reviews | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Chinatown Bangkok shopping

December 25, 2015 by David Herd

Welcome to Chinatown Bangkok

Chinatown Bangkok shopping sightseeing is a hive of activity as you would expect, narrow lanes with thousands of people hunting for bargains.

Thien Fah Foundation

The Tien Fa foundation was formed in 1902, making it the oldest charitable society in Bangkok. The foundation provides free medical care to the indigent. The buildings surrounding the shrine actually house the hospital facilities.

Lighting candles at The Tien Fa foundation

The foundation is on Yaowarat Road just a short distance from the Chinatown gate in the circle.

Very busy street Chinatown Bangkok

The Chinese community in Bangkok pre-dates the founding of the Thai capital in the city. Indeed, the land where the grand palace is today was originally a community of Chinese traders. When King Rama I decided to establish the capital on the site of the village of Bangkok, he asked the traders to move. They settled to the east of the new city, along the river. It may be hard to believe today, but the narrow Sampaeng Lane, which isn’t even big enough for a car, was once the Chinatown Bangkok main street.

Typical side-walk shop

The best way to see the area is to pick a starting point and wander around.

Roast Duck

Chinese food is my 2nd favourite cuisine after Japanese.

Shanghai Mansion

A very nice boutique four star hotel in the heart of Chinatown. Use this link for an excellent room rate.

Overload

What could possibly go wrong?

Nice looking Tuk Tuk in Chinatown Bangkok

Very handy transport, however usually the drivers try to badger you into visiting a gem store etc so they can receive a kickback. Taxis are a far better option, cheaper and air conditioned.

Lots of toy shops in Chinatown

Prices are notably cheaper here than other parts of the city, of course haggling is expected. 🙂

Chinatown Bangkok shopping

For example check out these prices.

Ratchawong

The easy way to reach Chinatown is a B40 ferry ride, get off at pier number 5 at Ratchawong and walk 10 minutes up this road.

The big attraction

Food, food & more food. 🙂

Ferry to Chinatown Bangkok

You can buy a ticket for B150 and travel up and down the river all day, very good value indeed.

Thanks for visiting my Chinatown Bangkok shopping photo blog.

iCheck Inn Soi 11

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

Here are some more posts to check out

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Check out these great photo blogs.

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Amazing World Food

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Lake Como Lake Garda Italy

Pattaya live webcam

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Red Sky Bar Bangkok

December 24, 2015 by David Herd

Absolutely amazing

Red Sky Bar Bangkok

Red Sky Bar Central World Bangkok offers a breathtaking view of this wonderful city. Perched on the 56th floor at Centara Grand Hotel on top of Central World shopping Mall.

Bistro and bar

A huge wines selection at the bistro which occupies the entire 55th floor, both indoor and outdoor dining sections to choose from, and the solely outdoor bar deck of the 56th floor wraps around the circular core of the building providing an uninterrupted 360 degree panorama of the amazing Bangkok metropolis.

Happy hour is 5 to 7 pm

Buy one get one free is a good deal as the price as you would expect at such a venue is rather high. A Jack Daniels or a beer is B360 so getting 2 for 1 is a good deal.

After happy hour finishes

Well that’s another story, some friends turned up and Lisa from Townsville was drinking champagne which turned out to be B1,100 per glass, which equals $42 AUD or $30 USD. Now that’s not really a problem but her and her friend John left without paying, subsequently Greg, the little guy in the middle got stuck with a huge drink bill. 🙂

Enough of that, back to the amazing view.

The Baiyoke tower is 85 stories and is the tallest building in Bangkok, it includes the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest hotel in Southeast Asia and the seventh-tallest all-hotel structure in the world.

Game changer

MahaNakhon is a luxury mixed-use skyscraper currently under construction in the Silom/Sathon central business area of Bangkok. Designed to fit into the Thai landscape with a unique pixelated facade, it will have the unconventional appearance of a glass curtain walled square tower with a cuboid-surfaced spiral cut into the side of the building. Upon its estimated completion in 2015, it will become the tallest building in Bangkok at 314 metres (1,030 ft), with 77 floors. Featuring hotel, retail and residences, 200 units of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bangkok inside the building are priced between around US$1,100,000 to US$17,000,000, making it one of the most expensive condominiums in Bangkok. From Wikipedia.

