Bangkok, Thailand

Every backpacker should experience Khao San Road. You can get there everything from fake diving license to fried cockroaches. Just don't stay there too long, it's so hectic.

gr8 place 2 shop, party, holiday

If you don't do anything else you MUST tour the Palace. The King still lives there and it is one of the most incredible places I have EVER visited. Just plain beautiful and wonderous! Plan at least 1/2 day!

Beat place to do shopping in South East Asia.

Bangkok is the closest thing to a Blade Runner city I've been to: at night, after the rain, the multi-level streets are slick and shining in the endless neon lights. Great food, suffocating weather, decent hotels and some of the best shopping in Southeast Asia.

Part of trip "SE Asia on a Backpack"

It’s somewhere close to midnight in Bangkok and the competition is getting fierce across the land of smiles.

Instead of “the land of smiles”, I think Thailand should be called “the land of note-perfect cover songs”. It offers up anything and everything that made it on the pop charts since 1968.

At anytime in one of the many venues with heavy hanging smoke and live music you can hear the Carpenters, Nirvana, Green Day or Elvis. Led Zeppelin is sure to make an appearance before the end of the night as well as Van Halen, America and of course the Beatles. Each rendition is duplicated in such perfect form that one would swear that they are looking at, and hearing, the reincarnation of John Lennon as the stage pulses with slightly smaller than life musical geniuses.

Granted, many of the amazing musicians are from the Philippines…after all Filipinos are the quintessential musicians of South East Asia, but that is another story in its own right.

This story is primarily concerned with the one song that sets the bar in every bar, so to speak, for every cover band in Thailand. It is the unit of measure by which every female singer is judged, has practiced so many times and is so spot-on that it becomes unclear which is better, the cover or the original.

Without a doubt the cover is certainly better than the Cranberries ever sounded live, these bands crank out the song Zombie with perfect pitch and duplication that it reflects every small nuance all the way down to the imperfections in the original pressed vinyl as though they have been carefully thought out and re-created.

I don’t know why Zombie has become the song that every Thai band holds up as their flagship cover, but it is.

The pride that shines on the face of the bands’ diva (as she waits to belt out the first set of semi-annoying minors and flats that the Cranberries are famously known for) shines like the standard candle of Cepheid Polaris, otherwise known as the North Star, on a moonless night.

There are few songs that let you know “where you are” when you hear them.

For example, I know I am in Kathmandu when I hear 70’s classics cranked out so loud that it’s the only thing you hear until you walk a few steps and get overcome by the next drinking establishment. And we’re talking the old stuff there, the music that you only hear on classic rock stations with DJ’s who lost all color in their hair but still sport a pony tail along with the age-telling shiny orb of a receding hair line.

These were the artists that had something to say about society and culture; the likes of Bob Dylan/Seiger/Marley, Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, and of course Jimmy Hendricks.

But it’s not until I hear Zombie that I know that I am in Thailand and it is getting close to the bewitching hour of midnight. The magical time when the crowd has had just enough to drink and the band pulls out all the stops to let you know that they are the very best cover band in all of Thailand and can do the very best Zombie.

I haven’t been to Thailand in a while, maybe it’s time to dust off the backpack, grab a few Thai Baht from my money drawer and head over to listen to some great cover songs…

Happy Trails...
Dave

Exotic and exciting

awesome wat arun

survanabhumi photoshop?

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bangkok travel links

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I could live in this country: The food is amazing, people are so kind and smily, love it!

The greatest shopping center of Bangkok!

Talk about an awesome Thailand experience. While you might not find a high scale restaurant at the market, if you are staying in a serviced apartment with a kitchen and want to try your hand at Thai cooking, this is the place to go. Fresh Fish and sea food and all sorts of other stuff. If you are hungry, there are stands where you can purchase food. A bit outside the market is also where I purchased and ate a Cobra

A fantastic five-star hotel with lovely rooms. Slightly away from the buzz but still nicely accessible.

Loot Out for POTENTIAL SCAM on Your Way to the Grand Palace.

Usually, there are these very nicely dress THAI man/ladies being really friendly and speak relatively good english, telling you that the Grand Palace is close for the day. Because of the Royal Family's Prayers....or stuff like that.

And, advice you of all the other temples that you can visit. They will even help you get a Tuk Tuk to bring you to the recommended temple...where they would scam you into buying one of their OVERPRICE Jewellery and saying its your lucky day.

http://www.izthai.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=article&Id=382110
http://www.geocities.com/thaigemscamgroup/Intro/Scam.html

So Look out when you go to this area.

P/S: Never Miss the Grand Palace...Its MAGNIFICENT!

A great place for a fix of Middle Eastern food and multiple terraces and bars available for a moment (or an hour or five) of water pipe smoking -- with mint tea, of course.

You can get almost anything and everything here. Its cheaper than most of the place in town.

Great place to go if you are hunting for food. Lots of food stall here. But, stuffs here are sold slightly more expensive (but still fair), cater more for tourist. A nicer market. Even the stuffs that they sell are nicer than other market.

Try the traditional massage that they have in the compound!

Never miss the sunset view of this place...Its Gorgeous!

Coolest airport ever!

If you want the cheapest hotel with an outdoors pool, this might be your choice. The rooms are decent, but not luxurious by any means. The clientèle is not particularly young or trendy.

Go really early in the morning or else, the humidity and heat can be a little unbearable...

Go really early in the morning, or else, the humidity and heat can a little unbearable...

I spent an entire day here, used three rolls of film, and still did not see all of it. Great place for cheap souvenirs and whatever else your heart desires, be it fluorescent orange flip-flops or a fruit salad.

HQ Hostel.. More than a Hostel

HQ Hostel Bangkok is innovative hostel for travelers who seek a unique living experience in Bangkok's city center, within a walking distance to all major attractions, and a super transport network. Only US$ 10.99 a night.

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nice

Just like the movie w/ Leo DiCaprio (The Beach)...some places are no bigger than your closet. Interesting experience though, had to sleep with one eye open. A back-packer's haven - great shopping all day right on the same street....good eats as well!

A nice hotel close to the BTS station on Silom. The rooms are spacy enough for a few nights stay and the service at the front desk (although a little slow at times) was friendly. However, carrying your own bag to the taxi - totally impossible. Mine was actually forcefully taken off my hands. :D

The hotel lobby also has a desk from which you can purchase wireless internet cards. The passwords allow you to use any wireless device (in my case iphone) in any of the wireless locations around BKK. I bought the five hour card and was able to get online nearly in all the hotels, cafes and shopping centres I visited.

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Okay, so I guess you're supposed to eat the local foods and so on and so on when abroad. But I did not quite get used to eating soups and such for bfst. Was always more into the sweet things. In short: I definitely think this is the best place to go for breakfast in the whole country. You can get basically anything from croissants to pancakes and hot chocolate and usually all of it included in the brunch menu. :)

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A place where everyone should visit.

Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha

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A place where you like to visit.. but arrange time for your visit, minium 2 hours

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The world's largest wooden Teakwook mansion

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Crazy madhouse, but very fun! Crowded, hot, lots of cools stuff to buy. Wear light clothes and good walking shoes - the place is gigantic!

Le Bouchon A truly precious gem amongst the rabble, this authentic French bistro is embedded in the thick of seamy Patpong. Fine French food and endless top-notch vintages are worth the intrepid voyage into the depths of this saucy soi.

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