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B B-52 Bar [a.k.a.
"Pool Bar" – Sukhumvit Soi 22, in front side of Regency Park Hotel].
Though physically in the same building as the hotel [See entry for "Regency Park
Hotel" below"), this bar has no business connection with it, and in fact is
entered from the street, not the hotel. It faces the back gate of Washington
Square [See entry for "Washington Square" below]. An upscale bar with a pool
table and dart board, this bar boasts a Happy Hour every day, but it’s biggest
daytime draw is that use of the pool table is free. Music, alcohol, friendly
(and attractive) waitresses. 11 A.M. – 2:00 A.M.
Baht:
The name of the Thai currency generally and of the smallest complete unit –
i.e., the Thai "dollar." Smaller units are called "satang"
[See entry for "Satang" below], with 100 satang = 1 baht.
The baht comes in the following denominations: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000.
Each is a different color, and all bear an image of His Majesty the King. Bai:
"Go" Bai Nai:
"Go where?" – "Where are you going?" or "Where do you go?" Bangkok Bank.
Bangkok Bank is the largest bank in Thailand. In these times of economic
difficulties, during which a number of banks have been closed, merged, etc.,
Bangkok Bank is the most stable. All regular banking services are available at
Bangkok Bank, though some smaller branches, particularly in more provincial
areas – the bank is nationwide and has overseas branches as well – may not offer
all services. Bangkok Second
International Airport. A
new airport is being built, one that has been
decades in finally being undertaken, with opening set a few years from now. As
such massive projects have a habit of getting delayed in Thailand, we can’t
even guess when it will really open, or if it will at all. There is a link at
http://airportthai.co.th/bia
for this airport. Bangkok
Metropolitan Transit Authority. Operates the municipal buses as well
as some provincial buses. Bangkok
Post
Web Site
[Local
English-Language Newspaper].
This is the oldest English-language newspaper in Thailand, and, if it’s
advertisements are correct, the most widely read. It comes out daily every
morning, including weekends. The Monday through Saturday editions consist of a
Section One containing local, domestic, and international "hard" news, as well
as sports towards the back, with the back page devoted to a summary of stories
throughout the paper; a life-style section called "Outlook," a Business Section,
and a Classified Section. The Sunday edition has an additional section called
"Perspectives," containing various op-ed pieces and "Postbag," which normally
appear on the Op-Ed pages of Section One. The Friday edition has Bernard Trink’s
"Nite Owl" column, a somewhat controversial column devoted to covering
the nightlife scene, primarily in Bangkok, but with frequent mention of places
in Pattaya, and to a lesser extent, in Phuket. Bangkok University.
This is considered one of the premier private universities in Thailand. It has
two campuses, one in the Khlong Toey district of Bangkok, the other well
beyond Don Muang Airport, in Rangsit. The Khlong Toey campus serves junior (3rd-year),
senior (4th-year), and master/doctoral degree students; the Rangsit
campus serves freshman (1st-year) and sophomore (2nd-year)
students. [See entries for "Khlong Toey" and "Rangsit"
below.] Banglaphu.
This is area is adjacent to the Ratchadamnoen District of the city, to which is lies
immediately northwest. Another landmark is Democracy Monument, which lies almost
directly east of the area. Khao San Road runs through the middle of Banglapoo;
the area is popular with backpackers and others traveling on a tight budget. It
is a lively area with countless street stalls, restaurants, hostels, and shops
of every description. It also is reputed to be a place where
"recreational" and other illegal drugs are readily available – but
as we say elsewhere, these are strictly FORBIDDEN!!! Like many countries,
Thailand has stringent drug-control laws. Though the country is plagued with
drugs, among both its own populace and visitors, the authorities take a very dim
view indeed of people they catch bringing drugd into Thailand, or taking them
out. Their view of drug use is equally dim. While it appears beyond reasonable
doubt that some rogue elements of the government, police, and military are
engaged in large-scale drug-smuggling operations – Thailand is a major transit
point for West-bound drugs from Burma, especially heroin and its derivative
products – woe be the tourist or ordinary long-term resident who is caught
possessing or using illegal drugs.
All that said,
Banglapoo is a magnet for many tourists, and a worthy destination in its own
right. Banglapoo.
[See "Banglaphu" above.] Bank Draft Checks.
