Thailand’s Tallest Building

I lived in my apartment for around 7 months how and I can fully see Thailand’s tallest building from my window.  Usually when you think of the tallest building in any country you think of something impressive looking such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.  Thailand’s tallest building is not the coolest looking building I’ve ever seen it’s actually pretty ugly during the day with a uber tacky BMW 7 Series advertisement dominating it.  The Baiyoke tower doesn’t really dominate the skyline like many featured skyscrapers.

One day a couple weeks ago it dawned on me that I had no idea what the building even was.  Only after I bought my new Nikon D90 digital SLR and started taking pictures did I find it was a hotel.   On the top there is a brightly lit multi-colored rotating  pattern message changer.   At night it causes a most photos to come out overexposed with the top of the tower looking like a big bright light.  One night I was actually reading the messages which are displayed in Chinese and English and it said, “Baiyoke Sky Hotel” so mystery solved.

Lightning strike Near Baiyoke Tower II

Baiyoke Sky Hotel

Even though Baiyoke Sky Hotel appears rather close to my apartment, like most tall buildings it is a pretty far walk away.  Baiyoke Sky Hotel is actually Baiyoke Tower II as there is a Baiyoke Tower I which is close by the sky hotel.

Baiyoke Sky Hotel is located in Pratunam District which can be reached from Bangkok’s main road Sukhumvit Road by walking north on Ratchadumri Road (which becomes Ratchaparop Road) which is in between Bangkok’s largest shopping center Central World and Big C.

If you decide to go to Baiyoke Sky Hotel from Sukhumvit Road  it’s important you know how to walk there because many taxi drivers will refuse to take you there because of the horrendous traffic.

The Surrounding Area

The area surrounding Baiyoke Sky Hotel is rich with shopping.  There is outdoor vendor stands lining almost all the sidewalks from Central World all the way to Baiyoke Sky Hotel.

There are also a few shopping centers which kind of reminded me of MBK but I could tell they were old.  I would guess that before MBK was built, these shopping areas in Pratunam were some of Bangkok’s finest.

The area in front of the hotel and the hotel itself is absolutely loaded with tourists from all over the world so the shopping and food is probably more expensive than less touristy areas.

BEWARE:  Tuk tuk drivers near Baiyoke Sky Hotel will prey on the naive tourist, taking them on unwanted trips to tailors, jewelery stores and other places to try to get a commission.

Shopping: Just stepping out of Baiyoke Sky Hotel

Daytime Visit

I took advantage of a rare cloudless weekday afternoon to visit Baiyoke Sky Hotel and the rotating deck.   I walked down Petchburi Road from my apartment after walking along the rail road tracks from Sukhumvit Road.  Seeing a tall building in the distance I had no idea how far it was so I just walked in the general direction.  I had a chance to explore the area which is full of shopping and food stands.  I got lucky and even found a massage place which offered fish foot massage.

Once I finally made my way to the tower it was easy and obvious where to buy the ticket to get to the observation deck.  They charged me 200 baht ($6) which I paid without thinking about negotiating which I will talk about in the night visit section.  I was in the elevator with a few people and it took a couple minutes to go up.  Once the elevator reaches the 77th floor I believe you get out and there is a giant room with binoculars, information and souvenirs.  I took some time taking pictures through the smudged up glass when I realized that I should be on the rotational deck.

To get to the carousel you have to take another elevator up a few floors and after that, walk up one more.  The deck wasn’t very crowded during the day and I had a chance to take a bunch of photographs as well as a vide0 (bottom of post) with my Nikon D90.   I had to get to Thai class so I didn’t take as many pictures as I would have liked to but I knew I would come back to get my fish massage as well as see Bangkok from above during the night.

View from Baiyoke's Rotating Observation Deck during Day

Night Time Visit

After seeing the view from the revolving deck during the day I wanted to see it at night time as I really enjoy taking night photographs.  As I mentioned I walked from Central World after buying a new tripod and got to the hotel around 8 at night. When I got to the hotel they tried to charge me 250 baht ($7.50) which I said I wouldn’t pay and they accepted the same 200 baht as I paid the day before.  I definitely think you can get up there for even less if you remember to bargain with the ladies at the ticket counter.

It was a Wednesday night (October 28, 2009)  and the hotel was jam packed with tourists most of them I assume staying at the hotel.  Everything was a lot more inconvenient at night.  The elevators were constantly full and would beep when there was too much weight on them and people had to get off.  There was no dedicated elevator for the observation areas at the top so the elevators would stop every few floors for the hotel guests.

Everything was the same at night except the top of the tower was lit up (as in pictures at top) and it was windy.  Taking pictures during night time on the rotating deck was very difficult as I’ll explain as you read on.  There were many people who I assumed to be hotel guests either going to eat or drink at the many restaurant bars and restaurants.  In hindsight I wish I tried out a restaurant in Baiyoke Sky Tower but I went to a very close restaurant called Rave instead.

Night View from Inside Observation Deck Room (behind glass)

Photography

I was not the only one trying to get some great pictures from the Baiyoke Sky Tower.  I counted at least 4 guys with tripods and SLRs who were just as frustrated as me trying to get the perfect shot.  During the daytime the rotating observation deck was a perfect place to take pictures.  There was no glass just a thick wire mesh in which a camera easily fit through to take some good pictures.  Even though the deck is rotating the shutter speeds are fast enough that you can get clear pictures and don’t have to worry about reflection of the glass.

