One Week In Bangkok

On|8 Sukhumvit

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:01:00 +0000

As usual, we did our research on hotels two months prior to our trip to Bangkok. We came across On8 Sukhumvit, read the reviews and decided to give it a shot.

Entrance from Sukhumvit Soi 8 leads you to the main reception (on the left behind the opened cupboard door. The door at the other end of the hotel leads you onto Sukhumvit Soi 9. You will be right in front of the staircase to Nana BTS.

From the reception, walk pass a short lounge area to the cafe. There are laptops available here and in the cafe for use, and a few books you could take to read during your stay.

I don't have any photographs of the room on my camera, but what you see on their website is what you get.

Pros: New hotel, contemporary design, comfortable beds, good breakfast...well, good enough (cereal, eggs, toast, coffee & tea, juice, bacon, ham, sausages, yoghurt and fresh tropical fruits), the taxis know where the Nana BTS is

Cons: During our stay, the local council decided to dig up a whole stretch of the walkway on Sukhumvit Soi 9 for upgrading works. Messy!

Foot massage in Suan Lum

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:53:00 +0000

250baht for an hour. We're coming back for more!

Waiting to board AK734

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:12:00 +0000

We're almost there.

Bangkok BTS Map

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:49:00 +0000

The BTS has been extended across the river

Review of the Baan Sukhumvit Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Here's our review of the Baan Sukhumvit Inn on Trip Advisor.

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Baan Sukhumvit Inn for a week, between 27th July to 2nd August. It was our first trip to Bangkok, and we're glad we made the right choice.

We had a fantastic experience, and most of the things mentioned on by others on this forum were true.

Kevin and co were absolutely splendid in making sure we enjoyed our stay. We wouldn't hesitate recommending this place, and hope to be back again.

The Good:
# Quiet end of Soi 20: It has two access lanes, one of which is lined up with some nice restaurants, including a South Indian restaurant. Sukhumvit Road is busy day and night, and can get fairly dusty / smog-filled at times.
# 2 minutes to the Asoke BTS station: walking distance, and perfect location as it's also close to the Sukhumvit MRT interchange.
# Everything you need is really close by. There are two 7-Elevens along Sukhumvit road, you could literally run downstairs and back to your room without breaking a sweat.
# Cozy room(s): ours was a standard room (1540 Baht), double bed, with an attached bathroom. 12 rooms in total. First impressions upon arrival were great, and we were never disappointed.
# Free WiFi: in your room! This was blissful. We had our own laptop, and were able to lookup places of interest at any point of time. Great tool to have on the go.
# Fresh towels everyday: prompt room service, and replenishment of all necessities. Thick quality towels on top of that.
# Excellent bed: not the cheap kind, we found this to be great for uninterrupted sleep. Perfect after a long day touring the city.
# Complimentary water: in Bangkok, never forget to drink your water. It's humid! The hotel provides two free bottles of water (500ml) per day. The mini bar is very affordable, and is only about 20% more than the 7-Eleven.
# Extra pillows: Loved the pillows, we even got an extra pillow upon request at no charge.
# Aircon & water heater which just works the way it should
# DVD player: not the best selection of DVDs, but you can plenty for cheap out in Bangkok itself

The Bad (Tiny Bad Things):
# Not much of a view: don't expect to see the Bangkok skyline. You're at the end of the lane, and will only be able to see some skyscrapers. Nothing fantastic.
# Poor acoustics in the hallway: you can hear noises from the hallway (3 rooms per floor) - e.g. doors shutting. You can turn up the volume of your TV to ignore it all.
# Boring breakfast meals: after a week, the American breakfast meal grew stale on us. Perhaps it may not be the case for shorter stays. Plenty of alternatives near by.

Other Things to Note:
# Don't pay more than 400 Baht for the public taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the hotel. Ask Kevin for instructions on how to get a taxi from the airport.
# For our return to the airport, Kevin's team gladly booked a taxi for us at 360 Baht.
# Don't have an itinerary? Ask Kevin for advice. He's got loads to share about the city. Friendly staff members can teach you lots about the language too.
# Getting to the hotel for the first time may be a little difficult via taxi. Our taxi driver couldn't locate the hotel. But just keep an eye out for Soi 20, and get off the moment the taxi turns in to the road. It's easier to just walk into the quiet lane towards the hotel.

