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a blog on 'life' and other popular four letter words...

Friday, March 16, 2012

The red lights of Thailand.. (wink, wink..;))



It’s funny that when you tell people that you’re going to Thailand, they usually respond with a sly smile. And once they gather that you’re single, they add in a naughty lil wink. After all, Bangkok has always been notorious as the world capital for a certain popular kind of sport. (wink, wink..;))

My dad, when he learnt that I had already booked my tickets, had an "American Pie" moment with me where he explained upon me the importance of “safety” that went beyond looking both sides before crossing the road (wink, wink.. ;)). After I survived that, my faithful friends pasted a large placard on my car saying “Happy ‘Bang’ing” obviously derived from ‘Bang’kok (Thank God I wasn’t going to Phuket.) I had to tell my pious neighbors that I was going for a religious trip to the mountains; my elder neighbor wished me the very best in my endeavors and regretted that he could not join me in my pursuit to attain moksha and salvationJ


But besides all the winks and the jokes, I must say that Thailand is an incredible place for an incredible holiday. And as I was boarding Bangkok Airways, I distinctly remembering my mind religiously singing the Saif Ali Khan song “Aahun, Aahun, Aahun…. Aahun, Aahun, Aahun…. Aahun, Aahun, Aahun, Aahun, Aahun, Aahun, Aahun…..”
OK, first things first – Thailand is much, much more than what ‘Hangover2’ made us to believe. Thailand is an awesome place for a great holiday – it’s got amazing food, great shopping, fabulous beaches and some remarkable instances of heritage. And the best part is that it’s pretty much within one’s budget ; I mean, I’ve seen vacation packages to Kerala that are more expensive than the same to Thailand.

And yes, the red lights of Bangkok blends in harmoniously with the blue waters of Pattaya’s beaches to offer one with an outstanding and unique experience. I spent two days in Bangkok and three in Pattaya. Bangkok was where I did all my shopping and in Pattaya, I do my yearly ritual of lazing on the beach, watching the waves with a bottle of beer and junk food in hand. While Bangkok is known for shopping, Pattaya is known mainly for ‘the Walking Street’ – a stretch of road lined with go-go bars, eating joints and pubs with people from various nationalities just walking up and down the road. What adds in to the spice on Walking Street are the many “women of the night” doing various ‘outrageous’ acts to charm the men (wink, wink..;)). Walking Street simmers between 10PM- 12 PM in the night and it needs to be seen to be believed! Of course, the notorious massage bars dot almost all roads in both Bangkok and Pattaya– sinning has never been so much fun!


What is incredible about Thailand is that it is a change in one’s perspective – it’s got lovely people: the Thais are very polite and well mannered people who are perennially helpful, it’s a great getaway place with beaches, temples and skyscrapers blending together seamlessly to give a vacationer an amazing experience and yes, it provides an unbelievable realization that things like this can happen (wink, wink..;)). My biggest take away from this incredible vacation is the incredible power of the smile. The smile is ubiquitous in Thailand and its surprisingly funny how things just get moving with a simple smile. I got the best deals not just by haggling but by haggling with a smile (J) and you tend to notice that almost everyone politely welcomes foreigners with what else, but a smile. Incidentally, Thailand is also known as “the land of the smiles”.

In summary, Thailand is one place where a lot more Indians will vacation going forward mainly for the amazing and truly unique experience only Thailand can offer – I mean, this place has got temples, zoos, shows( don’t miss the Alcazar show performed by girls who are actually boys  J ), water sports, museums, night clubs, nature, bars. And yes, due to the better ‘bang’ for the buck ( J ).

So what makes this incredible place even more incredible? Well, ……

(wink, wink..;))…..

J


This is an entry for the Mahindra XUV500 Incredible Stories! contest.

Do Follow my blog, Like it and Vote for me...

