Trip to Immigration

As I mentioned in my previous post about getting a Thai Visa in Kuala Lumpur I have a ED or student visa through my language school Language Express.  This student visa is actually good for up to 3 years provided I keep my tuition payed at my school and my ED visa current.

To keep the ED visa current you DO NOT have to leave Thailand.  You simply must go to immigration every 90 days and pay the 1800 baht ($55 USD) fee.  Since I plan to travel outside of Thailand often I have to also purchase a re-entry permit.  The re-entry permit allows me to leave the country without losing the student visa.

The multiple re-entry permit I get costs 3800 baht ($116 USD) which allows you to leave Thailand as many times as you want before the 3 months are up and keep the ED visa.  Single re-entry permits are also available for 1000 baht ($30 USD).  While I consider the re-entry permit to be a necessity it does cause a major headache at immigration making it a whole day event.

New Location

The Thai immigration bureau was previously located at Thanon Suan Plu which was very close to Silom and convenient for most people who live along the BTS.  The street was a nice, friendly neighborhood with the typical food on the street, 7-elevens and shops.  The actual immigration building was a dump to say the least.  It was extremely crowded and had minimal, if any air conditioning which is probably the reason why the location was updated.

The new location for immigration is in a GIANT government building complex consisting of multiple buildings.  The immigration department is directly on the right as you walk in (see photo at top) and if you walk forward you will see a huge convention center surrounded by various government offices.  It looks bleak at first but the basement floor has a bunch of surprises for you long immigration wait.

In addition to the copy shop which charges a ridiculously low 1 baht (3 cents) per copy there are several restaurants, a giant coupon cafeteria,  7-Eleven and even a small kiosk-style shopping mall not to mention a bunch of real estate advertising and even more shops which I didn’t explore.  You’re no doubt going to be waiting if you go to immigration and if you time it right, you could avoid sitting listening to the horrific Scottish-Spanish sounding woman recorded voice of the queue numbers.

Ground floor of the Goverment Building

Getting to the New Location

The new location is far more inconvenient for anyone living near Sukhumvit or any BTS station.  It is located near the Don Muang Airport.  To get there the best and fastest way is to take the BTS to Mo Chit aka Jatuchak where there is always a line-up of taxis right as you exit the BTS.  Make sure you exit the BTS station on the side of the Jatuchak Market and the lake to catch a cab in the right direction.

The cab ride from the Mo Chit BTS takes around 10-15 minutes and costs around 100 baht ($3 USD).  The immigration is located inside building B of an ENORMOUS government building complex.  It is on the ground floor (2nd floor) which is visible directly as you enter the building from where the taxi drops you off.  After you get there, your immigration adventure finally begins.

New Location for Thai Immigration

New Queue System, Very Long Wait

Instead of the free-for-all type of queue where people rush the machine to push the button to get their number, the new immigration has a system (the word system should be used loosely).  First you have to get your forms from the agents at the front desk as you walk in.  Signs were posted saying you would NOT get a queue number if your forms were not completely filled out.

Once the forms are filled out and the photos are glued (glue provided) to the forms you walk through a metal detector in the main waiting room.  A line awaits which is for getting your queue number ticket.  Once you get the queue number it is time to wait for your number to be called.  Once your number is called you simply walk up to the agent, pay your fee and sit back down and wait again to receive your freshly stamped visa on your passport.

In my case I had to go back to the initial line to get another queue number for my re-entry permit.  IF YOU NEED A RE-ENTRY PERMIT THIS TIP MAY SAVE YOU AN HOUR OR MORE. If you are getting your visa extended as well as a re-entry permit, make sure to get the queue number for your re-entry permit directly after you submit your passport for the visa.  Make sure you get your re-entry permit application at the time you get your passport application, fill it out and have it ready.  It took me over an hour (2 counting lunch) to get my passport back and if I waited to get the re-entry permit queue number until after I got my passport I would have wasted at least another hour.

I took some photos in immigration but decided not to post them as it may get me in trouble….

Lunch for All

Something that really bugged me was the lunch.  Signs were posted throughout the immigration office “Lunch: 1200 -1300.”  I was thinking, “there is no way they are going to shut this place down at noon.”  I was wrong.  Instead of having separate shifts, the entire immigration department has lunch from noon to 1 while everyone is shooed out of the office.  Most people went to eat but I went to the copy shop to start this blog post.

Learn from My Mistakes

My language school recommended being at immigration at around 8:30am which is when they open.  This is dead on.  If you arrive from 8:30am to 9:30am there is a good chance you will be out of immigration before noon when everyone goes on lunch.  If you think you are going to be there much after 10 or 11, it may be worth it for you to just wait until after 1pm when the workers get back from lunch.  I arrived around 10:30 or 11:00am and I ended up leaving at 4:30pm which wasn’t desirable at all.

Whoever is helping you with your visa should give you all the directions but they aren’t always very clear.  Anything dealing with a visa requires copies of everything.  It is a great idea to make MULTIPLE copies of every (pertinent) page on your passport.  Also remember to get multiple copies of your passport/visa photos so you don’t have to take them over and over again.

Renewing a visa is akin to going to the DMV in America.  Driving is a privilege and in order to be able to drive you have to put in some time in the DMV.  Living in Thailand as a foreigner is a privilege and every 3 months for a student visa holder this privilege is beaten in your head with a wasted day inside immigration.

Best Part about Going to the Government Center: Leaving

Bicycle Upgrade

I believe I told the story in previous posts but I’ll repeat it again.  I spent around 4,500 baht ($136 USD) on a bicycle from Big C which is basically Thailand’s version of Target from the USA which turned out to be a complete waste of money.  In addition to the handlebars falling off as I was riding it home, the cheap components died after the 2nd bike ride I went on.  While the bike had multiple suspension systems and looked cool, it was a complete piece of garbage.

I ended up giving the bike to one of the security guards for my apartment building and start looking for a real bike shop to get a bike I could zoom through the streets of Bangkok on.   I had ridden a bicycle through the streets of San Francisco for the past 3 years on my Specialized Sirrus Comp and felt the need to get a better bicycle if I was to ride one at all.

Probike

I found probike by searching on google.  The location was perfect because it was in a familair location right next to Lumpini Park (map above).  I bought a bicycle in the first place because of the traffic-free bicycle path which leads from my apartment to Lumpini Park (pictured above).  After getting used to the Bangkok traffic I decided that it is actually easier to ride bikes through the streets of Bangkok than San Francisco.

While there is more traffic in Bangkok than San Francisco the traffic is slower and believe it or not a little more predictable.   As I was looking around Probike’s showroom I noticed familiar hybrid style bikes which is what I wanted as well as high end road bikes, mountain bikes, and all sorts of bikes.

I started thinking that I really didn’t need a street bike because Bangkok’s geography is the polar opposite of San Francisco.  While the hills in San Francisco present a challenge for any bicyclist the almost 100% flat area of Bangkok doesn’t require as light a bike.  The unevenness of the curbs, and poorly layed brick sidewalks of Bangkok gave me the idea that a mountain bike would be a better idea anyway.

Part of the Showroom at Probike in Bangkok

Probike Service

Probike is stocked with mostly Trek and Gary Fisher bikes from what I saw.  The staff of green shirted employees was very friendly and helpful.  As soon as I pointed out the bike I wanted, without asking they immediately dropped 2500 baht ($75 USD) off the sticker price, offered me a free 1 year service plan and a bunch of discounts on accessories such as lights, locks, helmets and more.  I talked to an ex US army doctor on the way out and he told me they did the same for him saving him a lot of money as well.

I ended up spending 14,000 baht ($415 USD ) on a 2009 green Trek mountain bike (picture at top of post).  The sales guy offered me the 2008 model of the same bike for 10,000 baht ($330 USD) but I liked the green color and thought the bike’s Shimano components felt a lot smoother.  I was very surprised how fast the mountain bike was compared to my hybrid from in San Francisco.  It probably has something to do with riding on all flat surfaces past the slow Bangkok traffic.

I have went back a few times since I bought the bike to get things tightened up and tuned up a bit and the staff is always very friendly and doesn’t even ask for my proof of service plan to fix everything for free.  The shop and atmosphere reminds me of  my bike store in San Francisco Mike’s Bikes.  I highly recommend Probike for anyone looking to buy a quality bicycle in Bangkok.