Another angle

The entire 360 degree vista is incredible from the Rd Sky Bar.

Hamish loves a selfie

We recently travelled to Tokyo and Osaka where Hamish proved that he was king of the selfies.

Great shot from Red Sky Bar Central World Bangkok

The golden domes look fantastic. For a great room rate at the Novotel just book through THIS LINK.

Jack Daniel’s & Soda Red Sky Bar Bangkok

My drink of choice.

That’s MBK

One of the best places to shop in Bangkok, eight stories high, the centre contains around 2,000 shops, restaurants and service outlets, including the 4-story Tokyu department store.

The P hotel is connected bto MBK, for an excellent room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sunset at the Red Sky Bar

Try to arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset to enjoy the day and the night view.

Sunset cocktails

Such a beautiful evening to enjoy a cocktail or three with friends.

The day draws to a close

Red Sky Bar Bangkok is now one of my favourite places to visit in this great city, put it on your bucket list.

A seat with a view

Lots of places to sit & enjoy one of Bangkok’s most spectacular Sky Bars.

David Herd, on top of the world at Red Sky Bar Bangkok.

What an incredible year 2015 has been for me, I figure I’m one of the luckiest guys alive. I visited nine countries and fourteen great cities. Plus I’m ready for anything 2016 has in store for my. Check out my Eastern European Odyssey.

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

The best Bangkok budget hotel I have ever stayed in.

Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

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That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

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Everything you wanted to know about Bangkok but were afraid to ask. 🙂

Amazing shopping mall

Chinatown Bangkok

Notorious Nana Plaza

The fabulous Commons

Patpong red light district

Canal cruise long-tail boat

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Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

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Pattaya live webcam

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Loy Krathong Celebration Thailand

November 27, 2015 by David Herd

Float a basket

Loy Krathong Celebration Thailand

Loy Krathong Celebration Thailand means “float a basket”, it’s a beautiful Thai ceremony held every November coinciding with the full moon. The baskets are constructed from banana leaves and flowers, some are small and some are large and elaborate.

Hard at work for Loy Krathong Thailand

From 7 am these ladies are busy constructing the Krathongs.

Small Krathongs

The idea is you place a little money in the Krathong then send it out to float and it will take your bad luck with it.

Extra large Krathongs

As you can imagine a lot of work goes into making these fabulous Krathongs.

These girls will work for hours

Sitting on the Beach Road footpath for hours is no problem for these industrious ladies.

Fast asleep

It’s all too much for this young guy, it’s 7’30 am and he is taking a nap.

All hands on deck

Even the kids are recruited to help out granny. 🙂

Loy Krathong Celebration Thailand early evening

Beach Road come alive when the sun goes down. This guy certainly has a lot of stock to sell.

Opposite the A-One hotel.

It’s 8.30 pm and where are the crowds?

The lanterns are the star of the show

Lanterns are a wonderful sight floating high in the sky. Thai people believe if you make a wish prior to take off, and if the lantern is still alight when it goes out of sight, your wish will come true.

Houston, we have a problem

Loy Krathong Pattaya

These guys initially had a problem with lift-off, however perseverance won out in the end.

The crowd in 2014

The beach was packed last year for Loy Krathong Thailand 2014.

Loy Krathong Thailand 2015

This year I estimate the crowd was only about 10% compared with last year.

Many thanks for visiting my Loy Krathong Thailand photo blog.

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

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That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

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Pattaya storm water pipe

November 16, 2015 by David Herd

In comes the storm

Pattaya storm water pipe

Pattaya storm water pipe is planned to be the solution to Beach Road flooding after every storm. The problem is they need to replicate what they are building opposite Soi 6 in at least 4 other locations.

So the problem begins as you see above when the storm rolls in.

Beach Road floods

When the storm hits within a matter of minutes Beach Road disappears.

The footpath disappears as well

The volume of water is too much for any drain of gutter to handle.

Beach Rd Pattaya flooded, more water than Songkran.

The solution stage one

This was how it all started by digging up the footpath opposite Soi 6. Naturally at this stage we had no idea what was happening.

The channel

We still were not sure what the plan was.

