Bangkok Part I

I arrived in Bangkok on Friday to meet a friend who works out here.  I've been to Bangkok before - it's obviously  the first stop for the (seemingly) millions of travellers who head to Thailand each year - which is both a good and a bad thing.  Good in the sense that the city has a real buzz.  Bad in the sense that there are a lot of people who wouldn't look out of place in Tenerife.   

Having said that, I was very much one of the latter last time I came so I decided to try and live life like a Bangkok resident.  Well, it kinda worked.   What I hadn't appreciated is that there's a sizeable and young ex pat community in Bangkok.  Most of whom work as journalists, in NGOs or in development organisations.  And many of whom wouldn't look out of place in an east London bar.

The expat and I

All in all they were very nice and over the past few days we went to some of the ex pat hangouts - tucked away usually down side streets off Bangkok's main roads.   The word “super” is a staple part of the Bangkok expat’s vocabulary – think “come for 9pm – it’s super casual”, or it’s “super hot”.

WTF bar, which was on the night celebrating its 1st birthday had a great mix of people, and of cocktails and a great vibe.  

WTF Bar

Bar 23  (so called as it was Soi 23 street - but has now moved) was packed on account of two of the expat's birthday's being held there.

I also had the fortune of going to the "California WOW" gym based in the Siam Paragon centre in the heart of Bangkok.  It promised me the ability to "move like liquid".   I did not.  More like custard. For Bangkok, this was a crazy expensive gym and I was the only “Farang” (foreigner) there.  Perhaps they charged me the Farang price.  Dang.

This morning it rained like hell – for the meteorological minded among you – I have a “really interesting” video of the rain.  Mail me if you want to see it :$.

California WOW

I also learned that taking a taxi rather than the fun tuk tuks is much cheaper and much more enjoyable – all the taxis have an air conditioning system – all the tuks tuks have Bangkok smog.

Tuk Tuk

Next stop, an island in the south – haven’t decided yet, but will do soon.