Thread: Recommendation for an area to live in Bangkok

Originally Posted by Bubba

I find bits of Lad Prao Road a bit dull in the cheap-furniture-shop-followed-by-wedding-boutique-shop sense.

Originally Posted by Bangkok Phil

Bubba, I dream about living on a road where cheap furniture shops sit side by side with wedding boutiques. Oh how the other half live.

I bought all my wedding gear there!

When I read wedding gear I thought of white powder

Something like that.

Originally Posted by Dianna

1. Ladprao/Pahonyothin

This is where I hang my hat. Advantages - relatively low rent, proximity to MRT (Phahon Yothin station), two popular shopping malls (Central Ladprao and Union Mall). The BIGGEST advantage to this area is proximity to THREE of Bangkok's most beautiful parks - Chatuchak, Queen Sirikit and Rot Fai. It's wonderful to be able to walk to these parks to see some grass and trees and exercise after a busy day. Hope this helps Dianna.

Originally Posted by DJ Pat

you can rent mountain bikes to ride the circuit

This is one of the most fun outdoor activities in Bkk, but mostly kids and families do this. It amazes me that 20-somethings and 30-somethings aren't keen on this park, but better for the regulars. Last year I broke down and bought my own bicycle to ride the circuit. Heaven!

I was a provincial dweller. I always felt sad for city folk when I visited the country and saw them cycling laps of a park. It reminded me of hamsters on a wheel.

I realise there are lot's of good things about BKK, which is why I visited regularly but when it comes to cycling you'd be better off with a stationary trainer in your apartment. You'd have AC, a stereo and you could go faster too.

Originally Posted by Jimmy Mulga

I was a provincial dweller. I always felt sad for city folk when I visited the country and saw them cycling laps of a park. It reminded me of hamsters on a wheel.

I realise there are lot's of good things about BKK, which is why I visited regularly but when it comes to cycling you'd be better off with a stationary trainer in your apartment. You'd have AC, a stereo and you could go faster too.

Jimmy, I know where you're coming from. Some folk in Rot Fai are riding 90,000 baht road bikes, and that's total overkill for doing laps there. But I still prefer riding outdoors than on a stationary bike. Last March I put my bicycle on a train for Nongkhai and then took a bicycle ride to Chiang Khan and then Loei ... so I felt that my laps at Rot Fai were good training for that.

I've pedalled that bit of the Mekong. I kept going upriver after Chiang Khan, the Mekong heads into Laos and there is a tributary marking the Laos border.

You are the only bicyclist I know who's ridden there. I wanted to continue the ride but I had to teach *expletive deleted* summer school. How far did you go along the Mekhong after Chiang Khan and where did you end up?

If I remember correctly another three days cycling got us to Tha Li. I can't remember the name of all the stops and I can't see them on google maps. The first night was at a little resort called Tee Pak something something. We were able to swim the river to Laos there.

After that it got very hilly. My main bearing was shot by that time and my mate was in a hurry so we used buses to get back to P'Lok and a train. The first leg of that trip was the train station at Ubon to Kheemerat.

Originally Posted by Jimmy Mulga

If I remember correctly another three days cycling got us to Tha Li. I can't remember the name of all the stops and I can't see them on google maps. The first night was at a little resort called Tee Pak something something. We were able to swim the river to Laos there.

I will definitely take my bike back up there to continue my ride. It was amazing, if not a bit smokey from the farmers burning off their crops. An amazing ride! You're the first cyclist I've chatted with who's been up that way.

From Nong Kai up through Loei was the best part scenery wise but South of Nong Kai the towns themselves were a bit larger and more entertaining.