Progress

The work was progressing 4/7.

Lots of equipment in play

It must be costing a fortune with all this equipment in play.

Opposite Soi 6

Those buildings you can see are on the corner of Soi 6.

To add to their problems

A storm arrived and wrecked part of the footpath and work site.

Sandbags to keep the water out

On the right you can see the damaged footpath, meanwhile lets hope the sandbags are effective.

The pump station

I’m guessing this will be where the pump will be located.

Pattaya storm water pipe

As you can clearly see it is a frenzy of activity.

Ooops!

Not everything goes to plan here in Thailand.

Houston we have a problem

I have a feeling the boss is not going to be happy.

It’s not a pipedream

After 4 months of continuous work the first length of pipe is installed.

Then mid November a large barge arrives

Getting ready for the 2nd length of pipe.

Here comes the pipe.

Three pipes of this length were joined together.

Para-sailors in the background.

Life goes on as usual in Pattaya, the para-sailors are here every day.

A short video

Pipeline off Pattaya Beach

Thanks for visiting my Pattaya storm water pipe photo blog, I will post more as it happens.

Here is a quote from The Pattaya Mail. a local newspaper on June 17 2016. “In the past year, Pattaya spent 170 million baht to install three huge drainage pipes at the Dusit Curve, Soi 6, and near Walking Street. But even short rainstorms since their completion have shown the pricey pipes are unable to solve Beach Road’s chronic flooding problem.”

If you are visiting Pattaya here are some excellent hotels, book through this link.

Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Pattaya Hilton

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

More interesting photo blogs here.;

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Pattaya live webcam

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Amari Hotel Beach Road

November 11, 2015 by David Herd

Looking north to Wongamat

Amari Hotel Beach Road Pattaya

Amari Hotel Beach Road Pattaya Ocean Tower has fabulous ocean views and beautiful grounds around the pool area. Add the wonderful Mantra to the mix and you will wonder why you would ever stay anywhere else.

It is May 2017 & a huge renovation is underway, the Garden section is being totally demolished & a new tower will be constructed in its place. Tavern by the sea on Beach Rd has been demolished.

Naklua Road

Naklua Road has lots of good restaurants and beer bars. Travel about 5 kilometers along and you come to the fish market, well worth a visit.

It is May 2017 & a huge renovation is underway, the Garden section (the grey buildings) is being totally demolished & a new tower will be constructed in its place. Tavern by the sea on Beach Rd will also be demolished.

Relax at the pool bar.

A beautiful setting swim up to the bar and order a cocktail.

Lap pool, I don’t think so.

I would struggle to swim one lap, I’ll stick to the other pool where I can order a Bloody Mary. 🙂

One moment sir while I check for vacancies

Friends of mine who are regular Amari customers always comment on the excellent staff, they certainly give their guests the five star treatment.

For a great rate use this link to book the Ocean Tower.

Here is the link to book the lower price Garden section.

Four of my favourite people

My brother Warren and his two beautiful daughters Elyssa & Laura plus my friend Bill Austin from Wiltshire in the U.K, we had just finished Sunday lunch at the Mantra and were feeling no pain at all. 🙂

Talking about the Mantra

Alaskan crab, Oysters from France washed down with cold sake. Sunday lunch lets you sample food from seven different kitchens.

Here is a video showing the seven kitchens

The fabulous Mantra restaurant, Amari hotel in Pattaya Thailand.

Watch this video on YouTube

View from the rooms at the front

How good is this view? Every morning you can watch the para-sailors buzzing around like mosquitoes.

Amari Hotel Beach Road Pattaya

The Dusit Hotel is in the foreground with Cape Dara hotel the tall modern building behind.

Pattaya low cost Hotels

The Amari executive club.

Garden section

Room prices are quite a bit lower in the Garden section but you still have full access to the beautiful grounds. They also have an excellent property at Koh Chang which is around 4 hours drive from Pattaya.

It is May 2017 & a huge renovation is underway, the Garden section is being totally demolished & a new tower will be constructed in its place. Tavern by the sea on Beach Rd will also be demolished.

The beautiful garden area

Amari Hotel Pattaya

Watch this video on YouTube

Tavern By the Sea

It is May 2017 & a huge renovation is underway, the Garden section is being totally demolished & a new tower will be constructed in its place. Tavern by the sea on Beach Rd has also been demolished.

