Thailand (Bangkok and Pattaya)

if you are into trannies which it appears you are, you will do well in pattaya.

Since im not into trannies i cant recommend on Pattaya, cept try to get a reliable taxi driver, or you will end up waiting another hour for him to show up or pay triple the negotiated price. Btw always tell them to use the taxi meter or negotiate the price upfront. (BKK city should be around 3 bucks, from and to airport around 10 bucks).
You can get around the city cheap and easily by skytrain or boat as well (part of Bangkok Transportation System, BTS).
Since you are guide toured for most of your time in BKK i'll recommend on the food front: Thai / Asian couisine in general i recommend the 7th(?) floor in MBK shopping center (Paragon/Siam Square, Siam Skytrain Station).
Also the prolly worlds best Bejing roast duck menu is to be had in the China House restaurant adjactent to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This is best adress in town so call for a reservation and bring a dress/jacket/suit with you just for this evening. Dinner for 2 should be around 70 bucks, which is considered hellish expensive but kinda worth it.
Hotel has its own boat dock/pier should you want to go by boat and you could also grab a sundowner there and enjoy the vista just before or after you enjoyed your duck.

Go watch some Muay Thai ! Ratchadamnoen and the new Lumpinee alternate fights every other night (starts around 6:30pm, about 10 fights, the good ones start around 8pm, lasts till 10:30/11. Both have good fights, Ratchadamnoen is in the center, is a bit old and dirty, but that adds to the spirit. Lumpinee is brand new, very clean, great lighting (if you care about photography), but is damn far now (old Lumpinee stadium used to be much closer to the center). 1st class seats are shit and not worth the money (ringside). The stadiums are not that huge, so take 2nd class, you'll have a much better view (being higher)
Expect at least a 45mins taxi ride to get to Lumpinee in the evening (unless you are sucidal and get a mototaxi, you'll either be there in 20 minutes, or dead). btw try the mototaxi for short trips. it's very addictive/fun/cheap but I'd advise against it for long trips.

Also, this can be a good opportunity to get tailored suits/shirts. Check tripadvisor, the first few listed are pretty safe (I am using Rajawongse (Jesse&Victor) and I have to say their shirts and suits are just excellent). They are a bit more expensive than the others (still much cheaper that what you'd pay in Europe or in the US) but the quality/durability it top notch. Think something like 1500bhat for a shirt, and something like 15000 for a suit, 18000 for 3pcs suit, along those lines. If you do that, make sure you have enough time (expect at least 3 fittings + another day for pickup).

Try a real Thai massage (not talking about the kind with a happy ending). If you go visit Wat Pho, there is a massage school there. You can find better, but it's cheap and you can get a good idea of what it's all about (Watpo Thai Traditional Massage School). Take at least an hour. It is very energizing.

Wait they build a new lumpinee stadium? Bah fuck them the old was perfect, does the new one have a park and night market as well?

It's been so long, use to go biyearly until college.

It should still be around, but there is a night hawker street off of Thong Lo(should be able to see it from the Station.) It was originally the home of a TV famous Wok chef, whom basically showboats his cooking, and is pretty dope pad thai and fried rice. I swear he looks like an Thai Keith Richards. I don't know if I could say the food was amazing, as I pretty much lived in Thong Lo and routinely went by there to get food after a long day. I just remember not being able to find a meal late night, and that was my go to. Aside from Night Bazaars and such.

If you ever wanna try shopping, and what not. Ratchayothin Night Market is pretty legit, I was taken there to get a Mango som tam, basically replace papaya with mango. Was good as fuck, but good luck finding that I wouldn't be able to tell you what vendor sold it but the place is cool. Ratchada Night Bazaar has a lot of vintage stuff, I was taken out there w/ my dad to see a bunch of classic motorcycles and some vespas.

There is also Chatuchak Weekend Market, gets pretty crazy during the weekend, Aloooooooot of shit. But again, I don't know if you're really looking into shopping haha, as about 60% of the things you see is about at every mini-shoplet. But all bazaars have their gems, depending on what you look for.

Other place I lived, was in Samut Prakan which is ok, was a pretty homely town. Not sure at what potential you'd have to explore; it did have one place had best damn crispy pork i've ever had. It's has more fishmarkets than anything really, and also home of the Reclining Buddha. I can't think of a whole lot to do there, mostly did school there, but when I lived near the Watt there was a really old style, maybe 1920's opium den to coffee/tea place? ran by old Chinese people playing majong like you would see old people playing chess. There is also the Alligator farm and The Ancient City which is abunch of rebuilt, and preserved building from around Thailand, last time I went a lot of it was still under construction but at this point what 5, 6? years it should be finished.

I spent most of my time mindlessly wondering, riding my bike, and being dragged around family so naming places is all time lowshit tier. But the motorcycle taxi's are legit, that was my mainmode of transpo as taxi's are expensive in comparison. They're also pretty cool guys, just hangin out.

And if you didn't already know Pat Pong and Cowboy, the ping pong show is at Pat Pong. I only went because every lady hounds the shit out of young men and its funny because all they get is old customers, or atleast what I told myself. Always feels like that scene in Full Metal, though its probably just normal for everyone, I just convinced myself I was getting special treatment at 16.

Dyvim_sl said:

Wait they build a new lumpinee stadium? Bah fuck them the old was perfect, does the new one have a park and night market as well?

Click to expand...

nope, it's in the middle of fucking nowhere, about 30km from the center, right next to the highway (Ram Inthra Road) >_< Well the old one was falling to pieces a bit.

ooh and good advice from gauze ! Chatuchak Weekend Market is a lot of fun, go there if you have a chance.

pics of new lumpinee

Pattaya isn't Thailand. Bangkok is Thailand sometimes. But when you're going to Pattaya, Bangkok isn't Thailand either.

Enjoy the hookers though