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coolchiq visits Bangkok

There's hardly anything new about Thailand being a very popular country to visit; with good reason, as it is so easy to fall in love with everything that Thailand can offer. Bangkok in particular, is an amazing place if you're looking for the time of your life shopping. But in order to make the most of your visit, we suggest you are well prepared and plan how you want to spend your time. To get the best out of it - do your homework - buy Nancy Chandler's map (brilliant for shopaholics), & read other BK guide books.

Arriving: Get your travel agent/hotel to book a taxi to take you from the airport to your hotel.
When you clear immigration & baggage collection, your driver will collect you with your
name on a sign & go direct to your hotel - a bit pricey - but worth every penny.

Where to stay: Most of the hostels are not in the best areas for shopping. The heart of boutique land is Siam, but Sukhumvit road is also a lovely part of the city. Very reasonable prices but still great facilities & brilliant location for shopping, restaurants, bars etc. Check the internet, but we recommend the Grand President hotel, for it's excellent location, super buffet breakfasts, several pools, gym, great rooms with kitchenette, safe, tv, stereo etc.

Getting around: The Bangkok Transit System (BTS) Sky Train is cheap, safe, easy, spotless, air-conditioned & takes you to most places you'll want to go to (until 11.50pm). For fun, pay a motorbike taxi (they wear coloured vests), or take a Tuk Tuk. Taxi's - if you know where you're going, ask to travel "on the meter". Otherwise, after 01.00 am (when everything closes), negotiate a price. eg. 50-100 Baht, but shouldn't be more than 200 Baht in the city.

Boutique land [now we're talking]: Siam is the place. Siam Centre is a shopping mall with genuine, well-known labels, and reasonable prices. It also has many good low price music/CD stores. If you get hungry, find the multi-food-stall canteen in the Siam Centre - a plate of great food for two for 1.50 USD. Siam Square has low price street fashion, & normal price electrical goods. The Gaysorn/Isetan/World Trade Centre buildings house the more well known clothes/shoe brands. This is where we're gonna spend most of our time whilst in Bangkok, so it's important that we get to know the area. Think Asprey and Bvlgari. Add some luxury watches along with Celine, Fendi and others in that category... Bring Baht - we advise - a loht!

Haggle/Negotiate for everything. Expect to pay a third of the price they start at. You can even haggle a little in department stores. If you agree a price quite quickly - you've been had. Best approach is get to an offer they can't (just) accept - then go back & try again slightly higher. Forget Duty Free and electrical goods... They're expensive. But made to measure clothes, good fake street stuff & anything silk; these are prime targets that we will be focusing on. Take an empty suit case - we really mean that. Trust us darlings, you'll come back with so many new tailored blouses, fitted jackets, flimsy perfect fitted skirts and fake Hermes purses... Even Victoria Beckham will turn green with envy.

Sukhumvit - Made to Measure: Suits/anything, over a weekend, at very reasonable prices (negotiate - hard). One of the best is Narry's Boutique (off Sukhumvit Soi 11). If you are going south to the beach resorts, then tailors are cheaper there, but perhaps not as high quality,
& with less high-end variety. Sukhumvit also has a mass of Thai silks, fake clothes & bag shops, & street stalls with usual T-shirts, watches, jewellery, & gadgets.

Chatuchak Market: One of the world's biggest open air markets, selling everything. If you're in BK on a Saturday/Sunday, it's a must - get up early & go to Chatuchak around 10am. Later it gets very busy & very hot. The stalls of Jeans/trainers/T-shirts/All Stars alone continue for several kilometres. Just take the Skytrain to Mo Chit & just follow the crowd. Again, the Nancy Chandler Guide/Map is invaluable as it has a full plan of the market areas - buy before you go there from all good book shops.



Pat Pong I and II near Sala Daeng has a huge fun market full of fake everything. Watch your purse & don't go upstairs in any of the bars... The Ping-Pong/Banana/Cucumber etc. Stay away from Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza (off Sukhumvit), trust us...!

Restaurants: After a hard day's shopping you must try -
Cabbages & Condoms (Sukhumvit soi 12). $$$
Baan Khanitha (Sukhumvit Soi 23). Book in advance as this is Brilliant - The Best Thai food/surroundings. $$$$
Ban Chiang - Excellent home cooked thai food. Special, homely atmosphere. (Surasak). $$$ Street stall food - safer to avoid it, but it's actually usually fine & costs nothing. $

Culture: If, and this is a big if, you can tear yourself away from the shops, markets, restaurants & bars for a day. Try some culture. On our own? - Get the big river boat all the way up the river & back for about 40 Baht. You're a couple/group - Treat yourself to a private long-tail river boat tour. 400 Baht, and you see amazing canals, fantastic temples & other stop offs. The floating sales of souvenirs & drinks are fun, & it's tradition to buy something, & get a beer for your boatman... This is a tip as they are all working together. Take the Sky Train to (BTS-Saphan Taksin) & head for the river... Guides near the boardwalks book a boat for you. Make sure you're getting a private long-tail boat & be clear on what you want to see/visit. See the Grand Palace & Wat Trimitr (Golden reclining Buddha), Wat Arun etc. Try a one way trip & return via Chinatown.

Golden rules: When Thai people Wai (bow with hands joined) it's good manners to Wai back. The sun is strong so do remember sun protection. On the other hand, if you're literally a coolchiq, then like us you'll be frozen in the malls, so remember to bring an extra little cardigan. Don't point at anything with your feet, and always use right hand to give or accept anything. Don't be tempted to accept directions from pushy street guys trying to take you to another place, or if anyone tells you somewhere you are going is closed - ignore them - it's a line to get you to go somewhere else. Don't be tempted by street people into buying gold/gems. Bangkok is famous for scams, so always be wary. Drink bottled water, always take some with you daytime. Avoid ice in drinks if you can. Tip small - eg. change at the end of a meal.

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