Better late than never, so here is a concise blog about my recent holiday to Thailand, I wouldn’t want to bore you with minor details. Needless to say I was a good boy and went for the culture and the people in the 'land of smiles'. (and if there was no blog soon my friend Mel would never live it down)
First off was a 3 day stay in Bangkok, though I’ve been to Thailand several times now Bangkok was something I just skirted on the way to and from the airport, I would marvel at how big it seemed and this time I got chance to see it up close. Bangkok is truly massive, a sheer metropolis and the easily the most congested place I’ve ever been, it even beats Hong Kong. It’s a fascinating place though, brimming with life and colour, thousands of places to shop and excellent night life (wink wink). Whilst there I visited Chatachak weekend market and checked out the multi storey shopping centre heaven that is MBK. I also made the schoolboy error of visiting the grand palace when it was Chinese new year and ended up stuck in a taxi for over an hour, the cost being about £1.20 ! The Hotel where I stayed was called the Zenith and was located right in the city centre on Soi 3 (that’s street 3) and had a lovely swimming pool on the roof which was great for escapism in the centre of the hustle and bustle. The rooms were spacious and clean and the cost very little for such a nice hotel. To conclude, Bangkok was amazing, so busy it made London look like a village, plus the Thai locals are more agreeable than cockneys.
After the short stay in Bangkok we moved down to the coast and the city of Pattaya, known as the sex capital of Asia, which is probably right. I was mildly surprised in Bangkok at the nightlife, especially when I was drinking at a bar and a guy with an elephant marches up but Pattaya is in a league of its own. Initially when I first went to Pattaya I thought it to be quite undiscovered to some degree but now alas the lunatic fringe of bald headed yobs has found it, and in due course spoilt it. I was quite shocked this time to see people selling stun guns and tazers on the street and yobs actually buying them! Saying that, every city and town has its downsides. Pattaya is still a great place, the shopping is good and cheaper than Bangkok most of the time and the atmosphere is still a party one, there’s more bars there than you can imagine. Maybe I like the place just through sheer familiarity but it’s a place I find myself returning to again and again, yes its sleazy at night, yes there’s lots of bars and yes its very lively but I like it, Pattaya for me is a great place to people watch (and I don’t mean the lady boys), it’s a place where people reveal their more base urges – human kind to some respects at it’s most primal.
The holiday was a welcome break, towards the end I wanted longer, there’s lots more to tell really, the travel bag that got stole and returned, the tale of the crooked tailors and the story of Exotica Go-Go bar in Bangkok, where presented with a moral dilemma I actually avoided temptation!
First off was a 3 day stay in Bangkok, though I’ve been to Thailand several times now Bangkok was something I just skirted on the way to and from the airport, I would marvel at how big it seemed and this time I got chance to see it up close. Bangkok is truly massive, a sheer metropolis and the easily the most congested place I’ve ever been, it even beats Hong Kong. It’s a fascinating place though, brimming with life and colour, thousands of places to shop and excellent night life (wink wink). Whilst there I visited Chatachak weekend market and checked out the multi storey shopping centre heaven that is MBK. I also made the schoolboy error of visiting the grand palace when it was Chinese new year and ended up stuck in a taxi for over an hour, the cost being about £1.20 ! The Hotel where I stayed was called the Zenith and was located right in the city centre on Soi 3 (that’s street 3) and had a lovely swimming pool on the roof which was great for escapism in the centre of the hustle and bustle. The rooms were spacious and clean and the cost very little for such a nice hotel. To conclude, Bangkok was amazing, so busy it made London look like a village, plus the Thai locals are more agreeable than cockneys.
After the short stay in Bangkok we moved down to the coast and the city of Pattaya, known as the sex capital of Asia, which is probably right. I was mildly surprised in Bangkok at the nightlife, especially when I was drinking at a bar and a guy with an elephant marches up but Pattaya is in a league of its own. Initially when I first went to Pattaya I thought it to be quite undiscovered to some degree but now alas the lunatic fringe of bald headed yobs has found it, and in due course spoilt it. I was quite shocked this time to see people selling stun guns and tazers on the street and yobs actually buying them! Saying that, every city and town has its downsides. Pattaya is still a great place, the shopping is good and cheaper than Bangkok most of the time and the atmosphere is still a party one, there’s more bars there than you can imagine. Maybe I like the place just through sheer familiarity but it’s a place I find myself returning to again and again, yes its sleazy at night, yes there’s lots of bars and yes its very lively but I like it, Pattaya for me is a great place to people watch (and I don’t mean the lady boys), it’s a place where people reveal their more base urges – human kind to some respects at it’s most primal.
The holiday was a welcome break, towards the end I wanted longer, there’s lots more to tell really, the travel bag that got stole and returned, the tale of the crooked tailors and the story of Exotica Go-Go bar in Bangkok, where presented with a moral dilemma I actually avoided temptation!
Photo's from top to bottom; Banglok Soi 3 from the roof of my hotel, Nong Nooch park, Buddha on the mountain - Chonburi province, Walking street-Pattaya, Pattaya beach
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