ok - I'm not going to reinvent a Lonely Planet or anything like this but I sure want to keep some of the handy tidbits that keep me going here!

Phone numbers

• Taxi Radio - 1681
• Directory Assistance - 1133
• Tourist Police - 1155
• Emergency - 191
• Country Call Center - someone insert this # please - it's about time us quality of life activists start using this # and see where it goes! :)
• Bus Router - 184 - call this # and they'll tel you how to use our bus system to get from point A to B!
• Bus Terminal (Mo Chit) - 02 936-2852 x511
• Collect Call - 1 800 000 199 (must use landline) and follow instructions
• Government Help Center - 1111 (not verified)
• movie line - *4999 (tried?)
• Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) - 1672 (not verified)

Services

• truck for moving short distances - 089 285 7441 fast & reliable!
• silk home dressings 085 9090 844 jatjujak w/morn
• travel agent 02 233-8018 - ask for Lek, she speaks English very well.

Restaurants

Fine dining for me started in the San Francisco bay area - just ask Loreli :)

• Suan Pai - one of best vegetarian places downtown without being too fancy just moved from its great wooden house. You still get off at the Ari BTS stop and keep walking (away from IBM bldg) until you get to a medical building before the Caltex station. Best dish I've had is a "pak salad puen baan" which had 30 (yes 30!) varieties of leaves & herbs! thanks to dylan for reintroducing this place to me!
• Long Valet 02 6179955 - not sure if this is *really* the name - i'm lookin at this biz card and that's what it says! right across from TMB HQ, my friend Lek took me here for lunch and really enjoyed the food here esp their squid with salted egg dish. get 'goong tad mun' - it'd been awhile since i've had it and impressed! reasonably priced.
• Eat Me - we took Edward here for his big 5-0 - found the ambiance great and swear it teleported us to downtown manhattan. they have great art on display and the mushroom risotto was to die for - the goat cheese added an amazing effect. expect to pay western prices for a fine dinner out! reservations recommended and make good use of the "living room" outside while you're waiting for your dinner party to arrive ;)
• Holy Pizza 02 654 6373 - "holy" is right! this place has amazing pizza for the price - you can get a nice size 10" pie with premium toppings for under 200 baht! if you just want a quick snack, you can't beat splitting a pie with someone of your choosing ;-) There's a pray[er] room upstairs that seats 30 and it's super easy to find in the "cove" behind the police box in Siam Square.
• B-resto 02 640 1377 (Victory monument exit ? - Soi Rang Nam, down street from Century Plaza mall) - this was quite the "accidental" find while trying to find an Issan restaurant in the Victory Monument area with me good ole buddy Chad! It's right past an animation school (apparently same owners) and you can't miss the funky wooden door and the disco ball inside. We were pretty impressed with their regular pizza and the hospitality of one of the owners, Machi (sp?) who was kind to give us a slice of pizza on the house and wow - not bad at all! Make sure you ring one of the bells on the table for service - reasonable prices and decent atmosphere. They have a party room for large groups too.
• Slim Bo 02 203 0327 - at 200/head, this is gotta be one of the best vegatarian Thai restuarants I've been to. fussball and a large pool table to boot! not to mention decent atmosphere!
• Baan Ice 02 589 4875 - southern Thai food thanks to Marlene's mom! the place is named after their child, Ice :)
• My Choice 02 258 6174 - one of my grandpa's favorite restaurants within walking distance of Thong Lo BTS
• Fogovivo - a bit pricey (900 baht) but you really can't beat all you can eat brazilian charisco - the skewered duck is to die for! UPDATE: restaurant closed as of Oct 2007 - sad to see this place go...
• Pracha Utit Soi 45 - you can't beat a family kitchen across from Smile Mansion!
  • tofu with 'nam prik' sauce
  • <insert fav dishes>
• Prachu Utit Soi ?? (between 45 and the 3-way intersection to BuddhaBucha) - one of the best 'bamee' places I've been to - the noodles are authentic - it's key! across from the Mang Pong
• Suk Soi 11 - there is a great place to the right of the hostel that serves excellent food - thx Julian!
• Pla Dip 02 279 8185 - great japanese/thai fusion place but to be honest - all our dishes were italian and the salmon and beef terriaki were great! get there by tuk tuk off of Soi Ari
• across from Phra Arthit park, killer Roti Mataba
• <restaurant on 4th floor of Central Chitlom> - excuse the need to have to walk through the dept store - food is decent for its price!
• La Gritta - 02 255 7350 - you can't beat their 350 lunch buffet - some of the best seafood scampi pizza I've had to date. Doubles as an excellent business lunch location as you can take your time eating, includes a main meal, go for seconds, and top off with dessert, coffee and tea - all conveniently located near the Asok BTS/MRT. Call me up if you go sometime - I'm there :)
• "Ruhtung" - Soi Thong Lo, across from Soi 18 - walking distance from the playground, decent food and inexpensive to have dinner with the gang before hitting an event nearby...
• Banranee 02 664 3112 - food is not stellar and overall a bit pricer that it should be - it's really about convenience for any of your LF graduates who have a commitment to well being before heading upstairs!
• Tem Im - This is quite the find on the corner of Asok in the basement of where True Fitness is located. Ideal place to grab a quick, inexpensive (and good!) bite to eat before heading to La Reuda for a dance lesson - thanks Yuko for introducing us to this place!
• Sansabai Garden - 67 Sukhumvit Soi 3 - great place we stumbled upon when looking for a place to take my parents to eat while we were visiting my grandpa - what a find it was! it's great as the space is quite open and spacious and there is a little stage for karaoke and space on the floor for dancing (as we discovered at our last Dance Labs dinner) we think the owner has good spirit so check it out!
