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From The Desk Of John Twigg
Tuesday, 9:33 AMHi Travellers!
John Twigg here - the founder of the $1 Guide to Bangkok.
You’re obviously someone special, because you’ve been told about this secret page, which is the first page of our new ebook, aimed at helping people get a look at the real Bangkok.
Can’t wait?
Download $1 Guide to Bangkok - #1 Airport to Downtown
Mac Users, click here
How far does a dollar go? Not far at all if you’re living in a concrete jungle. You can’t even get a cup of coffee in most cities. But in Bangkok that’ll get you across town. Heck, it’ll even get you to Pattaya if you’re interested.
By applying *Local Rules* you can see a lot more of the city for a lot less. And you’ll experience a lot more of the rich culture and the vibrant people that have all but disappeared from the over-exploited tourist zones.
So after 20 years in Thailand, and more than 10 years as publisher of Metro Magazine - Bangkok’s best-selling English city listings resource- I’ve decided it’s time more people had access to *Local Rules*. So we’re currently putting the finishing touches to a book by that name- Bangkok Local Rules - which is scheduled for publication in April 2008.
Our goal is to get you far enough off the beaten track with a series of ideas to enrich your stay, which you can print and keep on you (just like the $1 Guide to Bangkok), so that you can experience the true heart of Bangkok, and save yourself a fortune in the process.
Don’t get me wrong - I don’t think you should skimp on your holidays. Too many people pay big bucks to get here, then sit by a hotel pool, or in a guest house bar. That’s a shame, because there’s so much that can be seen and done for less than the cost of a couple of Beers. I encourage you to get out there immerse yourself in the culture. But if you’re going to splash out, make sure it’s on the important things, like afternoon tea at the Shangri-La Hotel after a day exploring the river markets.
In effect, this is my personal itinerary, and over the years I’ve taken or sent many visitors to the places listed in this book.
If you’re prepared to forego the flash itineraries, and the tour guides, and the packed lunches, then it’s surprisingly cheap to get around Bangkok, and you’re going to enjoy it far more.
Take the Airport Transportation network for instance…
Most guidebooks say “take a taxi”. Not surprising really, since the cost of a single ticket on the “Airport Express” bus is barely any cheaper than a taxi (which can carry four people, or sometimes more). But as you’ll find out in the $1 guide to Bangkok, the locals are using a completely different network.
Even though I knew the local buses existed, it took me a year to *get around* to trying them out. But when I did I kicked myself for all the wasted taxi’s I’d used, when a modern air-conditioned bus passed less than a kilometer from my door. The cost? B28 each way, as opposed to B200+ by taxi (excluding the B40 airport charge).
Even better still, it ran up the highways, and barely added 10 minutes to the time a taxi could get me there or back (to be fair, it’ll add 30mins to most trips, but I happen to be close to the first stop after the highway).
And best of all, these buses get you to within the Mass Transit routes, where you can catch skytrains or subways to whiz all around the city.
In other words, this is not just a bus for backpackers, but for budget-conscious executives who aren’t on sponsored expense accounts. The additional work hardly qualifies for the extra money it puts in your pocket. |
Download $1 Guide to Bangkok - #1 Airport to Downtown
Mac Users, click here
This is just one of the useful tips you’ll find in the pages of *Go Local*. In the final version of the book, we’ll show you where the locals go when they want to see something a bit different or special.
Here’s just a few of the ideas we’ve got to enrich your holiday.
- A $1 Day Cruise and Exploring: Leave your hotel and take a leisurely day cruising up the river to a quaint island community renowned for its pottery and artifacts. Spend lunch on a floating restaurant which is my personal favorite, and take in some of the less touristy local markets. You’ll need a full day for this, and food and drink aside, you’re looking at as little as $1 dollar in transport.
- A $1 Day Train excursion: Take a short train ride to a provincial town, where you’ll see something quite unique. In a well choreographed routine, the crowded tracks empty and vendors pull back the sun awnings, and move the tables of goods, as the train passes rigt through the heart of the bustling market, which resumes almost seamlessly as the carriages pass through. There’s forts and temples and riverside restaurants to occupy you, and on the way back you get a free introduction to the wildlife, as the drivers bring fresh fruit for the wild monkeys and gibbons, who also know the routine well
- Free Museums & Temples: The world of commercial tourism is about feeding people into attractions for commission. Consequently, most of Bangkok’s treasures are almost invisible to the big tour operators. There’s many exotic shrines and museums which have some real cultural significance... the temple dwelling of the *Supreme Patriarch* and the *Death Museum* are just a couple which spring to mind.
- Criss-cross the city for a dollar: It’s fast, clean and inexpensive, and makes zipping around the city a breeze. We’ll point out what you could use the trains for.
- Go with the Flow: Apart from the unique view they offer of Bangkok’s urban lifestyles, the *klong-boats* are a fast and cheap way to get from one end of town to the other. If you’re going to Khaosarn Rd, this will save you a fortune in taxi’s.
- Mountains of Street Food: almost every district has a particular specialty, and in many cases, the standards of the open kitchens are better than what goes on behind closed doors. We’ll point out a few of our favorite streetfood areas.
- Cheap day trips. While an organized trip to the floating market will cost you upwards of 50 bucks, if you use the local network, you can get out there and back for... a dollar!
We’ve set out dozens of different ideas and experiences, which will give you a rich and unique view of Bangkok. You’ll experience more of the things Bangkok is famous for - it’s colourful culture and kind people - and you’ll come away with BETTER stories.
So download this sample, which will help you to get from the Airport to the City for a dollar. And we’ll let you know when Local Rules hits the streets.
Kind regards,
John Twigg
Publisher
Can’t wait?
Download $1 Guide to Bangkok - #1 Airport to Downtown
Mac Users, click here
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About the Author.
John Twigg is a New Zealander, who has been living in Bangkok for 20 years. He spent 13 of those at the helm of Bangkok Metro Magazine, which at the time was recognized as the preeminent source of information on where to go and what to do in the Capital. He has traveled extensively in Thailand and especially in Bangkok. He’s one of the few people that, as a journalist has experienced both the very best and the most basic Bangkok has to offer, and has a unique perspective on getting around the Capital.
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