These are widely available in Bangkok, though small banks may not be able to
issue Bank Draft Checks (a.k.a. "Cashier’s Checks," a
term largely unknown here). The best banks to go to are international banks,
such as Citibank or Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank [See entries for
"Citibank" and "Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank" below], or to
larger branches of the bigger Thai banks, such as Bangkok Bank and Thai Farmers
Bank [see entry for "Bangkok Bank" above and for "Thai Farmers
Bank" below]. Note: if you want to cash a foreign Bank Draft Check,
be prepared to wait, as local banks, even the international ones, handle them
the same as they do personal checks – that is, they wait for them to
"clear" before you can get your money. Thai banks are notorious for
"sitting on your money" long after it has arrived. If you think you
might need money in a hurry but don’t want to carry large amounts of cash,
consider Credit Cards, International ATM Cards, Travelers’ Checks, and Western
Union. Bank Draft Cheques.
These are widely available in Bangkok, though small banks may not be able to
issue Bank Draft Checks (a.k.a. "Cashier’s Checks," a
term largely unknown here). The best banks to go to are international banks,
such as Citibank or Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank [See entries for
"Citibank" and "Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank" below], or to
larger branches of the bigger Thai banks, such as Bangkok Bank and Thai Farmers
Bank [see entry for "Bangkok Bank" above and for "Thai Farmers
Bank" below]. Note: if you want to cash a foreign Bank Draft Check,
be prepared to wait, as local banks, even the international ones, handle them
the same as they do personal checks – that is, they wait for them to
"clear" before you can get your money. Thai banks are notorious for
"sitting on your money" long after it has arrived. If you think you
might need money in a hurry but don’t want to carry large amounts of cash,
consider Credit Cards, International ATM Cards, Travelers’ Checks, and Western
Union. Bank of Thailand.
This is the national bank, the one that produces the nation’s currency, holds
its foreign-exchange reserves, sets exchange rates, etc. Though it is not, of
course, an ordinary commercial bank, if you work for any governmental entity,
your salary is likely to be paid in the form of a check drawn on the Bank of
Thailand. There are no branches, so if the commercial bank you are using
won’t allow you to cash or deposit your paycheck, you can go to the Bank of
Thailand headquarters a block off the Chao Phraya River near the Grand Palace
and cash it – but be sure to have your passport and work I.D. card (and if
your employer doesn’t give you an I.D. card, take your work visa and resident
documentation). Be prepared to wait; the procedures for cashing a check at the
Bank of Thailand are complex, involving numerous people. The clerk taking your
check will tell you a number – in Thai. If it’s clear you don’t
understand, the clerk will write down the number for you. You then wait to hear
your number called by another clerk at another window, who will give you your
money. Watch the clerks – they will signal you if you don’t respond to the
Thai-language announcement over the public address system (unless you are or
look Thai). Bargaining.
A time-honored practice the world over, bargaining thrives in Thailand. As
always, offer substantially below the seller’s initial asking price – we start
at 25-30%, and often end up paying only 40-60% of the original asking price. Barrett, Dean.
BOOKSonASIAcovers: http://www.archer-books.com/vebooks.html HANGMAN’S POINT
– A Novel of Hong Kong (mystery/thriller) KINGDOM OF
MAKE-BELIEVE – A Novel of Thailand (mystery/thriller) http://members.spree.con/AsianJourney MEMOIRS OF A
BANGKOK WARRIOR – A Novel (military satire) http://siam.freeservers.com/newfile.html Bars.
The authorities say there are over 3,000 bars in Bangkok alone, which we have no
trouble believing, except that we suspect the official estimate is a
conservative one. This estimate doesn’t include other places that can
(or at least, do) serve alcohol, such as restaurants. There are bars of every
size, format, and description all over Bangkok. What time a bar can legally open
is rather murky, though the legal closing time of 2:00 A.M. is clearly set, if
sometimes flouted. Also, bars are required to close on certain Buddhist
holidays, the birthdays of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, and
election days. Even on those days, some bars are open – just not openly
open – something like a speakeasy. BBC.
An institution in the broadcasting worlds of both radio and television, the
respected British Broadcasting Company is a presence in Thailand, its news
service available over cable television and via radio. Many consider it far
better than its American competitor, CNN (Cable News Network). Beaumont, Roger.
Beaumont has been on the Bangkok scene a number of years, and writes humorously
about people and their foibles --–ten making fun of himself – in his columns
"Slightly Out of Focus" and "Humanity Wrap." the former carried somewhat
irregularly by The Nation
newspaper, the latter on a weekly basis. He also prepares materials and columns for us to use on this website. Beers.
Many foreign beers are available in Thailand, such as Heineken, and, recently,
Corona (from Mexico). There are some beers brewed domestically, the most widely
consumed being Singha Beer; it has numerous devotees among both Thais and resident expats. Beijing.