Thanks for visiting my Amari Hotel Beach Road Pattaya photo blog.

Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Here are some of my most popular posts.

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Extreme poverty Phnom Penh

November 11, 2015 by David Herd

On display at the Foreign Correspondents Club.

Extreme poverty Phnom Penh

Extreme poverty Phnom Penh & in fact throughout Cambodia, is everywhere you look. There is a huge gap between rich & poor. Apart from this I found the people to be some of the nicest I have met anywhere in Asia.

My recent journey in May 2010 from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville was delayed because I was enjoying myself so much in the city I found it hard to leave.

I returned in October 2017 & couldn’t believe the changes, mainly due to Chinese investments.

The Foreign Correspondents Club

I was so surprised by the number of quality restaurants and bars, excellent food, good service and nice decor. On the other side of the coin is the poverty, Cambodia is certainly a third world country struggling to drag itself into the 21st century. Like most poor countries the gap between rich and poor is immense.

The foreign correspondents club.

Relaxing most days in the Foreign Correspondents Club overlooking the Mekong River is like being transported 60 years back in time. Sipping a gin & tonic in the big comfortable leather chairs makes you feel like you are in an Oliver Stone movie covering the Vietnam war.

Shutters on the windows

Letting in the breeze.

Extreme poverty Phnom Penh

Here is a lovely family playing cards under a tree on a public footpath seemingly without a care in the world.

Happy face selling sunglasses

A lasting memory for me is how nice the people are, sure many of them will try to sell you something, however they do it with a smile on their face and without the persistence and aggression of their counterparts in Vietnam and Indonesia.

Taxi

A huge bonus in Phnom Penh which is out of character with every other Asian city I have ever visited, is how slow the Motorcycle taxis travel, there is no stress or haste, you sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, plus as you can see the seats are very comfortable.

Monkeys

This photo was opposite our hotel, notice the wire grill on one of the upstairs homes. A simple explanation, it is there to stop the dozens of noisy monkeys from entering the home. Every day they scamper along the rooftops and balconies making one hell of a racket, quite funny really.

Malis Restaurant at 136 Norodom Boulevard, Phnom Penh

The Mali restaurant was an excellent example of the high quality restaurants in Phnom Penh, great food and fabulous decor. There is another bonus you can buy bags of Cambodian pepper to take home with you, many people, myself included, believe Cambodian pepper is the best in the world.

Malis Restaurant

Travel tips. Have dinner at the Mali restaurant and buy some pepper to take home, please click here.

Le Grand Palais Phnom Penh

For a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.

Good low cost hotel. The Pickled Parrot is a budget hotel run by an Australian, rooms are fine and there is a good bar & restaurant on the ground floor, the location is excellent. The best hotel booking site is Agoda, you have a choice whether to pay now or later when you check out of your hotel.

Good Phnom Penh information site. Please click here.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

Long tail boat

The mighty Mekong river.

A terrible cruel sight, dying in the heat.

Heartbreaking to see these poor birds suffer in 35 degree heat.

Hot truck probably owned by a government official.

Many expats in Cambodia tell me a lot of government officials spend foreign aid money on expensive cars etc for their own benefit, while continuing poverty Phnom Penh prevails.

Pickled Parrot

A bunch of Aussies, next to me is Roger Gaffney who now lives in Saigon, then old mate Tony Murphy with his camera locked and loaded. Can’t remember the other 2 guys.

A great way to relax in the heat of the day.

Life generally is fairly lay-back in Cambodia.

The mighty Mekong River

Mekong River Phnom Penh Cambodia is certainly changing rapidly, not necessarily for the good I’m afraid. However there are still many wonderful experiences to enjoy in this fascinating country.

I have been lucky enough to visit some of the worlds great rivers as well as the Mekong, the Nile, the Amazon, the Mississippi and the Yangtze. And of course in Australia the Murry and the Darling.

Pretty face at the market

And I certainly don’t mean Murphy. 🙂

Riverside restaurant

A great place to sit & watch the mighty Mekong roll by.

Thanks for visiting Extreme poverty Phnom Penh post

Thanks for visiting my Extreme poverty Phnom Penh photo blog. Great hotel discounts here.

Plantation Urban Resort and Spa

Just book through THIS LINK for a very good discount.

Here are some more posts to check out

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Before we move on to Sihanoukville please watch the Phnom Penh slide show.

Without a doubt AGODA is the best online Hotel booking site.

Click on the photo below to see another great post.

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Before you go check out the LadyBoy show in Pattaya

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

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Bangkok City Building Boom

November 4, 2015 by David Herd

River City

Bangkok City Building Boom

Bangkok City Building Boom, it never ceases to amaze me, each time I visit there are new skyscrapers reaching for the clouds. Above is River City shopping mall beside the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel on the Chao Phraya River.

Sathorn Nakorn Tower

A modern Salom office building located at 100 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Rd., Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500.

Check out my photo blog for some iconic buildings along the river.

Bangkok City Building Boom State Tower

Built in 2001, it is the largest building in South-east Asia, on the roof is Sirocco, one of the best roof top bars in the world. I often stay close by at Centre Point hotel, in fact I took this photo from my hotel window. Use this link for an excellent room rate. However if you prefer to stay in this magnificent tower book into the upmarket Lebua hotel through this link.

Sirocco at the top of the State Tower

In my opinion this is the World’s best sky bar.

Centre Point Hotel & Robinson shopping mall

The hotel is connected to the shopping mall and only a 5 minute walk to the sky train and river ferries. Use this link for an excellent room rate.

Bangkok City Building Boom Nana station

A new tower is under construction on the left and the vacant block is screaming out for development.

Q Sukhumvit is a 42 floor building with 273 residential properties.

Adjacent to Nana BTS, in the left of the previous photo you will see the exact location.

Beside Nana station

As in many countries buildings beside the railways stations tend to bring the highest rent for obvious reasons.

Bangkok City Building Boom Ploenchit station

Not sure of this buildings name however I will find out on my next visit.

Beside Ploenchit station Bangkok building boom continues

The Bangkok building boom continues.

Bangkok City Building Boom Terminal 21 Asoke

Located next to the BTS Skytrain and MRT underground rail networks.

Marriott Marquis Queens Park Hotel

This well known hotel in Soi 22 has 2000 rooms and is being totally renovated. It opened in 2017 as an addition to the Marriott chain.

EmQuartier

Opened in March 2015 and I never thought I would say it but Bangkok now rivals Tokyo with the highest quality food presentation in the world.

Baiyoke Tower

Game changer

South Sathorn Road

Just opposite the Australian Embassy in Sathorn Road. The embassy has now moved to 181 Wireless Rd, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330.

From Cloud 47 in Sathorn

A great view of the city from Cloud 47.

Bangkok’s tallest buildings

Great design the Park Hyatt

Another wonderful design the hotel is expected to open late 2016. Central Embassy will be hoping they will bring potential customers as their traffic since opening has been disappointing.

The River condominium.

The south tower is the tall building and is right opposite the Shangri-La hotel.

Hotel Peninsula

Hotel Peninsula on the right and the River Condos on the left. Use this link for a great room rate.

Under construction

There are some amazing buildings under construction as of June 2016, check out THIS LINK.

Wonderful looking condominiums in Asoke.

I’m guessing they are swimming pools on the roof.

Resting after a busy shopping day

Thanks for visiting my Bangkok City Building Boom post, I have highlighted about 2% of Bangkok’s fabulous skyline. Use this link to get a terrific room rate at the Dynasty Grand in Nana.

Since writing this blog I have found a lower price hotel option. Now when I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD, + you can pay later & have the option to cancel free of charge.

Excellent value here.

The best Bangkok budget hotel I have ever stayed in.

Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Soapy Massage Pattaya Bangkok

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Pattaya live webcam

Hawker Chan Hollys Coffee

Le Bordeaux Pattaya Restaurant

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Breakfast Bake n’ Brew

Food review Pattaya 2020

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JW Marriott hotel Bangkok

November 2, 2015 by David Herd

Terrific Breakfast

JW Marriott hotel Bangkok

JW Marriott hotel Bangkok is at Soi 2 Sukhumvit, a short walk to both Ploenchit & Nana station. It’s a luxury five star hotel with some wonderful restaurants. My friend Tony Murphy and I enjoy a very good breakfast in the Bangkok Baking Company. There is another Marriott worth visiting in Soi 57 Sukhumvit, have a cocktail at the wonderful roof bar 48 floors above the ground.