• Crepes & Co. - Asok (G) 18/1 Sukhumvit Soi 12 02 653 3990. thanks to Mark & Duen for taking me out for my birthday dinner here :) the brunch is to die for - it is so complete I highly recommend going for a sunday brunch! service kicked ass and nice atmosphere - i have to admit i was a bit disappointed with the blueberry dessert crepe - it tasted more like jelly than all natural fruit compote i've had in SF...other than that - place comes recommended!
• Khun Churn 089 110 3776 Nonthaburi - my relatives on my mom's side of the family took me here for my birthday and they have an amazing selection of vegetarian food with a nice atmopshere with good prices - i recommend the "gang laeng" - done very well w/o the seafood!
• Banana House 02 234 9967 Silom - went here for the J festival and had some really good dishes. we didnt get the impression theyd continue the vegetarian dishes but we did find the place simple, inexpensive, and in a good location away from the street level (on the 2nd floor) - thanks Pech for the ptr!
• Garage - All Seasons CRC tower - i love coming here from the Burger of Eden! this is a *full* size tofu burger with handsome steak fries! well worth the 200 baht in my opinion - it made for a great meal even when I was quite hungry. the atmosphere makes for a great business lunch/dinner.
• Sri Ganesh 02 258 1425 Asok (between Soi 18 and 20 in alley way) - after hunting 4 years for a reasonably priced Indian restaurant - i found it! I think the lunch set is a good deal for your money but dont let it take you away from other dishes that are done well. Thanks to Rangan and his wife, Hema who is already an amazing cook so its no surprise this place is so great!
• <schwarma> (Nana BTS, Soi 1 or 3 across from an Italian restaurant) - the hunt is over! Id been looking for good schwarma ever since leaving SF and finally found it! you really cant beat the 50 baht price and until they construct new seating (as of Oct 28, 2007) you'll have to stand to munch on your treat (believe me, you wont mind)! thanks to Will for pointing this place out!
• `Mane Chok Dee Sim Sum` - great, inexpensive 24 hour dim-sum place. Be sure to order the spare ribs soup to complement the huge variety they have. there are several locations - be sure to go the original in the MBK area. I didnt find the Ekkamai as yummy (and there is a hole-in-the-wall one in Nana)
• Sunrise Tacos - Asok, open 24 hrs, has veggie option. wow - this place woke me up to how much i miss mexican food! get the super burrito option - it really is a regular burrito by mexican standards so it makes this place a bit pricey - however this is made up by their recent extension on the other side of the parking lot (literally) - atmosphere is excellent for a business meeting and at the time I was there - free WiFi!
• Aroi Dee - this was a surprising find while Mayumi & I were exploring Hway Khwang. it is not next to the station but the best part is it is open 24 hrs and BIG! food is pretty decent too.
• Big Mama's - Asok, italian - brought too high expectations to this place. the place is clearly very eccentrically decorated. i have my judgements about the level of service of the staff. the mushroom dish was really great & tasty though!
• Somtum Bangkok - 02 619 8659 - cute place tucked away in the residential part of Ari. Special thanks to the spirits who redirected us after taking steps to show up at Pla Dib! :) the place is great for downtown - I still stand the place near KMUTT Hadt took me to makes the best som tum!
• <place near KMUTT for som tum, close to where G used to live> - arguably the best place to have som tum!
• n east - 02 633 8947 hidden gem near All Seasons en route to Night Bazaar - looks to have an extensive collection of Issan food! main menu really good, nice art pieces up, only gripe is staff watching movies which can be distracting. special thanks to Junko for sharing!
• Scoozi - for a chain Italian joint, this place is actually not all that bad! The 4 cheese pizza, Quattro Formaggi is highly recommended (mozzarella, fontina, gorgonzola, parmesean)
• Reflections - Ari, I've never checked out what look to be boutique hotel rooms - the atmosphere is quite good esp if you are outside by the pool.
• Pan Pan 258-9304 - great and reasonably priced Italian place near Phrom Phong BTS on Soi 33 (map - I actually thought an olive, onion, and mushroom pizza was quite good! good social atmosphere too.
• red chilli - "above the veggie place called komala on sukhumvit soi 20" - thanks Nianne for sharing a great indian restaurant hidden away in town!
• Zsa Zsa Zsu - basement of Exchange Tower (Asok) - wow - i am really surprised to find a restaurant that does asian fusion right! the restuarnt fuses thai, Japanese, chinese, vietnamese, and korean cuisine together - I had a good first impression. I liked their tofu salad. my only gripe about this place is it is noisy - you can hear the bumping bass of the fitness classes next door - not ideal for a date! if you're solo - well - perhaps you can bear it provided you're not on skype :) oh - free WiFi too! Would love to see this concept executed outside of Thailand for sure.
• Namuskaar - 02 255 1869 Sukhumvit Soi 8 - Nianne has done it again! The curries and nan at this place are done wonderfully. I'm really happy to have found good & inexpensive Indian food before leaving Bangkok!
• Bug & Bee - wow - this place is quite decent! First evaluated for our Launch Pad - the place has a lot of potential. as with many places in Thailand, the building itseld looks halfway decent and has a few nuts & bolts loose (like a noisy AC on the 2nd floor) The food is excellent and finally found Mint Kiwi complements my Spirulina binge. I will note that the crepes are not on par with professional crepes you'd expect at Crepes & Co. The price and the variety of ingredients not to mention free WiFi more than make up for this IMHO.
• Tawadang German Brewery - Rama III - 02 678 1114,6 - not sure if this place still exists in Chong Nonsi (it's been ages!)