The capital of the People’s Republic of China. Located in China’s northeast, it
is well-linked to Bangkok by air, and is about 6 air hours away. Bernard Trink. [Local OnlineColumnist]. Trink, as people universally refer to and address him, is himself a veritable institution in the local news media, specifically in newspapers. In Bangkok for well nigh onto half a century, he has long covered Bangkok's nightlife, generating considerable controversy along the way. Most controversial is his decision to print contraire views regarding the AIDS crisis. He also is regularly taken to task in the "Letters to the Editor" column of his former newspaper, The Bangkok Post, by readers who perceive him to be promoting the sex trade. His defunct column "The Nite Owl" ran in the "Outlook" section of the paper every Friday. Trink's column was unceremoniously discontinued at the end of 2003, after which he set up a subscription-based web site to carry on; annual dues are US$12. Visit Trink's web site. Biman Airline
(Bangladesh). The national flag carrier of
Bangladesh. Serves Thailand. Boom-boom:
slang for "Sexual Intercourse" Bourbon Street
Restaurant [Washington Square]. The seventh
eating/drinking place as you continue around to the "back" of the Square, and
though physically located in it, this very large eatery is worlds away from most
of the other places in the Square in terms of atmosphere. A family restaurant
specializing in Cajun food, it is popular with many denizens of the Square and
with other residents of Bangkok who otherwise don’t go to the Square. Owned and
run by a friendly American named Doug, Bourbon Street offers an extensive
menu, and not just of Cajun food – it also has, for example, Mexican food. So
you won’t be surprised, the ticket on your table does not include the [required] 7%
VAT or 10% service charge – those appear only when you actually pay; when the
server takes the ticket from your table to the cashier for totaling, the cashier
adds those items then. Offers buffet dinners, and Sunday brunch buffet, a
Tuesday night Mexican-food buffet, darts, and television. Has a large square
bar, a dining room with booths and table, and some booths and tables in the
barroom itself. Darts, television. Rooms available for both short-term and
long-term rental. 7:00 A.M. – 1:00 A.M. 29/4-6 Washington Square, Sukhumvit
Soi 22, Khlong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Telephones: (+66) (+2) 259-0328, (+66) (+2)
259-0329, (+66) (+2) 259-4317. Fax: (+66) (+2) 259-4318. Email: bourbon@mozart.inet.co.th
Website: http://bourbonstbkk.com Bridge
Over the River Kwai. One of the most famous bridges
in the world, this bridge gave its name to the well-known film of the same name.
During World War Two, The Imperial Japanese Army was present in Thailand in
large numbers. The bridge, located about 100 kilometers west of Bangkok in Kanchanaburi, is a railway
bridge crossing the Kwai River, and was meant to serve as a link towards Myanmar
(Burma). Today there is
something of an amusement park atmosphere around the bridge. On display adjacent
to it is a railway engine of the type used by the Japanese. Even so, the bridge
still stirs strong feelings among some, particularly veterans of World War Two.
(There is a cemetary of Allied war dead located nearby.) Many thousands of
P.O.W.’s and local forced laborers died during the construction of the line
and bridge. British
Airways. http://www.british-airways.com/ecp_dhtml.shtml
British
Broadcasting Company. An institution in the
broadcasting worlds of both radio and television, the respected British
Broadcasting Company until mid-2001 was a presence in Thailand. Sadly, the
powers-that-be at BBC decided to stop Thai-language broadcasts. Many
consider it far better than its American competitor, CNN (Cable News Network). Buddhism
[Thai]. For a sub-section of Asia Travel’s
excellent and extensive English-language web site [see entry for "Asia Travel"
above] that gives a brief introduction to religion in Thailand, go to http://asiatravel.com/thaiinfo.html#religion
. Buddhist
Era. This is the calendar in official use in
Thailand; the Western year of 2000 A.D. is concurrent with B.E. 2543. Western dates are widely used and understood –
for example, the date you write on your arrival card is to be written in Western
calendar terms, at least by foreigners. Curiously, there is one year’s
difference between the Buddhist Era in Thailand and that in Myanmar. If you come
here to work, buy property, etc., the dates (years) will be recorded
according to the Buddhist Era calendar. Bullets.
FORBIDDEN!!! Firearms and anything connected with them are strictly forbidden to
foreigners in Thailand, and stringently controlled even for Thai nationals.
