Thailands Gateway

Advantages: Clear direction signs, unique sight of a golf course in the middle of the runways
Disadvantages: Long walks, uncomfortable seats

...The first sight people sometimes get when landing at Don Muang airport – code BKK - is the strange sight of people playing golf in between the runways. This is just the first of many quirks you will either love or hate about Thailand and Bangkok. The golf course is actually owned by the Air Force which shares the airport. Depending on your taxi route to / from the runway you will see the military planes and hangers. The airport is actually due to be replaced by a new airport - Suvarnabhumi - being built to the north east of Bangkok which is due to open in 2004. Well, the Prime Minister said it would, so it must be true! Transport The airport itself is about 25km north from the “centre” of Bangkok. It is easily reached by car, bus or train. There is no link to the BTS Skytrain but the new one supposedly...

ultras67 03.07.2003 (04.07.2003) · Read review
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Review of Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)

Amazing Thailand

Advantages: Has it all.
Disadvantages: Be aware of scams.

...was younger, getting separated from my parents in a large supermarket. To my relief I recognised a bar that was nearby and the colour of the road surface on which I was staying. This happens a lot to tourists especially in Bangkok where every street corner can look the same. Half the fun though can be getting lost, as it's the best way to find places you may have never even thought about before. I would recommend asking for a business card (in Thai and English) from the hotel reception before leaving. So if you do get lost you can simply grab a taxi. Taking a map will only be of use to yourself as most Thai's will not be able to read English. The only down side is that there are many scams and tricks in Thailand. Going there is a bit like being a child again. It's a whole new world to learn and experience. It's also...

Scott 03.01.2001 (03.07.2001) · Read review
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Review of Thailand - Outside Bangkok

Bangkok on Sea or Family Friendly Fun?

Advantages: Offers something for everyone, cheap
Disadvantages: Not easy on the eye, choose where you stay based on the kind of holiday you want

...I am sure, up until the day he died, my husband wondered how he managed to convince me that Pattaya would be a great destination for a family holiday. However, he did manage it and more to the point, our visit was a memorable one. Whilst I cannot say I have any desire to ever go back, I am glad I have seen one of Thailand?s main beach resorts which is the antithesis to more traditional destinations such as Koh Samui or Hua Hin. Pattaya is often known as ?Bangkok on Sea?, and the town itself is situated just over 100 miles from Bangkok, or about a 90 minute drive away. We arrived in Bangkok and as ever, spent the first night there attempting to sleep off our jetlag. Next morning found us at the Ekamai bus station purchasing tickets from a woman who was most reluctant to give my husband his change. We had decided to travel from...

rosebud2001 10.07.2009 (13.07.2009) · Read review
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Review of Pattaya (Bangkok)

Bangkok - Chiang Mai Sleeper Train

Advantages: lets you have a decent sleep
Disadvantages: takes a long time, can be noisy,

...travelled from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on the express sleeper train June 2000. I have just taken that journey again November 2002 and have added additional information to the review. The train system in Thailand is simple. There is the Regular train which stops at everywhere, the Rapid which stops at most stops and the Express which stops only at major stations. The Regular train carries no surcharge but the Rapid and Express do, speed costs - even slow speed! For time keeping, the train normally does leave on time but then like all train services it is in the lap of the gods if it delayed or not. The journey takes 12 hours in total.( the rapid takes 15 hrs ) I was travelling overnight on the sleeper train in 2nd class. There are different departure times for the sleeper - 5pm or 6pm - as I had never travelled that way...

ultras67 03.08.2000 (10.01.2003) · Read review
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Review of Thailand - Travelling from Bangkok to...

There is more to Thailand than beaches and Bangkok

Advantages: great base for exploring from; great value
Disadvantages: can get busy in season

...I am lucky enough to have visited Chiang Mai a number of times and always found it to be a city that is well worth a visit. It is only a short (cheap) flight from Bangkok and, whilst it is still a city it is only a fraction of the size of the capital. The benefit of that is that it offers a different type of experience from the more commonly seen parts of Thailand, namely the beaches. There are a few sights to see in the city but the main attraction is the impressive Doi Suthep temple on the mountain overlooking the city. You can easily get a taxi there or go on an organised tour through any number of operators who will collect you from your hotel. Often those tours will return via a never-ending series of handicraft shops which is ok once but a nightmare if you have seen it all before. Trouble is you can't say that you don't want...

