Restaurants
Bangkok is one of the world 's great dining bargains. The city has an incredible
range of culinary venues, and you can dine well at hawker stalls on the
street for less than B40( US$1) or treat yourself at one of Bangkok's finer
eateries for around the price of a gastropub meal in London. ......more
Brunches
Brunching is big in Bangkok. All five-star hotels and respectable cafes do
them. Your problem will be choose one that fits your wants and needs.
While some are kid-friendly, others are strictly adult. You can get tipsy at
some, while others concentrate on music. ........more
Bars & Pubs
Bangkok's reputation for wild nightlife has been stung recently by the new
closing time laws that prohibit bars and clubs to operate past 1 am or 2 am
if the venues lie within one of the three designated nightlife zones (Silom
/ Patpong /RCA and Ratchadaphisek ) Gone are the days when you could party
til dawn and then go out for breakfast. The answer ? Start earlier so you
still have time to hit the dance floor before the lights come on an it's
time to go home........ more
Nightclubs
Royal City Avenue is one of Bangkok's designated party zones, though a
longish taxi ride away from downtown. Aesthetically offensive, RCA is a
strip of low blocks of buildings reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic strip
mall; nevertheless hordes of young Thais invade the bars and clubs. This is
Bangkok's only area that can be thronged with masses on a late Monday
nights. It's brash, in your face and chockablock with revellers.
.........more
Shopping
Visitors to Thailand will be amazed by the variety and value of the shopping
opportunities. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a new set of clothes than it is
to use the hotel's laundry service. Weather searching for designer labels in
flashy malls or cheap knock-offs at the myriad stalls lining the streets,
prices are decidedly low. Although there are shopping plazas all over
Bangkok, the main retail centre is around the Siam and Chit Lom
areas..........more
Body & Beauty
Bangkok
has more places to indulge in a massage than any other city on earth. Style
and quality vary, as do the prices. There are local massage joints where a
great Thai massage costs just THB100.- per hour, while the swishier spas can
easily set you back 10 times that. Similar to a restaurant, where the chefs,
ingredients, service and decor come together to decide the worth, at
Bangkok's massage spots you the value can be gauged by the quality of
therapists, oils, interior, etc..........more
Theatres
Bangkok's culture scene isn't exactly throbbing. You won't find as many
venues staging shows as your might expect from such a metropolis.
Off-Broadway is unknown (except for the annual Fringe Festival) and you'll
be hard-pressed to find traces of a Broadway scene. International mainstream
pop and rock acts are what fascinate the masses. Nevertheless, theatre fans
will find diamonds in the desert. Everybody however, will appreciate the low
ticket prices..........more
Cinemas
Bangkok boasts world-class, state-of-the-art movie theatres showing the
latest Hollywood and Thai Blockbusters. A select few cinemas, notably House
and Apex, screen less common independent and international films. Foreign
films are usually screened in their native languages with subtitles in Thai.
If you are in the mood for artsy Euro fare, check out the regular screenings
of the Aliliance francaise and the Goethe Institute - here, most movies
are shown with English subtitles.......more
