I have been to Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city many times over the last 10 years. Also referred to as Krung Thep, Bangkok has to be one of the most fascinating and exotic cities that I’ve been to - and truth be told, despite my numerous visits there, Bangkok still remains an unsolved puzzle to me.

Walking through the Streets of Bangkok, you’ll find a vibrant urban culture – street vendors selling an assortment of goods and makeshift portable restaurants on wheels as well as ornate Buddhist shrines and spirit houses in front of many buildings.

Throughout uptown Bangkok, there are some very elegant HISO shopping centers like the Emporium, the Siam Paragon and the new KP Village. It seems that in the heart of the tourist district – along the Upper Sukhumvit Blvd - that every other shop is either a massage parlor or beauty salon.

Sadly, you’ll also encounter some of the poorest segments of Bangkok’s populous begging on the streets and near the entrance of the many Skytrain stations – mostly the crippled and deformed as well as homeless mothers with infants.

Admittedly, I have a love/hate relationship with “the City of Angels” but I keep on going back there, hoping to solve the puzzle which is Bangkok.

Bangkok is known for it’s numerous shopping malls – from the relatively pedestrian MBK to the rather gaudy Siam Paragon and the Emporium. K-Village, a boutique shopping mall which opened up in late 2009, represents a new breed of shopping centers in Bangkok. Built on only two levels, the new K-Village with over 100 shops is fairly intimate and easy to navigate unlike the larger multilevel shopping complexes that dominate Bangkok.

My take? Located on Sukhumvit Soi 26 near Rama IV, K-Village was a convenient 5-minute walk from my hotel in Bangkok. I was quite impressed by the intimate ambiance, the wonderful Gourmet Market and the many trendy Asian restaurants - Taiwanese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai et all. In addition, K Village has two very attractive coffee shops, not named Starbucks.

The Gourmet Market, the centerpiece of K-Village, had an excellent selection of hydroponically grown vegetables, fresh fruits as well as an upscale deli and a special department that featured Japanese goods. Prices for some items were only slightly higher than the considerably more pedestrian Villa Market located on Sukhumvit Soi 33.

Surveying some of the restaurant menus, the average price for entrees were on the high side for most Thai people @ 120 baht ($4USD) per plate but relatively affordable for the tourist crowd.

With its fashionable and upscale shops and restaurants as well specialty desert and gelato cafes, K-Village clearly caters to the upwardly mobile, and high society crowd (HISO). Taking a look around me, many Thai ladies and gals were strolling around K-Village scantily dressed in their hot designer pants, short shorts, flimsy blouses and high heels, trying so hard to look sexy; funny thing, the Thai men didn’t pay them any attention. Oh well…

Located on the first floor, Watercress, a natural foods restaurant with a good variety of tasty vegetarian Thai dishes, has since become one my favorite places to eat. During my 10 nights in Bangkok, I ended up eating at Watercress on five different occasions

.

I saw something quite unusual in Bangkok the other day. I was visiting K-Village, the new upscale boutique shopping center located on Sukhumvit Soi 26. Walking across the street, I came across a group of Thai people sitting on a large bamboo mat at the busy street corner - just in from of the pedestrian Carrefour Superstore - eating their dinner. They had just purchased their food from a nearby mobile food vendor.

Actually, sitting down and eating on a bamboo mat is the traditional way of eating a meal in Thai Culture - it is just that I had never seen Thai people in Bangkok doing it outside on the street before. I guess you learn or observe something new every day about the customs and culture of a country when you are a traveler.

In the tourist zone of Bangkok, there is a glut of massage parlors – on Sukhumvit Soi 22, there seems to be a storefront massage parlor every three businesses or so. Sometimes two competing massage parlors are even side-by-side.

Many of these massage parlors are kind of seedy, and the rooms they use for body massage are severely lacking in ambiance. In most instances, the rooms are not very private at all – either the walls are very thin or more commonly, adjacent rooms are separated by a mere curtain.

While many of the ladies who work in these establishments can give you an outstanding therapeutic body massage - more often than not – from my experience as a male, I get solicited for extras such as Happy Endings and the like. I cannot really fault them for offering these “extra services’ as the money they receive for ”these extras’ is clear profit for them - they don’t have to share it with the house .

During my recent stay in Bangkok, I decided to go to the very respectable Health Land for massage treatment as opposed to patronizing one of the many local massage parlors located near my hotel. The reasoning behind my choice was very simple – I wanted to avoid solicitations for extras and I preferred a place which had better ambiance than the local massage parlor.

Health Land is very popular with the more affluent residents of Bangkok; however prices are competitive with the “run of the mill” massage parlors that are so numerous in the tourist zone.