Eggs Florentine

You can either order from the menu or nominate what you prefer and it will be prepared for you.

Executive chef

Michael Hogan looks after all the wonderful restaurants at the JW Marriott, he loves Bangkok and is an Aussie from Banora Point, which is at the southern end of Australia’s Gold Coast.

One of Michaels specialities

The bakery among many other delicacies has a range of delicious pies, I usually take a few back to Pattaya after visiting Bangkok.

You are guaranteed a great rate if you use this link to book your room.

Restaurants

Now if that selection is not enough for you then I can’t help you. 🙂

JW Marriott hotel Bangkok

Located halfway between Nana & Ploenchit stations, only a 5 minute walk to either one.

Dim Sum

All the usual suspects are available, service & quality is very good indeed.

Marriott pool

I remember years ago I would stay at a cheaper hotel in Soi 4 and sneak into the Marriott to uses their pool.

January 2000 with Barbara Manelli

I just had to throw in a blast from the past, here I am at the Marriott in January 2000 with one of my all time favourite girlfriends who was holidaying from Florence.

As you would expect the rooms are fabulous

If you use this link to book you are guaranteed a great room rate.

The foyer

Looking down on the huge foyer with comfortable lounges for you to relax before heading for the shops. My two favourite shopping centres are Siam Paragon & Siam Centre which are next door to each other, and the amazing EmQuartier, put them on your list of paces to go.

Bangkok Baking Company

Delicious snacks & coffee and a great place to relax and read the Bangkok Post.

Great Omelette

Another excellent breakfast choice.

Poached eggs, avocado & crispy bacon.

Absolutely perfect at the JW Marriott hotel Bangkok.

Another variation of poached eggs & avocado in October 2018.

Love the JW Marriott breakfast.

Thanks for visiting my JW Marriott hotel Bangkok photo blog, it really is one of Bangkok’s great hotels.

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Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Amazing EmQuartier shopping mall

November 1, 2015 by David Herd

EmQuartier

Amazing EmQuartier shopping mall Bangkok opened in March 2015 & I’m blown away by the amazing food hall at this new shopping mall opposite the Emporium. I never thought I would say it but Bangkok now rivals Tokyo with the highest quality food presentation in the world.

Street Food Fair

Everything I saw was simply top quality.

Amazing EmQuartier shopping mall Bangkok food hall

There are dozens of restaurants, offices, event halls and a nice atrium garden featuring a waterfall. There’s direct access from Phrom Phong BTS Skytrain and walkway to the original Emporium mall across the road.

au bon pain

One of my favourite coffee chains, I often have breakfast at the Pattaya branch, a bacon & egg croissant & a medium latte.

Wonderful liquor store

Way back in the 80s I owned a liquor in Sydney, it looked nothing like this. 🙂

Nice to see my favorite Australian wine here.

Sadly Penfold’s wine is far too expensive in Thailand.

Jones the grocer

Quite a beautifully designed store.

Jones the grocer

So many choices at EmQuartier and so little time.

Harrods at Amazing EmQuartier shopping mall

No, we are not in London, we are in Bangkok.

Inside Harrods

The choices of restaurants and coffee shops is mind boggling.

Wine I love you

What a great name for a restaurant, as well as the indoor area there is a terrace that overlooks downtown Bangkok, they offer Asian and Western choices for appetizers & mains, catering to a variety of tastes, all at very affordable prices.

I wanted to order the lamb shank but they were sold out, when I remarked “but it’s only 12.15,” the waitress informed me they only get 4 shanks each day and we have been opened since 10 am. When I think about it it probably ensures they always have fresh produce to serve.

Amazing EmQuartier shopping mall

Wine I love you at Amazing EmQuartier Bangkok is one of many restaurants with wonderful décor.

Meerkats on guard

Part of the nice garden area where people can relax and kids can play.

Did I mention the guard dog?

EmQuartier has its very own guard dog.