J
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For people who wanna get into the details, here’s a rundown of a trip gone incredibly amazing…

When NOT to go to Thailand
Well, first check the weather forecast – the land of the Thai can be pretty freakin hot during the months of March to June and then it pours till October. So November till February is usually the best time to hit Thailand. Another reason to avoid April, Thailand’s hottest month, is to avoid the Thai New Year, known as the Songkran, which runs from April 13-15th when almost everyone leaves Bangkok and other touristy places to go back to their native shores – so you’ll usually find shut shops and nobody on the streets then. Also try not going to Thai during the royal or national holidays (list of Thai holiday here). Of course, the other angle to the off-season is that you usually get the best deals during this time - I chose the first week of March to go to the land of the smiles mainly cos I got a Rs. 6000 off deal on my air tickets.



Getting Forex
OK, this applies to any foreign trip – forex always costs the highest at the airports, malls and tech parks as they include their hefty office rent into their forex rates. A good trick I learnt along the way is to call JustDial and they’ll make sure forex providers will call you back and you could choose the best rate yourself. I happened to get my best rates from Thomas Cook, Brigade road in Bangalore. Also, always insist on a bill as some guys will quote a lower rate only to later say that its without a bill. This could land you in trouble due to fake notes and stuff. So shop around for the best rates and avoid the airport, malls and tech-parks for ur forex. Thai currency is the Baht(B), by the way.



Flights
Bangaloreans seem to be pretty lucky on this side as there’s both Thai Airways and now the recently started Bangkok Airways, both of which have daily flights to Bangkok. From a service factor, Thai scores any day with its world renowned hospitality with better food and drinks options, individual screens and better in flight entertainment options over Bangkok Airways; but like I said, I opted for the latter as they had a 6k off introductory offer. Must say, there weren’t many people on board so I could really use three adjacent seats to stretch my legs and get a good sleep. So snoop around for offers from either flights but between the two for the same price (between 18K – 20K), I’d choose Thai Airways any day – also the stewardesses are hotter on Thai. J


Hotels
With the slew of internet booking options available, this is now a cinch. My suggestion here is to not book directly through the hotel ka site and opt for generic sites as they always have an Indian helpline. I did my bookings through hotels.com and they were very helpful and had a few offers too. I stayed at Hotel Diamond City in Bangkok, which was pretty much in the center of everything (though the breakfast sucked!) and was kinda clean and cheap. In Pattaya, I stayed at Sunshine Residences, which I felt was much better however, I’d suggest you go for the balcony rooms – they're much bigger and more spacious.



Visa On Arrival
You’ll reach Bangkok at around 6AM and you can take your tourist visa at the Bangkok Airport (Swarnabhoomi) itself just after you land and it’s a very simple and hassle free process. You’d need to pay 1000B and have two pics with you. You also have a fast track queue there itself which costs about 1000B more for faster service. I asked some agents here in India to get it done and they were charging between 2K- 3K for it – it’s a total rip off! It’s very easy to get it done at the Bangkok airport itself and since most hotel check ins are at 12 noon, I took the normal queue to kill time at the airport. So suggestion is to get ur visa done on arrival rather than getting it done in India.



Transportation in Bangkok- Pattaya
Bangkok is extremely well connected to most touristy places via the awesome metro rail service (called BTS - route map here). They even have connectivity from the airport. If you need to go to Pattaya, suggestion is to take the BTS to Ekamai station and take the local air-conditioned bus to Pattaya – the cost works out to be ~ 180 B per head while a taxi would cost ~ 1500 B(!). In Pattaya, you could always use the local pickup trucks called Songtows to travel around – cost around 20 B, while taxis are much costlier. In Pattaya, it’s quite an experience to walk along the beach road and of course, Walking Street – you’ll sure see some sights (wink, wink..;)).



