When you arrive in Bangkok the best way to your hotel if you are downtown is by either the BTS Skytrain or taxi. There will be lots of people trying to get you into a more expensive ride. If you choose taxi then you want to go to the lower level and to the far left end (as you are facing the street with your back to the airport). Depending on where you are staying it should run 400-500 Baht with tip and highway tolls. If your hotel is near a BTS skytrain station that's a good option as well. It only costs about 40 Baht and it's fast. You will have to make a transfer though onto another line once you reach the end of the airport line. Depending on your hotel location it'll cost another 20 or 30 Baht. I like the taxi though, door to door.
If it's your thing, take in the Muay Thai boxing at Lumpini Stadium in Bangkok. I have paid anywhere from $50-$75 for ringside, but there are several price levels. The best nights are Tuesdays and Fridays. Starts around 6p.m.
If you want to take a river tour in Bangkok you can save a lot of money by taking the public transit boats. About 25 or 30 Baht will get you anywhere they stop. The boats are covered and wide open on the sides for picture taking. The river gives you easy access to a lot of the tourist sites in Bangkok(Grand Palace, Chinatown, Wat Arun etc.) without dealing with Bangkok traffic. Just take the BTS skytrain to the last stop by the river (Saphan Taksin IIRC) and its a short walk from there. And remember if you are going to the Grand Palace you will need long pants. For me I loved the bustle of Chinatown.
If you want to shop and are going to be in Bangkok on a weekend, Chatachuk Market is the place. Over 15,000 stalls and easily accessed, again with the BTS. Just go to the end of the line, a station called Mo Chit and then follow the throng.
I have to disagree with a couple of the previous comments.
Do take a Tuk Tuk at least once. How can you not in Bangkok? Just make sure to set the price beforehand and tell him "No Stops" They might balk at that a little but eventually they will give in, or you can make his day and stop at a tailors for 5 minutes so he can receive his kickback of fuel. Be careful if you reach outside the Tuk Tuk for a photo though. It's easy to be hit by other vehicles or motorcycle taxis.
And definitely try the pork. I have been to Thailand quite a few times and have never had an issue with pork. It's delicious and some of the best dishes are made with pork. Lab Moo(minced pork with lime and spices) is a great cheap lunch. Chicken is really good too. The only meat I would stay away from is the beef, not for any safety reasons, it just doesn't taste that good.
On a safety note I try to never travel by minivan. You are really rolling the dice with these lunatics. Thailands road carnage cannot be understated. I read that it is the 3rd worst on the planet(behind The Dominican Republic and some other small island nation) and much of that blame rests with drugged up minivan drivers.
With your restricted time frame if you can afford to fly that is definitely the way to go.
Since it sounds like you are only going to have 10 or 11 days in the south I would split my time with the 3 big islands there rather than wasting more travel time heading over to the Andaman side. Like someone mentioned, if you had 4 days on Koh Tao, you can get your diving ticket for around 9000 Baht. Motorbiking around the islands is a blast as well, but it is quite risky if you have no experience on them. You will probably see a few bandaged fellow travellers on all the islands. If you do rent a motorbike they usually want to hold your passport as well. Check your bike over thoroughly for any damage beforehand and point it out before you take it. They want you to bring the bike back with a couple scrapes because they are gonna nail you about 4 or 5 times the value. Other than that, wear your helmet and have fun.
I love Thailand.
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