Traveling in Thailand

Bangkok on $20 a day? It can be done.

The last post on this topic generated a lot of traffic and since I’d taken the lazy way out and sent you over to Greg’s blog before, I wanted to address it in a little more detail.

Like Greg said, Bangkok can be cheap, but it’s not that cheap. Sorry folks, the days of $2/night guest houses have been over for decades. Head to Bangladesh for that (seriously).

Today 34B = $1.00, 47B = 1 Euro, 55B = 1 GBP

But let’s say you are on a really tight budget, and want to know how cheaply you can visit Bangkok and still enjoy seeing the city. read more »

I’m on vacation so sending you over to Greg’s blog for a great post on how expensive Bangkok really is to live or visit.

Just a little tidbit to get you to click over, and no offense meant if you are a bearded hippy :

…if you spend time on Khao San Road, you’ll likely run into some bearded hippies who chastise you for spending more than $5 a day on a place to sleep, but less than $40 on some good weed.

My friend Greg just posted some really cool photos of Bangkok today versus in 1970. Click on over to his blog, Greg to Differ, to have a look and read his entertaining post.

Many people who haven’t visited Bangkok assume it isn’t very developed, including my dad, who until last year was convinced there were no highways and elephants roamed the streets. The last time he visited, in the 1980s, it was like that, but a lot has changed in the past twenty years. There are still plenty of pockets where the city is probably just like it was decades ago, but overall it is a very modern city and it’s this very natural, organic combination of old and new is one of the many reasons to love Thailand’s capital city.

Sorry for absence! I spent the last week in India, tagging along on one of J’s business trips. I hope to post a little about Delhi and Mumbai soon, since both cities are just a few hours from Bangkok and are potentially fantastic side trips (did you know how much of an impact Hinduism has had on Thai culture?), but for now I want to talk about another bargain opportunity in here in Bangkok…

Custom cushions, not the coolest thing you can buy here, but one of the best bargains!

Thailand is a great place to get clothing made (if you go to the right tailor), but few visitors realize that you can also get custom home furnishings made here, too.  This might not appeal to everyone, but if you’re in the market for bedding, pillow cases, furniture covers, drapery, etc., you can save a bundle. It’s also easy to do if you know what you need before you arrive: read more »

Cathay Pacific is offering a great deal to Bangkok. Fly between September and November for just $810 RT from LAX or $1060 from NY (including all taxes and other charges). If you’re flying to Singapore, it’s about $1 cheaper, but why fly there when you can come to Thailand? Seriously though, this is one of the cheapest prices available right now, and Cathay is a great airline with convenient connections.