The “New” Airport Link

It seems for the longest time Bangkok’s airport link train was “coming soon.” I think I remember the elevated tracks coming from the airport the first time I visited Bangkok around 5 years ago. I had been living in Bangkok for over a year and with seemingly little fanfare the airport link finally opened.

For me the airport link was more of a curiosity than a necessity as taking a taxi to the airport will usually cost from about $8-15USD and be relatively fast.. I wanted to take it the next time I either arrived or departed Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi
airport but I arrived from the US which usually means around midnight which is the time the airport link closed.

Bangkok Airport Link Station - Asok

Same Same but Different

The above headline is a popular shirt sold in Thailand and oddly enough it applies to the way to get to BKK airport. While the mode of transit is obviously different, the primary factor which determines how long it takes to get to the airport is likely going to be the same.

The primary factor is how bad the Bangkok city traffic is. Just as taking a taxi all the way to the airport must navigate through the busy streets to find an expressway, if you want to take the airport link your taxi needs to find a station. There are only 2 airport link stations located in central Bangkok, one at the intersection of Asok and Petchaburi roads and the other in Phaya Thai.

Pick Your Train: Express or City Line

Once you arrive at the station which is spacious and aesthetically similar to the airport’s terminals you will have to find the ticket booth. There were a couple guides on duty which helped a lot as they pointed me in the right direction. From the Asok station I was at, the city line which I assumed stopped at a couple stations along the way took 30 minutes while the non-stop express line took 15.

I picked up a 100 baht express train ticket at the counter you see in the photo and it caused me to literally make the train at the last split second as they re-opened the doors to let me in after they were ready to leave.

Just in Time for Express Train

Airport Link Express Train Ride & Drop-off

The 8:30am train I was on was virtually empty. As you would expect from a brand new train system, the train was very clean, comfortable, smooth and of course very fast. There is really nothing much to say about the actual train ride but you can watch the video showing how fast the Bangkok airport link train is.

Another downside of taking the Bangkok airport express train is the drop-off point. While a taxi drops you off conveniently a hundred meters or so in front of the check-in departure area, the Bangkok Airport Link train drops you off in the bowels of Suvarnabhumi
. You have to either take an elevator which will likely be 100% filled to capacity or navigate through the next couple floors which includes the arrivals rushing past you the opposite way trying to get out of the airport.

Bangkok Airport Link Summary: Pros & Cons

Positive aspects of the Bangkok Airport Link

• Fast
• Comfortable
• Quiet
• Reliable

Negative aspects of the Bangkok Airport Link

• Only a couple of stations
• Takes time to navigate the Airport Link station
• Drops you off 4 floors down from check-in

Overall Impression

Like the mag-lev train which goes to and fro the airport in Shanghai the Bangkok Airport Link is not entirely convenient with the exception being those staying within walking distance to a station. If you are staying far away from one of the stations, the cab ride to the station is going to take up the bulk of your time.

The cost for the airport link is definitely cheaper than just a taxi as you have to pay the meter plus any fees (if you are coming from the airport) and tollway fees. Overall I would say it’s a toss up. If you are close to a BKK Airport Link station then by all means take the 15 minute express train but if your hotel/apartment is closer to a tollway entrance, it would make sense to avoid any of the crippling Bangkok traffic as the tollways are less likely to have gridlock.

Back to a Point and Shoot

Okay, I didn’t sell my Nikon D700 Digital SLR and thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment and go back to shooting point and shoot cameras.  I was actually trying to cheat time lapse movies with my camcorder and the nightmares of dealing with that caused me to find an easy way out.  While I was searching online to solve my problems I saw a video on youtube of a tilt-shift time lapse which really was simply a trick from a Canon point-and-shoot camera’s video mode.

In addition to having the cool video mode I have heard so much lately about the Canon Powershot S95 I really had to check it out.  Not taking the bulky digital SLR and camera bag had been a recurring thing when walking around Bangkok and I missed so many shots because of it.  I figured to kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak and try out a handy point and shoot that fits in any pocket.

A Face-off with what I usually Shoot with & the S95

Buying the Canon S95 in Bangkok

The choice was not easy as there were numerous attractive cameras for sale including the brand new Canon PowerShot G12 a level up from the S95.  I tried the G12 out and thought it was fabulous.  Everything from the controls to the performance were excellent.  What impressed me with the most was the close focusing as it could focus on something like my finger from a couple cm away and the photo had a perfect sharp view of my finger print.  I read that the G12 was basically the S95 with a better lens and more advanced body but when it came down to it, the G12 was just too bulky.  I already have a SLR why would I get a bulky point and shoot?

There was also the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 which boasts Leica components and is the same camera as the $800 Leica D-Lux 5.  What attracted me to this camera was the maximum wide angle (24mm) which was 4mm wider than both Canons (28mm).  What turned me off from the Panasonic was the size and the lens cap.  It was almost small enough to fit in your pocket but a little too wide.  A lens cap on a point-and-shoot is completely stupid, just something else to lose and an annoyance every time you turn it on to get a shot.  I have read and assume the Panasonic Lumix LX5 along with the Leica D Lux 5 take great photos, but again in a point-and-shoot camera pocketability is my #1 priority especially since I own an SLR and a host of lenses.

I saw on Amazon and most online retailers the S95 selling for $399.99 so I set off in Bangkok seeing if I could get a deal.  I guess the camera’s popularity allowed the stores to jack up the price because the cheapest I could find it for was 12300 baht ($411 USD).  I bought it at a new AV center which is the place I have confidence in finding all the cheapest camera equipment in Bangkok although this AV center was not in Pantip Plaza but in MBK where I found myself to be shopping for a business print shop.

One of the first 10 shots I took with the S95 after I bought at MBK

S95 First Impressions:  Things I like Immediately Liked

Besides the still cam on my old Canon HG10 HD camcorder the S95 was the first new point-and-shoot camera I have bought in at least 6 years.  I really have nothing to recent or in it’s place  to compare it to except my D700 incidentally which costs almost 10x more with a lens.  Even though I have shot with a digital SLR exclusively for the last 16 months I was still impressed by the Canon S95.  I already knew this one but I liked the size as it fit nicely in my front pocket.

As you can see by my most popular photos (according to Flickr) I love night cityscape shots.  I managed to take the photo above using the camera’s manual settings which allowed me to use an exposure of up to 15 seconds while using an aperture of f8.  I was really impressed with the ability for the S95 to take low light shots.  I also really like the menus and special effects the camera offers.  I basically bought it for the gimmicky miniature time lapse videos and still shots.

