way from where you were or wanted to go, that now you have to either renegotiate a price to get back, or find something else.

But amid all the chaos and intrusion into your personal space, Bangkok is a great city.


This is Khao San Road on a quiet afternoon. A preferred spot by backpackers - rooms are cheap, food is ... well not that great compared to other parts of thailand, but it's alright and the most popular of course is the market full of fake goods and cheap t-shirts.
The big problem with backpacking is you have no room to acquire new goods. I'm sure I could have decked myself out in new threads for a bargain, but I would have had to carry shopping bags with me for the rest of my trip. =(
Next time I think I'll arrive with only underwear...

This reclining buddha is in Wat Pho right in Bangkok. I regretfully still know little about Buddhism even though after Japan and Thailand I've been to probably 60+ temples and seen I don't know how many Buddha statues. This was certainly the largest indoor reclining buddha cast in gold paint facing north in Thailand that I've ever seen, which is a pretty amazing feat if you think about it.

This is me at a cool bar in Bangkok. It was literally a hole in the wall on a side street. The bar stools were actually in the alley and we had to move them a couple times for cars to go by! ('CAAARR..... game on') I was happy to find a small little Canadian pin right next to the sign that said 'Now open Lady toilet here - Only pee do not Shit'. There was another adjacent sign (right next to the hole where you ordered drinks) saying 'Thank you for only pee (DO NOT SHIT)'.

This was the roof of the temple of the Emerald Buddha (actually made from Jade) in Wat Phra Kaeo . I couldn't take pictures of it (no cameras please), but for such an elborate building and beautifully maintained grounds, I couldn't help laugh out loud when I saw how little the buddha was! But I guess it's quality not quantity? People go to this temple to pray for Endless Wealth and Prosperity.

Another picture around the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo complex

I was in Bangkok three times actually. Once on my way to Northern Thailand (post coming soon) and then on my way back down to go to Cambodia. And then again after Cambodia on my way to Hong Kong.

At first I wasn't too impressed by Bangkok. Coming from Canada or even Japan it just seemed so in your face and abrasive. But after I settled in and got used to all the action- I actually really enjoyed it.
No where is the saying 'a fool and his money is soon parted' more evident than here!