Amazing EmQuartier shopping mall

It really is a pleasure exploring this wonderful new mall.

Oysters at Crab and Claw, 7th Floor Helix Building.

Lobsters, New England Clam Chowder and a good selection of oysters (Kumamoto, Calm Cove, Royal, etc…) and fresh home-made pasta. Lots of choices at this popular establishment. The lobster roll is Crab & Claw’s signature dish, however it will set you back around B1000.

They have recently opened at Siam Paragon as well.

Entrée at Crab and Claw

An interesting dish featuring a crab with little black hamburger rolls and a crab filling. Although it was a little light on the crab, tasty but I would not order again. A very good selection of (expensive) Oysters from all over the world, average price between B500 & B600 for 3.

For a very good budget hotel in Soi 11 Sukhumvit you can’t beat Citadines.

If you want to go upmarket try the Marriot on Sukhumvit, great rate using this link.

Fabulous supermarket

Food is beautifully displayed in keeping with the entire complex.

Fresh fish

Beautifully presented fresh produce.

Here is an even new mall, Siam Discovery.

Diagonally opposite MBK.

Good budget hotel on Sukhumvit

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

The best Bangkok budget hotel I have ever stayed in.

Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.

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That’s all folks

Everything you wanted to know about Bangkok but were afraid to ask. 🙂

Amazing shopping mall

Chinatown Bangkok

Notorious Nana Plaza

The fabulous Commons

Patpong red light district

Canal cruise long-tail boat

Spectacular Bangkok Sky Bars

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

Soi Cowboy Bangkok

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Kamakura seaside city

October 22, 2015 by David Herd

Kamakura

Kamakura seaside city is a little over an hours train ride south of Tokyo. My friends & I had a marvellous day out exploring the wonderful temples and shrines. The header for this post shows my friend Kayo from Tokyo who was our guide for the day, also featured taking a selfie is Hamish Elton my friend from Thailand who was visiting Japan for the first time.

Engaku-ji Temple Kamakura

Our first stop was Engakuji Temple which is the head of a branch school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. It is very close to Kita-Kamakura station and houses the largest bell in Kamakura. Sadly we never got to see the big bell as that area was closed off, we had to settle for this smaller one. Check out my Engaku-ji photo blog here.

Cross the tracks to Kencho-ji Temple

This was the start of a huge day of walking, Hamish measured our steps and distance walked during the day with an app on his phone. We covered about 17 kilometres which was around 22,000 steps.

Kencho-ji Temple

Kenchoji Temple built in 1253 and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan. It is a lot smaller than during its heyday, Kencho-ji still has a large number of temple buildings, and stretches from the entrance gate at the bottom of the valley far into the forested hills behind. Check out my photo blog here on this fascinating Temple.

By now I’m getting hungry

it’s 2’30 pm and I’m dying of hunger so we start looking for a suitable restaurant. Spanish? No after all we are in Japan.

Amish

An Amish restaurant, I didn’t even know they had there own style of food. I’m surprised Hamish didn’t want to try it merely because of the rhyme. 🙂

Finally Japanese cuisine

And it turned out to be excellent, perhaps not quite Tokyo standard but very good indeed.

I love Japanese food

After lunch I had the strength to carry on with our marathon walk.

Through the tunnel to the Great Buddha

Little did I realise we had only covered about 1/2 of the 17 kilometres.

Kayo and Hamish take selfies with the Great Buddha

My friends taking selfies with the Great Buddha.

Here comes the priest

We watched this guy come down the stairs and wondered what he was up to. When he got to the bottom he spoke to a family who were illegally parked in the temples private car park and asked them to move on.

Hard to refuse this guy

He obviously has Buddha on his side. 🙂

Coffee time before heading for Enoshima

After spending several hours in Kamakura exploring the wonderful temples we decided to take a 30 minute train ride to Enoshima to see where Japan will hold the sailing venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Map of Kamakura seaside city

At the bottom left hand corner south of Tokyo is Kamakura.

The Villa Sacra gets very good reviews on Agoda, use this link for an excellent rate.

Lotus at the Kara-mon at Engaku-ji Temple

Thanks for visiting my Kamakura seaside city post, I’ll finish with this photo which is one of my favourites among many on this great day out in Kamakura.

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