Approaching Health Land Spa & Massage (Ekamai Branch) from the street, it looked like a hotel or an upscale medical clinic. Walking into the lobby, there was a large reception counter where customers register with a uniformed lady for one of the various massage treatments. Checking out their spa menu, I opted for a 90 minute Aromatherapy Body Massage. Price was 850 baht (about $26USD). Fairly affordable, in my humble opinion!

All the young ladies at Health Land (massage technicians) have been properly trained in the art of massage and conduct themselves very professionally. There were absolutely no solicitations for extras. In addition, the massage rooms at Health Land are equipped with a proper massage table as well as having the proper feng shui. Some soothing ambient music was piped in while getting the massage.

After the massage, I felt like “a newer man” – considerably less stressed and more relaxed. I liked Health Land so much that I returned there for a follow-up treatment the day before flying home to San Francisco.

Health Land, my verdict? Thumbs up!

I hopped into a taxi at the BTS station at Thong Lo in Bangkok.
The driver’s name was Sid, a friendly chap in his early 60’s. Sid started the conversation by asking the usual question - “Where are you from?” For most Thai people, this is like saying hello!

I gave Sid my standard ‘where you from answer’ – “I am from many different places”, which of course threw him a bit off balance – as it does to most Thai people - as they don’t know what to make of it.

But being a nice guy, I decided to give Sid a break by adding that I’m originally from San Francisco. Breaking out into a beatific smile, Sid replied - “Oh you’re an American. America good!” Thai people like Americans in the post Bush era!

The conversation drifted into various aspects of American pop culture and history. The conversation went like this:

Sid - I like John F Kennedy.
Me - Oh yeah, Kennedy was a real playboy, had lots of girlfriends.
Sid - I like that

I mentioned that Teddy, the last Kennedy brother, passed on earlier in the year to which Sid replied, “I know”.

Sid - Do you like Edwin Pechuri?
(I really couldn’t figure out what Sid was saying, but it sounded like Edwin Pechuri)
Me – Edwin Pechuri? Who is he?

Sid asked me repeatedly, whether I liked Edwin Pechuri (or something like that), but for the life of me, I really didn’t understand him!

Me - What does this Edwin Pechuri do?
Sid – He’s famous singer.

I thought for a couple for a couple of moments, trying to figure out what Sid was saying and who was this Edwin Pechuri character that he kept referring to. All of a sudden I had a light bulb moment in my brain, and I asked him “ Oh, do you mean Elvis Presley (sounds like Edwin Pechuri)?” Sid smiled and said, “Yeah that’s who I am talking about.”

We both laughed as Sid finally reached my destination and let me out. As I enjoyed the ride and the conversation with Sid, I gave him a tip of 10 baht over the meter fare.

Morale of the story – For most Thai people, speaking English with correct pronunciation is very tricky. On the flip side, I can only imagine, how difficult it is for Thai people to understand me, when I try to speak Thai.
Same, same but different!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Having just returned from a 43-day odyssey to Southeast Asia, I would start off the New Year by sharing with you some random observations (and thoughts) of a traveler

• Be Safe! When storing your monies in the hotel safe, make sure to have an accurate count of your traveler checks and currency before trusting it to the hotel. This is especially true, when all the front desk people have access to the safe. I believe that I was victimized twice in Thailand on my last trip – I was missing the equivalent of $150USD in currency in one instance and $200USD in traveler’s checks in another. Oh well, shit happens!
  
• My favorite city in THAILAND continues to be Nan. At least 4-5 new coffee shops have opened up in the last year – reflective of Nan’s increasing popularity as a tourist destination
• One of the most spectacular views that I have experienced during my travels is from the top of Penang Hill in Malaysia. At an elevation of 800 meters above sea level, the view of Penang Island is absolutely incredible!



• Singapore is FINE! A small island city of about 5 million people, not only is Singapore one of the cleanest cities in the world, but its mass transit system is heads and shoulders above anything I have seen. If all the nations in the world, adopted, Singapore’s laws (and fines) towards littering, this world would be a lot better place.
• Compared to Thailand and Malaysia, Singapore is somewhat on the expensive side!
• Most currency exchange bureaus in Singapore(and Malaysia) will not cash traveler’s checks – you will have to go to the bank. On the other hand, it is very easy to cash traveler’s checks in Thailand as the banks operate most of the many currency exchange bureaus.



• Who let the dogs out? Compared to Singapore and Malaysia, Thailand is overrun by dogs, especially in the rural countryside and in small villages. Most of the dogs are your typical Thai mutts - short, stocky with closely cropped tan or yellow fur. Popular pedigreed dogs include Shiatsus, Lhasa Apsos, Pomeranians, Toy poodles and Pugs!
• In THAILAND, where at least 93% population is Buddhist, you’ll hear Christmas music being played in most of the major department store complexes in Bangkok and in the major tourist centers up until New Years Day. They do this primarily to accommodate the tourists, most of whom are Christians.
• Walking into a Starbucks across from my hotel in Bangkok on Dec. 29, they were playing the traditional Christmas fluff until I aggressively suggested they change the music. LOL

I am a frequent traveler to THAILAND. When traveling outside of Bangkok, I often stay at a local guesthouse rather than a conventional hotel. Besides saving some monies, staying in a guesthouse allows me to sample the local flavor and it is a more conducive environment for meeting fellow travelers. In addition, the informal, carefree ambiance of most guesthouses suits my personality better than the somewhat stiff and fabricated environment of many traditional hotels. Guesthouses are usually small family run affairs – ranging from no frills hostels with simple dormitory like accommodations and shared bathroom facilities (popular with the young backpacker crowd) to the luxury “boutiquish” affair with amenities comparable to a small hotel (popular with the older crowd and families). As they say different strokes for different folks!

In Bangkok, the greatest number of guesthouses and hostels are located on or near Khao San Road. Affectionately known as the tourist ghetto of Bangkok, Khao San Road is a real magnet for the young backpacker crowd from Europe. Throbbing with activity night and day, Khao San Road swarms with cafes, inexpensive restaurants, bars, Internet shops and massage parlors. Lining the sidewalks are numerous street vendors offering anything from colorful tattoos to hair braiding. A real carnival scene to the say the least! While Khao San Road has the greatest selection of guesthouses by far, you can also find some quality guesthouses in the less busy and quieter neighborhoods of Bangkok as well.

I believe that the absolute rock bottom rate for simple accommodations with shared bathrooms in a Bangkok Guesthouse is about $4-5USD, although if you stay in a guesthouse which has shared sleeping quarters, the cost is probably less. For the young tourists-backpackers from Europe who are traveling around Thailand and Southeast Asia for 1 month or more, it definitely makes senses to stay in guesthouses for most of the journey in order to stretch out the monies.

Travelfish, an authoritative online guide for the independent traveler to Southeast Asia, is an excellent source of information on guesthouses and offbeat accommodations in Bangkok and Thailand in general. Just recently, Travelfish published a wonderful article on the top 10 guesthouses in Bangkok. If you’re a backpacker or a flashpacker, or an independent traveler like myself, this article is a must read!

Tomorrow is the start of my 2 1/2 week adventure in COSTA RICA. If you’d like to follow my journey, I suggest that you subscribe to my RSS feed.

STARBUCKS is a worldwide phenomenon. While traveling in Thailand and Malaysia, I was amazed at the number of Starbuck cafes in these Southeast Asian countries. In particular- Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, the capitals of Thailand and Malaysia respectively, are top heavy with Starbucks cafés. It seemed that everywhere I turned – across my hotel in KL and Bangkok (Ancasa Hotel and President Park), in fancy shopping centers and on the ground floor of large high-rise office buildings - there was a Starbucks. I really wasn’t shocked to find a Starbucks in downtown Tanah Ratah, a small tourist town in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. It even had a mock fireplace and an upstairs coffee-drinking gallery to boot.

Out of curiosity I checked online as to how many Starbuck outlets are in these countries. According to a 2007 census, Thailand had 132 Starbuck cafes, with Bangkok having the lion’s share at 72. In the meantime, according to the Starbucks Malaysia site, there are a total of 108 cafes in Malaysian with Kuala Lumpur leading the pack with 41. While Black Canyon is major competitor to Starbucks in Thailand; in Malaysia, Starbucks controls 45-50% of gourmet coffee business with Coffee Bean and Tea Leaves a distant second.

In Malaysia, I found the service at the local Starbucks to be excellent (better than the USA) and the employees well versed in English; in Thailand, the service was very friendly but most of the Starbuck employees had limited facility with English. I must give props to Starbucks (and all the coffee retailers) in Malaysia, because they offered free WIFI, no strings attached. In Thailand, getting WIFI access at Starbucks was a real hassle as you received a complimentary 1-hour (thereafter you had to pay a nominal sum for continued use), but you had to jump through all sorts of hoops in the online signup process, fuggetabout it! I wish STARBUCKS in USA would take a cue from their colleagues in Malaysia and offer free WIFI and eliminate the gimmicky Starbucks card.