S95 First Impressions:  Things I Do Not Like

Even great cameras have faults and while it may be due to people being  nitpicky or spoiled the S95 has a few faults for me.   First and foremost is the lack of control in most of the specialty modes.  The specialty modes (SCN on camera dial) are great but many of them are in the auto-modes which do not allow changes such as exposure compensation, colors, white balance, etc.  This limits what you can create with the camera although you can use software later to edit them later.

Another thing I don’t like is the tiny mode dial on the top right of the camera.  There is very little to grip when you turn it and any sweat or grease on your hands will make it a pain to turn.  I know it is like that to conserve space and limit things protruding from the camera but it seems like it could be better.  The last thing I don’t like is the battery.  First of all it doesn’t pack too much power.  Canon says it can take 200 shots but I find that 10-15 minutes of video eats the battery life significantly.  In addition to being rather weak, the battery is perfectly rectangular and can fit in the compartment all 4 ways.  This is slightly annoying as it takes a couple seconds to figure out how to put it in.

Overall Impression

I like the S95 a lot.  I was buying it specifically to test for this blog and do a fake time lapse video (posted below) but after taking some shots I have fallen in love with the ability to pop the camera out of my pocket and be shooting within seconds without drawing attention to myself.  Do I see myself hiking to the top of a mountain to get a beautiful landscape shot of a lifetime with the S95, no.  I will still use my D700 for night cityscapes, landscapes, and anything in which I know I will be shooting a lot of photos but I my S95 will definitely be in my pocket when I’m out and about.  Stay Tuned as I took some test shots w/ the Nikon D700, Nikon N90 film camera and the S95 to compare low light photos.

Coming Soon:  Night Image Quality Comparison between Nikon D700, Nikon N90 film camera and Canon S95

Digital SLR Service

Like a car, high end camera equipment needs to be maintained. My first need for camera maintenance was caused by extremely annoying dust spots. The camera has a built-in cleaning mechanism I have set to run at power on and power off as well as a dust off feature where you take a photo of a bright white light and the camera supposedly compensates for the dust spots and takes them out of the photos but they are no substitute for getting a professional cleaning job.

I was always hesitant to mess around with the interior components of my Nikon D700 but I did try a few times to blow out dust with a blower and even use a lens pen to try to clean the sensor and mirror but nothing worked. I thought about getting the camera cleaned at Calumet in San Francisco but they wanted to hold the camera for 2 days, had a ridiculous waiting list and charged $60 so I decided to wait until I got back to Bangkok.

Dust Spots which appear on Every Photo

Where to Get Camera Service in Bangkok

While camera shops are a dime a dozen in Bangkok places that I would feel comfortable bringing my expensive equipment for service are not.   I went to MBK and asked a few camera shops if they did sensor cleaning and non of them did.  I went to the official Nikon store and they referred me to Niks Thailand.  I had heard of a camera place called Niks Thailand that is one of the few if not the only official Nikon dealers in Bangkok.  After a couple google searches I found it was located on Silom Road.

SLR in hand, I hopped on my helmet-cam equipped bicycle and started peddling off to Silom which is in the vicinity of Nik’s Thailand. I didn’t really know where I was going so I ended up towards Saphan Taksin BTS station. I asked a couple people and finally made my way to a Nikon dealer which I thought was Nik’s but I was wrong.  It turned out I got the address wrong and ended up at Sunny Camera which is very close to State Tower.  The guy at the camera store gave me directions to the right place, Niks Thailand which was luckily only a few blocks away.

HOW TO GET THERE: If you’re reading this, the chances you’re going to be riding bicycle are probably slim here are the 2 easiest ways.  If you are far from a BTS or MRT station, hop in a taxi and ask him to take you to “Thanon Silom, Sofitel” or just “Silom Sofitel” as Niks Thailand is right next to it.  BTS is very easy as well.  You have to take BTS to the Sala Daeng station and from there it is around a 10 minute walk west or a 2 minute cab ride.

Niks(Thailand) Co.,Ltd. 166 Silom Road 12.

Sensor Cleaning & Lens Repair

First off, Niks Thailand is a very cool store.  They have numerous toys on display as well as a bunch of new and old Nikon equipment including some Über telephoto lenses.  In addition to the toys, there is a big screen displaying slideshows of Nikon photo contests in the lobby area which has a few comfortable seats.  The staff is very professional and proficient in English.  They charged 1000 baht (around $30USD) for the sensor cleaning which took 2 hours.  I simply went to a nice outdoor restaurant close by and had lunch while my sensor was being cleaned.  When I got the sensor back they gave me a little card which showed the locations of the dust on my sensor which was completely unnecessary but nice of them to go into detail about it.

I thought I was done w/ Niks Thailand until I had a terrible accident with my $1500+ 70-200mm F2.8 VR lens.  The lens fell from 4 feet up in a camera store onto the concrete floor and cracked (photo at top of post).  Even though the lens seemed to work fine I was worried bout dust and moisture entering through the crack.  I planned to tape the lens but I received advice from people commenting on my flickr page to take it in for repairs so I though why not.  When I took the lens in they told me it would cost 4500 baht to fix (around $150USD) which I thought was fair.  I thought they were going to send the lens in but they said it would take 5 hours!  I told them I would pick it up the next day as I didn’t feel like going to the other side of town during rush hour.

Broken Lens?  Maybe Not

I got the lens back and the crack was fixed 100% perfect (more on that in a bit.)  They explained to me that the manual focus was “stiff.”  It turns out I failed to notice that the manual focus was FUBAR or completely stuck.  I almost never use manual focus but would like to have the option.  I also came to realize that the part I cracked on the lens wasn’t even part of the lens.  It was so easy to fix because it was simply the tripod bracket that allows the camera body to shift from landscape to portrait when the lens is mounted to a tripod.

I should have known that immediately and I’m surprised the people in the store and nobody on my flickr page pointed that out to me.  I feel I wasted 4500 baht because the lens performs the same as it did with the crack there and has no danger of taking water or dust inside the lens.

Regardless of my personal follies, I highly recommend Niks Thailand as a camera repair and camera shop.  I asked the prices and they were not cheap like Pantip Plaza but I’m sure they offered better warranties if that concerns you.  If you’re in the Silom area take a stroll over to Niks Thailand and check it out as you can enjoy looking at some equipment, contest photos and have no pressure put on you to buy anything.