Bringing them in or being caught in possession of them are serious offenses for
which Thai authorities neither have nor show any sympathy. Stiff fines and
prison sentences are imposed for violations of the various laws regarding
possessing or owning firearms and related paraphernalia. Your embassy won’t be
able to do much to help you, besides seeing, once a month or so, that you are
getting your maggot-infested bowl of rice daily, right along with the Thai
prisoners, and that, if you’re lucky, there is a bucket for your sanitary needs. Bumrungrad
Hospital (Bangkok). This one of the finest
hospitals not only in Bangkok, but in all of East Asia. Begun with American
help, this hospital’s physical structure was completely overhauled a few years
ago, and it now is a sparkling, gleaming modern hospital staffed by well-trained
medical personnel – most of the doctors have studied in the West, and many have
worked there – and equipped with the latest technology. The rooms are spacious,
and more closely resemble hotel rooms than they do hospital rooms, the only
giveaways being the hospital bed(s) and the handicapped toilet facilities. Each room has cable television and
a phone. There are some restaurants and shops in the hospital building, and
patients can order via telephone if they just must have a Macdonald’s
hamburger, for example! (And it will be delivered right to your bedside.)
Bumrungrad boasts Horizon Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art cancer-detection and
cancer-treatment facility headed by an oncologist of many years’ experience in
the famed M.D. Anderson Cancer Institute in America. Virtually all the medical
staff – all, in the case of doctors and nurses involved directly in patient
care – speak good to excellent English, as do all the telephone operators. Bumrungrad
Hospital is a pioneer in Thailand is seeking to offer medical services to the
international community – and not just in Bangkok and Thailand, but to
patients all over the world. Medical costs here run 20% of what they run in
Japan, and 10% of typical American medical costs. The hospital is actively
promoting itself in neighboring countries and abroad, pointing itself out
(rightly) as a destination for someone needing inexpensive, high-quality medical
treatment. It has found that some people coming combine their medical trip with
a holiday in Thailand – all for far less, even including airfare and hotel
costs, than the medical treatment alone would have cost them in their
home countries. Although you are
asked to present a credit card or insurance card upon registration (even for
only consultation), we have found that one can readily pay cash; you may be
asked to make a deposit, in that case. We highly
recommend Bumrungrad Hospital. One of the creators of this site had occasion to
check in there in 1999 for treatment of two serious infections, and stayed in
the hospital 3 nights/4days, with numerous medical tests, consultations with
half a dozen doctors (some repeatedly), a continuous IV, food (which is
excellent, by the way), and near-continuous nursing care – all for the amazing
sum of about US$1200. He later had a skin cancer removed, for which the
oncologist called in a plastic surgeon, with a follow-up CT-scan – for about
US$800. Similar procedures would have run into at least the tens of thousands of
U.S. dollars in America. The web site for
this superb medical facility is located athttp://www.bumrungrad.com,
-- and one can make appointments on-line. 33 Sukhumvit Soi 3 (Soi Nana Nua)
Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand. (The hospital can reached from either Sukhumvit
Soi 1 or Sukhumvit Soi 3. Sukhumvit Soi 3 is one-way, and connects Sukhumvit
Road and Petchaburi Road, the one-way being from Petchaburi Road to Sukhumvit
Road. Sukhumvit Soi 1 is two-way, but does not connect to Petchaburi Road.
Therefore, to reach the hospital via Soi 1 from the Sukhumvit Road and south of
it areas, it is best to enter Sukhumvit Soi 1 from Sukhumvit Road, the soi being
directly beside the Airport expressway. To reach it from the Petchaburi and
north areas, it is best to enter Soi 3 from Petchaburi Road.) Telephone (+66)
(+2) 667-1216, 667-1218. Fax (+66) (+2) 667-1214. Burma The picture above is of a Bangkok-based Burma expert, Richard Diran. |
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Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 by Kurt T. Francis, except as noted otherwise. Materials by Christopher G. Moore, Dean Barrett, Richard K. Diran, Sonia Pressman Fuentes, and Hardy Stockmann are copyrighted © by those respective authors. All rights reserved. Please see the Copyright Notice for further information. Click here for our Privacy Statement Please direct all inquiries to mekhongkurt@bangkokatoz.com |
It’s
not that the police go out of their way to ferret out the guys who like to smoke
a joint once a week. But if drugs, even small amounts of marijuana only for
personal use, are found in your luggage by Customs or on your person (or in your
car, hotel, etc.), you are destined to have a very bad day- and, likely, a very long
series of bad days running into the years as you first await then stand trial,
then, upon conviction, begin a long prison stretch. While we make no moral
judgement on this issue, we recommend you not attempt to bring in or take out
any illegal drugs. As of this writing (mid-March, 2000), Thailand is facing an
epidemic of use of "Ecstasy", and had a harsh campaign underway to
suppress it.
Dean
Barrett [Local Author]. Author most recently of Memoirs of a
Bangkok Warrior, a novel of satire and humor set in Bangkok during
the Vietnam War. Barrett has a number of web sites: