Reply #3 CanuckGuy's post
CanuckGuy,
I would recommend that you not bother with a tour group. Thailand is quite easy to manage. Of the 2 destinations you listed, I would recommend Bangkok over Phuket. Its a bit more for the girls but you will have more choices than in Phuket. Also, you may want to consider Pattaya which is about an hour or two bus ride away from the Bangkok airport.
I assume you are interested in a tour b/c you are are bit hesitant about checking out Thailand by yourself? If that is the case, let me reassure you that Bangkok if easy to figure out. Anyway, let me give you a short rundown on how to manage BKK.
First, from HK, you can take Air Asia. The flight is actually cheaper from Macau in case you may want to hit the Macau saunas before heading to Thailand. Once you land in BKK, you can take a bus or go to the official taxi line just outside of the terminal. Do not use any of the people asking you if you would like a taxi or limo - they tend to be ripoffs. In the taxi line, you can just tell the attendants where u want to go and they will write it down for the taxi driver. The cost can range from 250 to 400 THB.
I would recommend you get a hotel in the Sukhumvit area. Just book through Agoda and its quite simple. I have stayed at Dynasty Grande, Dream Hotel and Livingstone Lodge. I liked all three but for a first time visitor, I recommend Dynasty Grande. It is 1 block from the Nana Entertainment Plaza.
There are 3 main areas to have our kind of fun in BKK: Nana, Soi Cowboy and Patpong. Just skip Patong - lots of rip offs there. I like both Cowboy and Nana but Nana can have a lot of ladyboys hanging around so be careful who you choose if this is not your thing. Cowboy is short street with 20-30 gogo bars. My favorite is Tilac, but Baccara are Shark are also nice. At Nana, I like Angelwitch. Their nightly show is fun to watch your first time in BKK.
Beside these 2 recommendations, there are many massage places all over BKK. You can search for "soapie" or "massage" on the forum to see some other reco's from other punters. I prefer the Gogos to massage places, but others may feel otherwise.
Even if you do not speak Thai, any cab driver will know Nana and Cowboy. If you are interested in sightseeing, BKK is fairly easy to navigate by public transport or taxi. If you want something more organized, any hotel can arrange daily tours for you.
Anyway, let me know if you have any specific questions and I can try to help. | |