This TripAdvisor Member:
o Liked — Quiet location, free wireless Internet, helpful staff, excellent room
o Disliked — Occasional noise in hallway

Baan Sukhumvit

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:30:00 +0000

This is long overdue, we apologise, we were busy.

We stayed at this boutique inn for a week - with no regrets!

Things we did not do and why

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:36:00 +0000

The floating markets - because it is not easily accessible via any train service
Wat Arun - we took a photo from the river taxi? Sufficient?
The Dusit Zoo - because it was between shopping and the animals *smile*
The odd side of Sukhumvit - cause Nancy Chandler recommended too many things and we decided not to single out ANY!
Pat Pong & Soi Cowboy - P's reasoning : I didn't know what to do with Mel.
Cabaret - because it was cheaper to get a DVD from the front desk. What? we watched Trans-America.
Dinner on the Chao Phraya - we were a bit reluctant taking that we saw the condition of the river in the day
Klong River taxi - because it was a lot like a longkang so we decided to pass
See the animals in JJ - we couldn't find them
Banglampoo Market and Santichaiprakarn Park- P's reasoning : because Mel said that it was going to rain and we'd have to back via the river taxi etc....*grumble*
Ride in a tuk-tuk - cause the taxi cost 34Bht, the tuk-tuk wanted to charge us 100Bht - hmm...you tell me?
Ancienct city, croc farm - P's reasoning : for all that, we've got Malacca!

Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:34:00 +0000

We took the MRT to the Chatuchat market and spent our morning there
Got back on the MRT at 1.30 back to the hotel
Showered, packed and checked out of Baan Sukhumvit
We had lunch at Suda (last minced pork meal before leaving)
Bye-bye yummy minced pork
Bye-bye Baan Sukhumvit
Bye-bye BKK

Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:30:00 +0000

By now, we would've covered many of the tourist locations so what we did in the next few days did not involve too much - more relaxation, less sight seeing, less walking
We took the BTS to the On Nut Station, got into a cab and headed to Soi 99 (cost around 35 Bht) to a Levi's factory outlet. Ladies jeans - 790 Bht onwards, men's 550 Bht onwards) - nevertheless, same problem - mostly button-fly jeans
Watched a movie at Siam Paragon (the Mummy - not so good show). The cinema was impressive but not as comfortable as the one in Siam Central
Took the BTS to Sala Daeng and walked to Lumphini Park. We walked through Lumphini Tak to the Suan Lum Night Market
We had a foot massage AND a body massage followed by dinner at the beer garden

Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:17:00 +0000

We took the BTS to the Saphran Taksin station and hopped on the river taxi to Khao San. The boat ride took half an hour (13 piers), our feet were wobbly when we arrived.
It was a really, really hot day. We walked around the whole of Khao San(no, really, I swear WE DID!), passed all the backpacker places.
We had lunch at Ricky's Coffee Shop. Initially, we wanted to eat at a kebab store but it wasn't open.
We then went back to Baan Sukhumvit and decided to have dinner at Thong Lo (but we didn't in the end cause I thought it was too dodgy). We ended up at Suda (Soi 14 Sukhumvit) in the end.

Bye-bye Bangkok

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:34:00 +0000

Sitting in Dairy Queen, Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced soo-var-na-boom, without the 'i'), eating a choc-top cone watching Praveen suck down a chocolate milk shake, the only two things that can console us right now.

We're sad that the holiday is over, we had too much fun, meeting new faces, seeing new places, you get the drift...

ร้างลา บางกอก
ráang laa, Bangkok
au revoir, Bangkok

I'm gonna miss JJ

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:42:00 +0000

Awesome coconut ice cream. Perfect weather. And we've missed our cut off time to go home, twice!

Shopping on our last day

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:57:00 +0000

It's our last day in Bangkok. And we're spending it all at Chatuchak Market. I think we're gonna need more money! Oh, and that's the band playing some music near Section 26.

*ps: finally mastered the map - sections and zig zag sois!

Getting a foot massage

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:04:00 +0000

Getting a foot massage in the Suan Lum market. 100 baht for 15 minutes. First timers. I sense we may ask for more time.

The Mummy in Bangkok

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:56:00 +0000

We just finished watching The Mummy in Siam Paragon. If you had to choose, opt for the cinema in Central World instead. 12 baht instead of 14, cheaper pop corn, and better seats.

