Hi there, Could you recommend a place to stay in an interesting part of Bangkok at a price not excee

Bangkok is a big city, covering an area of more than 1,500 square kilometres with 10 million plus inhabitants and more than 100,000 taxis! All the areas have you stayed are popular with visitors and offer great amenities and good transport. It's easy to reach attractions as well as shopping and business districts thanks to the Skytrain, underground and, yes, taxis. 

There are many places to stay outside the main areas. You should probably look at accommodation around Yaowarat Road, which is known as the Chinatown of Bangkok. China Town is also connected to the Chao Phraya River and boasts a number of hotels and guesthouses. Loy La Long Hotel behind Wat Pathun on Songvard Road is a good choice. 

Thon Buri, on the other side of the river, is also interesting. Not too far from the Temple of Dawn, in Issaraparb 33 where nine rooms are offered at Cham Chum Suk Homestay. It’s not located by the river, but in an old neighbourhood where you can experience something different from other parts of Bangkok. 

In fact, there are small places like this one tucked away all over Bangkok. Even in the old town, away from Khao San, there are many charming places to stay like Phra Nakhon Non Len in Tewet Soi 1 or Ban Dinsor in Dinsor Road. Hope you find what you are looking for.

 

 

On my last trip to Thailand, I used an ATM to withdraw money, as it was very easy. But paying Bt150 for each withdrawal seems a lot, as I can only take a maximum of 200 pounds equivalent each time. Would I be better taking cash or travellers cheques and changing them in Thai banks next time? 

Thanks in advance, Jay

 

Most ATMs charge whenever you withdraw the money. Many foreigners today look for Aeon ATMs, the only brand that does not charge any fee. However, they are not easy to find. This ATM brand is mostly attached to MaxValu supermarkets, so you need to look for the supermarket name, then walk inside to find the machine. There a newly opened MaxValu on Silom Road and another at the Park Lane community mall on Ekamai (Sukhumvit 63). It is getting easier to find this supermarket in Bangkok these days, so keep your eyes open. That said, it still isn’t a totally convenient option, as there are no Aeon ATMs at the airports.

I still think the ATM option is safer than carrying a lot of cash or traveller cheques for the whole trip. The best way is to plan the amount of money you need for the trip, and calculate how many withdrawals you will require. This way, you don’t have to go to a bank with your passport and queue for the service. 

I would suggest you bring along some cash with you to exchange at the airport when you arrive. Then you can use ATMs when you are in town, combining the withdrawals with credit cards and a small amount of traveller cheques as backup. Hope this helps!