Shopping in Thailand
Thailand is the land of bargain shopping but the real shopping bargains are in the streets. Thai’s a good place for clothes (remember to buy clothes one size larger in Thailand), chocolates, hats, electronics (beware of fakes!)…. (the list goes on….)… Some places to find some real mean deals are the Prathunam Market and Indira Square near the Platinum Mall, the Chatuchak weekend market and MBK. I found the first two options a lot cheaper than MBK but MBK scores with the connectivity factor as it is well connected via the BTS. A general rule of thumb with bargain shopping is to start bargaining at a fourth of what the vendor tells you. And you won’t believe this but a smile and a happy disposition can really bring down the rates pretty drastically. Try it to believe it! J



Thai massages
Anyone’s who’s going to Thai has to go for the world famous(or notorious - wink, wink..;) ) Thai massages – I felt the massages in Bangkok were a lot wilder than the ones in Pattaya (wink, wink..:)). The most popular ones are the foot massage, the oil massage and the Thai massage. The Thai massage is pretty brutal with the masseuse literally pinching you all over to rejuvenate your blood flow; the foot massage is the best bet and I’m told the oil massage usually ends in a “happys endingz” (wink, wink..;)). Bangkok is teaming with massage parlors all around the place and you’ll invariably end up in one – just be careful not to carry any valuables on you when going for a massage.



What to do in Bangkok - Pattaya
In one word – “shop”! In two words – “like hell”! In three – “till you drop”! Recommended places are MBK, Prathunam Market near Platinum Mall and Chatuchak weekend market (don’t forget loose fittin clothes, lotsa water and sunscreen). Don’t miss the massages, at least go for the foot massage. In Bangkok, a visit to Nana Plaza and Patpong are recommended as they are where “it” all started (wink, wink..;)). A trip to the Alcazar show at Pattaya (Known as Tiffany Show in Bangkok) is a must – you’ll be surprised that all those fabulous women performing, are actually men! The other attraction in Pattaya is the Walking Street. Also a trip down to The World Gems Gallery, considered to be the world’s biggest jewelry store can set you back by a few dollars but richer by a lot of memories – they even have a show depicting the process of jewelry making.



What NOT to do in Thailand
The Thai are very genial and welcoming people and it’s very rare that one gets into arguments with them. However, if in the rare chance that you do, make sure you stop it right then and there, smile and walk back - Do not pick up arguments with the locals! The Thai laws are very biased to their own and are extremely severe even for petty offences. Nothing can be more terrible than ending up in jail in foreign lands. Also, do NOT make fun of the king or the royal family as it is viewed as a very serious offence – there was this story of a German who stamped on a fallen coin to prevent it from rolling away and few locals jumped on him angrily as coins bears pics of the King. Another interesting thing is that we Indians are being viewed in Thai as “very stingy people” ( J ) and what they think about us is what they think about our country- so make sure you tip well and act civil. J


Have fun peoples and don’t be too naughty… (wink, wink..;)).


J

38 comments:

  1. With all that winking, got cramps in my eyelids! :)

    For me, the beauty of Bangkok is in hundreds of small temples, roadside places! I agree completely with the final suggestions! :)

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    1. Hahaha... welcum to my blog, Deepakji :)

      I agree .. the temples r quite out of this world n the serenity n the silence is truly magical.. kinda takes u outta this wrold kinda experience.. :)

      Thanks fr droppin by Deepakji.. do drop by more often :)

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  2. It seems that you had LOT of fun (wink....wink ;) ;)
    Seems you experienced all kinds of massages (wink...wink ;) ;)
    Jokes apart, thanks for the to do list. Very helpful...I must say.
    ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

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    1. Yes.. (wink....wink ;) .. :D

      Nice to see u here CD!! Hope all is well on ur side :)

      Glad u liked it CD.. n bout the massages, well .. (wink....wink ;)... :D

      Glad u dropped by, CD!! :)

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  3. hmm I always want to go to thailand the problem for me is that when i check the costs , its more then coming ot india , Si always end up choosing to come to india ..

