Location: Bangkok – Thailand
[Grilled Bananas from a street vendor in Bangkok.]
Erawan Shrine – Bangkok
The Erawan Shrine in Bangkok is dedicated to the four headed deity Brahma (Phra Phrom), the Hindu God of creation. It has a reputation for granting wishes, thus it is very popular.
[Erawan Shrine]
The shrine is in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, on a busy intersection in the shadow of two sky train lines near Siam Square.
[Erawan Shrine and Sky Train]
Those who have had a wish granted may then return to commission dancers and musicians at the shrine.
[Erawan Shrine Dancers]
[Erawan Shrine Dance Rates]
Bangkok Sex Change
Medical Tourism in Thailand
Bangkok has positioned itself as a leading city for medical tourism. Visitors from western countries can come here for procedures like dental work or cosmetic surgery and the savings compared to the prices in say, the US or UK, can more than pay for the holiday as well.
There are a host of websites that specialise in Thailand medical tourism. If you are already in Bangkok advertisements for such services can be found in the classifieds of the Bangkok Post, an English language newspaper. Here you can find ads for facelifts, breast enlargements and even sex change operations.
[Sex Change in Bangkok]
Flight Review: Jetstar – Melbourne to Bangkok
Flight: Jetstar JQ 29
Date: 27 Jan 2008
Jetstar is the low cost airline brand of Qantas. They operate flights from Australia to popular destinations in Asia as well as New Zealand and Hawaii.
[Jetstar at Melbourne Airport]
As Jetstar is a low cost airline it doesn’t have the usual frills of a full service airline such as free food and drink and personal entertainment units.
If you are used to flying long haul flights with full service airlines like Qantas or Thai Airways then flying with a low cost is a step down in the travel experience. What you need to remember is that you are paying for the service of a cheaper flight.
Before you Fly
If you want extra frills onboard you can pre-purchase the following items online when you buy your ticket:
- Buy before you fly and drink free $30 (2 meals and unlimited drink)
- Blanket and amenity pack $7
- Video on demand with headsets $10
If you want to save money on the flight come prepared before you fly. Have a big meal before you go and bring some snacks and you wont need to buy anything onboard.
Onboard
If you didn’t pre-purchase you can buy onboard. A selection of prices include:
- Cadbury Chocolate $3
- Sandwiches $6
- Light meal $10
- Full meal $15
- Beer (375m) $6
- Coffee $3
For entertainment there are video screens onboard that show TV programs and a movie during the flight for free. If you want your own personal video screen with movies on demand then you can still rent it onboard if you didn’t pre-order it online.
Beware Of Strangers – Bangkok scams
Beware of strangers. That’s good advice anytime when travelling, and particularly in Bangkok, where well meaning strangers will come up to you and offer a deal of a lifetime. As the old adage goes, if it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
Read here for the various scams doing the rounds in Bangkok: Scam Watch
[Attention Beware Of Strangers]
Bangkok prison visits
Looking for something different to do in Bangkok? In some of the guest houses in the Banglamphu area there are travel notice boards which have details of prisoners who would welcome a visit.
[Guesthouse notice board]
[Male Prison visit]
[Female prison visit]
Power Is nothing without control, Bangkok – Thailand
[Power Is Nothing Without Control]
A sentiment the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra would now know only too well after last months military coup.
Anything goes on Khao San Road
Cheap beer and dodgy student cards on the Khao San Rd, Bangkok.
[Khao San Rd Beer Cart]
[Khao San Rd Student Card]
Backpacker streetfood on the Khao San Rd, Bangkok
The Khao San Rd is the budget accommodation centre of Bangkok and perhaps the backpacker capital of Southeast Asia. It’s also a good place to find cheap street food.
[Cheap and delicious - Pad Thai]
[The backpacker favourite - the good old banana pancake]
Suvarnabhumi Airport – Bangkok
I arrived at Bangkok’s new international airport one week after it had opened. Suvarnabhumi Airport replaces Don Mueang International Airport. Suvarnabhumi is the world’s second largest single building and airport terminal (Hong Kong International having the biggest).
I had heard of some major delays and other teething problems that you might expect from a newly opened airport. Fortunately by the time I got there everything went smoothly. It was about 40 minutes from the aircraft reaching the terminal to me exiting the building. In all, it was 10 minutes waiting for the plane door to open, 10 minute walk through the terminal, 10 minute wait at passport control, then 10 minutes to collect my bag.
Getting to and from the airport is another matter. I got the AE2 bus service to Suvarnabhumi-Khao San Rd and that took 1 hour and 45 minutes. This was at 7 in the evening. That was 45 minutes on the expressway, then 1 hour of crawling through Bangkok’s legendary traffic congestion. This time might be longer during the day, so if you are going to or from the airport, give your self plenty of time.
There is an express train that is being built to service the airport, but this will not be ready for another 2 years. It was due to be ready when the airport opened, but engineering faults have delayed its construction.