THESKINI.COM

March 2006

One Night in Bangkok

by Martina Priadka

Bangkok is one of those places in the world that you really can have anything twenty-four hours a day. Throngs of people color the dirty streets at all hours selling food, bar hopping, hanging out with friends or hustling tourists.

From the air, the sprawling city is reminiscent of Los Angeles with its low mass of buildings and layer of smog. But on the street the energy is completely unique,

feeling both exciting and seedy at the same time. If you only have one night in Bangkok it is best to just jump right into it.

We took some well-heeded advice upon arrival and skipped the 40-person deep taxi line at arrivals opting to flag one down upstairs at departures. The trick paid off by giving us an extra hour or so despite the wait in excessive rush hour traffic. We soon found out that every hour in Bangkok is rush hour but life without a car would be pretty difficult given how spread out this city is although the new BTS skytrain is helping.

We chose a hotel near Siam Square because of its convenience to shopping, markets, the subway and BTS skytrain. Every level of hotel is available in Bangkok so you can decide how much luxury you really need. Because of the large number of hotels you could easily choose a hotel once you arrive with no problem at all although time constraints make booking ahead a good option as well. Just make sure that you have a destination in mind upon arrival and bring a map. Most of the taxi drivers will not speak or read English.

Our hotel was a good choice, not far from the Chao Phraya River and full of continuous life. We stepped out into the night street and were immediately inundated with sales pitches and tuk-tuk drivers trying to get our business. We were in the mood to walk so the carriage style motorbike ride in the tuk-tuk would have to wait until later.

Instead we passed by the street vendors selling watches, t-shirts, shoes, flashlights, sex toys and anything else you can imagine. The energy was happy and high and the smell of street food was in the air. Soon we were being solicited onto a side street to see some of the shows. Women in each doorway, the photos and suggestions from the door staff and the neon lights quickly explained that we had found our way into the red light district where women are men and there are no rules. We decided to pass on the "lady boys" and the "happy ending massages" and get into the culinary side of the city.

The choice of food was difficult because there was more delicious street food available than anywhere we had seen during all our travels. We decided that we would take it all in and indulge the following day instead opting for a sit-down Thai restaurant experience. We had wandered for hours in the market and hoped that there would still be some decent dinner options at the late hour of 10:30 p.m. But Bangkok is a real city and after getting a recommendation from a local we took his advice for spicy seafood on the river. It was time for a tuk-tuk ride because it was too far to walk and we didn't really know where we were going. Our new friend explained to the driver in Thai and bartered a price for us (about $1 US for a 15 minute ride) and we were off.

Buzzing in and out of crazy traffic with no apparent rules in the red, flowered fabric covered carriage with blue sparkling vinyl seats was an experience never to be forgotten. Near misses from cars buses and bicycles were common and made the ride very exciting.

Finally, we found ourselves in a bright fresh seafood restaurant with a mix of locals and tourists. We passed by the long table of ice holding fresh snapper, prawns, squid, lobster and several other varieties of local fish. After taking us through the line and helping us with our order, the manager showed us to an outdoor table and soon we had a cold Chang in hand. It wasn't long before we noticed that we had been treated to the tourist program while the locals were getting the real deal. Once again, we learned the hard way but the food was good and the beer was cold so we sat back and enjoyed. Next time maybe we will opt for the locally recommended Cabbages and Condoms, a venue that serves well-reputed Thai dishes while funding birth control and sex education projects. There really is everything in Bangkok.

After dinner we had cocktails on the mind and were in a city where time is not a factor. From our map and some research we found we had many choices all over the city. Cheap Charlie's is literally a hole in the wall and if you do get a seat it is in the middle of the road. But the drinks are cheap and it is filled with locals. Or, on the other end, there is Mystique which offers three different floors of music, a jellyfish tank at the bar, a cocktail called "pimp daddy" and lots of dark leather seating. We decided on something a little quieter, however, and chose Vertigo's Moon Bar on the rooftop of the Banyan Tree Hotel. Also a restaurant, the adjacent bar is 62 floors above the city with views that are panoramic and breathtaking. Worth the view and the great service, it is still a one-only cocktail visit with prices that challenge any of the most expensive cities in the world. There is also a no shorts-no sandals door policy.

With no more energy to spare we decided to take a four-hour nap in our hotel in order to get and early start in the morning. No time to sleep in a city like this one and we had plans to hit all the food stalls in Bangkok before we had to leave at noon.

When we got started the next day we decided to go on foot again in the opposite direction and found ourselves in a huge open market within minutes. Our hearts began racing and

our senses went on overdrive when we saw the incredible selection of foods being set out for the lunch rush. Hundreds of vendors under one tent with curries, spring rolls, pad thai, nam plak and just about every Thai rice and noodle dish you could imagine was ready and waiting for us.

We indulged in as many as we could, tasting with disbelief the beauty of flavors in each dish. The pad thai was perfection, made in front of us on the grill with a selection of condiments for your spice pleasure. The tom yum was spicy and delicious and the curry was delightfully tasty. We stopped for nothing except a short beverage break of fresh mango juice and chrysanthemum tea.

After three hours we realized we had just enough time and room for dessert. Gluay kloog ma-prao or red bananas in sugar and coconut milk were warm and perfect for ending our food frenzy. We could have stayed another four days in just this food market but our bellies needed a break and our plane was departing. Another time perhaps.

Sawatdee ka Bangkok!

For more information on shopping, bars and restaurants in Bangkok go to www.groovymap.com

...Now That's Theskini!::permalink

» send this article to a friend!