We had no idea or specific plan when arriving to Thailand. In fact, all I had was a guidebook. We decided to stay in Khaosan road, the most famous hub for backpackers in Thailand, and also probably the craziest half-mile stretch of road anyone will ever encounter. Loads of street vendors, roadside food stands, fried bugs, club promoters, and "tuk tuk" drivers in every westerner's face hustling. "Tuk Tuks" are basically gas motorcycles connected to a little carriage that can fit 2-3 people. They go almost everywhere, pollute a ton, and the drivers will usually take you to "suit shop" or "gem store" before actually taking you to your destination.
In Bangkok we visited the Grand Palace, which featured some pretty breathtaking architecture. We also spent some time on Sukhumvit road in the central part of Bangkok. We made the typical mistake of hiring a Tuk Tuk without being too firm in our destination, so he took us all over town, showed us some pretty temples, and we basically became friends for the day. As a returning favor, all we had to do was go inside one of the businesses to which he brought us. In return, he gets vouchers for free gasoline for every tourist he brings inside a suit store or travel agency. Sure enough, being that we were brand new to the country, we felt like suckers when we bought custom fitted suits and made travel reservations for the next phase of our trip. Below I've listed some of my expenses so far to give you an idea of the prices in Thailand...
Large Water: 15 Baht ~ $0.50
Large Beer: 30 Baht ~$1.00
Pad Thai: 40 Baht ~ $1.25
1 Hour Full Body Thai Massage: 300 Baht ~ $9.00
Guesthouse in Bangkok (per night): 300 Baht ~ $9.00
Basically, you get the idea. Thailand is VERY affordable. We have actually been seeing mostly European (some American) expats living in Thailand and even raising their families here. The US economy has taken a hit recently, and if you ever want a place to retire and live like a king, Thailand could be on your radar.
Overall Bangkok was fun and easy to navigate since almost everyone speaks some degree of English. But it is just the tip of the iceberg for Thailand, and aside from the Grand Palace, street markets, and bars, there was not much more to see. 3 nights was enough for us, so we decided to pack up and take an overnight train to the northern city of Chiang Mai.
In Bangkok we visited the Grand Palace, which featured some pretty breathtaking architecture. We also spent some time on Sukhumvit road in the central part of Bangkok. We made the typical mistake of hiring a Tuk Tuk without being too firm in our destination, so he took us all over town, showed us some pretty temples, and we basically became friends for the day. As a returning favor, all we had to do was go inside one of the businesses to which he brought us. In return, he gets vouchers for free gasoline for every tourist he brings inside a suit store or travel agency. Sure enough, being that we were brand new to the country, we felt like suckers when we bought custom fitted suits and made travel reservations for the next phase of our trip. Below I've listed some of my expenses so far to give you an idea of the prices in Thailand...
Large Water: 15 Baht ~ $0.50
Large Beer: 30 Baht ~$1.00
Pad Thai: 40 Baht ~ $1.25
1 Hour Full Body Thai Massage: 300 Baht ~ $9.00
Guesthouse in Bangkok (per night): 300 Baht ~ $9.00
Basically, you get the idea. Thailand is VERY affordable. We have actually been seeing mostly European (some American) expats living in Thailand and even raising their families here. The US economy has taken a hit recently, and if you ever want a place to retire and live like a king, Thailand could be on your radar.
Overall Bangkok was fun and easy to navigate since almost everyone speaks some degree of English. But it is just the tip of the iceberg for Thailand, and aside from the Grand Palace, street markets, and bars, there was not much more to see. 3 nights was enough for us, so we decided to pack up and take an overnight train to the northern city of Chiang Mai.
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1 comment:
DAYAm that is HELLA cheap...You guys could get wasted with the price of a shot here in the US...lol
im glad you didnt linger to long in the big city, its good to see the real country and not the tourista version the main cities have to offer.
keep updating! I'm living the dream through you guys!
I CANT WAIT for tokyo btw...
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