Thailand is a great place. I love it. My first trip was in February/March 2006 and as soon as I got back I could not wait for my next trip.

This trip (June 2006) I planned to spend more time in Bangkok to explore their culture, including their modern culture. But I also decided to spend some time relaxing. I did not want to stress out too much. I wanted to concentrate on the main reason I was here. That was to have my pearly penile papules removed. I initially planned 14 days in Thailand, however after the success of the removal I decided to head home the day after the second follow-up procedure. So, I cut my holiday short on the 10th day. This meant that the things I had planned for the remaining 4 days had to wait for my next trip.

Tip for Traveling Around Bangkok

Stay at a hotel near a BTS (sky light rail system). I would say no more than 100 - 150 metres away. That way you do not have to stay too long in the heat. It is by far the best way to get around Bangkok and the cheapest. There are also interchange BTS stations where you can transfer to the MRTA (underground rail system) and the river ferries. There are plenty of taxis, but expect to wait for ages in bumper to bumper traffic and be wary of drivers trying to rip you off by not turning on the meter. Tuk Tuks (three wheel motorcycles) are fun to ride at night when there is not as much traffic.
Thais have their own unique driving style. It can be very scary on the roads. They drive really fast and really close to each other, even when bumper to bumper however they are excellent drivers and very courteous drivers. It is very rare you hear a horn go off and there does not seem to be any aggression. If you get a bit scared, do what I do, remind yourself that they drive like this everyday and they would not risk their own lives.

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DAY 1

Arrived Bangkok the night before and settled in to my hotel. I chose a hotel on Sukhumvit about 100 metres from Nana BTS. There is nothing much around here but is only a short BTS ride to the centre of Bangkok.

This morning I headed to Nana BTS for my first trip. It is very simple to use. You buy a ticket from the machine selecting the distance by looking at the station map alongside. It dispenses a ticket which you use to go through the carousels. I headed to Siam Central to have a walk around the shopping centers and check out the Foodhall.

There were a couple of centres. For cloths shopping Siam Centre has affordable Thai brands. Alongside was the Discovery Centre, with European/American name labels. Across the road is 'The pride of Bangkok', the impressive Siam Paragon. Siam Paragon is a great shopping centre. It had all the top label brands and an excellent Department store with a mix of affordable clothing. I had mainly come here to check out the Foodhall downstairs and it was not a disappointment. Anything I wanted was here. An extensive mix of western and asian flavours and a huge supermarket. This was to become my favourite lunch/dinner spot for my entire stay. It was cheap, everything was written up in English and there was enough variety to satisfy my culinary appetite.

To purchase food in the main foodhall area you have to get a card from one of the two cashiers. They charge up the card with the amount you give them (TB200) is plenty. You then give this card to the food merchants who deduct the cost of the meal. Anything left on the card can be refunded at the cahier as long as you do so on the same day.

After lunch I headed to Bangkok Nursing Hospital (BNH) for my appointment at 2pm. See more about getting to BNH and about the procedure under [Bangkok Nursing Hospital] and [The Procedure].

Tonight I had dinner at the hotel restaurant and headed out to Suam Night Bazaar next to Limphini Park. Limphini Station (MRTA underground train) is right outside the entrance to the markets.

The markets have rows and rows of little stalls. Great if you cannot get to Chatuchuk Markets. There were a lot of Thai designers selling their own unique style clothes at great prices. There is also a huge ferris wheel which gives a great view of Bangkok.

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DAY 2

I had a bit of a lazy day today. This morning I went for a workout at Fitness First Landmark. I am a member of Fitness First in Australia so I was able to get in for free after getting a passport from my local gym. The landmark was only 50 metres down the road so was very convenient.

After that I went to MBK center (National Stadium BTS) to check out the shopping and to get my hair cut at Toni & Guys. MBK is great shopping for anything to everything. This is the place to shop. The Thais shop here as well. If it is good for them then it is great for me.

Headed back to the hotel for a rest, then dressed and headed to Siam Paragon food hall for dinner. Tonight I went to the movies upstairs. The Da Vinci Code was playing in English with Thai subtitles. It was a very different experience.

You go up to the counter and they have a screen where you can choose your seat. The cost differs depending on the location of the seat. The better the location the more it costs. I opted for one of the better seats. Costing only TB180 it was a bargain ($5).

There is an usher in the cinema that makes sure you sit in your allocated spot. Even though there was plenty of room we still had to sit in the seat we paid for. The seats were really comfortable with high "springy" backs. I wish we had them in Australia.

Settling in to my seat, the lights finally went down and the screen came alive. All of a sudden everyone in the cinema stood up. So I stood up with them. A song started to play. It was either the national anthem or tribute to the King. That over we all sat down to watch the movie.

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DAY 3 - Bangkok to Pattaya

On the spur of the moment I decided to head down to Pattaya for 5 nights. I packed my bags and headed to Ekami Bus Station for a bus down to Pattaya. The bus fare was very cheap, only TB117($4) for a 2 to 3 hour journey.

