If you ever come to Southeast Asia, you will inevitably find yourself in the travel hub epicenter of Bangkok at some point. The typical low budget traveler ends up on Khao San Road (the original backpacker ghetto) and spends a few days being overwhelmed by the heat, noise and crowds of the city. Most people , including ourselves the first time we were there, try to get in and out as quickly as possible. Too bad. But in order to get an idea of what this massive city is about, you’ve got to have a local connection.
Luckily, we had the hookup with our Thai buddies from Pun Pun and stayed at our friend Wok’s house. We pretty much hit the jackpot because he lives in a chill gated community, had a spare bedroom (with A/C!) and employs a family cook. Plus, his Mom is a killer baker who would spoil us with homemade cakes. During the day, we hit up a couple of cool contemporary art and design museums filled with impressive exhibitions. At night, we went to Club 808 where we danced our asses off to an epic MSTRKFT performance. We would people watch in the shopping district, Siam, where all the uber-trendy Thai hipsters and teens congregate. There is NO better place than Bangkok to shop your heart out for the best prices – we bought clothing, a digital camera, a replacement AC adapter, a headlamp and an external hard drive. It’s also a great place for health issues such as getting your teeth cleaned, stocking up on contact lenses or birth control and visiting a clinic to deal with that gash on your back (looking at you, TD).
And the food… my god. I’ll gladly argue that Bangkok has the best street food in all of Asia. The thing is, you have to know where to go to find the good stuff. So we happily tagged along with Wok and our other Thai friends, Bie and Sung, to their favorite joints. Thai hotpot, spicy papaya salad, pad thai, mango sticky rice, fish balls, hainan-style chicken, roasted duck, shaved ice with sweet toppings….drool. Is eating 6 meals a day a bit excessive? Fuck it.
So we love Bangkok – It’s an awesome city. Thank you Sung for taking us to that chicken spot after a night of drinking to quell our hungry tummies. Thank you Bie for recommending your personal hairstylist and introducing us to Thai desserts. Thank you Pop for just being yourself and the source of endless entertainment and wisdom. And an extra mega huge thanks to Wok and his family for putting us up for 5 days – we hope we weren’t too much of a burden. 🙂
My goodness, I didn’t know that this round-the-world trip would include some serious royalty treatment. SCORE. Not at all like in the book The Beach! So stoked to hear that MSTRKFT brought you some dancing joy; the show at Treasure Island was fun, but just a bit chilly in comparison I’m sure… I heard that Cyn beat me to the pictures; off to investigate!
big smile on my face after reading this. and dude, MSTRKRFT!? damn! i missed out! much love ya’ll! safe travels……
Those dshes soun yummylicious,get me the recipie!!!!
Good to read this. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about Bangkok, so thanks for shedding light on it’s more redeeming qualities. Can’t wait to eat some street food there someday!
i love thai food and love the street food in BKK!
I want to see more stories and pictures!!!!
LOVE U GUYS! BE SAFE!!!!!!
I loved Bangkok when I visited Thailand, i think it was possibly my favourite part of Thailand, I loved the noise and busyness about it. I stayed with a friend in her apartment up near the Elephant building.