out of town

• Grand Seaside Si Racha - I stumbled across this place by accident looking for "civilization" after a so-so trip to Ko Si Chang - I got the seafood rice claypot and was pleasantly surprised! The restaurant is nicely decorated, appears to cater to Japanese, and has a wonderful (yet small) walking garden on the sea outside.

to go

these places come highly recommended...

• <BK Magazine: Grandpa's favorite restuarants>
• japanese buffet in Pleonchit area recommended by Gang
• Winner house, muang thong thani
• Suteki Sukhumit 31 Euro Hotel 02 259 9480 - Kobe beef...

Desserts

for the sweet tooth in everyone! :)

• Mango Tango - Siam Square Soi 4 - lots of yummy mango concoctions - not just mango & sticky rice!
  • there is one in Tokyo now! been asked to consider talking to the owner about opening one up in SF :)
• Laliette - Vibhavadi Rangsit Soi 16 - surprisingly, there is a bakery right down the street from me that makes high quality desserts! I'm really impressed with their cheesecake and choice of teas!!

to go

• <cheesecake place in Thong Lo - ask Gang>

Coffee & Tea

to go

• Bitter Brown - between Millenium Hotel and Soi Cowboy. Here with ISPLFE but didn't grab coffee...
• Oriental Hotel - recommended "best afternoon tea in the world" by Richard of CS