At night the photography situation was the opposite.  Taking photographs of the city sites on the rotating deck was virtually impossible at night as the constant movement would cause blur with the prolonged shutter speeds.  I tried to open the aperture and have a faster shutter speed but the pictures almost all turned out blurry.  I also tried to pan the camera very slowly the opposite way of the carousel but I didn’t expect my movement speed to match the carousel’s speed which is not impossible I suppose but I couldn’t do it.

I had better luck taking night photographs by taking the pictures through the glass at slow shutter speeds.  I had to experiment with different locations to avoid any reflections.  I found it best to put the camera’s lens flush against a clean section of the glass as close to the ground as possible.  After I set the camera settings I positioned my body to block as much light and reflections as I could and as you can see in the above and below pictures, they came out pretty good for being behind glass.

View from Baiyoke Observation Room (Behind Glass)

Overall Impression

If you are a tourist in Bangkok and you like the very touristy atmosphere Baiyoke Sky Hotel is the perfect place to stay in Bangkok.  I looked at the prices and pictures of rooms on Baiyoke’s website and it looks to be a bargain when you consider that you’re in an inner city luxurious tower compared to your average $15 a nigh guesthouse.  If you are looking for a place to stay in Bangkok definitely check out the Baiyoke Hotel website

There are a bunch of restaurants, bars and a whole lot more going on at Baiyoke Sky Hotel so if you’re one of those types who likes to have all the conveniences of home at your travel destination and maybe you want to meet with some fellow travelers, Baiyoke Sky Hotel has got to be on top of your list.  If you are living in Bangkok, it is definitely worth it to head to the top of Baiyoke once but you probably won’t want to go back unless you want to meet some travelers.  If you are a backpacker, you also want to pay the 200 baht or whatever you can get away with paying and get some good photos looking down on Bangkok.

Something’s Fishy

I found MaiThai Massage as I was walking from Sukhumvit Road to Baiyoke Sky Hotel the tallest building in Thailand  to take pictures.  Massage places are a dime a dozen in Bangkok but  MaiThai Massage had something I have only heard about on TV news broadcasts and seen on the internet.   The advertisement in the front (pictured above) said it all.  I had to pass up the fish foot massage the first time I saw it because I was late for my Thai language class but I really wanted to check it out so I ended up going back the next night.

Fish Started from the Surface and Proceeded to the Toes

Did it Hurt?

Whether it hurt or not is the first question out of most people’s mouths and the answer is of course not.  Getting stung by a bee and even a deep tissue shiatsu massage hurts.  The salt water was lukewarm room temperature and the tank was lit with a fluorescent light.

It felt weird when I first put my feet and lower leg in the water but I soon got used to it and it felt good.  It was interesting that when I first put my feet in the water, it seemed the majority of the fish swam upwards and attacked my mid, lower leg around the surface of the water (picture above).  After a couple minutes the fish began moving down and even got between my toes.

I don’t think massage is the right term as it feels more like scraping or exfoliating.  The bottom of my feet are extremely ticklish and to my surprise the attack of the “doctor fish” didn’t tickle.  I noticed some of the fish were sucking on the side of the tank like the “sucker fish” which you put in your fishtank to prevent scum from accumulating on the glass and I assume these fish are a type of “sucker fish.”  I asked the lady at the reception and she said they were from Turkey which I found was true.

Lunch time for the "Doctor Fish"

Location

I found MaiThai Massage as I was walking towards the Baiyoke Sky Hotel from Central world.  I had to cross Ratchaparop Road which is the same busy road in between Central World shopping center and Big C.

To cross I had to use an elevated crosswalk as I was in the shadow of the 80+ story Baiyoke Sky Hotel when I saw MaiThai massage which is literally right on the top of the steps across the street from the Indra Hotel.  I have heard there are a few different places in Bangkok where you can get the fish massage but this was the first place I saw.

MaiThai massage seemed to be a very busy.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Bangkok, you should know that most massage places do not offer a “happy ending” and are not even private with many people in the same room, often seperated by curtains getting massages.

I was there from about 9:30 til 10pm and there were at least 10 people who came in to get massages.  I was sitting in the opening room where the fish and the reception was alone for the first 15 minutes then shared the fish tanks with a few Dutch tourists as many people walked by to get massages while others were waiting in line.

Overall Impression

For me the fish foot massage was nothing like anything I’ve ever felt before.  There is no real way to explain how you feel during the 15 minutes when the 1.5-2.5 inch long fish are eating your dead skin cells but afterward your feet feel extremely clean.  For a price of only 150 baht ($4.48USD) for 15 minutes or 250 baht ($7.47) for 30 minutes it is definitely worth trying once.

Personally I plan to go back some day and do it again.  I have read the fish are known to help people with psoriasis and excema releive and even remove symptoms which makes me think how remarkable these little fish are and I can only imagine what types of uses these little “doctor fish” or “nibble fish” will have in the future.  Fish facial anyone?

Location

I found myself in Bangkok’s Pratunam district specifically to get some material for this blog about a fish foot massage and visiting Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Thailand’s tallest building.  Needless to say I hardly ever go in the area of Baiyoke because it’s very touristy and there is nothing really out there that I can’t find closer to where I live.  Needless to say I worked up an appetite taking pictures and fighting past crowds of European, Russian and Japanese tourists in Baiyoke and needed to eat.

Right after I got the fish foot massage I was walking down Ratchaparop Road when I saw a brightly lit restaurant that looked very clean inside with set tables, wine glasses and cloth napkins.  It was located right across from the Indra Hotel.  It was around 9pm and there was a lone Indian couple eating.  It authentic Thai and international cuisine on the door but what really drew me into the restaurant was the wall mounted plasma TV playing some UFC fights.

Service

The staff of young Thai ladies were really nice although they couldn’t speak a word of English ordering was pleasant and easy.  After I ordered I noticed the Indian man who was wearing the traditional Sikh Dastar (turban) go behind the counter and show the ladies how to make the lychee and cranberry icees which I ordered.  I assumed he was the owner although he made no attempt to talk to his lone patron which was understandable if he was entertaining his wife, but it looked like both ran the place and it would be nice if they attempted to be hospitable for the atmosphere they seemed to be trying to create.

Food & Drink

I ordered the T-Bone steak as well as an order of salmon fried rice and had the aforementioned lychee and cranberry blended ice drinks.  The blended ice drinks  (I call icees) were not like most I’ve had in Bangkok.  They reminded me of alcholoic beverages without the alcohol.  They were not slushy like icees which was good.  The lychee blended ice drink was very good but I love lychee.

I’m sad to say that for 480 baht ($14.34USD) the T-Bone steak was a huge disappointment.  I’ve had better steak in a can of Chef Boyardee as this was flat, dry and tasteless although the sauce was very tasty.  It came with your average french fries and a minute proportion of steamed vegetables.  I would say the T-bone was worth 200 baht and that is being generous.

The salmon rice which in effect served as my dessert was excellent although the portion size was small.   Considering that I’ve never had fried rice I didn’t like anywhere in the entire world the price the salmon fried rice at Rave was 110% not worth it as you can get  just as tasty if not better fried rice from any street stand in Bangkok for 35 baht ($1USD).  The overall rating of 2 Buddhas is rounded up from the 1.80 rating I give Rave restaurant considering the price and quality of the menu items which is hardly something to rave about.

Very Good Salmon Fried Rice although Overpriced

Overall Impression

Although Rave was definitely a pleasant place to have dinner it didn’t strike me as a place that should be charging so much for run the mill food.  My bill by myself  (although I essentially ordered 2 meals and 2 non-alcoholic drinks) was a whopping 897 baht ($26.80USD) which is far more than I ever spend on food and equivalent to 25 better tasting meals on Thai food street stands or indoor/outdoor mom & pop style restaurants.

The location is very close to major tourist hotels so that may explain why there was no one there when I was there and the prices were so high for Bangkok.  Right after I paid the 897 baht bill a lady from somewhere in the restaurant said, “hope to see you again” just as I was thinking about how I would never go to Rave again, if anything because the food was average and the prices were high as well as the location is inconvenient for me.

Say Hello & Wave Goodbye to Rave

Seemingly Endless Shopping

MBK is eight stories high and 330 meters long, with 2,500 shops using a total selling area of 89,000 square meters according to Wikipedia.  It used to be one of the biggest shopping malls in all of Asia when it was opened in 1985.  Fast forward to 25 years and MBK is no longer one of the largest shopping malls but it is still probably the coolest.  Bangkok now has many bigger, newer and “nicer” malls but MBK is most people’s favorite and will always be my favorite.  MBK is located centrally and is connected to the National Stadium BTS Skytrain stop making it very easy to get to.  The walkway also connects it to Siam center a newer, more expensive western mall clone which enables you to literally walk for miles through various malls starting at MBK.

Making Shopping Fun

MBK draws tourists from all over the world for its deals.  If you didn’t know which country you were in and you walked in MBK you would have a very difficult guess to make.  To me it reminds me of the Star Wars cantina scene because there are so many different types of people many whom are dressed in their native garb.

What makes shopping at MBK fun is probably 90% of everything in the entire shopping center is negotiable.  The asking price is often only slightly marked up for example some knock-off T-shirts are often sold for 150 baht when they will accept 120 or maybe 100.  It is not at all like Vietnam where I was told to offer 20% of the asking price at Ben Thanh Market.  What also makes shopping at MBK fun is the number of competitors.  For some items there are literally a dozen shops selling them so you can easily walk from shop to shop and shop for the best prices.

MBK Shopping General Guidelines

If you wonder if something is a knock-off product it is 99% of the time.  If you go to MBK expecting to buy the newest and latest high tech gadget for a bargain price think again.  Most high-end, top of the line electronics cost the same if not more expensive than in the United States or anywhere else in the world.   I was surprised that my Nikon camera was no cheaper in Thailand than the US because Nikon’s lens factory is here.  The same goes for all products made in Asia such as Nike shoes.

There is less supply and competition of many high end products in Thailand than there are in the USA.  Another possible reason why the electronics are not cheaper which relates to competition is the lack of internet sales.  To my knowledge it is not as common in Thailand for people to shop at online mega stores such as Amazon.