    I have heard stories from friends who have visited and am rearing to go .. :)

    and a lot of wink wink to do toooo :)

    Bikram's

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    1. Hey bro... ya I understand, frm UK, it'll be quite a long flight.. n yup the costs wud also increase substantially :)

      But trust me Biks, its an awesum place :)

      yup, (wink....wink ;) all the way too... :)

      thnx fr droppin by bro.. :)

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  4. i LOVE thailand. it's the nearest great escapade for me here. the people are sweet and they have a first-world mentality when it comes to hygiene. u go anywhere in thailand, especially where there's mainly the local people, the toilets are super-clean.
    if you have a chance next time, get a good tour guide (unless of course, you speak good Thai) and venture out into the outskirts where you see less of tourists.

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    1. Hey Jaya, feels like its been soooo... long since I last chatted wid u here ... me was away :)

      Oh yes, I totally second ur thoughts - love the people - very kind, polite n helpful - God bless them! N yup, hygiene is mostly an obsession fr them.. :)

      Aah, I'll be considerin ur suggestion next time - I am lookin fr new avenues to explore in Thailand.. its becomin a yearly ritual fr me now :)

      Glad to see u Jaya.. thnx fr droppin by :)

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  5. Been there done it allll!! But when it came to massages, kept it only for my feet :P. Love Pattaya for its walk with the shacks and the pubs and connecting restos! water sports..oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!
    I did shop till I dropped especially after ditching my parents in the hotel. We stayed near the MBK ! and the tempo type ride in Pattaya was so fun!
    The bad part was that the guy dint know proper english. Whtever we said, he just said 'YEEEAAAAASSS!!!'

    I miss the place! Its on my list, but next time only with frnds. Stictly!!

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    1. AAh Red, u said it - "strictly with friends!! ".. thts the way to go I guess, in my opinion :)

      Wow, looks like u had a lotta fun der... nice yaar.. for me there's this other guilty pleasure I always indulge in - I'm a sucker for cheeseburgers n every time I'm der, I always go for the Burger King's Triple Whopper Cheeseburger.. usually thats my lunch, snack n dinner :).. tha'ts another lil thing I usually look forward to every year :)

      Ya I know the lack of English thingie but usually I get going with my brilliant skills of sign language, shadow boxing and multiple push ups :D

      Glad to see u here Red.. always a pleasure to see u here :)

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  6. Oh n btw I hope u attained Moksha and salvation :D

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  7. After all that winking u gave. I too am interested now.(wink, wink :))

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    1. Hey Kanthu, welcum to my blog!!!

      Hahaha, u should be, man ..wink, wink.... ;) But seriously, its a great place to be at - lovely people, lovely experience n ya, wink, wink.... ;)

      Do drop by more often, yaar.. nice to see u here :)

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  8. Had you your share of 'wink-wink's there? "wink-wink" O_o

    Nicely written article, m planning to have a visit soon esp for the sak-yant tattoo...let's see when it happens :)

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    1. Well,.. (wink, wink..;))…..:)

      Hey Punit, glad u dropped by yaar.. thanks a lot for ur kind words man.. I'm sure it'll be a great idea.. all the best man.. Godspeed!

      Do drop by more often, dost.. thnx fr droppin by :)

      Delete
  9. whaaaat! you dint visit Phuket ... that is a Must-Visit ... much better than Pattaya ...

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    1. Hey Sakshi, welcum to ma blog!!

      Aah, nice observation there Sakshi - actually I did go to Phuket earlier n I agree that the beach is simply remarkable there - but I lost a whole day just waiting at the airport as we needed to take a domestic flight to n back from Phuket - so lost a whole day just at the airport - also domestic flights had lesser baggage allowance so we had trouble carrying the stuff that we had bought from Bangkok - so I kinda find Pattaya a lot more hassle-free.. but I definitely agree with u tht the beach n the tourist attractions r remarkable :)

      Thnx fr droppin by, Sakshi.. do drop by more often :)

      Delete
  10. Nice post! but suddenly had an overdose of wink wink phrase! Just use the word no :) Staying so close to TH, its a pity I havent been there yet. Phuket, dint do?

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    1. Hey Archana, welcum to my blog!!!