Telephoto Lenses & Camera Bodies on Display at Niks

View Photo Galleries from Thailand & More

As I already mentioned in Part I & Part II of this camera kit series.  I have settled on the Nikon D700 and since purchasing it around 4 months ago I have not read a single review of any cameras or even inquired about Nikon’s newest models and the likely replacement for the D700.  I am 100% happy with my D700 and the camera gear I have kept for my kit which I travel with although I am often unhappy with my photography but that’s what learning and improving your skills is all about.

On a side note:  Even though I am happy with the D700 I am anxiously awaiting the replacement that Nikon has yet to announce.  Nikon just announced the D7000 which is a lower end model replacing the ever popular and great D90 and it looks fabulous.  The features and specs on the Nikon D7000 are any indication the future Nikon D800, D700x, D700s or whatever they decide to call it is going to be a must buy investment.

D700 with (optional) Battery Grip

D700 Digital SLR

As mentioned before I have chose the D700 and love it.  Although for me, the D90 was a slightly “funner” camera the D700 is a better piece of serious equipment which requires a little bit more know-how to get the most out of it.  Since I have upgraded to the D700 I have found the learning curve has caused me to miss more shots than the D90 but the more I use the D700 the easier and more fun it gets to use as well.  Not to mention the quality of my photos is increasing dramatically in the process.

My Current Lenses

Nikon Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8

When I first test shot this lens in the camera store on a D700 I knew immediately I wanted to buy it.  In addition to taking crystal clear photos this lens allows you to get very close to your subjects which lets you take photos from unique perspectives.  Especially while taking tourism photos, I would estimate 95% out there who are taking photos with point and shoots and SLRs would not be able to get.  I find the drawbacks to using this lens are minimal.  Even though the lens is heavy it balances perfectly with the D700 which has even allowed me to get some great shots holding the camera with 1 hand.

Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR

This enormous lens is a lens I love to hate.  While it’s one the best lenses and an absolute delight to use it is by far the worst lens to have when you’re not using it.  When I first started using this lens I would use it solely for far off objects while I used my super-wide for most other things.  I have slowly started using the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR for more of a wide variety of photos, especially controlling depth of field which gives the photos a very professional look.  The VR works flawlessly and has allowed me to get ultra sharp shots even while being sloppy and not holding the camera steady.

Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D

In the first few months of owning this ultra compact lens I barely used it.  Leaving my camera bag behind numerous times and missing out on the opportunity to get some fabulous shots has caused me to appreciate this lens a lot more.  Now instead of leaving my entire camera bag at home or the hotel, I bring just the D700 & this lens.  I don’t have a point-and-shoot other than my cell phone camera but the D700 along with this lens allows me to get far superior shots in low light than any point and shoot although during the day the advantage is lessened, especially for shots of landscapes.

Nikon Nikkor 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5

A lens I essentially got for free this is my only “non-professional” lens in my camera bag.  The focal range is handy for numerous situations and it is light enough to be a “walking around” lens.  Even though this lens is perfect for walking around while touring new places during the day I tend to only use it for its ‘macro’ ability (close up photography).   I also use it for nighttime cityscapes in which I am stuck in a location and cannot get the right shot w/ my 12-24mm ultra wide or my 70-200mm telephoto.  While the shots look great when attached to a tripod, I prefer not to use this lens handheld at night as I would have to crank up the ISO which would yield noisy shots.

Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro

At the moment I haven’t decided if I want to lug around this 1+ pound lens in my camera bag because macro photography is not my #1 passion.  That says nothing about the quality of this lens which is absolutely superb.  The photos are very sharp and the colors seem better than most other lenses.  I purchased the lens with the thought it would make my macro shots a lot better but the truth is the lens has really just shown me how very difficult macro photography is.  Taking photos of flowers is one thing but if you want to get a shot of a honey bee’s eyeball like I do, there is much more to it than simply pointing and shooting.

My Essential Accessories

Nikon MB-10 Battery Grip

I was hesitant to buy this as I had just spent a lot of money on the D700 body and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens.  I was considering a knock-off battery grip but figured I may as well get the Nikon quality version and I’m glad I did.  It took me a while to finally use the battery grip but once I started, I almost never take it off.  In addition to the ability to use another battery, Nikon’s professional powerful battery, and a bunch of AA batteries, the battery grip allows you to get 8fps (frames per second) during continuous shooting with AA or Nikon’s pro battery.  Even though the aforementioned perks are nice, they are not the reason why I recommend a Nikon battery grip to anyone who owns a digital SLR.  The second shutter release and navigation button make shooting a lot more efficient and comfortable.  Switching from landscape (horizontal) to portrait (vertical) is seamless and allows you to frame portraits perfectly almost every time.

Nikon SB -600 Speedlight

I bought it used from Craigslist.org for $200 as opposed to buying the newer and more power SB-900.  While it has the same ability to be used remotely as the SB-900 it has less range and a slower recharge rate.  Like the expensive SB-900 the SB-600 can be used attached to the D700’s hot shoe as well as remotely on a stand.  Since I bought the SB-600 speedlight I have only used it a handful of times and look forward to learning more about flash photography in the future.

Nikon SB-900 Speedlight

Even though I have not been using flash very much as most of my subjects are landscapes and cityscapes, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the rate at which the SB-600 recharged its flash and I really want to get into portrait photography more so I decided to plunk down another few hundred bucks to get Nikon’s flagship flash.  At the time of this writing I haven’t really used the flash much but I will tell you if the instruction manual of 200+ pages is one indication, the flash is very complicated to the untrained photographer.  I have found the built in white bounce card to be very useful so far.  Using the SB-900 in combination with the 105mm Macro lens has produced very satisfying results and has made handheld macro photography a lot more fun but I’m still learning.

Lens Pen & Cleaning Kit

Anyone that owns an SLR knows the frustration of not having the right cleaning supplies to clean their equipment.  Camera equipment is very expensive and should be taken care of properly and I carry a standard lens cleaning kit with lens paper and cleaning solution, a bulb blower and a couple microfiber cloths.  I also have a lens pen which has a brush on one end, and a wet sponge-like cleaning pad on the other.  The lens pen is a must have for anyone with a digital SLR in my opinion.