Arriving at the Pattaya Bus Station I was taken by Baht bus (TB20 = $1) to Walking Street. I had not booked any accommodation so booked into the first hotel I came across. It was horrible, but it would do for the night.

My first order of the afternoon was to find a new hotel. After checking out a couple of other "dumps" I decided to fork out a bit more for a decent resort style hotel. I went to an internet cafe and booked 4 nights at the Mecure Pattaya, the hotel I stayed at on my last trip.

Tonight I went out for dinner then back to the hotel with a couple of beers.

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DAY 4

Checked out of my hotel and headed around the corner to the Mecure Pattaya. It is a bit off the main strip but they have a Tuk Tuk that shuttles between the hotel and the main street. The shuttle is available 24hours so it is not a problem.

This hotel is a lot cheaper than the other top hotels, but is just as good. The place is in immaculate condition and the service staff are great. The pool area and food is fantastic and the rooms are very nice too.

This afternoon I decided to go for a swim and have a relax by the pool.

Tonight I headed out for dinner, and then headed back to my hotel room for a couple of beers.

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DAY 5 to DAY 7

For my second trip to Pattaya there did not seem like anything that I wanted to do, so I decided just to relax. During the day I spend time browsing the shops and stalls then in the afternoon I relaxed by the pool.

Occasionally I would stroll along the beach or stroll down streets I had never ventured before. I found a nice open air restaurant right across from the beach (end of Soi 6) which I stopped for a couple of beers and a meal.

No matter were you go Pattaya is all the same. It is just a huge red district with nothing much else.

I tell a lie. There are some things to do. Last time I was here I went bungy jumping at Jontiem, took a ferry out to Koh Lan Island for the day, watched the Tiffany and Alcazar shows. There is also jet skiing, parasailing and diving.

At night I would go out for dinner and have a couple of beers, then head back to the hotel for a quiet night.

On the Friday night I went to Boyztown. This is the gay area/street of Pattaya. They have three bars there that have live shows. There was the underwater show at Splash, the Drag show at Throb and the cabaret show at Boyz Boyz Boyz. The shows seem to be a tourist thing as there were plenty of straight guys, girls and couples.

By the time the shows were over and the accompanying beer were downed, I headed back to the hotel.

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DAY 8 - Pattaya to Bangkok

Back to Bangkok by bus in the morning. For me bus was definitely the best form of transport. On my last trip I got to Pattaya and back by car (some take a taxi). It is affordable at around TB700 however they drive fast... I mean really fast. The driver can get to speeds of up to 160km/hr. Very scary especially when you see the driver getting sleepy behind the wheel. The bus drivers drive for one shift then have a rest and they drive a little slower.

I arrived in Bangkok around midday and took a BTS a couple of stops to Nana.

Once I got to the hotel the heavens opened up. It was torrential rain. A few drops came down and everyone started running. I realised why when only a minute later the rain came down in big heavy droplets.

My plans of going to Bayioke Sky Tower scrapped I headed to Siam Paragon for dinner and back to the hotel.

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DAY 9 - Day of second procedure

Rain poured down again today. Missing my partner and home I decided to cut my trip short. I was going to miss seeing a few of my planned sights, however I reasoned I could see them on my next planned trip in February 2007.

I went to a travel agent a couple of doors down from the hotel and luckily did not have to pay extra to change my flight.

I had a lazy day in then headed off to the Emporium. The Emporium is another up market shopping centre. They also have a good Department Store with a mix of affordable clothing.

I came here mainly for the food court on the top floor. The food court had a small selection of foods from around the world. Nothing great. But I came here to have a bite while over looking the park next door. I sat right next to the windows, which was stunning view. It was a very pleasant meal.

I then headed back to Bangkok Nursing Hospital for my second procedure. See [Bangkok Nursing Hospital] and [The Procedure] for more information.

All my pearly penile papules zapped off I headed back to the hotel via BTS.

After refreshing myself I took a BTS to Sala Daeng and had a stroll through Patpong Markets looking for DVDs. There was some good stuff but very over-priced. They had the same stuff plus more at MBK for a lot cheaper. It was definitely catered to uneducated foreigners. Copy DVDs were good value though and seemed to be the same price wherever you go in Thailand (TB100 each with no room for bargaining). It is a great deal. The quality of the DVDs that I bought are great except one. The Producers DVD was a very bad copy and was one of those filmed inside the cinema. So, I would recommend you do not by copy DVDs of movies just released in cinemas. Older movies already out on DVD are the best bets. 

I then headed back to the hotel to pack and get an early night sleep for my flight home.

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DAY 10

Early morning flight back home. Destination Sydney, Australia.

Sights to see on next trip to Bangkok

Baiyoke Tower at sunset
Chatuchuk Markets
Temples & Palace
Siam Underwater World
Floating Market

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