Bangkok to Saigon

[rub-a-dub]

I'm taking a trip next month through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  It's kind of last minute so I haven't made any firm arrangements yet, but I'm thinking of flying to Bangkok and travelling from there to Ho Chi Minh.  Probably going to Phnom Penh along the way.  

Anybody have any suggestions?  Places we should stay, cool/weird bars, restaurants ... anything would help.  Just starting to look at travel forums but you sleazeballs always have the best advice.

[Hugh Jass]

Eric, I didn't eat a single memorable meal at a "restaurant" in Bangkok. However, almost everything I ate from street carts or those garage-looking stalls was amazing. I ate roast pork from some cart on Sukhumvit that was one of the greatest meals I've ever had. The dude piled it on and it cost like $2 US. Just make sure you eat from vendors where other people (especially non-tourists) are eating.

We stayed a couple nights at the Bangkok Royal- http://www.bangkok.com/royal-hotel-bangkok/
You can tell it used to be a swanky joint in the olden days, but it's kind of run-down now. It's clean enough, though, and well worth the price. And it's right in the middle of everything.

[denkinger]

Get used to calling it SAIGON, only the government calls it HCMC.

[dusty]

are you going with my Pal, Skeet? I think he's going the same time as you...

he's the bass player in the mindless things, grants band. i'm the drummer.

[anal satan]

I was in bangkok twice but it was many years ago at this point.  There was a place called Immortal bar that played all black metal but I heard it later on turned into a hip-hop place.  The only really punk bar was in Chang Mai, I can't recall the name of it right now but doesnt sound like you're heading in that direction.  I think most of the punks (who are few and far between) in Bangkok hang out at the Chatuchak (JJ for short) Market that goes on every weekend.  I bought some silly thai death metal tapes there and you can buy tons of cool souvenirs there as well. 

Everything I ate was amazing though I did get food poisoning.  My favorite place, believe it or not, was in one of the malls - Emporium I think.  Crashed with friends so I can't recommend any place to stay.  I think some friends of friends still live there I can ask around and see what's happening. 

The weed sucks but it's dirt cheap.

[rub-a-dub]

Thanks, dudes.  Keep 'em coming.

Dusty, I'm not going with Skeet but I talked to him a couple days ago and we'll try to meet up in Vietnam.

[BRACE]

 You meetin up with Bomba and Annihilation Time? Ladyboys

[rub-a-dub]

You meetin up with Bomba and Annihilation Time? Ladyboys

Yeah, hopefully!

[ADAMK]

Get Happy Pizza (asking for "extra happy" doesn't hurt) in Phnom Penh and tour the Royal Palace next door when yr all fucked up.

Also, closer to the Cambodia/Thai border in Battambang there's a restaurant/cooking class called "Smoking Pots" which is run by a young Khmer dude where each person there picks out a dish, then he takes you to a local market, explains all the produce and local market customs, helps you pick out the ingredients, and teaches you how to prepare it.  Sooooooo much fun...one of my favorite things I did over there.

[Vinnie]

the daggerman fucks a little boy. sick

[Sukebe GG]

Been a while since I've been there but you should consider a night or two in Sihanoukville, a beach town in Cambodia. It'll probably be on your route to PP. Definitely get a Happy Pizza if it is still there and try talking to some monks, usually they want to practice their English anyhow...Do you have time to do Angkor Wat? I thought it was amazing but you do need about three days to do it right. Been a while since I was in Saigon but I have a good friend there so I will get some info from him.

[rub-a-dub]

Cool, thanks everyone.  We're going from Feb. 14th - March 4th so we're going to be sort of tight on time.  I'm starting to think that travelling all the way to Saigon might be over-ambitious for the amount of time we have.  Instead, I guess we'd see more of Thailand and also go into Cambodia to see Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh for a few days. 

From what I'm reading, it sounds easier to take cheap flights to get around while you're there rather then taking long bus rides.

Are the drug laws there really harsh?  I don't wanna end up in a Thai or Cambodian prison but it  would be nice to party there a little bit.

[anal satan]

I took an air asia flight to get from bangkok to phuket, it was like $50 at the time and would have otherwise been an insanely long train ride.  Only time I've been on a plane without assigned seats. 

When I was there it was right after Thaksin came down really hard on drugs.  They were literally killing major drug suppliers so a lot of thai people were scared shitless to even buy weed.  That being said it still seemed to be around everywhere and I even saw people smoking yaba at the clubs.  Just be smart I guess. 

If no one warned you already bring some toilet paper, only westernized places will have it when you're there.  Though with the weather being so hot I really grew to appreciate a nice cold blast from a bidet. 

I was scratching my head a bit and remembered a few places:

Best middle eastern food I ever ate was oddly in Bangkok, but this is in an area with a lot of arabs so maybe it's not that odd.  http://www.durianseed.com/thailand/bangkok/restaurants/other/sukhumvit/nana/shahrazad-restaurant/  As a bonus there's a hotel down the street.  Go to the club in the basement that fills with freelance hookers after the go-go bars close.  Interesting place to be a fly on the wall.

I crashed with a friend of a friend and I wanted to thank him by taking him out to lunch.  He wanted to go to this place Kalpapruek (sorry can't find much online).  Yeah, it's fusion food, it's in a mall and it's a chain but I liked it so much I made a point of going again next time I visited.  In the emporium mall easy to get to from the skytrain.

Don't know what your scene is but if you want to do something really fancy check out this place http://www.banyantree.com/en/bangkok/resort_facilities/dining/vertigo_and_moon_bar  My ex took me for my birthday.  Definitely pricey by thai standards but would have cost 10 times as much back in NY.

Can't remember what else bc all those crazy thai names escape me.  Just go out and make some friends, people there are insanely friendly down to eat, drink and party all night.  Khoa son and Phra Athit roads are where a lot of tourists hangout but it's still fun.  Go into all the bars and clubs have a blast. 

Avoid lady boys and fruit covered in salt.  I even drank a salty orange juice what the fuck?  Definitely hit up that JJ Market it's every weekend.  Singha is the better thai beer and Sang Som in the local whiskey.  Most locals stick to Heineken and Johnny Walker (always by the bottle, there's no such thing as shots there). 

[rub-a-dub]

Cool, thanks for those tips AS. 

We're heading up to Chiang Mai to meet Bomba right when we get there.  I guess we're riding elephants into the jungle?  If anyone knows anything cool to check out there, let me know!