Kata 123-Go-30 Camera Backpack/sling

The first camera bag I had was a compact, quick release shoulder sling which went over one shoulder.  While I liked the style the constant weight bearing on a single shoulder was causing pretty bad shoulder pain.  I found myself at Funan It Mall in Singapore where I saw a good selection of camera bags.  What attracted me to this bag was the versatility of being to switch from a right or left shoulder sling to a backpack as well as being able to fit all my gear.  The bag is built nice and is comfortable but it is lacking a couple things.  Although there is plenty of room for the aforementioned equipment, there is no way to attach a tripod or a compartment for even a small laptop computer.

Digipod BH-55Q Tripod

After spending thousands of dollars on lenses and camera equipment I really didn’t want to spend too much on a tripod.  I ended up going to Power Buy a retail electronic store chain in Thailand and buying a Fancier tripod which was on sale for 2000 baht.  The tripod was actually very good and although it worked okay it wasn’t designed for a heavy camera/lens combo.  On the first day of a Hong Kong trip, I ended up going tripod shopping.  Although I tested out many tripods ranging from Nikon to Manfrotto I settled on the Digipod based on the recommendation from the knowledgeable guy at the camera shop.  The things I like about the Digipod tripod is the twisting leg adjustments which allow you to quickly extend the entire leg with a single turn.  The coin tightening, sliding medal plate is also far superior at attaching to the camera body than the finger twisting quick release plates of other tripods.  This allows me to shoot portrait orientated long exposures without the weight of the camera/lens moving under its own weight ruining the shot.

One of the Few Mistake-Free Shots I've Taken

General Photography Tips:  Learn from my Mistakes

Just because I’m not a “professional photographer” doesn’t mean you can’t learn some helpful tips from the numerous mistakes I have made.  If you are just starting out with a digital SLR you will initially make mistakes but if you keep these basic ideas in mind, you can minimize your mistakes and be taking cool travel photos soon.

Always Take the Shot

Your camera does no good if it is sitting in your camera bag or hanging around your neck.  Whether you are tired from a whole day of tourism and taking photos or simply aren’t 100% sure if the shot will be cool, there is no point to not taking the shot.   When I say “take the shot” what I really mean is “take a bunch of shots.”  Take a few shots of each subject from different angles and vantage points so you increase the likelihood of getting a pleasing photo.

If people are involved don’t be timid.  If it really bothers you, ask the subject if they are okay with being photographed.  Owning an SLR gives you the advantage of being able to take hundreds if not thousands of shots so don’t be afraid to use them.  Sure, there will be some that you will not use, in fact I would probably say 90% of your shots will end up in the recycle bin on your desktop but if you never take the shot, you will never know whether or not it was good and you will not learn from experience.

Keep Going

This tip goes along with the above “take the shot” tip.  When taking photos of landscapes and cityscapes there is no worse a feeling that getting home and realizing that you should have walked a little further down the street or hiked a little further up the hill to get the shot you want.  If you want to use your DSLR to its maximum potential and be completely satisfied with the photos you take go as far as you can go when trying to get a shot.  Whether this is leaning a little further over the edge of the cliff, climbing up a few more flights of stairs or simply walking around, trying to find a better vantage point, keep going while shooting photos until you hit the proverbial brick wall and you will be happy with your photo shoot.

Try not to Fall Victim to the ‘All or None Principle’

One reason for the popularity of point-and-shoots is because carrying around a camera bag is often a burden.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve complained to myself or friends about carrying around my camera bag while profusely sweating in the extreme heat and humidity of Southeast Asia.

There have been times I wish I had a point and shoot and there are times I wished I’ve had my digital SLR gear but I can honestly say EVERY time I was without a camera I felt like I was missing out.  Whether you leave your bulky digital SLR at home and pack your point-and-shoot it is always better to have your camera than none.  My thinking in the past was “all or none” meaning if I didn’t bring my whole camera bag I would bring nothing.  Just because you have a whole camera kit doesn’t mean you have to bring your entire set of lenses everywhere you go.  Taking a small prime lens such as a 50mm f/1.4 out will significantly lighten your load as well as force you to be more creative which will improve your skills as a photographer.

Always Reset Camera to Default Settings

About an hour before writing this I was served a painful reminder of this.  I had my D700 with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 d lens hanging out my Bangkok taxi’s window on the way to the airport to fly to Phuket and took a few shots of a large group of a few hundred Thai soldiers before they were to invade a fortified protester encampment.  What I didn’t realize is I had my ISO set on 200 which caused all the photos to be blurry and I had to delete them.  If I had did what I’m recommending I would have had some once in a lifetime shots.  Every time you change the settings on your camera most importantly ISO and exposure compensation make sure you reset them back to your desired default settings so you don’t miss an important, once in a lifetime shot.

Conclusion

I will reiterate.  If you’re not a professional photographer who gets paid for your work you likely don’t need a Nikon D700 or even any digital SLR.  Most casual photographers probably don’t want a digital SLR as point-and-shoots and even cell phone cameras get better every generation and are far more convenient.  Those of you who obsess about taking the very best photos and are constantly looking for that perfect shot can rest assured the Nikon D700 is one of the best digital SLRs in its price range.

View a Stream of my Most Popular & Interesting Photos (according to Flickr) on Flickriver

Pick your Location

I had watched Muay Thai at both of the 2 primary Muay Thai stadiums in Bangkok when I had visited for the first time over 5 years ago.  I remember having a great time at Lumpini (often spelled Lumpinee) Stadium which had exciting fights and even a Muay Boran demonstration.  Muay Boran (Muay means ‘boxing’ & boran means ‘ancient’) is the ancient style of Thai boxing in which competitors wore ropes around their fists instead of gloves.  I also remember my night of Muay Thai at Rajadamnern stadium not being as fun so obviously I wanted to go to Lumpini Stadium.

It turns out picking the location to watch Muay Thai in Bangkok really depends on the day you wish to view it.  Lumpini Stadium has the fights on Tuesday, Fridays and Saturdays while Rajadamnern stadium holds the Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday fights.  On a side note, there are also Wednesday night Muay Thai which is free, often has women fights and is located at the MBK shopping center.  The major stadiums do not have women fights and women are not even permitted in the ring.