      Aaah, but dont u think this is so much more fun...(wink, wink..;))…..:)? Wow, u live rite near Thai? Now I'm jealous.. :).. Nah, me went to Phuket in an earlier trip but spent a whole day in the airport as u need to take another domestic flight to get to Phuket.. much as Phuket is a great place bt me feels losing a whole day off ur vacation isn't really worth it :)

      Do drop by more often Archana .. glad to hv u aboard :)

      Delete
  11. well wen i went ... we went like this phuket ~ pattaya ~ bangkok ~ bangalore

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    1. Aaah Sakshi, me think that makes perfect sense then.. I earlier went to BKK and then to Phuket n then back to BKK.. my planning was probably not as good as urs.. :)

      Delete
  12. that was winkathon dude,anyway nice writeup...but u still havent told me when ur coming to singapore

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    1. Dude!!! Dark Knight!! Wow, never knew u kept a blog, bro!! :) Sooperb man!! :)

      Yap..(wink, wink..;))…..:) .. thnx man.. I'm just figuring out my financial side man.. expectin to hit Singapore later this year.. be worried!! :)

      Thnx fr droppin by man.. hugs to Aryan! :)

      Delete
  13. Interesting read!! So... we're all set to get a party for the new XUV :))

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    1. Hey Pallavie, nice to see u here, yaar :)

      Thnx fr ur kind words.. feelin a sense of accomplishment, esp when its coming from u.. :)

      Hahaha, judging by my previous experiences, most contests don't come my way due to the blogname..(wink, wink..;))…..:) .. but treats fr u soon..:)

      thnx fr droppin by Pallavie :)

      Delete
  14. u will make me end up in bangkok.... will discuss the wink wink wen u come down to kerala.... ;)Shemeer

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    1. Dude, I will tell u just to make u jealous but I'll also tell babiji to keep an eye on u!! :D

      Delete
  15. interesting read...tempting to visit thai asap...

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    1. Welcome to my blog, Hari!!! Glad to see u here :)

      Aah.. nice to know that this post has inspired a few ppl to drop by the Thai - land.. maybe I shud ask for royalty :D but seriously, its a great place.. u shud hv a dekko soon.. :)

      thnx fr droppin by Hari.. Do drop by more often...:)

      Delete
  16. I've nt been ther yet and I think, this post is more thn enough for me to call up my agent and get my package ready ths yr. I think I'll ask him to read this post before he plans my trip. Well for the massages,(wink...wink).

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hahaha.. ya, think u shud :D

      Hey LeoPaw, looong time, eh?? Hope all is well man wid u :)

      Aaah, think u shud hit der soon :)

      Delete
  17. Wonderful travelogue, Raj. Keep it up :)

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    1. Hey Pratichar, welcum to my blog!!! Thnx so much for ur kind words.. do drop by more often :)

      Delete
  18. no winks, The clouds that make great sounds, do not befall rain.
    enjoyed the trip, with you. That is via your post.

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    1. Hi Pramodji, glad tht dropped by n fr ur very kind words :)

      I rememeber readin ur post bout ur trip to thailand too.. am sure u must've had a great time too, Pramodji :)

      Delete
  19. Hi!!! Awesome and a pretty humorous travelogue. Just wanted to know about the food scene in Thailand... like, what to try, where to find it, prices, etc...

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  20. Hey Savio, welcome to my blog my friend :)

    Dude, try writing in to me at 'warwinrules@gmail.com' and let's connect directly and let's see if I can help u in any way.. I'm a big fan of American food which is extremely easy to find there.. since I usually travel alone, I don't experiment too much with Thai food.. the prices r very reasonable.. also, I start my day at 11 in the morn with the breakfast buffet, which is on the house at the hotel I stayed n then I'd hit any of the many restaurants on the way..in Pattaya, they've got eating joints every 2 minutes n in Bangkok, u might need to hit the many malls which are filled with food options.. let's connect on email and hopefully I can share more info.

    I guess 300-350 B can get a really filling meal; and more.. mostly the prices wud be displayed outside unless its a real classy, classy place :)

    Do drop by more often Savio :)

    ReplyDelete