How to get cheap Levi's jeans in Bangkok

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Take the sky train to the last stop, On Nut (E9). Walk out through Exit 3. Hail a cab, and take it to Sukhumvit Soi 99 about 1.5km away. Should cost no more than 35 baht. Walk towards the Pricha Building which is along the main road (Sukhumvit).

Look out for the Levi's Factory Outlet. It's by the side. Jeans as cheap as 550 baht. Yes, it's original. But you'll find better bargains if you love button-fly jeans.

Cry baby on the train

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:48:00 +0000

He stopped crying when his mom lifted him and let him hold on to the adult railing. And he cried everytime the train stopped. Oh well, our stop is here. We're getting off at Thong Lor and headed down to Soi 38 for the night food market. More street food joy!

After a long hot afternoon

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:24:00 +0000

An ice cold passion fruit smoothie from Blu Fah for 35 baht.

Eating near Khao San

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:58:00 +0000

Taking a break at Ricky's Coffee in Banglampoo. Good reviews. Decent prices. Near the Four Sons House. I'm waiting for my fried rice with tuna in pesto sauce :)

Another ride along the river

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:16:00 +0000

This time we're headed to Banglampoo / Khao San. 13 stops away, 17 baht each.

Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:46:00 +0000

We took the BTS to Chit Lom station. We walked through Gaysorn (an upmarket shopping mall) to get to Narrai Phand but it was closed
We headed to Big C Rajadamri where we found a factory outlet store with cheap Levi's and Dockers (as cheap as 850 Bht for jeans or khakis)
Went to Big C but didn't find any mini items like we were told
Took the BTS from Chit Lom to Siam. Went to Siam Square looking for Lam Som Tam Nua on Soi 5. But we stopped before that at a alley between Soi 5 and Soi 6 with a nice sign that said Food Plus. It was a lane filled with stalls on the left and wooden park benches on the right selling about the same thing along the whole way
We found a table and sat down. We looked around only to find that we were in a sea of locals and all the menus were in Thai. The stall next to us, however, was very well patronised. So, to go with the flow, I had 'chap fan' from this stall which was extremely good. If you were to try the food here, have the minced pork. Verdict:Price was 35 Bht/plate of 2 meats +egg + rice, loved it! Excellent experience - probably the best local food we've had
Walked around Siam Square, lots of nice little shops selling clothes and knick-knacks, own designs, very interesting, this place reminded me of Oxford Street in Sydney
We saw Hard Rock Cafe from afar, couldn't get to it as it started to rain. We walked into Siam Centre and had coffee at Black Canyon Coffee. Tip:Buy 1 free 1 on Wednesdays!
Took a taxi outside Siam Paragon to the Platinum Fashion Mall
Walked to the Chit Lom Station (approximately 15 minutes) and took the BTS back to Asok
We had dinner at Cabbages and Condoms along Soi 12, Sukhumvit. Verdict: Different setting. A one-off thing to do when in Bangkok for the first time. Foot massage cost 60 Bht/15 minutes, all money goes to a good cause
Walked down 2 minutes along the same soi to Crepes and Co. Verdict: Lovely setting, friendly staff, affordable, comfortable and relaxing. It's a nice place to go to with friends, wide selection of sweet and savoury crepes

Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:09:00 +0000

Our day began at 10 a.m., an hour later than yesterday
We took the BTS to Saphan Taksin
Took the local river taxi (with the orange flag) to Tha Chang (N9). Fare was 17Bht/person. Tip: Boats with the orange flag stop at every pier while boats with the yellow flags are express boats that skip a few piers. The tourist boat is 120Bht/person/day but it is only worth it if you want to do everything along the river. Oh, and you buy your tickets on the river taxi itself, much like sitting on a pink Mini Bus.
When we got off the boat, there were many men walking around telling people that the palace was closed. We ignored them as many have warned us about these lurking con men. Walked to the Grand Palace, entry is 300Bht/person.
Walked out to Wat Pho at approximately 12 pm. Paid 30 Bht for a coconut (we saw that it was only 20 Bht around the corner)
Outside the Wat Pho was a sign that stated 'Enter via the other gate'. There were two 'guards' stationed there, one told us that the temple was closed for lunch and that we were to visit the other temples which were open i.e. the Lucky Buddha etc. We ignored this guy and walked to the other temple entrance only to find that there was no such thing as
'closed for lunch'
Wat Pho entry cost 50Bht/person. In the shrine of the reclining Buddha, we donated money to get coins that were dropped (one each) into the 108 gold 'pots'
Whilst still within the grounds of Wat Pho, we saw the amazing circular rainbow phenomenon
Took the river boat from Tha Tien (N8) to Ratchawongse (N5). This cost 22Bht/person
Walked and got lost in Chinatown for an hour. We could not find any decent eateries for lunch
We walked back to the pier and took the express boat to Sathorn (N1), got back on the BTS, alighted at Sala Daeng station
Initially, we walked into Silom Complex to look for a good place to eat but the food court had no air conditioning
Got out back and went to this quaint little noodle bar called Nooddi Bar. Verdict: Reasonably priced, good food - I had tom yum udon and P had tom yum fried rice which was different and nice, horrible service, grumpy and unhelpful staff, we didn't enjoy the overall experience here
Walked down Patpong Road, passed Patpong market which was in the midst of opening. Many men were walking up to P asking if he needed a 'masssaaaagggggeee???'
We eventually reached the main junction (approximately 20 minutes from our lunch place) at a busy cross junction
We followed our Nancy Chandler map to a lane that said 'all your money will melt away' - Soi La Lai Sap. Verdict: we didn't find anything particularly great about this place
Walked back to Sala Daeng where we stopped for a drink
Walked to Silom MRT (approximately 5 minutes away from the Sala Daeng BTS) for our first MRT experienced. There are guards stationed at the entry that do a brief check on your bags
Alighted at Lumphini station straight into Suan Lum Night Bazaar
We sat at Safari Steak enjoying the a/c, ice cream and ice cold water whilst we waited for the stalls to open.
The shops open. Again, we followed P's systematic way of covering all bases by walking aisle by aisle, one end to the other. After about an hour, we realised we had only covered one block and there were several others!!!!!! Tip: For first timers, when you reach the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, take a look at the location map and check out what you want to see or purchase and go straight to it - it's less tiring
Dinner at a restaurant in the middle opposite the Safari Steak restaurant. Tip: look for the beer garden with many food stalls or an outdoor food court located at the back end of this place
Took the MRT back to Sukhumvit, stopped at 7-11 for an ice cream and bottled water
We were so exhausted - we decided that the next day will be a chill-lax day

Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:44:00 +0000

Took BTS to Nana for tailors along Sukhumvit Soi 8 and Soi 14. Found quotes for a simple short dress to be too high (minimum USD 100)
Took BTS to National Stadium - MBK.
Lunch at food court upstairs. Verdict: Reasonably priced, wide selection of local food.
Took a cab to Platinum Fashion Mall from Ratchadamri (we stopped at the wrong station) and experienced our first Bangkok jam. Cost: approximately 50Bht
Platinum Fashion Mall - Verdict: Better bargains compared to MBK
Walked up and down each aisle on all six levels till our feet broke
Crossed the pedestrian bridge to the Pratunam market (outdoors) but most were closing.
Walked across the Klong Saen Saep river into Central World
Watched 'Dark Knight' at the SFX Theater in Central World (was uncertain whether the movie was in Thai or English as we forgot to ask when we bought the tickets). The cinema was extremely comfortable and clean with lots of leg room space. Tickets were 120Bht/person
Froze to death in the cinema as we were still in our shopping attire (t-shirt and shorts)
Dinner at Maccas , Amarin Plaza.

Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:36:00 +0000

Checked in at Baan Sukhumvit
Late lunch at Basilco, Soi 20. Verdict: Reasonably priced, comfortable ambiance, decent pizza portion
Went to Chatuchat via the BTS Sky Train
Dinner at The Emporium (10 minute walk from our hotel). Verdict: Pricey, food not that great, limited selection. Tip: Most food courts utilise the coupon system i.e. purchase coupons at coupon counter, return remainder for money so that food vendors don't handle the cash, much like Canteen Day at school
Walked to Suda Restaurant at Soi 14 for some fish cakes and beer. Verdict: Cheap and good

You don't wanna be stuck in this

noreply@blogger.com (Praveen) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:11:00 +0000

Mad traffic jam near Siam Paragon. That's about 4 lanes one way, and 1 the other way. We're walking.