2 Girls Duking it Out at MBK's Muay Thai Fight Night

Getting There & Buying Tickets

I knew that Lumini Stadium had the fights on Friday night so I planned to go there after my trip to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho I planned to take a taxi all the way from the old section of Bangkok to Silom during rush hour to catch the Muay Thai event that started at 6pm.  I told the taxi driver to take me to “Sanam Lumpini” (sanam means ‘stadium in Thai) and he told me there was no boxing there that night and I would have to go to Rajadamnern Stadium which was very close to the Grand Palace where I had just been.

I thought the driver had a commission arrangement w/ Rajadamnern Stadium or something so I continued to argue until I realized that it was Thurdsay and not Friday.  The taxi drivers are usually more than happy to take you to a Muay Thai event which suggest they get a commission.  Most farang (Caucasian foreigners in Thai) are offered the front row seats at a price of 2000 baht ($60 USD).  I had planned to sit as close as possible to get some photos with my Nikon D700 and assorted lenses so paying for the “better” seats was no problem.

Orono Wor Petchpun - Famous Muay Thai Great

The Event

It turns out that the ringside seats were not really great at all for taking photos as every shot had the ring ropes in the way.  You can view on the slideshow on the bottom of this post.   Rajadamnern Stadium has 3 main levels of seating (refer to the photo at the top of the post).  The floor level has seats mostly foreigners, boxes for the judges and standing room for the fighter’s crew.  The secondary level of seating has mostly Thai people from what I saw.  This is where the people place bets on each fight with hand signals like the New York Stock Exchange.  Then there is a top row of seating which is inside a chain linked fence.

One side of the 2nd level is completely devoid of people as it holds the TV cameras.  Other than being able to put the camera through the ring ropes, like the paid event photographers, this middle section which is elevated over the ring ropes would probably be the best place to take photos.  I am not sure how much it costs or even if non-gambling foreigners are allowed.  The event had mostly young kids with the exception of  a Muay Thai boxer I had heard of by the name of Orono Wor Petchpun (Muay Thai fighter’s last names are actually the names of their gym) who is one of Thailand’s best boxers.  He has 2 KO wins over the great Yodsanklai Fairtex and 2 decision wins over the K1-Max  international superstar Buakaw Por. Pramuk.  Check out this YouTube clip with him in action.

To me, most of the fights were pretty boring.  I remember the first time I went to Lumpini Stadium the fights were all exciting which makes me want to go back there and check it out again.  Not a single fight had a KO and there was a LOT of clinching.  I’m not sure what the exact rules are or how to score the fights, but it seemed that clinching and throwing was happening more than striking.  The event got lively for what I believe was the main event.

The championship fight pitting what appeared to be a couple 13 year-olds got lively when both entered the stadium with their entourages.  One was dressed with a pointy medal hat (see in slide show) while the other had a whole “hype crew” of a painted face guy, a huge fat guy waving a flag and of course, a Chinese-style dragon dancer!  The crowd was especially rambunctious for this fight but it ended with one being crowned champion, and of course, like all the other fights that night, I had no idea who was going to win the judges decision.

Scenes from the Championship Fight

Overall Impression

While I didn’t have the best time at this Thursday night event at Rajadamnern Stadium I still would highly recommend anyone who is visiting Thailand to check out a night of fights.  Like I stated before, I remember having a better experience at Lumpini Stadium but any place you watch Muay Thai in Thailand you will see a different side of Thai people.  People who are generally reserved and quiet are going crazy in a raucous crowd which had a few scuffles amongst fans likely over gambling.

For tourists, also keep in mind that Rajadamnern Stadium is very close to Khao San Road, Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace, some of Thailand’s major tourist attractions.  For those who live in Thailand and have never been to Muay Thai it is worth going as well.  I would be willing to bet a night of the real championships would be a very fun night to attend Muay Thai fights at Rajadamnern Stadium.  For those who don’t care to see fighting and especially don’t want to pay 2000 baht to do so, head to MBK shopping center on Wednesday evenings and you can see what Muay Thai is all about for free.

The 3 Headed Elephant

I saw photos on Flickr of amazing looking interiors and I had to check it out.   It turns out the Viriyaphant family, the same family responsible for creating The Ancient City (Ancient Siam) created the Erawan Museum.   Erawan is the Thai name for the Airavata which is a white elephant who carries the Hindu god Indra.  Upon arriving the unique appearance of the museum is apparent.

Exterior of the Erawan Museum

Getting to the Erawan Museum

The Erawan Museum is technically not located in the city or province of Bangkok but it is very close.  Like Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) the Erawan Museum is located in Samut Prakan which is right next to Bangkok.  It is actually located right off Sukhumvit Road.  I hailed a taxi from my apartment at Sukhumvit Soi 13 and he charged me 200 baht ($6USD) plus 40 baht ($1.20 USD) for the expressway toll to get to the Erawan Museum but this is not the best way.

The best way for anyone to get to the Erawan Museum is to take the BTS as far east as possible (currently On Nut Station) then hail a cab from there as the Sukhumvit Road traffic is almost always completely congested in greater Bangkok.  On the way back from Samut Prakan which was around 30 minutes with good traffic the driver actually used the meter which totaled to be around 170 baht.  Just like going anywhere in Bangkok, if you want to spend the least amount of money, make sure you only get in a cab once they agree to use the meter.

Traditional Thai Dancers performing in front of Erawan Museum

Exploring In & Around the Erawan Museum

The museum is only a portion of the experience you will get when going there.  Assuming you are “politely dressed” i.e. no tank tops, shorts, bikini tops or minskirts you pay the entrance fee of 150 baht ($4.50 USD) and are allowed to roam freely in the large gated area which amounts to a nice garden and park with a couple temples and more.  I chose to go directly in the museum to see if it was free of people for some good photos.  Upon entering the main museum I was ushered to the bottom where I was told no photos and entered the air-conditioned basement museum.  This basement museum had mostly old Chinese and Thai pottery as well as a bunch of information.  I spent around 15 minutes walking around looking then I decided to go into the main museum.

After taking off my shoes I walked into the main museum which was a site to behold (see photo at top of post).  It is difficult to describe but one word that comes to mind is breathtaking.  There are many various sculptures and staircases which are a work of art themselves (you can see more of the sights in the slideshow at the bottom of this post).  The main hall was not air conditioned so after taking my fair share of photos I made my way to the top of the stairs where I found the (air conditioned) spiral staircase which leads up to the belly of the elephant.

