Bangkok for a couple of days..?

I lived in Bangkok for three years and Phuket for one and have seen all the scams. It's not any better for westerners who live there because any time you go to a "touristy" area, you get hounded. I second your advice on reading up before you go. Thanks for posting that. PS The Grand Palace is one spot that I always wanted to go to but avoided because of the aggressive touts. It's a shame really because the palace and its temple are stunning, according to Thai friends of mine. <em>edited by natalie8 on 12/01/2011</em>

Regarding scams, here are a couple of links http://www.bangkokscams.com/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8154497.stm We fell for the " attraction" closed for the day scam. With due respect, we had arrived when the King's sister had just died and there was a period of mourning going on. .We were surrounded by Thais in black and assumed the info from the "tout" was true. Got into a tuk tuk and got shown around some really pushy shops. Ultimately we got angry and made a scene and the tuk tuk guy took us where we wanted to go free of charge. We had taken the river boat to the Grand Palace and the landing was just a few minutes walk down, we should have checked.We got there and found out, there was indeed mourning going on but only a small part of the complex was blocked off. The rest was open to tourists. So always check and be careful. The first site I've listed lists all the do's and don'ts and all the signs of scams. The second link is an indication that even government officials are not immune to ripping tourists off. HTH

i second all the places Tkoshy mentioned.... Reclining Budhdha and Chao Phraya river cruise are a must. You could go up the Baiyoke tower too. The revolving roof offers spectacular view of the city.... For naughtier pursuits, you could hit phat pong (sp?) ;-) Loved the night markets there.. And do make it a point to go to the Alcazar show !! And the shopping--- MBK.. Really really cheap stuff there. Don't forget to bargain, though. xx Will miss you CJ.. Come Back soon.. xx

[b'>tkoshy replied : Don't fall prey to scams, of which there are plenty in Bangkok. Please read up before you go, it happens not just in the streets but also in the airport. We fell for one and it ruined a whole day for us.[/b'> What was the scam?

Love the place and excellent value for money. Go to Bed Supper Club - an excellent experience. Also Koi like Fashion Cafe. On Sukhumvit road loads of bargains to be found

Try the Chao Phraya river boat for tourists - use it to get to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), and the Old City (Grand palace and Wat Pho ( Reclining Buddha temple)) and several other sights. Near the Grand Palace is the National Museum. The Saphan Taksin metro station is quite close to your hotel, which is where the river boat starts. http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/chao-phraya-river-tourist-boat.html Jim Thompson's house was the best part of our trip. Absolutely beautiful house and soo peaceful. Great shopping there too. http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/ http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/jim-thompson-house.html Traditional Thai puppet show - Joe Louis Puppet Theater - we went for an evening show and then did dinner and shopping in the Suan Lim night market, that the theater is in the middle of. It was a beautiful show, a great night http://www.thaipuppet.com/core/ If you have shopping, then MBK for cheap shopping, Paragon for more upscale ( Siam Paragon also has an aquarium in the lowest level which is one of the biggest I've seen - they claim to be the biggest in Asia) and Siam Square for the quirky, artsy stuff. Chatuchak is a weekend open air market that is so huge that they have sections for various types of goods. You can, very easily, get lost and can spend a day there. If you don't like hawker food, then the food courts in the malls are your best bet for variety and quality. Nightlife - plenty of British, Irish, Aussie pubs and bars. Lots of clubs and restaurants.Nightlife of the racier variety is in Sukhumvit and Nana. Don't fall prey to scams, of which there are plenty in Bangkok. Please read up before you go, it happens not just in the streets but also in the airport. We fell for one and it ruined a whole day for us. A guide to the sights in the city with respect to the metro stops: http://tinyurl.com/5vvee5s Hope you have a lovely time. <em>edited by tkoshy on 12/01/2011</em>

Lebua is a nice place to stay. Go to the restaurant Scirocco on the roof for dinner, you will have the most spectacular view of the city. Dress code is no flipflops. Jim Thompson's house is worth a visit as are all his stores. Paragon shopping centre is very good.