Bangkok and Chiang Mai On a Rope
by
Larry Stein
Copyright 2015 Larry Stein,
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2465-1
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Foreword
Grand Palace, Bangkok
This is a tale of two cities. It was the best of climes, it was the worst of climes. One is old, and one is new. One is intimate, the other is sprawling. Bangkok and Chiang Mai are the two largest, and most visited cities in Thailand.
Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is cooler than the steamy capital. Most of her treasures, located in the Old City, are reached by foot. Wats date back to the late 13th Century. Chiang Mai was capital of the Lanna Kingdom, and was influenced by Burma. It did not formally become part of Thailand until 1939.
Bangkok was part of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, with a heavy Khmer influence. Bangkok is the original capital of modern Thailand. Other than the Grand Place and parts of Chinatown, which date back to the late 18th Century, the city hums with modernity. The city is traversed with rapid transit, slow moving taxis and river ferries.
What they have in common is sights, sounds, tastes, and yes, shopping, that will delight a traveler on a rope.
A traveler on a shoestring tightly holds Lonely Planet, while scrolling through backpacker social media. A traveler toting, or having another tote, Hermes luggage, has ample resources, including a trip planner.
A traveler on a rope is neither unwashed (great or otherwise) nor anointed. Cost is an object, but so is comfort. She recognizes the danger of a luxury cocoon as well as the tedium of a shared bathroom. With this guide you will stretch your dollar without wrenching your back. Your wallet will be barely scathed as you tantalize your taste buds and fill your belly.
This guidebook is more concise than my prior books in the series: Southeast Asia on a Rope: Thailand and Laos and, Southeast Asia on a Rope: Cambodia and Myanmar. Gone are the Planning, Itinerary and Vacation Photography sections. With this ebook, you can be a modern Paladin, “Have tablet will travel.”
Prices quoted in this book are generally good as of November 2014. Hotel prices are based on winter rates from Agoda.com. Agoda.com has competitive prices on the broadest listing of hotels in the region.
This book has over one hundred pictures. Is a picture worth a thousand words? I have seen horrible pictures. Some that may be worth only a few expletives. But I'm advising you where to eat, sleep and what to see. Seeing is believing, even if you have no reason to trust the words of some retired attorney you have never met.
To fully enjoy this book, please read it with a computer, tablet, or color e-reader. Otherwise, the pictures will be in fifty shades of grey.
Preparation
Gondola Shaft Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Thailand
Vaccinations
Having decided which cities to visit, your next step should be:
1.Check international flight prices,
2.Choose hotels, or
3.Go to Pasadena.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, the correct answer, of course, is go to Pasadena.
The Healthy Traveler Clinic (www.healthytraveler.com) is on Green Street in Pasadena. A travel clinic is the place for vaccinations, malaria medication (not needed for Bangkok or Chiang Mai) and the regionally correct antibiotic for diarrhea and dysentery.
The latter is particularly important if you are an adventurous eater. But even the pickiest eater may pick up a bug (even if he won’t eat one). A combination of the correct antibiotic and Imodium, will work within twenty-four hours. The Imodium will relieve most symptoms long before that.
A travel physician knows exactly what you need for your intended destinations. Since some immunizations require a series of shots, an early start is advised. On the subject of shots, experience counts. The shots given at The Healthy Traveler Clinic are virtually painless.
As an aside, travel doctor is a great gig. Your patients are upbeat rather than under the weather. You are not exposed to illnesses. Since treatment is generally not covered by insurance, payment is direct rather than dependent upon a convoluted bureaucracy.
Health Insurance
Should you buy traveler’s health insurance? Although it pays medical bills, that isn't the reason you buy it. In most cases your existing health insurance will reimburse you for emergency medical expenses. Of course, with your travelers insurance card providers know they will be paid. The real purpose is Medevac insurance which guarantees that you will be transported to an adequate medical facility. Since Bangkok and Chiang Mai have the best medical facilities in the region, health insurance isn't necessary.
Insects
Even if malaria isn't prevalent at your destinations, mosquitoes will be. For some that means DEET, and repeat. I detest the odor and feel of DEET.
Instead I recommend a two-prong solution. Picaridin is rated as effective as DEET, but is neither smelly nor sticky. Sawyer and Cutter are two brands. Ideally use a twenty per cent concentration. But, in the words of Ron Popeil, “wait there’s more.” Spray your clothes with Permethrin. Sawyer is a popular brand. This will deter mosquitoes for up to six washings. This is a much cheaper solution than purchasing insect repellent clothing, which usually relies on the same ingredient.
Visas
The visa for Thailand is free for stays of less than 30 days. But there is a catch the 30 day visa only applies to arrivals by air. If you enter Thailand by land crossing your visa is for 15 days. If you run over the limit there are 3 options. You can go to an immigration office and pay 1900 baht for a 7 to 10 day extension. Your cost calculation should also include a few hours of your vacation time and the cost of getting to and from immigration. If you are only going a few days over, the fine levied at the airport, when you leave, is 500 baht per day that you exceed the visa limit. The third option is to obtain another 15 day visa by leaving at a land crossing and returning.
What to Pack
One of the inviolate mathematical rules of travel is the inverse relationship between the length of your trip and the amount of clothes to pack. Don't take two weeks worth of clothes for a one-month trip. Four to five days worth will suffice. Packing light will prevent weight surcharges for flights within Southeast Asia.
In Chiang Mai, for a nominal price, vendors will wash and fold your clothes with a turn around of 24 hours or less. Although slightly more expensive, similar services are available