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Thailand |
 Thailand Bars and Nightlife.
Known formerly as Siam, The Kingdom Of Thailand is a major player in SE Asia. The culture of Thailand incorporates a great deal of influence from India, China, Cambodia, and like most Asian cultures, respect towards ancestors is an essential part of Thai spiritual practice. Thais have a strong sense of hospitality and generosity, but also a strong sense of social hierarchy. Seniority is an important concept in Thai culture. Elders have by tradition ruled in family decisions or ceremonies.
Bangkok, Thailand's capital, sweats and steams under the tropical sun beside the meandering Ghao Phraya river, just inland from the South China Sea. Locals liken it to the "durian", the spiky fruit with an odour so foul it's banned on flights - but which tastes divine. |
Bangkok may seem ugly at first, but to know it is to fall under its spell.
There are many sides to this pulsating city, the modern consumer chic side, living out a super rich fantasy at bargain prices. This Bangkok is a business suited metropolis of Italian marble fashion malls, laboratory clean light railways and rooftop cocktail bars. But hidden within this facade lies the grand old capital of exotic Siam, populated by monks and kings in tranquil settings. Here you'll find lavish palaces decorated with dragons, and teak mansions in fragrant gardens; their interiors home to Buddha's carved from a single block of jade. |
 Then there's the Vegas like honey-pot of go-go bars in Patpong and Sukhumvit Road, offering fantasy fulfillment to swarms of wide eyed foreign men. And glueing it all together is the daily swirl of TV's, tuk tuks, Asian guitar rock, along with bustling markets and street stalls smelling of shrimp oil, lit by the flash of fiery woks.
Want to understand Bangkok? Don't even try. Its bars are filled with foreigners who have wasted a lifetime in the attempt. It's just best to immerse yourself in the heat and spice of the City, chill in the temples and spas or people watch this people packed anthill of a city.
Bangkok offers a widely varied nightlife. The city is notorious for some concentrations of massage parlors, go-go bars and karaoke places, with Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza being the main areas catering to male tourists. |
Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district is home to probably the most profound worldwide example of a "backpackers' ghetto", Khaosan Road. Sukhumvit Road boasts some of Asia's most crowded clubs along the 5 km (3 mi) section between Ekamai and Withayu.
Drinking: Thais don't drink tap water and nor should you. Bottled drinking water (nam plao) is sold everywhere.
Beer Drinking: Beer (bia) - whilst a necessity, for me anyway - is not a bargain here due to the heavy taxes. The local beers are Singha, Kloster, and Beer Chang, but locally brewed Heineken and Carlsberg are also widely available. |
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