Clubs and Bars

• Wine Bepo Sangria - Soi Thong Lo - great place for live music and all you wine connoisseurs :)
• Night Beatz - walking distance from the Petchaburi MRT and from the BB building (for you Landmark folks!) - this has gotta be one of the best places for house music. Thanks to Edward for the introduction and Morn for really blessing the place! Go Misty ! :)
• H1 (Soi Thong Lo) - in the middle of what looks like a design complex - this is a good place to chill and looks best in the evening. DJ turntables by the bar for you DJs lookin for a gig :)
• Moon Bar - while the drinks might be a bit pricey, it pays for the amazing view on top of the Banyan Tree - clearly a very swanky hotel in the Sathorn area. 02 679 1200 for more info and be sure to take the Baiyoke tower off your list - the view got completely ruined after they put up fencing and you'll feel like you're bringing your date to prison! :-o well maybe it's not a bad thing...555 :D
• Saxophone Bar, Victory Monument BTS
• Club Astra, large dance floor (instead of the usual whiskey table setup), RCA [CLOSED - we lost one of the best setups in BKK!]
• Club Culture - the supposedly replacement for Club Astra but I think not. it just doesn't have the same kind of downtown urban club feel to it - it feels like a hotel bar if anything. on the brighter side, there is a decent size dance floor, lots of tables on the side to hang out at and get away from the crowd, and even a place near the entrance to chat with folks away from the noise and answer that phone call without having to step outside! it ain't all bad - it's all good! now to get the smoke outta the place...
• Rain Dogs - Soi Phaya-phiren 16 (near Rama 4 Sathorn) - a bit challenging to find but worth it - very chill, homey, cozy place to be. owners have a great friendly attitude - really present to possibility and a willingness and openness to create a dance experiment together!

Misc

the kitchen sink...

• Jazzbah Records - ok, you don't find many records store in BKK like you do in SF - but here one is on the 3rd floor in Siam Square Soi 4!

Places to crash

I've hunted left and right for places to crash when the going gets tough and the ride home isn't what's gonna happen

Nightly

• Buri Guest House 02 714 1508 - right on the corner of Sukhumvit and Soi Thong Lo - amazing location. a room costs 450/night. has double beds, clean shared bathrooms and offers a simple breakfast. Dylan is a spirit for introducing this to me - long live a vision for Burning Man in this space!
• City Residence 02 690 0315 - well, I live here now (as of June 2, 2007) so I'm getting a first hand account of this place. it's only 499/night so it's a good deal if you're looking for the TV, private bathroom, room service, walking distance from MRT, to name a few amenities.
• Hi Sukhumvit 02 391 9338 walking distance from Thong Lo BTS (Soi 38) - This has gotta be one of the nicest and cleanest hostel I've seen to date in Bangkok. Very friendly staff, great [shared] bathrooms and very warm community area downstairs. Thanks to Nora for this find!
• Rambuttri Village - I think this is my pick in Kao San after some raving reviews from my friend. Looks quite professional when you walk in and see the courtyard. If you are claustrophobic, this is the place for you - HUGE hallways! the pool on the 6th floor is really nice and a nice bonus. I was just helping my friend check in and found the staff to be courteous.
• Wild Orchid - off the main road of kao san and has a really groovy lounge - u really can't miss it. has per day lockers and while the rooms are quite simple - I was impressed they had towels, TP, and shampoo despite no telephone, desk, or cabinet. double with two indiv beds works well if you're with a buddy and thought the place was plenty clean. 600 for double with AC. 700 if you get a balcony. 200 no window fan rooms are available too.
• Chaidee Mansion 02 250-7205 - this is my latest mid-tier find thanks to Nora - you get a very large room with a kitchenette complete with a full size fridge and microwave for only 1800 baht! decor is a very simplistic modern - it actually works and quite presentable. running hot water, plenty of parking, and the location in central sukhumvit rocks if this is where you choose to be - very active, nearby ethnic restaurants (indian, middle eastern to name a few), walking distance to the BTS (Nana) [note: I have yet to stay overnight, this was a quick browse and was impressed]
• Suk 11 Hostel - I can't speak from experience and comes highly recommended from a good friend of mine. Prices look very reasonable and just down the road from Chaidee Mansion (above) if you're not looking for such a fancy setup. Be prepared to book in at least a few weeks in advance - this is not your "drop in" kinda place!
• Holiday Mansion 02 255 0099 02 253-8016 - good bang for the buck if you're willing to spend a bit more than rock bottom and conveniently on Wireless Rd, next to the BTS across from the British Embassy.
  • it is one of the best places that meets thai biz stds - they shack up officials here (across UK embassy) who are cost conscious. what i like about it the most is it tastefully decorated without being fancy and next to the skytrain in a good neighborhood with professional staff.
• Premier Inn 02 261 0401 - found this place thanks to some Malaysians from a course I took here! decent decor (so as not to turn you off) - all bout location (only 5 min from Asok BTS and subway) and clean! only gripe being only 20 of 56 rooms have windows so if it's important to you - don't stay here!
  • i like this place cuz it's walking distance from the "big cross" where the skytrain and subway intersect - our only gripe is 20 of 56 rooms have windows so given how you are a nature person - know they can't guarantee you'll get one. other than that, i was impressed they were successful in not making the room cheesy
• Boss Tower 02 661-3150 - you need to take a motocycle to the Thong Lo BTS but decent given the area tends to be pricey
  • downtown but not next to mass transit (biggest con). you'll have to take a taxi to go places. they skip on decor - if a "framework" of a hotel room doesn't bother you (i'm serious!) - this may be your best bet as there is plenty of floor space and you can actually get a good view being a highrise. oh - a pool too! :)
• Nasa Vegas - if you're in the Praka Nong area, this place is a bit up Suk 71 and quite clean
• White Lodge - this one is really down to just basics and right next to MBK and the National Stadium BTS. tough to get a room sometimes
• Natural Ville - executive apartments - this place is pretty sweet - don't know the cost per night at this time of writing. style is suite-like. (introduced when MLF was in town)

