Originally Posted by Miss Ann Thrope (Post 12290107)

How did that happen? Were you able to get police involved?

Originally Posted by Rubydo (Post 12290110)

Police don't want to know! We struggled getting a taxi to a hospital as they won't get involved.
We literally were just eating from a cart thing and my friend lent on someone's car whilst doing so- he was told to get off and he apologised and did so- the next minute all the food cart men shut shop and grabbed wooden bats and chased us and beat us.
It was a scary and horrible experience. When we eventually got someone to take us to a hospital there was another couple there too and the same had happened to them! English couple.
Apparently it happens a lot

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12290069)

Being 6ft something and white, yeah, I definitely stuck out as a tourist....:rofl:....However, the problem wasn't me, the problem was Bangkok. Other Asian cities are fantastic and much better in my opinion, not having been to them all yet. I enjoyed parts and moments but I didn't enjoy Bangkok overall. Koh Samui was cool, Koh Phangan (sp) was even better in my eyes, not been to Phuket.

Banyan Tree was a slight regret from a location perspective, but a great bit of foresight that we'd enjoy somewhere pleasant to finish our holiday. You might think it's overpriced but it was good value, I got no hype or rating for it before I went so I enjoyed it, sorry(?)..... The first hotel next to the mall was a good location (can't remember it's name but was good) and where we went for drinks the first night (google tells me Thong Lor [?]) because that was good fun with some awesome bars.

Originally Posted by Miss Ann Thrope (Post 12290117)

Wow, and so random, which makes it scarier. Thai police don't have the best rep. Mind you, neither do Lebanese..

DXBtoDOH, is Israel an option? Do QX fly there or would that be just too provocative?

Originally Posted by Rubydo (Post 12290110)

Police don't want to know! We struggled getting a taxi to a hospital as they won't get involved.
We literally were just eating from a cart thing and my friend lent on someone's car whilst doing so- he was told to get off and he apologised and did so- the next minute all the food cart men shut shop and grabbed wooden bats and chased us and beat us.
It was a scary and horrible experience. When we eventually got someone to take us to a hospital there was another couple there too and the same had happened to them! English couple.
Apparently it happens a lot

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH (Post 12290124)

Right now I'm leaning towards BKK. Book a posh hotel with a nice pool and rooftop bar and spend the days prowling the hot, steaming streets after great spicy food and ogle some of the ... ahem ... sights. Including a certain Babylon... strictly watching, mind you.

Lebanon should tick all the boxes but somehow I'm still a bit reluctant. Really wish I could justify going to the Amalfi coast but it's only a few days.

Originally Posted by martinbkk (Post 12290125)

Oh dear that is truly horrific. I've heard of such things and been in some situations that I can well see this sort of stuff can and does happen and absolutely right on the police. They only work if you have a contact. Sad to say but that really is true 95% of time. It's also understood that Thais never go one on one, they will always show up mob handed out of nowhere. As soon as a situation goes negative get humble apologise and leave, quick. These are not well educated people in the main and rational thinking has little place in their approach to things.

In all my years living there I've only been to Khao San Road once and that was enough. Awful squalid sort of place, even more so than much of the lower Sukhumvit area.

Originally Posted by mission (Post 12290090)

gotta admit i didn't rate BKK either......full of old fugly men with young thai girls/ladyboys young enough to be their kid....i was there for 3 or so days and was looking forward to getting out....have no desire to go there again...highlight of my time was going to that open roof top bar with the glass floor....the one that featured in the Hangover sequel.

Originally Posted by martinbkk (Post 12290121)

Jakarta, Manila and Beijing I think all pale alongside Bangkok.
Hotels anywhere are, meh, some good some not so, if you got good value and liked the place then it was good, nuff said.

Thonglor puts you in another part of town, yes more trendy hipster upscale bars and pubs. Can be edgy too at times depending on just where or when but usually in decent amounts, nothing scary.

People who ask about it I usually suggest a night or two in town before the island hopping jungle trekking rice paddy wandering then similar onthe way back. There is some cool stuff to see in town if you know where to look but most just get drowned in an avalanche of bs tourist junk.

Originally Posted by martinbkk (Post 12290136)

Grr! How do you know that they weren't? Okay, I know they're not but it grates a bit. My own daughter is half Thai and looks very Thai, is a typical fashion conscious teenager and I most definitely fit the fugly label. Going anywhere with her after the sun goes down can be most disheartening.

For a different roof top bar try Above 11. Just a regular roof top bar until you go to the bathroom. There you get high level nigh time views of the Bangkok cityscape whilst, well whilst whatever you do in the bathroom :lol:

Originally Posted by jam25mack (Post 12290135)

Bangkok is OK but I can only do a few days before I get cabin fever and need to get out to the islands.

Half of its charm is its mentalness (hey Ruby) but that does sound a bit OTT.

I was there about a decade ago and had been on Khao San Rd for a few days boozing while waiting for some inoculations to come into the pharmacy before I moved on. I got to know the bar owner pretty well as we'd been playing a lot of pool. He was the biggest Thai I have ever seen. One evening there was some pissed up paddy having a go at some local chap and as you say next minute there were 5 on him. Lucky for him I got the bar owner to stop it right away but I can certainly see how it can turn nasty very quickly.

Originally Posted by Rubydo (Post 12290110)

Police don't want to know! We struggled getting a taxi to a hospital as they won't get involved.
We literally were just eating from a cart thing and my friend lent on someone's car whilst doing so- he was told to get off and he apologised and did so- the next minute all the food cart men shut shop and grabbed wooden bats and chased us and beat us.
It was a scary and horrible experience. When we eventually got someone to take us to a hospital there was another couple there too and the same had happened to them! English couple.
Apparently it happens a lot

Originally Posted by Shawlands (Post 12290757)

Having just watched the film 'No Escape', I can somehow vividly picture this. Must say the Far East has dropped significantly in my to-do list. I do have to visit HK for work before year end, so a gradual entry to maybe change my mind...

Originally Posted by Shawlands (Post 12290757)

Having just watched the film 'No Escape', I can somehow vividly picture this. Must say the Far East has dropped significantly in my to-do list. I do have to visit HK for work before year end, so a gradual entry to maybe change my mind...