The Probike website is very nice as well with tons of information about the shop as well as everything related to the bicycle culture in Thailand.  Probike.co.th

December 5th, 2009

For the last 60+ years Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX has been the king of Thailand.  He is revered by all Thai people and his birthday is a week-long celebration.  You can view a documentary about his reign in the following  King Bhumibol documentary (27:50).  I remember how large the celebration was when I attended it my first trip to Thailand in 2005.

One of Many Performances on Ratchadamnoen Road

First Trip to Thailand

When I came to Thailand for the first time in November-December 2004/2005 I was fortunate enough to attend the King’s birthday celebration event.  I was staying near Khao San Road which is a 5 minute stroll to the the Grand Palace and the home of the famous emerald Buddha Wat Phra Kaew. I was fascinated that so many Thai people attended the birthday celebration.

Sanam Luang which is basically a huge (30 acres) empty lot next to the Grand Palace was completely packed with people who sat and watched the performances, muay Thai, parades and fireworks while they occasionally sang.  The way the giant number (estimate later in post) of Thai people handled themselves during this huge celebration showed me a lot about Thai culture and the people of Thailand and really factored in my decision to move to Bangkok.

Lit Candles & Singing the Royal Song Before Fireworks Show on Ratchadamnoen Road

Getting to the King’s Birthday Celebration

What I Think is the King's Car Passing near Grand Palace

I now live far from the dinky hotel I was staying near Khao San Road when I was in Bangkok in 2005.  I got an early start because I knew traffic would be difficult if not impossible to get near the Grand Palace before the streets were closed off.

I took the BTS from Phloen Chit to National Stadium to bypass some of the usual Sukhumvit Road gridlock.  I knew I would have to ask multiple taxis because few will take me to the most crowded areas.  After asking 3 taxis the 4th guy decided to take me. I left just at the right time because as we approached the area there were tens of thousands of pink-clad Thais lining the streets to view the King’s motorcade pass.

They were on the verge of shutting down all traffic so my taxi driver actually had little traffic to deal with although security wouldn’t let him drop me off until we got all the way to the Grand Palace. After I got there I was ushered to a sidewalk amidst heavy security which was there more for traffic and people control than security.  They stopped everyone from crossing streets and I sat patiently on the sidewalk until the King’s motorcade passed and they let people move freely again.

An Absolutely Huge Gathering

I made my way to Sanam Luang (the 30 acre lot next to Grand Palace) which was filling up rapidly.   People were ushered to certain areas to create lanes which I soon found out was for parades.  You can see some of the parades in the video at the bottom of the post.  After the parades the area was getting even more filled up.

I wanted to take pictures which was very difficult in this area because the crowd was huge and it was all flat making it almost impossible to get a good vantage point for whatever was going on at the main stage.  I saw photographers on top of these tall utility trucks and thought about paying them for a spot but I knew there was a lot of things to see and photograph elsewhere. I started getting annoyed by the constant flow of people in the area so I walked away from the main action.

There was muay Thai, traditional Thai dance, snake charmers, loads of food and product vendors and more stuff I missed because I decided to move to a less packed area. How many people attended the celebration was a big question for me.  I attended new years even in Brazil on Copacabana beach which I have heard has 2 million people but the King’s birthday seemed to have even more people.

The 30 acre area of Sanam Luang was completely packed so I did a little math.  I read 6000+ people can fit in an acre so if Sanam Luang is 30 acres then 18,000 people were packed on it.  I think the estimate of 6,000 people fitting in an acre is way off as I remember college football games where crowds of 35,000 stormed the field and it seemed 3/4 of the crowd was on the field which is slightly larger than an acre.

I decided to find a less crowded area and decided to walk towards Democracy Monument.  The whole way from Grand Palace to Democracy Monument was completely packed with people to the point where I couldn’t extend either arm without touching someone.  There was more crowded areas but I highlighted the areas which were packed.

Approximate Area which was Completely Packed with People during King's Birthday

Enjoying the Festivities

As I made my way away from the super densely packed area and walked along Ratchadamnoen Road I could enjoy the celebration a lot more.  The whole area was still packed with people but I was able to put down the tripod to take some pictures of the many attractions.  Everywhere I turned was something different to watch or photograph.

At a certain time (I forgot) everyone lit the candles which were handed out along the way and the people all started singing the king’s song.  Anyone who spends an extended amount of time in Bangkok knows the song as it’s played in the city and park every day at 6pm when people stop what they’re doing, stand and listen to it.  It’s also played at movie theaters before the movie starts.

After the song one of the many fireworks shows began.  The fireworks lasted for around 5 minutes and then a parade of brightly lit floats began.  The floats reminded me of the boats that I saw during the Loy Krathong festival but this time they were on wheels and slowly proceeded down the street.  There were many Thai musical groups performing on a large stage just past Democracy Monument which was being recorded professionally for national television I presume.

One of Dozens of Moving Floats for King Bhumibol

Overall Impression

I had a great time although I’m not the biggest fan of large crowds.  I would recommend a visit to the King’s birthday celebration in Bangkok for anyone who happens to be in Bangkok the week of December 5th.  In fact I would also recommend the King’s birthday as a reason for anyone to travel to Bangkok and experience the Thai people and part of their culture.  I went on the actual day of the King’s birthday but from the fireworks shows I could see from my apartment window, I’m pretty sure the celebration is on for the entire week.   I will let the pictures and video do most of the talking for this post.

Fireworks for King Bhumibol and the Thai People

Bully’s Pub Thanksgiving Buffet

I have walked past Bully’s pub at least 100 times as it’s on the way to the gym I usually work out at.  It is located right on Sukhumvit Road in between Soi 2 and 4.  You can’t miss it as there is a life-sized brass bull in front (see picture above).  I thought it was an expat and tourist bar so I figured it was overpriced and filled with drunk Ausies, Europeans and Americans so I never really had the urge to go.  This changed when I was invited for a Thanksgiving all-you-can-eat buffet by my neighbor Jan who is a fellow travel blogger at TravelWithJan.com

There was no way I be eating Thai noodle soup on the biggest eating day of any American’s year so I gladly accepted the invitation.  I arrived to Bully’s Pub around 7:15pm after my Thai Language class and luckily it was not that busy.  I stacked up my plate with all the Thanksgiving regular foods including mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, yams, ham and of course gravy.  I stuffed my face with the delicious Thanksgiving foods as I met Jan’s friends.  One of Jan’s friends happened to be like me, another photographer hobbyist with a photo website which you can see at HowardKreiger.com

After I returned from Bully’s Pub that night I went online to see reviews.  One review sparked my attention as it said Bully’s Pub had a large American breakfast which has been one of the very few things I have missed from America during my 8 months so far in Thailand.

Big American Breakfast

I went to bed looking forward to the next morning when I could dig into a big greasy American breakfast.  After going to bed around 2am I woke up unusually early around 9am.  I checked a few emails and headed out the door around 10m towards Bully’s pub and when I got there it wasn’t open yet!  I was aggravated that I’d have to wait until 11am to get my breakfast but luckily there is a Starbucks across the street which I headed to to drink a coffee while I waited.

The American breakfast comes with 2 large pieces of toast, 2 eggs done any way you like, 2 sausage patties, 2 slices of bacon and potatoes which were made on the skillet with bell peppers and onions.  The American breakfast at Bully’s also comes with coffee/tea and juice which I special ordered a orange/pineapple mix.  The portion size was just like I wanted it and I found myself having trouble finishing although the giant coffee I drank 20 minutes before at Starbucks may have had something to do with it.

Big Plate with Greasy Potatoes, Bacon and Sausage Patties with 2 eggs and Toast

Overall Impression

I’m not really into the bar scene so I pretty much ignored Bully’s Pub and now that I’ve eaten there twice I can say if you’re used to American sized portions Bully’s is a good place to get filled up.  As far as bars go, the place was very big and spacious with multiple flat screen TVs playing sports along with a couple pool tables.

Bully’s Pub is probably the best place in Bangkok (so far) to refuel and begin to reduce that Saturday or Sunday morning hangover.  If you’re really hungry at breakfast time, Bully’s Pub’s breakfast is the perfect thing to get in the morning to fuel you up for a day of whatever Bangkok has to offer you.  The price was 180 baht but after the standard 10% 20 baht tip it came out to 200 baht (around $6 USD) which is double most “American breakfasts” served around Bangkok but Bully’s is twice the size and twice the grease;)

Delicious Breakfast - Extensive Menu

Exercise at Lumpini Park

Any health minded person who has ever lived or visited Bangkok for an extended period of time has visited Lumpini Park.  Besides being a relaxing oasis from the sometimes hectic Bangkok traffic,  Lumpini park is also a place where thousands of people come to exercise on a daily basis.  Throughout the day there is a nonstop flow of bicyclists and  runners , going around the lakes on the cement paths complete with kilometer markers and the newly rubberized track & field style running paths.

Every single day at 5 and 6pm giant aerobics classes start complete with cheesy Thai aerobics music and a few hundred people (mostly women) performing basic aerobics class steps to the music.  In addition to the swimming pool, tennis court,  basketball court and senior citizen center there are various sometimes odd fitness contraptions spread throughout the park.  Fitness also extends onto the water as a couple dozen pedal boats are available to rent as well.

Outdoor Gym #2

Outdoor Gyms

I knew there was an outdoor gym in Lumpini Park on the Rajadamri Road side (north end) of the park (video & pictures on bottom of page).   I worked out there a couple times before which cost 35 baht ($1 USD) per workout.  The gym has a punching bag and enough equipment for people of most strength levels (myself included) to get a good workout.

Every time swing by the gym there is never more than 5-10 people working out which is a stark contrast to the crowded corporate gym I painstakingly chose to get a membership at California WOW fitness.  The only thing I didn’t like about Lumpini Park’s outdoor gym was when I accidentally touched a tree and the next thing I knew I had a few dozen fire ants stinging my sweaty forearm.

Hardcore Lumpini Park Gym

"Hardcore" guys Posing Outside of Gym

I was looking to explore the rest of the park to find some material for pictures on my Tourism Pics photography site when I came across another gym in Lumpini Park!  When I walked by this gym located on the Rama IV road (south end) of Lumpini park I immediately noticed the people working out were pretty hardcore.  There were a group of around 10 shirtless guys who looked as if they were professional bodybuilders, muay Thai fighters, prison inmates or all the above lifting heavy weights.

I thought it was very cool looking so I decided one day I would head to the “hardcore” Lumpini Park gym and work out.  I planned on going for a long bicycle ride through the busy streets of Bangkok and after I witnessed 2 car accidents I thought better and ride my bike to Lumpini Park.  As I was riding through Lumpini Park I rode over to the “hardcore” Lumpini Park gym and noticed another big group of “hardcore” weight lifters as well as an awesome barbell bench press with 2 tires which I just had to lift.

I brought my bike in the gym and asked the lady how much it cost for “Aw Kam long Kai” which means exercise in Thai and she showed me a card with the prices.  I was rather shocked to see that a workout cost 20 baht (60 cents) and a monthly membership costs 200 baht ($6 USD) which is less than the other gym.

I warmed up a few sets of bench press to work up to the tire barbell which I had no idea how much it weighed.  I even got a spotter to make sure I didn’t kill myself and to my surprise (slight disappointment) the barbell with the tires wasn’t that heavy.  I would estimate the weight which had a bar which was smooth and about twice the diameter of normal Olympic bars weighed between 175-195 pounds.

Even though the “hardcore” patrons of this gym were a bit imposing, as usual the Thai people working out at the gym were very nice and friendly.  They even encouraged me to use heavier weights as well as helped me locate dumbbells that I needed.  I was the only farang (foreigner in Thai) working out but there were many farang passersby in the park who just looked in the gym out of curiosity.   I snapped the pictures inconspicuously with my cell phone camera as I wondered whether the “hardcore” gym patrons were Muay Thai fighters, powerlifters or bodybuilders.

If I knew that this gym existed before I think choosing a gym in Bangkok would have been a lot easier as I would have probably avoided the membership at the California WOW gym I paid 17,000 baht ($511 USD).  The video and equipment below is from the non “hardcore” gym on the north side of Lumpini Park.

Also See:  Things to do in Bangkok:  Lumpini Park:  Part I

Some of the Equipment at the West Side Gym

Also See:  Things to do in Bangkok:  Lumpini Park:  Part I

Don’t forget to Also Cheek Out: Things to do in Bangkok:  Lumpini Park:  Part I

Does Popular = Good?

It is often easy to assume that an ethnic restaurant that is packed with people of the food’s decent is going to be good but it does not hold true 100% of the time.   Beirut Restaurant on the other hand seems to be filled with 80-90% of capacity every time I walk by.

In on the basement floor of the Phloen Chit center which is in between the Phloen Chit BTS station and Sukhumvit Soi 2 most restaurants are very slow.  There are Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Thai restaurants in the Phloen Chit center including one of 3 (that I know of) locations for Lee Cafe and I’ve never seen any of these restaurants even close to full.

I figured Beirut Restaurant would be good but I didn’t know for sure.  With the huge Middle-eastern, Mediterranean and African population at Soi 3 or “Soi Arab” as it’s known by the Thais I wondered if the restaurant just had the right location.  I was hungry and I had to try it just to see if the place was as good as it appeared to be.

Finally Give Beirut Restaurant a Try

Since I’m usually on the way to pick up a salad at Villa Market I pass the packed  Bombay Restaurant.   I have thought numerous times that I would have tried it if it wasn’t so packed and I finally had my chance when I saw only 1 or 2 tables at the restaurant on a Thursday night around 7:15pm after Thai class.  I was sat down and given a menu and I happened to sit in a corner of the restaurant looking out the window.

Bombay has quite the extensive menu but one of the combo plates caught my eye.  You can choose between a dozen or so choices in combinations of 2, 3, 4 or 5 if I remember correctly.  I think these combo plates are for more than a single person but I tend to eat like a pig so I figured why not.

I ordered a combination plate with beef and chicken shawarma, salad and falafel and a strawberry lassi which is a sweet yogurt based drink that I routinely used to order in San Francisco Indian restaurants.  The combination plate came with 2 pieces of pita bread.

Beirut Restaurant’s Food

I got my giant plate of food and I realized that I chose 4 items which came with pita bread but it didn’t come with hummus.  My strawberry lassi was so delicious I finished it in around 30 seconds and ordered a mango lassi when I ordered a side order of hummus.

I must say the food was delicious.  By no means am I a falafel connoisseur but the falafel at BierutRestaurant was the best I have ever had.  Both the beef and chicken shawarma were perfect.  They had the perfect amount of spice.  The hummus was good (as all hummus ever) and the pita bread was standard as well.

Overall Impression

A packed restaurant in the midst of a bunch of dead ones turned out to be as (indirectly) advertised.  I only ate there because it was less crowded than usual but by the time I finished my meal around 8ish and turned around, the place was packed almost to capacity again.  My bill was 600 baht ($18USD) which was mostly due to ordering too much and two 100baht ($3) lassi drinks.  You could get in and out without spending 500 baht but most likely (especially if you’re with someone) will spend over 500 baht hence the price rating.  It really depends on what you order.

Although most of the time I eat Mediterranean food it’s a falafel or kebab sandwich off the street Beirut Restaurant had the best Mediterranean food I have had.

Yearning for that American Breakfast

Ever since living in my first apartment in Bangkok I’ve missed the American breakfast.  An “American breakfast” was served at the restaurant in my other apartment but it was a true “American breakfast” in name only.  When I think of American breakfast I need excessive portion sizes, tons of sugar and tons of fat.

Bangkok’s “American breakfast” meals usually include a single slice of ham or bacon, a couple pieces of wonder bread toast and a single egg.  This hardly compares to the greasy mound of hash browns, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes and waffles you get at the typical American diner.  Not that I would be eating this all the time but it definitely is on the menu once a month at the very least.

Little Hut has a rather large menu of probably around 12-15 pages which includes not only breakfast, lunch and dessert waffles with various toppings but a full Thai food menu.  I was impressed that the menu has a nice vivid color photo for each item on the menu as well.

Little Hut actually has some great freshly brewed coffee as well.  They grind the beans and brew each cup fresh which is nice.   They offer 3 different waffle thicknesses and multiple toppings.  Of course I got extra thick topped with blueberry preserves and whipped cream which I doused in maple syrup, a true diabetic special.

Tasty!

Little Hut’s Location & Service

Little Hut House of waffle is located on Sukhumvit Road in between Soi 1 and Soi 3.  It is located in a shopping center (I don’t know the name) right next to Burger King.  Burger King is always crowded with Farangs and that is actually the reason I found Little Hut.  The inevitable craving for “the original flame broiled whopper” brought me to Burger King which was so crowded I walked straight through to see Little Hut which was closed at the time but I made a mental note to come back.

Burger King is easily visible from Sukhumvit Road and is actually close to the combo Pizza Hut & KFC.  To get to Little Hut you can use the Burger King entrance and walk straight through and to the left you will see Little Hut.  I’ve already been there twice and I was the only customer in the restaurant each time where I had the typical 2 or 3 people waiting on me.  The actual restaurant is very clean and nice.  The tables, chairs and dining set-up also gives the vibe of the American diner which is a nice change of pace from the  typical  way restaurants look in Bangkok.

Right Next to the Ever-so-popular King of Burgers

Overall Impression

On most of these blog posts I have talked about whether I would go back or not.  It’s too late to write this about Little Hut because I already went back the next day and ordered the same thing.  While waffles smothered in syrup, fruit preserves and whipped cream aren’t the healthiest I know craving the remnants of an American breakfast like back home will draw me to Little Hut House of Waffle again and again.

I ordered a pineapple smoothie, 2 cups of coffee and the aforementioned blueberry waffle and the bill was only 180 baht ($5.40).  I recommend Little Hut to anyone who likes waffles and wants something on par with the waffle you can get at the typical American diner.  Anyone heading to the infamous King of Burgers should think twice and check out Little Hut house of Waffle (and full Thai food menu) next door for a better dining experience, better service and better food.

Festival of Lights

I don’t have my calendar marked with the many Thai holidays and events but it seems like I find out one way or another when something is going on.  How I found out about the Loy Krathong festival was by pure chance.  I was walking around Bangkok far away from where I live to look for cool things to take pictures of hoping I would run into the Chao Phraya River when the inevitable happened.
On a Saturday night I got lost walking aimlessly around an area of Bangkok where I had never been before.  It was around 7pm and completely dark around the area with wide streets of several lanes.  I saw some canals but I figured I was no where near the river so I decided to get a taxi.  I found a taxi but as usual the driver could barely understand my Thai or English.  He finally understood I wanted to go to the Chao Phraya River and he seemed pretty excited to take me there.  I had no idea there was any kind of festival going on but when we finally drove over the bridge I saw the following….

Looking to the Shore of The Chao Phraya River From the Bridge Towards the Shore

Loy Krathong Saturday Night

I was instantly excited.  I was figuring that I would be taking pictures of the same Bangkok skyline that I had many times before but now I had a bunch of cool boats and other stuff.  The taxi driver let me off across the Rama VIII bridge on the bottom under the bridge where there was a large festival with tents set up with various souvenirs, games and food.  There were also monks who were on loud speakers talking Thai about something.  There was a Ferris wheel and marry-go-round for kids as well as a giant screen set up to watch movies.

There was probably a few thousand people there on Saturday night which I would consider comfortably crowded.  There was a bunch of people with their tripods taking pictures which was a lot of fun because there were many cool things to take pictures of.   There were these very brightly lit boats (above) with spotlights as well as other decorations along with the aforementioned children’s rides which were also lit up.

A girl came up to me and had me fill out a survey while I was eating this fried spicy fish cake.  A surprising question I saw on the survey was asking if I was satisfied with the level of security.  I did notice a lot of security guards around the area of the festival and many police patroling the bridge and I wondered why.  I would find my answer when I went back Monday night.

I stayed from around 7pm to 9:30pm and then I decided it was time to go home.  I walked back towards the east side of the bridge looking for a cab and under the overpass which was deserted with a couple homeless people sleeping in hammocks.  I had a chance to take a couple cool pictures from under the overpass which was the onramp to the Rama VIII bridge above.