Just because you can’t get deals on high end electronics doesn’t mean  you can’t get great deals on electronics.  MBK is loaded with last years models and other not in such high demand products such as cell phones, mp3 players and video games which the prices are all negotiable and depend on your bartering ability.

MBK Shop Factoids

If you’ve never been to MBK there is no way to explain the uniqueness of it.  You just need to go there and experience MBK shopping because it is not like a typical shopping mall experience.  Besides Tokyu department store which is an Asian incarnation of Macy’s which is on the corner of the first 4 floors there are many styles of shops that do not exist in the USA.  I lived across MBK for a month and I go there probably 10 times a month so I list my current view of what’s at MBK.

1st Floor

The first floor at MBK has a mix of everything.  There are clothes shops, banks, pharmacies, restaurants and other random shops on the first floor.  There is also a full sized grocery store called Tops market.  It is pretty much like a Safeway on the west coast of the USA.  I found Greek yogurt there which I hardly find in Bangkok and they have a pretty good bakery.

2nd Floor

The second floor is much like the first floor in that there is no real organization.  There is a GNC where I buy my multivitamins for astronomical prices which is a rip-off compared to the US prices of supplements and vitamins.  On the second floor is a place where I get my business cards and printing stuff done and it is not alone.  There are seemingly dozens of printing places on the second floor and what  seems like the alternating printing shops, tailors and jewelery shops sprinkling in the occasional clothes and hand bag shop.

3rd Floor

The 3rd floor is mostly fashion oriented.  My favorite part is the south end closest to the Patumwan Princess hotel where there is a concentrated no nonsense clothes area with cheap deals on T-shirts and other forms of non-formal clothes.  You will also find your fair share of gold & jewelery shops on the 3rd floor which I easily ignore, and tailor shops which I try to ignore as most of the time there is a semi-annoying (usually non-Thai Asian) guy trying to get you to come in and buy a suit.

4th Floor

Although there are sporadic electronic shops on most floors the entire 4th floor is electronics.  There are hundreds of kiosk like shops in the middle which is surrounded by shops lining the walls.  There is no real organization to the 4th floor shopping  madness but it seems like one side is mostly cellphones while the other side is mostly mp3 players and other electronics.  There is also a retail electronics store called Power Buy which is not that much fun.  There is also a ghetto looking food place selling Thai food and a row of food shops selling snacks next to the middle elevator.  I get a Thai Pearl Tea drink almost 100% of the time when go to MBK which costs 15 baht (45 cents).  I have spent most of my money on the 4th floor of MBK.

5th Floor

The 5th floor is mostly furniture therefore since my apartment is fully furnished, I never really spend more than 30 seconds on it.  I’ve glanced at the furniture and it seems it is very cheaply priced and no doubt most of it is cheaply made.  There is also a book store selling mostly Thai written books and an international food court called “The Fifth Food Avenue” which is geared towards tourists.  It has a few different ethnic restaurants and a backpacker/tourist meeting lounge.  You put some money on a credit card and go in and order and they swipe your card.  I had a steak at one of the places and it was terrible but I didn’t expect much.

6th Floor

The 6th floor is mixed with clothes and souvenirs.  The entire south end is loaded with shops selling Thai handicrafts and other souvenirs.  There is some cool stuff but I don’t like to be a pack rat so I avoid picking up all the cool stuff I see.  Even when I try to buy something for a family member or friend I can never think of what to get.

The 6th floor has an extremely ghetto food court where you have to buy these tickets.  The food is pretty disgusting but if you’re hungry enough you crave the heat-lamped garbage.  Of special not is an Indian/Mediterranean place which is overpriced and absolutely terrible with microwaved nan and curry that is probably weeks old.

7th Floor

Last but not least is the 7th floor.  The 7th floor has a gigantic karaoke place on the south end and a big neon style bowling alley on the right side.  There are around 20 restaurants on the 7th floor including American chains, McDonalds, KFC, and “The Sizzler” which is very popular as every time I walk by there are tons of people waiting in line.  There is a Swensen’s dessert place and a Red Mango yogurt peddler along with many more restaurants including a couple Japanese restaurants and Asian style barbecue places.  I am in the process of reviewing MBK’s restaurants but it will be hard because I always want to go back to my favorite CocoIchibanYa Japanese curry house.

The 7th floor is littered with movie promotional stands playing clips about Thai and American movies.  There is also a small arcade and internet cafe.   In the center is the box office and there are around 10 movie theaters.  There are 3 primary types of movie theaters which I will blog about in the future but the standard movie for matinee is only 100 baht ($2.99) which compared to the USA may be the best deal of Thailand.  The theaters are all brand new and nice usually playing all current blockbusters and Thai movies.

More About Movie Theaters in Bangkok - Coming Soon

Inside at the Center of MBK

Everything I have Bought at MBK

Before I moved out of my cluttered apartment in San Francisco I promised myself I wouldn’t buy a bunch of toys only to use my favorite one and have the others collect dust along with accumulating tons of stuff that will eventually just be hard to get rid of.  Lucky for me I got a fully furnished apartment and haven’t bought too much stuff although I need to stop now or I will become a pack rat!   This list doesn’t include the dozen or so movies, meals and pharmacy items (shampoo, soap, etc.).

Rundown of all Items I’ve Purchased at MBK from April 7th to October 27th 2009:

DVD Player

MP3 Player (Sony Walkman)

Talking Language Pocket Translater

Portable DVD Player

Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera

Nikon Nikkor 70-300mm Lens

Bed Set (Sheets, blanket & pillow cases)

Camera Bag

Ergonomic Microsoft Keyboard

Bunch of T-shirts

1 Pair of Green Cotton Shorts

Bunch of DVDs

2 Nokia Cell Phones

Picture Cell Phone Vendor Lady took of me with my New Cell Phone Camera to Prove it Worked

Good Smell.  Good Curry

It may sound odd but that is the catch phrase of Coco IchibanYa which is a Japanese curry house restaurant in Bangkok’s MBK shopping center.  Coco IchibanYa is conveniently located on the 7th floor across from the movie theaters in between McDonalds and a Vietnamese restaurant.  It is a sit-down restaurant with the typical Thai service of 8 girls doing the job of 2 with delightful smiles on their faces.

Being a curry house the menu is what you’d expect.  Many different things topped with curry.  I opted for the very unhealthy chicken katsu covered curry and rice.  I added an order of vegetables to it which included carrots, asparagus, potatoes and onions.   The menu allows you to mix and match different items and even allows you to select from various levels of spicyness which is always nice.

Great Curry

The Japanese curry sauce at Coco IchibanYa was excellent.  The chicken katsu wasn’t as crispy as I like but after it was smothered in the gravy-like curry sauce it’s all the same right?  For some reason the white rice tasted better than what I’ve had lately as well.  The vegetables were also good when doused in the delicious normal spiciness curry sauce.  I can tell anyone who is going to Coco IchibanYa that the normal level of spicy for the curry isn’t that spicy so if you like spicy go for a higher level.

Needless to say, after I finished my meal I was completely stuffed and satisfied because the food was very tasty.  Japanese curry houses are not very common outside of Japan and Coco IchibanYa provided a welcome change to my Bangkok diet.  I actually thought about heading back to Coco IchibanYa 2 days later when I went back to MBK but I held off.  I can see myself craving the delicious curry soon and making a return trip.

The cost for my double order of chicken katsu and vegetable curry along with 2 drinks was less than 300 baht ($9USD) so I consider Coco IchibanYa low-mid range restaurant as far as Bangkok is concerned.  Since it is located right next to the MBK SF Cinema city it makes a perfect place to grab a relatively quick meal why your movie’s seemingly endless previews and advertisements are running.

My Own Private Shopping Center

The Phloen Chit center is located on the same side as Soi 4 towards the Phloen Chit BTS stop near the expressway.  I jokingly call the Phloen Chit center my own private shopping center because every time I go there (usually 7pm or later) I seem to be one of the few people in it.

It is a 4+ story shopping center with Villa Market which is a supermarket I frequent in the basement.  Besides a supermarket the Phloen Chit center contains quite a few specialty shops, a discount clothes store, a McDonalds and about a dozen or so restaurants which take up mos of the basement, the ground and the first floor.

Mr. Lee’s Creation

I finally went to Phloen Chit center in the afternoon and I was surprised to see that most of the restaurants were more or less busy with customers.  I wanted to try one of the restaurants so I could write about it on this blog and the illustration on the Mr. Lee’s Creation menu caught my eye so I decided to give it a try.  Lee Cafe is located on the ground floor and one end of the cafe is looking out to the street so it’s pretty inviting.

The menu states “Modern Chinese Cuisine” which I noticed there was a lot of noodle dishes and some Thai foods as well.  I ordered the fried chicken spring rolls as an appetizer which was recommended by the waitress and a steak with Cantonese sauce and rice.  I thought the fried spring rolls were delicious.  The Chinese steak was good compared to your average  Chinese restaurant in the USA but it wasn’t anything to rave about although the sauce was quite tasty.

Overall Impression

Lee Cafe is a quality restaurant with clean food, nice atmosphere and friendly service but the food is nothing spectacular.  This is not a knock on Mr. Lee or his creation but Lee Cafe is not a place that you will tell all your friends about unless you’re a lonely blogger like me.  I’m not making it a priority but I would go back and try another one of Mr. Lee’s creations if I was hungry and in the area and definitely re-order the friend spring rolls.

The cost of my meal which included another mango icee (ordered 50% of the time at all restaurants) was around 300 baht (~$9USD) which is a little spendy for your average meal in Bangkok so if you decide to eat in Lee Cafe rather than your average 50 baht street meal and drink, make sure you are hungry for more than just food and want Lee Cafe’s pleasant atmosphere.

Buying the Camera

In the previous post I explained the marathon of  choosing a digtal SLR camera and now it was time to find the best price.  I pulled an unusual maneuver for shopping in Bangkok and called camera places over the phone to get a general idea of the price I would be paying for the Nikon D90 Kit (lens included).  I called places in the expensive mall Central World and in the cheap mall (my favorite) MBK and the price quotes I got were all in the same ballpark.  They consistent prices I got over the phone ranged from 43,500 baht ($1,300USD) to 46,500 baht ($1,390USD) which is around what I saw in stores.

The next day I made up my mind I was going to buy the Nikon D90 although I was still doing some last minute research.  I ended up heading to MBK around 6pm and I was going to try to find the best price and if all else failed I was going to go to a recommended camera shop called Photofile.  Unexpectedly I had 2 friends who were at MBK and wanted to see a movie and they already had tickets.  The time was around 6:50 and the movie started at 7:00 and I just had the itch that I had to get the camera that day so I told them to go grab a seat while I bought a camera.

I walked down to the 4th floor and walked in the first camera place I saw and asked how much the Nikon D90 kit was expecting it to be something what I was quoted over the phone .  To my surprise they wanted only 41,500 baht ($1,240USD) for it.  The place was called Digilife and they had the usual suspects of beginner to mid-range SLR cameras so I figured I was getting a legit product.   I got the Nikon factory warranty for the new product which was distributed by Nikon Netherlands interestingly enough.  Their website is DigilifeThailand.com but is unfortunately not available in English.  I snatched the camera up for a good $100 cheaper than I was expecting to pay then ran back upstairs to catch the movie.

My Past and Present Travel Pictures

Taking Pictures:  HELP!

Since I hadn’t had any formal photography instruction in over 15 years I knew to get the full benefits from the Nikon D90 which is considered a “mid-range” digital SLR I would need some instruction.  I scoured Google for some helpful photography links and I found two which I really like and refer to quite often.  The first one is called DSLRtips.com and it is ran by the same guy who does CameraLabs.com which helped me choose a camera.  On DSLRTips.com there is some great videos in their ‘workshops’ section explaining the basics of night photography, motion photography, sunsets and much more.

The second website I refer to is a site that has been online for a very long time (in internet years) KenRockwell.com which has information specific to the Nikon D90 along with other cameras.  Another resource is the camera itself!  It has a ‘?’ button which provides an explanation (although not very detailed) for whatever setting your are browsing through.  I plan to get a book about taking digital pictures as well.

Low Light & Night Pictures

With the point and shoot cameras I’ve had I was always majorly disappointed with the night pictures.  I remember taking a bunch of pictures in Rio De Janeiro during Reveillon (New Years Eve) which is likely a once in a lifetime experience and having very few come out.  I remember taking pictures from the roof of Sao Paulo’s tallest building and they did not come out.  As I brought the camera home from the store I was hoping that a digital SLR like the Nikon D90 would help me take night pictures that were worth looking at.

The first picture I took with the D90 right out of the box was the Bangkok skyline right outside my apartment window and I was immediately astonished.  I used the factory settings and didn’t know how to use the camera at all and the clarity and colors were far better than anything I had taken before.  I took a picture of a friend in my apartment in very dim lighting and the picture came out looking like the room was in daylight without a flash.

When you see city lights night pictures the sky is usually black and that is what I would strive for on my pictures but a lot of times the sky appeared gray and I wondered if my settings weren’t right in the camera.  It turns out (I think) that the camera is picking the mixture of smoke, clouds, fog and smog which is constantly hovering around Bangkok.   In the first couple weeks of owning the D90 I think I have taken some very good pictures of Bangkok at Night and Bangkok Nighttime long exposure pictures which stream car lights together.  At the time of writing this, my next task is to figure out how to take motion pictures, specifically pictures that show movement by blurring backgrounds or subjects.

Typical Bangkok Night Exposure with Nikon D90

Video:  Unnecessary Feature?

First of all in this context a feature is defined as:  1.  A prominent or distinctive aspect, quality, or characteristic, 2. An item advertised or offered as particularly attractive or as an inducement.

When I first heard about the Nikon D90 it was mentioned that it was the first Digital SLR to record video.  My question was why?  Just as the limited still camera built in camcorders does not hold a candle to digital SLRs, the video recorder mode which claims to be HD does not even come close to even the average camcorder.  This being said, it could still be handy for situations where a video is more telling than a picture although I would have much rather the D90 had an extra feature, a higher resolution, or anything else which could help improve picture quality than a video recorder.

Video Examples

This video demonstrates the shortcomings of video on a digital SLR like the Nikon D90.  Keep in mind that unlike camcorders, there is no autofocus during video mode so if you are trying to record an object which is moving towards you, it will become out of focus and you will have to manually adjust the focus which is clumsy at best.

Here’s an example of something that the video could be good for. I took a bunch of pictures of this odd mask clad Thai rock band and none of them really showed the on-stage antics and look of this odd couple of singers so I decided to take a short video.  You can see since the band is not coming toward or going away from the camera, they are in perfect focus for the duration of the video.

The message I’m trying to make is for anyone interested in the Nikon D90.  If you are buying this model specifically because it is capable of recording video you may want to reconsider your purchase as the video may not even be considered a “feature” at all.

Impression so Far

In the first couple weeks I love the Nikon D90!  Even though I paid the equivalent of 4 months of rent in Bangkok for the camera plus another month of rent in accessories I am fully satisfied.  The only thing I am slightly disappointed with is the camera is slightly too small for my (average sized) hands and the compartment where the SD memory card slides open accidentally too easily.  The picture quality has been amazing and I can see myself using this camera for the next few years to come unless I can comfortably afford a semi-pro model like the d700 or a professional model such as the D3.  Since the price tag of the D3 body only is around $5,000USD I doubt I will be looking through it’s viewfinder any time soon.