Spiral Staircase Leading up to the Top Floor (Inside the Elephant)

Up to the Belly of the Beast

After climbing several flights of the spiral stairs (note:   There is a also an elevator) I made it to the top room and WOW.  The room was shaped as an beautifully painted arc which surrounded by several encased Buddhas.  The Buddhas had no photo signs so I didn’t take any shots of them.  I had a chance to take a bunch of photos as the occasional tourist or Thai would come up to pray to the main Buddha.  I literally stayed in this air conditioned room for 30 minutes shooting photos and just absorbing the ambiance.

The Final Room at the End of the Spiral Staircase

Overall Impression

I thought the Erawan Museum was Awesome with a capital A.  I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Bangkok.  Erawan Museum was not at all crowded and I only saw one other western tourist there.  The visitors seemed to mostly be Thai and Chinese.  Every square inch of the museum is a site to see and once you exit there are plenty of other attractions including a temple with an Indian monk w/ dozens of doves, the aforementioned Thai dancers and I even got a chance to use my new Nikon 105mm Macro Lens to take photos of flowers, insects, birds and a frog.

If your time in Bangkok is limited, it is good to know that Erawan Museum is located within a few kilometers of Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) which is definitely a few hours worth of your time as well.  Plan a good day excursion from Bangkok and arrive at the Erawan Museum around 9-10 spend an hour or 2 there then procede to Ancient Siam for another 2-3 hours and you just had a good day of tourism to immerse yourself in the Thai culture.

Finally Inside the Grand Palace

Hopefully you already read Part I:  Getting to the Grand Palace.  At the main ticket entrance there is a guard and a bunch more people who are independent tour guides.  I had an older gentleman approach me who spoke English very well.   He asked for 300 baht ($9 USD) for around an hour tour which I took his offer.    I forgot his real name but he told me to call him, “Captain.”
Captain showed me the changing room for those who didn’t come “politely” dressed where you can buy clothes and get changed. I happened to have just bought a pair of long pants on Sukhumvit Road before I left so I had to change. After changing I proceeded to the ticket gate and paid the rather expensive (for Thailand) 350 baht ($11.30 USD) entrance fee.

Map of the Grand Palace (click to enlarge)

Touring the Grand Palace

I highly recommend getting a guide as Captain made everything a little easier as well interesting as had a extremely rich knowledge of everything in the palace.  I was there primarily for taking photos but Captain was very patient as I would stop and take photos while he was talking.

Taking photos in the palace was often times challenging due to the amount of tourists who were there posing for pictures.  I went on a weekday so I would assume it would be even more crowded on the weekends.  After entering the palace (scene at top of post) we walked around and Captain told me about the history of everything and a lot of information that I already forgot.

The first attraction was the actual temple (which I believe) the whole palace was built around named Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.   On the way to Wat Phra Kaew my guide told me about all the various temples and where the designs originated.  I was surprised to hear that many styles of structures were given to Thailand from places such as Cambodia and China.  There was even a large scale model of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.

The actual Temple of the Emerald Buddha was the only place where photography was prohibited.  I took the picture of the emerald Buddha (below) from outside the main area which like all other worshiping areas required you to take off the shoes.   Wat Phra Kaew was pretty standard as far as temples in Thailand go.  It was surrounded with hundreds of gold statues.

The Emerald Buddha

Moving from Buddhism to the Monarchy

After filling my mind with a bunch of knowledge and camera with plenty photos I moved away from Wat Phra Kaew towards the south of the Grand Palace grounds.  The south part of the Grand Palace grounds contained Thai government and royal administrative buildings as well as the former residence of the King and the guest quarters.

I got a kick out of the guide’s story of the guest quarters when he told me the list of the guests who have stayed there which included a bunch of royals and oddly enough Bill Clinton.  I could only imagine how Bill Clinton would spend his night in Grand Palace guest residence.  After hearing taking some photos of the impeccable landscaping and buildings my attention was grabbed by the sounds of marching boots.

Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall

Changing of the Guard

I had taken a few photos of the guards before but I got lucky as it was time for the changing of the guard.  I missed a shot of the changing of the guard in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Temple in Taipei so it was time to redeem myself.  The soldiers who looked as if they were all under 18 did the changing of the guard ceremony and it turned out to be a perfect end to my visit to the Grand Palace.  This section of the Grand Palace  was not as interesting as the Buddhist temple and monument section but it was a good place for people to take photos.

Changing of the Guard at the Grand Palace

Overall Impression

Not too long ago I was told by a fellow expat living in Thailand that the Grand Palace was overrated and I would agree with that sentiment.  I am definitely NOT saying it isn’t worth going to but for the price (100 baht cab ride, 350 baht entrance, 300 baht guide) it simply isn’t very much more impressive than other temples or buildings throughout Thailand.  The fact that they can charge 350 baht for admission really tells you a lot about how popular the Grand Palace is as a tourist attraction though.  I saw just as many Thais there as foreigners.   Again, I would highly recommend hiring a guide for your Grand Palace experience.  If you’re that cheap you can even bargain with the tour guides near the changing room.  I’m glad after 16 months of living in Bangkok I finally made it to the Grand Palace but I would consider it a great place to get started for anyone visiting Bangkok and Thailand.

If you plan to make it to the Grand Palace be sure not to miss Wat Pho which is one of the oldest and most impressive temples in Bangkok and is located directly behind the Grand Palace.

Wat Pho – Coming Soon

The Grand Palace

Thailand is a popular tourism destination for many reasons one being the predominantly Buddhist Thai culture which is apparent in every nook and cranny of the country.  Arguably the center of Thai culture in the whole country of Thailand lies in the Grand Palace which in old part of Bangkok.

Most first time visitors to Bangkok will see the Grand Palace at one point of their visit especially if a visit is included in a guided tour of Bangkok as any guided tour will include the crown jewel of Bangkok’s tourist attractions.

The Grand Palace is a section of land that not only holds several famous Buddhas and temples but also is the center of the Royal Thai monarchy.  As I quickly learned from my guide and the pamphlet I was given for purchasing a ticket, the Grand Palace is not just a Buddhist temple.

Without getting into too much detail about the history of the Grand Palace which you sure to learn upon your visit, the Grand Palace consists of everything from administrative buildings to the former residence of the King to Buddhist monuments as well as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

On the Outside Looking in: The Grand Palace at Night

Essential Information:  Before you Go

Entrance Fee: 350 baht

Last Ticket Sold: 3:30pm (15:30) you can remain in the Palace after 3:30pm but you must buy your ticket before then.