Loy Krathong Festival Saturday Night - Under the Rama VIII Bridge

Getting to the Loy Krathong Festival on Monday Night

I found out when I returned home from one of my security guards that the official Loy Krathong wasn’t until Monday night so I planned to go back. I then realized that all the cherry bombs (fireworks) I have been hearing for the entire week leading up to Loy Krathong had to do with the festival.

At Monday at around 6 or 7PM I took the BTS to National Stadium which was as far west as the BTS (sky train) goes in hopes of catching a cab which would take me to the river.  I could sense that a larger celebration was in the air when I noticed that there are usually a dozen available cabs at any given minute this Monday there were maybe 1 every 5 minutes!

I was thinking there were many people going to the Loy Krathong festival as I walked occasionally turning my head over my shoulder and not seeing any available taxis.  I decided I would walk all the way there, which turned out wasn’t going to happen.

Krathong Raft

I was walking over an elevated street crossing when I saw a farang (foreigner in Thai) who I asked directions to.  I started talking to the farang who happened to be a transsexual woman originally from my home town of San Francisco!  He/She? recommended Chiang Mai which reminded me that I hadn’t been so I booked a ticket the week later!

She told me to get in a cab to take me to the river because it was far and I decided to cab it.  There was still not a single cab available so I found a tuk tuk who charged me 100 baht to bring me to the festival.  As I rode in the tuk tuk towards the festival I noticed there were many people lining the khlongs (canals) eating, lighting fireworks and of course their krathong.

I’m not going to explain the whole tradition of the festival but you can in the wikipedia article which explains the significance of lighting the krathong rafts (right) and releasing them in the canals and rivers.  It took around 15 minutes through and around traffic in the tuk tuk to get to Rama VIII bridge where the festival was being held.

Under East side of Rama VIII Bridge Looking at Loy Krathong Festival

Cool Scene Under Rama VIII Bridge Onramp

Loy Krathong Festival on Monday Night

Once I finally got to the festival via tuk tuk I noticed that the deserted area from Saturday night where I took the above pictures was completely packed with people like a can of sardines.  I now realized why the question about security was on the survey I filled out on Saturday.  Mix together crowding, burning hot air balloons (very top pic), cherry bombs, kids swimming in the river and people walking amidst traffic on the busy bridge I’d say security was a definite need.

There were at least 5-10x more people at the same place on Monday night.  On the east end of the bridge there was only 1 narrow staircase for the thousands of people going up onto both sides of the bridge and the thousands of people who were trying to exit, bottleneck anyone?  I actually felt pretty uncomfortable like I was about to get squashed so I went back to the top of the bridge and tried to hail a cab illegally in the middle of the bridge.

Down under the bridge was so crowded I didn’t even bother to go down, mostly because I checked out everything that was down there on Saturday and because it was super crowded.  It was very smoky in the air as people were lighting their paper hot air balloons (pictured at very top) which would burn in the air.  Police were actually catching people and making them stop lighting their balloons but many people got them off where they would burn in the air, crash in the river where cleaning crew boats awaited.

The air was completely filled with ashes from all the burning of the krathongs and balloons as you can see in the video at the bottom.  I still thought all the boats with spotlights and brightly colored designs were cool but after a while I just wanted to get away from the crowd and terrible air.  I failed to hail a cab on the bridge and failed to get through the crowd so I ended up risking my life and walking on the bridge on the side of the highway but I was not alone.

Walked on Bridge Back from Loy Krathong

Overall Impression

I though the Loy Krathong festival was very cool!  I saw pictures from smaller cities in Thailand and their celebrations looked just as impressive if not more as the giant capital city.  There was plenty to do for the entire family and many opportunities to take some great pictures which you can’t get every day.  Since I was there on Saturday night I didn’t want to say the whole night on Monday so I had a rough time leaving when most people were going to the party but I would recommend anyone who visits for the Loy Krathong festival to go on Saturday or Sunday if they don’t like sometimes suffocating crowds and go on Monday if they want to spend the whole night celebrating with 1/2 of Bangkok.

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?