Check for the Best Deals on the Nikon D90 at Amazon.com

Less than Impressed = Time for a Change

Towards the end of September, 2009 I took a trip to Vietnam from Bangkok where I live armed only with my Canon HG 10  high definition camcorder.  I had been using the built-in still camera for the past few months after I lost my last point-and-shoot camera’s charging cradle which rendered it useless.  It was actually very handy to have the still camera built in the camcorder because I love taking videos too.   I think I got some good pictures of the Petronas Towers when I went to Kuala Lumpur with the HG10′s still camera but it wasn’t until I got back from Vietnam when I decided I needed to get a new camera.

I saw some beautiful scenery in Vietnam and thought I got some amazing photos by looking at the camcorders 3 inch viewfinder but when I finally uploaded them on my computer I was less than impressed.  The pictures were always either washed out, too dark or too bright and even though I know if I knew the settings on the camcorder better I may have taken better pictures, but that wouldn’t fix the underling issues.

One of the problems with the camcorder’s built-in still camera (as with most point-and-shoots) is it takes a while for the camera to load and focus after each and every picture.  Not to mention that the automated settings are usually unreliable and the manual settings are usually complicated and slow if not difficult to access.  These two issues makes it difficult (with a point-and-shoot camera) to take enough shots of a subject to get one which is just what you are looking for and I thought  a digital SLR would be the solution.

My Photography & Camera Lineage

My Pictures with Multiple Cameras

When I was a youngster my father was an amateur photographer who routinely had his photographs placed in exhibitions and won awards.  One photograph of his was even displayed in the California governor’s mansion for a period of time.  Naturally I wanted to take pictures and I remember using those square cameras with the plastic cartridges when I was little.

Fast forward to high school and I took photography class for a few quarters because it was fun and it let you leave campus and go anywhere to take pictures.  There I learned about ISO, aperture and shutter speed as well as the chemical process of developing film and making prints.  By the time I graduated high school in 1997 digital cameras were just coming out to the consumer market.

My first digital camera I purchased in college was a Fuji Finepix model which was mid-range at 2 megapixels at the time.  For the occasional snapshots and Ebay auction photos the Fuji digital camera lasted me all the way up to around 2005 when it finally died from being old.  It actually died just before I was supposed to leave on a trip to Costa Rica so I had to find a suitable replacement fast.  I didn’t do much research so I just found the smallest, newest and most popular point-and-shoot camera which happened to be one of the first 10+ megapixel digital cameras the Casio Exilim.

The Casio lasted me numerous trips from Asia to South America to New York and back to Thailand.  While I got some good pictures with the Casio Exilim, they were mostly when the lighting was perfect like in the bright sunlight.  Even when I used the manual settings the pictures with the less-than-perfect lighting turned out to be grainy at best and sometimes just plain bad.

I had purchased the Canon HG 10  high definition camcorder f for my website’s exercise videos and I had not used it for still pictures until I moved to a new apartment in Bangkok and lost the charging cradle which was a flaw of the Casio Exilim model I had, because without the cradle, the camera was useless.  Instead of immediately buying a replacement cradle I transitioned into using my camcorder’s still camera.  Finally as I described at the top of this post, I was disappointed with the quality of the pictures I got in relation to the scenery I tried to capture so I decided it was time for a digital SLR.

Help Along the Way

A professional photographer friend of mine who helped do the pictures for the redesign of my San Francisco Personal Trainers website FitSF.com recommended I get the Nikon D90 the week before I left to Thailand.  I was amazed at the pictures he took as they showed me how great photos can look when taken with an SLR.   Since he recommended the D90 it was always on the top of my list even though the price tag was pretty hefty.

I wanted to get the best camera for the money so I spent the most part of two or three days shopping around for the right digital SLR for me.  I did some research online then went to every camera shop in MBK to check out my options on 3 separate occasions.  I had narrowed down my camera to 4 models including the  Nikon D90 and  D5000, the Canon Rebel T1i and the Pentax K20D which was weatherproofed.  They were all mid-range Digital SLR cameras.

How did I know they were mid-range Digital SLR cameras?  I used this wonderful website called CameraLabs.com The website had great videos reviewing all major camera models explaining everything you needed to know.  CameraLabs has very comprehensive reviews and all the information you could want to help you.  The editor/narrator Gordon Lange explains everything in very understandable terms and give you the option to decide.

Making a Decision

I never have an easy time making a decision especially when it comes to buying something  Like I said before, CameraLabs.com gave all the helpful information but they didn’t make a decision for you.  There were four primary models I was considering and it really was between the Nikon D90 and the Canon because I’ve used a friend’s Canon SLR before and love my Canon camcorder.   I still had to find a place to buy it and bargain hunting is not as easy as it is in the USA.  Most high-end consumer electronics are just as expensive as retail products in the USA and mail order involves a lot of extra charges.

I made my decision that I wanted a digital SLR and I wanted it soon.  I wasn’t willing to order it or have a friend buy it in the states and bring it here to Thailand.  After tons of research and debating I was leaning towards getting the Nikon D90 which was my first choice but the Canon was still on my mind until I was finally influenced by the oddest of things.  I was watching Fashion TV which is this channel where they play 1/3 fashion shows, 1/3 fashion parties, and 1/3 fashion photo shoots 24/7 to house music when I noticed that every photographer was using a Nikon.  Not that Canon have inferior optics or just because the photographers on Fashion TV use Nikons means that the D90 will be a good camera for me, but it was a spur of the moment thing and I was going to the mall the next day and buying that camera!

Read about Buying & Using the Nikon D90

When It’s Time for Pizza Check the Pizza O’Clock

Ordering pizza through Foodbyphone.com is almost too easy and convenient. Luckily for adventure’s sake FoodbyPhone only lists two pizza delivery places.  This means after Pizza O’Clock I’m going to have to practice my Thai and find places that deliver and actually communicate my order.

I ordered Pizza Capricciosa which was topped with ham, mushrooms, olives and Italian sausage.  It came within 45 minutes and was nice and hot when I got to my apartment.  The cost was 370 baht ($11USD) plus the delivery charge which was 60 baht ($1.79) and I tipped the delivery guy 40 baht ($1.19) which come to think of it, is way too much to tip in Thailand.

Pizza O’Clock vs. Pizza Mania

The first pizza delivery in Bangkok that I reviewed was Pizza Mania and while it wasn’t the most extraordinary pizza I have had, I didn’t have any complaints.  Rather than stringing you along I will tell you right off that Pizza O’Clock was better than Pizza Mania.  It could have been the actual type pizza I got but if it comes down to it, I will order from Pizza O’Clock again before I order from Pizza Mania.  The price of Pizza O’Clock is slightly higher than Pizza Mania but I thought it was well worth it.

Overall Impression

The Capricciosa I got from Pizza O’Clock was delicious.  The toppings and the cheese were all flavorful and the crust was thin and not soggy at all but not crunchy throughout which is how I like it.  It was located on Sukhumvit Soi 49 and I’m on Soi 1 so I was kind of worried of the pizza taking forever to get to my apartment and not be fresh but thankfully I was wrong and everything was excellent.  My ratings don’t have 1/2 or 1/4 ratings but if I had to rate Pizza O’Clock I would give it 2.85 Buddha (out of 4) so I’ll round up and give it the following.

There’s a 1st Time for Everything

As you already know if you have ever been to Bangkok or have been reading along in this blog, food is plentiful everywhere in Bangkok.  From 7-Eleven convenient stores packed with snacks on every corner to street stands selling snacks and food every few meters cheap food is not too far away.  I don’t think I’m out of the ordinary when I get tired of eating the same thing all the time and crave a junk food delicacy like pizza.

I have eaten pizza  a couple times in Bangkok.  Most of the time I head to Little Italy which is conveniently yes inappropriately located next the California WOW Fitness that I work out at.  Their pizza is decent sometimes and good other times and costs only 45 baht ($1.34) and if you buy 3 you get 1 free which is great for killing the benefits of a great workout a workout.  This time I was really involved in webmaster mode and didn’t feel like leaving the friendly confines of my computer chair so I decided to test the Bangkok pizza delivery options.

Food by Phone

The Food by Phone website is a surprisingly long established company (for the internet world) that delivers food from a wide variety of restaurants.   The best part about food by phone is the website is all in perfect English, you can order completely online and see the pictures and prices of many menu items.  Your info is stored so when you order the next time it is very quick and easy.

It may come as a surprise that out of 50-some restaurants which include everything from Japanese, Lebanese Mexican and more there are only two pizza places.  I know that there are numerous pizza places that deliver but calling over the phone and trying to order the Hawaiian with extra pineapples or whatever to someone who speaks little or no English is a recipe for disaster, not to mention trying to communicate my address.

The first pizza place I chose was Pizza Mania which tourts itself as, “Pizza with True Italian Taste in Bangkok.”   I made sure they were in my ordering area and they were located pretty close at Sukhumvit Soi 23. You may be thinking how a pizza could ever be on time with the sometimes horrible Bangkok traffic and the answer to that is simply motosai.  Motorcycles are exclusively used for deliveries as they can zoom through the suffocating automobile traffic.

Pizza Mania

The pizza I ordered through food by phone arrived at my apartment building in around 40 minutes. The price for my pizza which come in a standard size was 300 baht (around $9) plus a 60 baht ($1.80) delivery charge.  One thing of note is the delivery guy didn’t come up to my 9th floor apartment, I had to go down and get it.

The pizza I ordered was called  Pizza Quattro Stagioni which had tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ham, mushroom, artichokes, olives.  Something I have not seen before, the pizza had its toppings separated in 4 different sections, rather than spreading all of them all over it.

The pizza was not straight out-the-oven hot but it was not cold.   It was thin crusted which wasn’t as crispy as I like but not completely soggy.  It tasted pretty good.   I devoured the whole pizza in record time and was fully satisfied by the size of it without feeling disgustingly full.  I would definitely order from Pizza Mania again but its wasn’t so good that I will order it again and not try any other places.

Stay Tuned as I try to Find the best Pizza in Bangkok

Easy & Reliable Delivery at FoodByPhone.com