“Polite Dress required’: This means long pants for men and no tanktops.  Women are expected to dress rather conservatively with means extremely short shorts and miniskirts are out.

Close attractions: If you make your way to the Grand Palace you may want to plan ahead and visit the adjacent Wat Pho and Wat Arun across the river.  If you’re not staying there, Khao San Road is very close as well.

Getting to the Grand Palace

For the countless first time visitors of Bangkok who stay near the infamous backpacker’s ghetto Khao San Road, getting to the Grand Palace is as simple as a 15 minute walk or a quick tuk tuk ride.  For those who are staying in the newer areas of Bangkok (Silom & Sukhumvit) getting to the Grand Palace will not only take longer.  For anyone staying away from Khao San Road there are 2 primary ways to get to the Grand Palace.

1.  The Scenic Route

Primarily for people who are visiting Bangkok as a tourist, the scenic route is recommended as it will allow them to see more of Bangkok.  The scenic route involves a trip on the BTS Sky Train.  Catch the underground (MRT) or BTS and make your way to the Saphan Thaksin station.  Directly under the station is an obvious path towards the Chao Phraya River where there is a river taxi station.  Buy the cheap  (15 baht?) ticket and board the boat which will slowly progress North on the Chao Phraya until station N13 is reached.  Once the station is reached the Grand Palace is close enough to walk to or take a quick  taxi or tuk tuk ride to.

2.  Taxi

Taking a taxi can be the either the quickest or slowest way to get to places.  Bangkok’s traffic will determine how long it takes to get there.  My journey from my Sukhumvit Soi 13 apartment took around 40 minutes because of the traffic.  If you decide to take a taxi there make sure you know the name of the main temple of the Grand Palace as telling the driver “Grand Palace” will often result in blank stares.  If you mention the primary temple ‘Wat phra Kaew’ the driver will almost certainly know where you want to go, but once you mention it be aware of the following:

Grand Palace Rip – Offs

Since the Grand Palace is probably Bangkok’s most popular tourist attraction the likelihood of dealing with scam artists is high.  Regardless of where you are hailing the taxi, BEFORE YOU GET IN, make sure he (would put he/she but I have never seen a woman taxi driver) turns on the meter.  If they request any amount of money, decline and move on to the next taxi which will likely be directly behind the one you are talking to followed by another, and another, and another.

A common scam amongst taxi drivers (especially those who congregate in “tourist” areas) is telling people, “The Grand Palace is closed.”  Unaware tourists will take their word for it and the taxi driver will take them on a commissionable tour of various (mostly Indian owned) highly overpriced tailors, “Thai export factories” aka fake souvenir & jewelry shops and more.  In short, get the taxi driver to turn on the meter before you get in and you will get to the location but you still need to be aware of the same scam once you get there.  If you plan to visit Bangkok or live there and are concerned about scams BangkokScams.com will be a helpful site for you.

Part II:  Touring the Grand Palace

Because I am not a professional photographer I am not biased by years or decades of prior experience, changing technology and times. I do not take pictures of brick walls or test charts and critique lenses for fun. I travel anywhere in the world and I take photos of things I think look cool.

Almost everyone has a digital camera these days. Point-and-shoot cameras are the most popular because they take great photos, are small, light and cheap. For those of you who like to carry as little as possible gear, don’t like to spend that much money and value having a camera that can go with you everywhere with very little hassle and cost, a quality point-and-shoot is everything and more than you need. My favorite is the Canon S90 which is not the tiniest point-and-shoot but has a great interface, lots of cool features and takes tremendous photos.

For those of you like myself, who aren’t satisfied with getting a great or even excellent photo but want a PERFECT photo, you will likely have to go through a trial and error process to develop a camera kit which suits all your needs. This camera kit will no doubt have a digital SLR camera body and an assortment of lenses.

Benefit from My Obsession

Use my painful and expensive method to finding the right camera gear for my bag to help you. I spent a better part of 4 months literally spending all day reading about lenses, buying them and testing them in real world situations. This was a good and bad experience for me. The bad was instead of traveling and going to new places I was inside reading about the lens options I had and taking photos of the same things over and over again.

The good was I learned a lot about photography, experienced quite a few lens and camera options and found a kit which I am 100% completely satisfied with. Testing lenses inside camera shops wasn’t good enough for me. I just went out and bought the lenses I read about and used them in real world situations.

My Experience with Camera Bodies & Lenses in the Past Half Year

Nikon D90 Camera Body

I loved the D90 when I had it and I still love it when comparing it to the Nikon D700 which I upgraded to. I actually miss the D90 on a daily basis when I’m shooting with the D700! First of all, the D90 has everything you need and then some. The buttons seem to be all in the right place and it is light but not cheaply built. I bashed the video recording capabilities when I first blogged Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera but I would like to take that back!

The video lacks autofocus which renders the camera useless for things which move in the vertical plane but it also allows you to control depth of field which is what really differentiates amateur from professional film! Watch any movie or TV show and you will see focus shift from the foreground to the background almost every scene. The D90 allows you to achieve this professional effect which is virtually impossible on all camcorders. Of course if you’re shooting anything other than small scenes for a commercial or movie such as sports or your kids playing you’re still going to want to get a camcorder but the D90 video capabilities can create some professional looking cinematic moments from your digital SLR.

Of course 99% of people, myself included buy a digital SLR to capture still images. In order to get the still images you desire, choosing the correct lens and knowing when/how to use it is crucial. I had a chance to work with a number of popular lenses with the Nikon D90 and here is my experience with each of them.

My Lenses with the Nikon D90

Nikon Nikkor 18-105mm VR

The Nikkor 18-105 mm VR was the first lens I ever used which came with the Nikon D90 kit. I liked the lens performance initially as the focal range was good for a variety of uses and the photos turned out nice and sharp but as I started reading about the many Nikon and 3rd party SLR lens I decided to ‘upgrade’.

While I was almost 100% satisfied with this lens I figured I could get more out of a longer focal length or wider angles.  The lens is great for any Nikon SLR because of its built in motor which makes it a perfect lens for anyone on a budget who is just getting into SLR photography.

Users of the D40, D60 and D5000 will like this lens a lot more than the standard kit lens (18-55mm VR) simply because it is just as sharp and has that useful extra 50mm of zoom to work with along with the same valuable VR (Vibration Reduction).

