Thailand: Friendly smiles, great shopping await visitors

By Tom Sugita
Special to The Advertiser

Thailand lauds itselfs as a land of smiles. In my semi-retirement, I have made seven trips to Thailand, and, even with the country's economic downturn, Thai people continue to be friendly, greeting visitors with gracious hospitality and sincere expressions of friendship, traits which have earned Thailand the title of "Land of Smiles."

The Grand Palace, former home of Thai kings, includes more than 40 buildings in varying styles of architecture that date back to the 18th century. The Bangkok attraction is open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Street foods, such as chestnuts roasted right on the spot, crowd many sidewalks and courtyards in Bangkok day and night.

Handlers fearlessly manage some of the 40,000 crocodiles housed at the Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo just outside Bangkok. Photos by Tom Sugita • Special to The Advertiser

• Seasons and packing. Bring casual, lightweight clothing, as the climate is very hot (in the 90s) and humid during the day. The best time to visit Thailand is December and January, when temperatures are coolest. Avoid June to September, when the rainy monsoon season prevails.

• Tours and travel. Many first-time visitors have little idea what they will encounter; a guided tour is a good choice for this reason. Many Hawai'i travel agencies offers great five-, seven- and nine-night tours. I suggest a seven- or nine-night tour; there is so much to see and do.

Another reason to stay longer is that it takes at least 20 hours to get from Honolulu to Bangkok. Depending on the airline, you will have to transfer either in Japan, Taiwan or South Korea, with a layover of as long as six hours. Nearly all flights arrive in Bangkok near midnight, and by the time you clear customs, arrive at your hotel and check in, it may be around 1 to 2 in the morning. Take this into consideration when deciding how many days you plan to spend in Thailand.

• Bangkok. On your first trip, plan to spend most, if not all, of your time in crowded, busy and beautiful Bangkok. A mixture of old and new, it is famous for its Buddhist temples, or wats, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is adjacent to the Grand Palace. These two sights are a must for the first-time visitor.

In the heart of Bangkok is the main thoroughfare, Sukhumvit Road; many hotels are clustered on or near it.

Street vendors dominate the streets and sidewalks of Bangkok. Food vendors are all over the place as Thai people seem to be always eating, from noon to as late as 2 a.m.

If you have time and patience, you can bargain for goods; it's fun and you can get very low prices once you become good at it. Remember that the first sale of the day may be your best deal as the first sale is believed to bring good luck for the remainder of the day.

If you buy an item the first time you see it, you will soon find the same thing on display somewhere else, and possibly at a lower price; prices vary by as much as 50 percent. So, look around and bargain.

• Cash and carry. It is much safer and you get a better exchange rate when you cash your travelers checks in units of $100 U.S. Cashing less than $100 gets you a less desirable rate of exchange. There are many government banks along the streets in tourist areas, so cashing travelers checks is not a problem. The exchange rate has fluctuated over the past few years but now stands at 39.70 baht to the dollar.

• Getting around. Language is not a problem as most Thai speak enough English to give directions.

Getting around, even in the wee hours of morning, feels safe. Thailand has many different types of law enforcement personnel who are visible in tourist areas.

Mini-tours can be arranged with your hotel concierge. Or, in many hotels there are tour company desks.

You can travel to almost any part of Bangkok for about $1.50 by metered taxi. Or, if you are more daring, taking a three-wheeled tuk tuk is one roller-coaster adventure, not to be forgotten.

Three years ago, Bangkok completed a monorail system that runs over the main thoroughfare in the heart of the city; it's called the BTS (Bangkok Transit System). When I rode the Sky Train a month after its grand opening in December 2000, I had little company. Now the train is full to capacity, perhaps because street traffic is so heavy that getting around by taxi and tuk tuk is frustrating. The distance covered by the BTS' two lines is about 15 miles; the cost is 10 to 40 baht.

Bangkok traffic is horrendous. Getting to any destination by any mode of transportation is an experience in itself. Thai drivers take every small opening as an excuse to squeeze in and they drive very rapidly, but they don't seem to get mad or point fingers. In seven trips, I have seen only one minor accident, between a car and a street vendor's cart.

