book01

Chapter 2
Welcome to Bang Cock!

Another area which offers great discounts is Khao San (pronounced "cow san") which is a favorite hang out for European back packers who are on a budget. The shops are, similar to Pratunam, vendor style which means they will be right on the open sidewalk. You won't find any nice air conditioned malls here. But you will find a ton of gifts and gadgets to buy at extremely low prices. Worth it for an afternoon of fun shopping.

Along Sukumvit road, across the street from Soi 8, you will find a never ending array of street vendors. Whether you are looking for another suitcase to pack all the new clothes you bought, more fake watches and pirated CD's, tons of clothing items (all fake, but nice), and so on, you will find it here. Interestingly, they were selling uncensored pornographic CD's right on S.ukumvit, next to the ATM machine where the Ambassador hotel parking lot it. The CD's were in a cover that was sexually explicit. A cop was standing right there on the corner there, reading a newspaper as if nothing new was going on. Certainly he knew what was being sold and apparently could care less. That's Thailand for you. Remember, any items sold by street vendors (i.e., anyone selling on the open street rather than in a air conditioned mall) is negotiable. Whatever price a vendor quotes you, ask for a 50% discount and then work your way up from there. Usually you can get most items for anywhere from 10% to 50% off the original price quote.

When you do see an item you wish to buy and you ask how much it costs, the salesman on the street will whip out his handy-dandy calculator to show you the price. Some of the salesman on Sukumvit are mute and deaf, so it's funny to watch them "yell" at each other and bicker over whatever it is on their mind as you shop. Thailand is a weird place.

From Sukumvit, if you turn into the parking lot that takes you to the enormous Ambassador hotel (across the street from Soi 8), you will see a ton of small indoor shops on the right hand side (as you enter the parking lot). I bought some really nice Thai silk shirts for 150 baht ($3.50) each. Such a deal! If you don't mind spending the big bucks and want to shop with the rich, go to either SOGO department store, the World Trade Center or Robinson's department store. If you stay at the Crown or Nana, Robinson's is only about a ten minute walk. It's located on Soi 17. At Robinson's you will also find McDonald's, a money exchange booth, and downstairs in the basement, a great supermarket and Thai style food stalls.

Tit get to SOGO or the World Trade Center, you will need to take a taxi. It's only about ten minutes from the Crown or Nana, provided you don't go too late in the afternoon (anytime after 3 p.m. is grid lock. You'll spend an hour in traffic just trying to make it through an intersection)