Nikon Nikkor 18-200mm VRII

Like many people who have used the internet to find information about lenses I read the glowing review by Ken Rockwell about this lens.

I researched it and determined that the optic performance was likely the same as the kit lens I wanted to be able to cover more range and this popular lens covers 300mm equivalent telephoto.

I will admit I didn’t know enough about DSLR photography at the time I had this lens to get the most out of it.  I believe this lens is a great pickup for almost all photographers who have DX  (Nikon cropped frame) sensors.  Like Mr. Rockwell says, this truly is a do-it-all lens that can get almost everything the average travel photographer shoots with the exception of the super-wide angles.

Nikon Nikkor 50mm F1.8

Another glowing review by Ken Rockwell caused me to purchase this little lens. It was probably the easiest choice to make as it costs around $100USD and auto focuses with the D90’s built it motor. The lens is simple, light, cheap and gets great performance in even the lowest of light.

You can expect VERY sharp images when taking shots of people or animals within this range. Being a prime lens, the drawback is you have to move your feet rather than twisting a zoom ring.

Nikon Nikkor 10-24mm

Even though the D90 was giving me great images I still desired more. At the time I thought it was the camera I needed to upgrade when comparing my shots with the D90 and 18mm (27mm equivalent) and people with the new, expensive full frame cameras.

It turned out what I really was missing was the wide angle from an ultra-wide angle lens. This Nikkor DX lens was expensive and while the range 10-24mm (15-36mm equivalent) was nice, the performance didn’t meet my satisfaction after spending over $900 USD on it. While images in good light looked pretty good, when the light wasn’t there, the images almost never looked sharp, even when mounted on a tripod.

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

I was hesitant to buy a 3rd party lens for my Nikon D90 but I read many positive reviews on Amazon and flicker about this Japanese made Tokina ultra wide. The main knock on the lens from reviews was there was a sample variation with some lenses having issues. It cost $300USD less than the aforementioned Nikkor so I decided to give it a try and I’m glad that I did.

The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 quickly became my favorite lens for the Nikon D90.  Everything about the lens was impressive from the quality of build, to the very smooth zoom ring to the great low light performance and topped off with almost perfectly sharp wide angle images.  Although some reviews criticized its focusing ability, it focused perfectly on my D90 although you should take note if your SLR body has a focusing motor or not because this lens does not have one.

Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8

After experiencing the vast difference between a lens with a standard (f/3.5+) aperture and the professional Tokina 11-16mm with a f/2.8 maximum aperture I decided to give this Sigma a try. As I planned to sell my Nikkor 18-200mm VR I chose this lens for 3 reasons including the one I just mentioned.

Another reason was the Nikon equivalent lens cost several times more and finally this Sigma had very close focusing capabilities. I thought the macro abilities would make this a great “walking around” lens and it did, well kind of. I found when I used this lens I would only use it for close up objects at 50mm. I originally bought it for the versatility but found it wasn’t versatile at all for the kind of shooting I like to do, especially ultra-wide angles.

Part II:  Upgrade to the Full Frame Nikon D700

Bangkok’s Best Kept Secret?

I happened to be looking at an apartment on Sathorn 3, Suan Plu Soi 8 one night when I walked past a unique food stall/restaurant.  Outside from the main dining area was a food stall with 2 pans with wonderful looking, sizzling steaks.  The minute I saw the steaks I new I had to try this place so I sat down and ordered.

After a few minutes I received my steak flambe’ and was immediately impressed by the presentation as well as the aroma.  I was hooked after the first bite as the meat was tender and delicious while the sauce was extraordinary.  After I finished the best steak I’ve had in Bangkok I asked for the “Check Bin” (check bill in Thai) and I was amazed that the price was only 150 baht!  ($4.63 USD).

I knew there was something fishy about this particular place to eat in Bangkok because I noticed the chef was paying incredible attention to detail while preparing the food.  I started talking with chef Sanjorn (or John).  It turns out Sanjorn is a current/former chef at the Sukhothai which is one of the swankiest 5-star hotels in all of Thailand!  He is an incredibly nice guy who is more than willing to tell you everything about his food as well as practice his English while you practice your Thai.

Sanjorn Cooking on Suan Plu Soi 8

Sanjorn Cookshop’s Location

Although the area is out of the way for most foreigners it is a great neighborhood.  I remembered vividly how much I liked the neighborhood because it was where the old Thai immigration center was.   In addition to the many food stalls on Thanon Suan Plu, there is a wonderful outdoor food market right at the beginning of the soi.  It is easy to see the area is close to a major university as there are uniformed students everywhere.

The actual location of Sanjorn Cookshop is on Sathorn (Thai: สาทร) or Sathon 3, Suan Plu Soi 8.  It is 4 shops down on the left hand side where you will see the outside cooking area and the inside dining area.  It is relatively close to both Sala Daeng BTS, and Lumpini & Silom MRT stations but I take my bicycle there.  It takes me around 20 minutes via bicycle to get to Sanjorn Cookshop from my apartment at Sukhumvit Soi 13.

The Food & Menu

The steak is what I order almost every time I head to Sanjorn Cookhouse.  Each time the steak meal  has subtle differences based on what’s available and so far everything has been absolutely delicious.  The menu is hardly limited to steak as the other menu items which include everything from salmon, to fish, to pork to traditional Thai dishes look amazing.  The best part is everything on the menu is affordable.  I have had food at restaurants in Bangkok that cost several times more than John’s food but the taste pales in comparison.

My Favorite Steak in Bangkok for 150 baht

Some more of the Amazing Menu Items for less than 200 baht at Sanjorn Cookshop

Overall Impression

When dining out at a place for the first time I can immediately categorize the place into one of 3 categories:  1.  Will never eat at again, 2.  Will possibly eat at again and 3.  I’m coming back tomorrow and Sanjorn Cookshop easily fit in the number 3 category.  The chef John is a very nice guy who can provide a lot of information about the food he prepares.

John’s experience and abilities as a chef are likely in the top 1% of Bangkok restaurants and he offers his tasty creations for a fraction of the price that it would cost elsewhere.  Since the price is so affordable I look at Sanjorn as an affordable “personal chef.”  Even though the location is “out of the way” to most foreigners living in Bangkok, it is a breath of fresh air with mostly Thai people, some cool shops, markets and of course my favorite place to eat in Bangkok, Sanjorn Cookshop.

http://web.me.com/garycollier1/Sanjorn/Welcome.html