• Accommodations. With more than 30 hotels in the heart of Bangkok, it's easy to find convenient and clean rooms for as low as $25 a night. On two recent trips, I have opted for one of the newest hotels, which is also the tallest building in Bangkok, the 88-story Baiyoke Sky Hotel. Here, for about $56 a night, you can get a junior suite and an all-you-can-eat international breakfast buffet in the 76th-floor restaurant, where the views are spectacular. Even if you don't stay there, make an effort to have a meal there. Another advantage of this hotel is that it's in Pratunam, one of the best shopping areas for clothing and leather goods; on Sundays, the streets are partly closed and thousands of local people come out to shop for clothes.

Another convenient and reasonably priced hotel is the Grand President, in the heart of Bangkok, just a half-block from the monorail. A large one-bedroom suite, including an American and Thai buffet breakfast, costs $60 per day.

I have also toured and eaten in one of the restaurants at the Imperial Queens Park Hotel on Sukhumvit Road, a five-star hotel where the food and service are great; rates are competitive.

• Shopping and sightseeing. Bangkok is a shopper's paradise, especially for Thai silk clothing, and is considered a center for rubies, sapphires and jade, plus other indigenous stones. But when shopping for jewels, exercise caution and buy only from reputable dealers.

To really discover Thailand, take the all-day Chao Phraya River cruise on one of the many modern-day river boats, which offer excellent food and great views. This tour includes a visit to the king's summer home, Bang Pa-In Palace, known for its beauty and appeal to photographers. Also included is a visit to Ayuthaya to see temples dating back some 600 years.

Another must is the world's largest crocodile farm, just outside of Bangkok in the Samut Prakarn Province, with more 40,000 crocodiles. Take in the show, which features handlers sticking their heads and arms inside the crocodiles' mouths and carrying them around like pets. You can also get your picture taken with a full-grown tiger for just $2. Included in the fee is a side show with elephant performances in the 5,000-seat stadium.

Another day should be spent touring Thailand's colorful floating markets.

The Weekend Market is at the end of the Sky Train stop at Mo Chit, and there you can find almost anything. Open only on Saturday and Sunday, this is where the local people do their shopping for food, clothing, crafts and plants. Be prepared for elbow-to-elbow crowds in hot and humid conditions.

Also on the Sky Train, you can take the Silom line to Sala Daeng and walk a block to the famous Jim Thompson House, home of the man who popularized Thai silk throughout the world. You can buy top-quality silk goods here.

Another must is Chinatown. Having gone many times, I find that the best and most exciting day for this market is Sunday. Watches, cameras and electronic goods can be found here, and the area is famous for gold, too. I have yet to see more than half of Bangkok's Chinatown; it is at least four times the size of San Francisco's Chinatown.

New rules allow shoppers to take home $800 worth of goods duty-free.

• Dining out. Everywhere in Thailand food is plentiful and reasonably priced. In Chinatown, the Shangarila Jawaraj restaurant has one of the busiest dim sum businesses, both street side and inside; the variety and taste of the food gets a four-star rating from me. At S & P Chalernkrung restaurant on another trip, we had an all-you-can-eat shabu shabu buffet for about $3.20.

But my favorite place is Cabbages and Condoms, at 10 Sukhumvit Road, a very relaxing place away from heavy traffic (although crowded on the weekends, so make a reservation) where the mixed seafood rice, crab cake rolls, hot and spicy seafood soup and spinach in cream sauce were delicious. There is an open upper deck, a garden courtyard and indoor dining. Displays of condoms from around the world line the walls.

The restaurant is associated with the Cabbages and Condoms Resort, about a half-hour's drive from Bangkok; both were created to provide financial support for development and education efforts, HIV/AIDs education and environmental protection in Thailand. So you can enjoy yourself for a good cause.

• Body work. When in Thailand, you must experience the famous traditional Thai body massage. But be aware that not every place advertising massage services offers traditional Thai massage. Massages in Bangkok range from traditional to modern or physical, with oil or soap suds and seductive body contact. They also range from joint-breaking pulls and pushes to gentle muscle kneading. According to Thai massage afficionados, blind masseurs give the best traditional massages. Prices can range from $5 per hour to hotel room service rates of $20 for two hours.

• The place of the king. Last month, I made my seventh trip to Thailand in time to coincide with the 76th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who came to the throne in 1946 and is the ninth ruler in the Chakri Dynasty. His birthday, on Dec. 5, is a national holiday (as is that of his wife, Queen Sirikit, on Aug. 12). Thais deeply revere the monarchs. Celebrations on the king's birthday include parades, and all major streets are decorated.

Tom Sugita is a former member of the Honolulu Advertiser's editorial board.