From what I observed in both of these countries, the clientele at a typical Starbucks café was a mix of local business executives and white-collar workers, the young University crowd with deep pockets along with tourists and expats. For Thais and Malaysians, having a Cappuccino, an Iced Caramel Macchiato or any one those fancy designer coffee drinks represents a real splurge as the prices are almost the same as in the United States. Please consider that the standard of living and the average salary is considerably higher in the USA, and the cost of one large cappuccino ($3.00 -3.40USD) will buy you a decent dinner at a local restaurant in both Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Apparently, having coffee at Starbucks confers a measure of status with the locals. Yes, Starbucks is Huge in Thailand and Malaysia - such is the way of the World.

Coming up, the Starbucks Index.

Just wanted to share with you some snippets (some random observations and thoughts) about Bangkok.

Specialized Boutiques
Located just around the corner from the President Park hotel on Sukhumvit Road Soi 24 is Boo Blossom, a wonderful pet boutique that specializes in clothes and accessories for small dog breeds.

Beauty Salons
There are so many beauty salons in the tourist zone, however I will go out of my way to go to my favorite one, the Arena Beauty Salon, which is located on 152 Sukhumvit Road Soi 16. Tel: 22601263

Thai Restaurants
Raan Derm remains my favorite Thai restaurant in Bangkok. The food is spicy, tasty and affordable and there good selections for vegetarians.103-103/1 Sukhumvit Soi 22 tel: 22582401

Money Exchange
The best place for exchanging monies (excluding traveler’s checks) in the tourist zone is Vasu. Their storefront location is on Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 just a couple of steps away from the Nana BTS. They have now moved their operation in the very front of the store – you don’t have to enter thru the side door anymore. Makes it look more legit!!! Vasu 133-133/1 Sukhumvit Road Soi 7/1

If you’re exchanging traveler’s checks, I would suggest you that go to any one of the numerous exchange bureaus located along I the street, upstairs in the BTS shopping arcade or inside the big shopping complexes like the Emporium. It will usually take less than 3-4 minutes before you receive your monies. If you try to exchange your traveler’s checks inside the Bank, you may have to wait a very long time before the transaction is completed. Just recently, I had to wait almost 20 minutes and sign at least four or five forms before I finally received my monies at the Bangkok Bank. Never again!

Airport Departure
With the closure of the older Don Mueang Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport is now handling all the airline traffic. I have departed from Suvarnabhumi a number of times now - catching a taxi from President Park on Sukhumvit Soi 22/24, it hasn’t taken more than 30 minutes to get to the airport using the expressway even during rush hour traffic. I usually leave my hotel at least 2 hour 40 minutes before departure. Never had a problem! FYI, Suvarnabhumi Airport opened up on September 21, 2006.

For passengers who need a day room at Suvarnabhumi because of a long layover between flights and they don’t stray far from the airport, they can stay at the new Novotel Airport Hotel, only a 3 minute walk from the main terminal.

(the following snippet pertains to both Thailand and Malaysia)
Christmas in Thailand and Malaysia
Christmas is a big production in Thailand, primarily a Buddhist country and in Malaysia, where 63% of the people are Muslim, as most of the tourists are Christian. In many of the large shopping complexes in the major tourist centers – including Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Kuala Lumpur and Melaka (Malaysia), Christmas decorations start going up shortly after Thanksgiving, a major holiday in the USA celebrated on the last Thursday in November. Walking into a Starbucks Café in Chiang Mai on November 25, I was greeted by the familiar tune of ‘I am dreaming of a White Christmas.’

One of the great things about BANGKOK is that one can get a full beauty treatment – haircut, facial massage & scrub, manicure & pedicure and foot massage - for a very reasonable price. As is my custom, I usually get my treatment the first or 2nd day after I arrive. Even though there any number of beauty salons that are less than 200 meters away from the President Park (Sukhumvit Soi 22) - the hotel that I have stayed the last four years - I always return to The Arena Beauty Salon, an establishment located a good 15 -20 minutes away by taxi on Sukhumvit Soi 16. While the Arena may be not as convenient as other salons, it is hands down my favorite. Whenever I walk through the door, the owner, Khun Mahuttida, who speaks reasonably good English, always greets me with a warm smile and welcomes my return; she values my business.

On my last visit, after Mahuttida gave me a very close haircut, trimmed my eyebrows and mustache, she had me go into the back room and lie down on a reclining chair. Before you know it, four of her girls were working over me at the same time. While one gal was giving me a facial massage and scrub - applying all sorts of exfoliating creams to my face - the other three were busy giving me a foot massage, a manicure and pedicure respectively. Talk about getting the Royal Treatment. Walking out the door about 90 minutes later, I felt like a new man. Total damage 1350 baht (38.00USD)

As I strolled down the street towards the Sukhumvit, I was greeted by many lovely THAIgers who called out to me – “Handsum Man, come here.”