Avoiding Tourist Traps in Bangkok
Ever since the Kardashians took their annual family vacation to Thailand, I have been dying to visit the country. In the episode, the family rents out a darling boutique hotel in Phuket. They zip line, hang out at the hotel, and take numerous selfies. Kylie and Kendall also manage to disappear. However, what I saw was not exactly like “Keeping Up with The Kardashians.” First off, we stayed in Bangkok. The nearest beach is two hours away. We didn’t zip line, and luckily, no one got lost! (Aren’t you proud, Mom and Dad?!) Despite not being able to keep up with the Kardashians, we still had a great time.
To our advantage, the Thai Baht is not very strong; everything in Thailand is dirt-cheap. Our taxi from the airport to hotel was only 14USD for about an hour. Keep the conversion rate in mind when bargaining at markets. Haggling over 100 Baht (3USD) isn’t worth walking away from a purchase if you really like the product.
The weak Baht also allowed our group to stay at a very nice resort, Anatara Riverside, for around 130USD per night. We were also able to do a island tour around Pattaya on a catamaran boat for 90USD per person. The tour was all day and included snorkels, towels, and a visit to monkey island!
The only thing I regret about our trip was not arranging a private tour guide to take us to the sites in the city. As a group of about 12, we had to take multiple cabs to the Grand Palace to start our day of touring. Inevitability, we lost a few before making it to the entrance.
The group that didn’t make it to the rendezvous point fell for every single tourist trap. Their story is as follows:
Their cab dropped them off somewhere near the Grand Palace. Then they met someone who claimed to be a professor and said he knew of Georgetown. He said the Grand Palace was closed for a Buddhist holiday, and that they should go on a tuk-tuk lucky Buddha tour instead. He hooked them up with a good tuk-tuk driver and they saw some Buddhas. Then they decided to go on a private boat tour. It was only 1,000 Baht a person! (See my major key’s…these tours go around 350 Baht if you bargain).
The rest of us in the main group were slightly worried about their safety. However, they made it back alive and saw some cool sites. I would say these tourist activities are relatively safe, just major scams.
The guys who went in this group all had very different feelings about their day. Some thought it was amazing and really enjoyed the experience. Others felt totally ripped-off. They knew they weren’t getting a good deal.
Based on this story and our experience seeing the sites of the city by ourselves, I would highly recommend finding a tour guide. I know Bangkok has so much more history and cultural diversity than I experienced on my self-guided tour. A tour guide would be so helpful in putting the beautiful palace and temples in historical context. Overall, Thailand is a country I would love to spend more time in!
Hannah’s Major Keys: 1. Avoid scams – many con artists will approach you before entering major tourists sites and say the site is closed for a Buddhist holiday or too busy. They are almost always lying. If they proceed to sell you some sort of package that will take you on a private boat, to a lucky Buddha, and on a tuk-tuk, say no and keep moving. 2. If you do want to do a private boat tour, they are safe. Just make sure you are paying a fair price. Guides will start at 1,000 Bhat per person, but most people end up paying around 350 Bhat per person. 3. For many tourist sights you will need to cover your shoulders and wear long pants. For example, the Grand Palace has this dress code and strictly enforces it. They will allow you to borrow a shirt, long skirt, or pants for free, as long as you put down a 200 Baht deposit. 4. Ladies – I know we get tired of hearing it, but always travel/tour around with a male. Bangkok gets freaky and sometimes having a male with you just helps. 5. Khao San Road – check it out, but please take it easy on the buckets of alcohol and say no to ping-pong. Khaosun road is a major bar/party street for international backpackers looking for a cheap night out. The street has bars, patios, 7/11’s, street food, and night markets.