megget 24.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of Chiang Mai (Thailand)

Working in an orphanage in Buriram

Advantages: Amazing people, lovely kids, making a difference
Disadvantages: Sad state of affairs, heart-breaking to leave

...-:::PLANNING OUR TRIP:::- Around April 2003, myself and my best friend Nathan decided that we hated our jobs and were both going to look for new ones. Then we had the great idea of working in our horrid jobs until the summer, saving as much money as we could and then going travelling for a while. While researching places that we thought we'd like to see, we came across this website: http://www.tree-of-life-orphanage-thailand.com/ it was a Christian run orphanage North East of Bangkok. We exchanged several emails with the director of the orphanage, Roger (American) and his wife Pong (Thai), and arranged to stay at the orphanage for a couple of weeks and then visit the rest of Thailand. -:::BANGKOK TO BURIRAM:::- It is important to note that although the town is called Buriram, the Thai people cannot pronounce the letter R, so when...

hebawom 27.06.2005 · Read review
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Review of Thailand - Outside Bangkok

The Wild Side Of Bangkok

Advantages: Cheap entrance, lots to see and do, very scenic
Disadvantages: None

...Myself and my boyfriend visited Bangkok Zoo in October 2007. Getting there Bangkok Zoo is easily accessible by public transport. There are bus routes that run directly there or you can get a tuk tuk which is the option we chose. We paid £4 for a return journey to the zoo from our hotel. Admission Prices We paid £3.50 each for admission to the zoo which we thought was very reasonable as the zoo is quite large. Bangkok Zoo Bangkok Zoo covers 35.2 acres of land and 12 acres of water. It holds nearly 300 mammals, over a thousand birds and nearly 300 reptiles. We found the zoo to be spacious and relaxing. There is a large lake in the middle of the zoo, and several picnic areas dotted around. Sections of the zoo are joined by bridges which lead you over the lake. The zoo is split up into sections such as the African Savanah...

daylehall 07.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of Bangkok Zoo

A GLIMPSE AT BANGKOK

Advantages: a totally different culture
Disadvantages: can be too hot

...BANGKOK INTRODUCTION I decided to visit Bangkok following recommendations from friends and family. However, as you can imagine, not everyone agreed that it was a safe place to go, particularly as I went with another female. Many family members thought that this was a bad idea and that two females alone in Thailand, particularly Bangkok would be preyed upon by the locals. However, they couldn't have been more wrong. I visited Bangkok for 10 days and it was one of the best 10 days of my life. The culture is so completely different from the UK that even if you don't necessarily enjoy your trip it will be an unforgettable experience. I have broken my review down sections so that if you don't have time to read all of it you can just pick up on the parts you are interested in. If there is anything I have forgotten that you want to know...

NATI 12.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of General: Bangkok

Tips for Bangkok Airport

Advantages: Size
Disadvantages: Language

...Bangkok (Don Muang) airport is 23km outside of Bangkok, although the city itself is so sprawling these days that you will see no gaps or countryside. It is connected via a tollway to the city. It is actually a quick and efficient airport although not one where you would wish to spend too many hours in a stopover. If you have three or more hours you can get a taxi into BKK - see below - and find food, rest and T-shirts a plenty! English travellers will have no problems there; although Thai is a non-English script language English signs predominate and most people speak some English. Check-in facilities are quite good - they have a strange system where they scan your hold luggage on entry to the terminal and then seal it with a banding machine - and there are fewer queues in the International Terminal than most equivalents. Once...

APerfectGentleman 23.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)

A Load of Old Bangkok

Advantages: I suppose it's reasonably short.
Disadvantages: Appalling direction, dreadful acting, derivative writing and dodgy stuntwork

...Joe is a hitman who travels to Bangkok to kill four enemies of a crime boss called Surat. He hires a young conman and pickpocket named King to run errands for him, intending to kill him once the job is over. But Joe finds himself teaching the younger man whilst beginning a tentative romance with a local deaf shop assistant. As he opens his eyes to the beauty of Thailand, Joe starts to question his career and let down his guard. But Surat has decided to clean house? I should have known - the rule of thumb with Nicolas Cage films is the worse the wig, the more awful the movie. And that certainly holds true for this doomed project; especially when you take into account that this is an American remake of a previously successful film from South-East Asia. It should sidestep some of the usual pitfalls because it is helmed by the original...

afy9mab 07.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Bangkok Dangerous (DVD)