to go

• Blooms Residence - 02 350 4051 comes recommended by many Malaysians!

Monthly

• (see City Residence above)
• St House 02 513-59004 - walking distance from Phahon Yothin MRT (Central Lad Prao, JJ Market), exit 1. Thai style studio, private bath, ok size balcony for drying clothes and new airconditioning. Opinion of Mark,
  • Pros: close to MRT, BTS, Mo Chit bus station. Landmarks Central Lad Prao department store, JJ Market, St Johns University. Monthly rate: 3800 baht for simple furnished room with airconditioning. Utilities range, 400-1000baht, depending how much time you spend at home. Wi-fi is 390baht per month run off a Linux or FreeBSD box, rarely have down time. The landlord speaks pretty good English!
  • Cons: either side of the building you don't have much of view, either the noisy One Way street with pesky motorscooters buzzing by all times of day/night or the quiet side (mine) I see a metal fence, protecting the nice spacious house next door. Don't know if a pro or a con, there aren't many other foreigners living at St House. It's quiet!
• Queens Mansion 02 259 3393 - Sukhumvit Soi 22 - walking distance to Banjasri Park, Phrom Pong BTS, and the Asok area. 6000 including electric & water if you don't mind the basics (no flush toilet or hot water) and living in massage city!
• The Beach 02 691 5769 - right next to the Ratchadaphesik MRT (exit 1), the place is not great but not too bad - definitely an economy option and down the street from the City Residence
• City Home 02 868 2828 - Nora found this gem. lots of lighting, decent layout and security.

to eval

• place to crash next to Malaysian Consulate (referred by Edward's friend) (see Thai on sheet of paper)
• Malee Blue Huts - (out of town) - Ko Si Chang - http://www.maleeblue.com (Gang)
• Baan Rang Nam - serviced apt a top B-Resto (near B-Digital Thailand) (run by Muchi)

Bus Routes

• 138 (AC) - "Kilo gow" and jatjujak - drops you off either in front of the subway or BTS
• 140 (AC) - "kilo gow" and victory monument. it's easy to get off after the off ramp and walk and/or ride a moto to chit lom
• 38 - Victory Monument down Sukhumvit (for those of you who insist using the bus opposed to the BTS!)
• 75 (grn/large) - saphan taskin and baan suan thon, goes past "wat pout"
• 21 (AC) - KMUTT and MBK (for some reason, i don't see it going outbound frequently)
• 203 - Wat Kampang to Yan Hee
• 97 (AC avail) - (tech uni || ARF) to Victory Monument
• 545 (AC) - between nonthaburi (Big C "non") through Lard Prao to Bangkapi (The Mall)
• airport routes (official page)
  • 552 (AC) - On Nut (BTS) and airport (leave at least an hour)
  • 555 (AC) - between airport and Vibhavadi Rangsit (every half hour) (although I was unable to catch this bus while at the airport at 3am - guides generally recommend u take a taxi at the wee hrs of the morning...)
  • 558 (AC) - "kilo gow" and airport (leave at least an hour)

Boat Routes

• Chaophraya Express map - not much beats the boat - no traffic jams to deal with!
  • orange line goes from Nonthaburi to Ratburana (Big C) during rush hour M-F

Web Sites

• for any information you cannot find here - I find this site a useful addendum: http://www.thailandguru.com
  • DTAC online login