Thailand - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Khao San Road Survival Guide: How to Lose Your Dignity and Find Cheap Booze Khao San Road isn’t really a road. It’s a rite of passage. Backpackers call it “home,” locals call it “a zoo,” and every tuk-tuk driver within a 5 km radius calls it “profit.” Whether you’re here for one night or get stuck for three months “finding yourself,” here’s how to survive Bangkok’s most infamous street. 1. The Backpacker Welcome Ritual The second you arrive, you’ll see: - Someone with dreadlocks playing guitar badly - Someone else selling scorpion-on-a-stick - A tuk-tuk driver offering a “special price” tour to see ping pong shows  And three people who came for one night 15 years ago and never left. Congratulations. You’re officially in Khao San. 2. The Dress Code: None Shirts? Optional. Flip-flops? Mandatory. Pants? Debatable. The uniform is basically elephant-print harem pants, a Chang Beer singlet, and a sunburn that could guide ships to shore. 3. The Buckets of Doom Beer flows freely and is ava...

Yaowarat Survival Guide: How to Eat Like a Local Without Dying Like a Tourist Bangkok’s Chinatown, better known as Yaowarat, is not just a street but rather a gladiator arena for your stomach and your camera. Here’s how to survive the chaos, eat like a pro, and maybe even see something other than the inside of your noodle bowl. 1. Rule of the Sidewalk: There Is No Sidewalk Forget what you know about sidewalks. In Yaowarat, they are: - Half street-food kitchen, - Half dining room, - Half motorbike racetrack. Yes, that’s three halves. Don’t argue with the math; just try not to spill your noodle soup while dodging a scooter. 2. The Plastic Stool Olympics If you’re lucky, you’ll get a tiny plastic stool and table. If you’re unlucky, you’ll eat standing up, balancing a soup bowl like a contestant on Fear Factor. Either way, crouch low, stay humble, and accept that the stool may collapse under you at any second. 3. Don’t Trust the Queue, Trust the Chaos Some stalls have long lines of tourist...

Why Some People Might Not Like Bangkok (And Why That’s Perfectly Fine) Ah, Bangkok. The city that never sleeps, except when it’s literally too hot to function. For many, it’s a dream destination with its bustling markets, stunning temples, and delicious street food. For others? Well, let’s just say their fondest memory of Bangkok is finding a shady spot to recover from heatstroke. So, why might some people not like Bangkok? Let’s break it down, and investigate. 1. The Heat That Could Grill a Chicken Midair Let’s start with the obvious: the heat. Bangkok is like stepping into a sauna with no escape,  except that the sauna is always set to "Inferno." You’ll get out of the air-conditioned comfort of your hotel, and BAM! You’ve entered an oven. At first, it’s cute. Then it’s oppressive. By noon, you’re sweating in places you didn’t know you could sweat. No amount of deodorant or optimism can save you. Welcome to the Bangkok heat, where dashing from one 7-Eleven to the next is a c...

Chatuchak Weekend Market: Bangkok's Retail Labyrinth Welcome to the retail mothership. Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market (or JJ Market as locals call it) isn't just a market but a 35-acre commercial universe that makes Western shopping malls and markets look like corner convenience stores. This is Thailand's great equalizer, where affluent socialites rub shoulders with backpackers, and interior designers hunt for treasures alongside souvenir-seeking tourists. Getting There Thankfully, Bangkok's efficient public transportation makes reaching this retail mecca surprisingly straightforward. The easiest option is taking the BTS Skytrain to Mo Chit station (N8 on the Sukhumvit Line) or the MRT subway to Chatuchak Park station (on the Blue Line). Both stations connect directly to the market via short walkways that are well-signposted; just follow the stream of people carrying empty bags on their way in and bulging bags on their way out. Taxis and ride-sharing services ca...

Siam Square: The Hilariously Misnamed "Square" Let's talk about Siam Square, Bangkok's famous shopping district that is neither a square nor particularly Siamese in the traditional sense. It's like calling Times Square a square or Piccadilly Circus a circus, a complete misnomer that everyone just rolled with. When you hear "Siam Square," you might imagine a charming open plaza with a fountain in the middle, perhaps some old-world charm, maybe even a few elders playing chess. Nope! What you get instead is a labyrinthine maze of narrow streets, alleys, and corridors packed with shops, cafes, and enough teenagers to make you question if school is optional in Thailand. What Actually Is Siam Square? Siam Square is essentially several blocks of retail chaos sandwiched between big malls and universities. It's where Bangkok's youth come to spend money they don't have on clothes they don't need to impress people they might not even like. It's ...

Bangkok’s Rooftop Bars: Because Drinking on the Ground is for Peasants So, you’ve decided to visit Bangkok, land of spicy food, chaotic traffic, and enough humidity to make you question your life choices. Naturally, you want to escape the sweaty masses and ascend to the heavens, where the air is (slightly) cooler, the drinks are overpriced, and the Instagram opportunities are endless. Welcome to Bangkok’s rooftop bars, where the views are stunning, the cocktails cost as much as your hotel room, and the dress code is "pretend you’re fancy." Here’s your dubious guide to the best sky-high sipping spots in the city.   1. Sky Bar at Lebua (The Hangover Bar) Where: State Tower (you know, that tall one from The Hangover 2 )   Price: Selling a kidney might help. Cocktails start at ฿800 (yes, for one drink).   Drinks: The "Hangovertini" is a thing. It’s expensive, but hey, at least you can re-enact the movie scene where Bradley Cooper looks confused.   F...

Where to Stay in Bangkok: A Guide for the Confused, the Curious & the Chronically Lost Bangkok is big. Bangkok is busy. Bangkok is also a little chaotic, a lot charming, and very sweaty. But choosing where to stay? That’s where things get really spicy. Each neighborhood has its own personality, from “I came to find myself” to “I came to find cocktails.” Here's your guide to the most popular areas and what kind of traveler they’re secretly judging you to be. 1. Khao San Road & Banglamphu For : Backpackers, budget-lovers, party people, and banana pancake philosophers Ah, Khao San Road, land of $5 hostels, tattoo regrets, and 24/7 pad Thai . It's loud, it's fun, it's a little grimy, and it smells like beer and dreams. Pros : Cheap accommodation and street food Bars, live music, and buckets of mystery alcohol Walking distance to the Grand Palace and temples Easy to meet new people and have fun  Cons : Sleep? What sleep? Can feel like a chaotic gap-year festival Qu...

Bangkok: A Funny & Chaotic Love Affair That Ruins Your Sweat Glands Forever Let's be honest, Bangkok is a city that will lovingly assault all your senses simultaneously, leave you dripping in sweat you didn't know your body could produce, and somehow still have you planning your return visit before you've even left. This magnificent mess of a metropolis is everything all at once: chaotic yet spiritual, ancient yet futuristic, refined yet wonderfully sleazy. Many people love the Big Mango, but some hate it. The food may be delicious, the temples gorgeous, the shopping divine and the people lovely, but to be fair it's not all roses. The enormous crowds, the unbearable heat, the suffocating air pollution and the incessant noise may get to you. Anyway, you'll have to figure out your love-hate relationship yourselves. How Long To Stay? Four days is the sweet spot for Bangkok: enough time to see the highlights without developing the thousand-yard stare that comes fr...