price fix

Totally tossing my live report out the window and instead I'm going to change this to reflect what things cost in Thailand.  Use this as a guide for haggling or negotiating prices with.  None of these rates are set in stone but they are what I have come to expect over these many years.

Taxi Costs - The first rule is to never get into a cab unless they turn the meter on.  Sometimes you may find you have no choice in the matter and have to negotiate.  Or, if things go south you may need to rely on  your hotel to talk with the taxi driver about the fair.   This is a simple breakdown of some of the common costs around Thailand.  All fares also work when returning.

BKK airport to Downtown Bangkok - 400-500 baht, includes tolls
BKK airport to Pattaya - 800 baht
Downtown Bangkok to Pattaya - 1,200 baht

Shirt Costs - Generally this is how I stay clothed in the country and I barely bring any clothing with me.  When you arrive in the country there are a few good places to get shirts from.  The three shirt types I'll cover are the simple single-sided tshirts, fancier tshirts which are usually double sided or have something special about them, and the tailored pre-made work shirts.

Simple tshirts - 100 baht
Fancy tshirts - no more than 250 baht
Pre-made tailored shirts - 300 baht
Hard Rock tshirts - 1,050 baht

Collapsible luggage - 200-300 baht

DVDs - 100-200 baht

Clubs - Entry fees from nightclubs to bondage clubs to various drinking venues
BarBar  in Patpong - 1,500 baht
Insanity - 120 baht


Short Timers - Generally 2-hours of entertainment
Freelancer - 1,000-2,500 baht
Gogos - 2,000-4,000 baht

Long Timers - Generally all-night entertainment until the next day, sometimes breakfast
Freelancer - 2,000-3,000 baht
Gogos - 3,000-5,000 baht

ayutthaya day trip

Day trip to Ayutthaya

If you've done about all you're comfortable with in Bangkok then you may be looking for some other alternatives to do before you have to fly out or get a hotel in another town. One of the popular options is to take a day trip to Ayutthaya. This can easily be done during the daylight hours to see the ancient capital of the Siam empire. After a roughly hour trip you can visit the ancient ruins of the old capital, visit the museums, and interact with some elephants on the site.

How to get there

As with any trip make sure you have set up your travel to get to your destination and back.  It can be a bit tricky going anywhere that you are not familiar with.  Make sure you know where your dropoff point is located and where you will need to be for your return trip.  If you don't think you are in the right area then always ask to be taken to the historical park where there should be many signs around to confirm your location.

• The Bus - At Bangkok's Northern bus terminal in Mo Chit you can take a bus for under 100 baht.  The trip will take under 2-hours one-way.  Make sure you get the right bus as they provide both AC and non-AC (air conditioned) buses. 
• Minibus -  At Victory Monument in Bangkok there are many queues for the minibuses.  These small vans run all over the country.  The cost will still be under 100 baht but it will take about 90-minutes to reach your destination.  Make sure the minibus takes you into the island and not just the town and some may try to leave you with tuktuk drivers they have worked a deal out with.
• Taxi - As the most expensive option this will set you back about 1,000 baht but it will take only an hour to get to the town.  One good item to note is that you can be pretty sure you'll get exactly to your destination without any side diversions, stops, or being let out early.  Make sure they take you to the island and to the historical park so you are sure you have made it.
• Train - The trains can take up to 2-1/2 hours to make the trip North to Ayutthaya.  The rates can be as little as 20 baht where it may be standing room only with no AC and up to 400 baht for a reserved seat with air conditioning. If you do take the train it will stop outside of the island and you will probably need to take a ferry the rest of the way in for 5 baht.
• Boat - While there are boat trips to Ayutthaya these will take a day to get to the destination and must be scheduled in advance.  These trips will need to be set up individually and are not a recommended mode of transportation at this time.

Parks and Museums

     There are many historic attractions to visit inside the park.  As with any temple make sure you follow the rules and regulations.  There may not be signs at every temple so I have included a basic primer on the right with the basics.  Click on the image for a large display.  Some locations will have fees and others won't, they all vary but feel reassured that any fee will help to preserve the site.  While you are out and about be careful of any wildlife you may encounter and treat them with respect, especially the large monitor lizards in the waterways.  

     Below is a small list of sites that are available to visit within the Ayutthaya Historical park, a recognized UNESCO World Heritage site.  All of these sites can be found on the main island of the park.

    Wat Chaiwatthanaram
    Wat Kasatrathiraj
    Wat Kudi Dao
    Wat Lokayasutharam
    Wat Mahathat
    Wat Phanan Choeng
    Wiharn Phra Mongkhon Bopit
    Wat Phra Ram
    Wat Phra Sri Sanphet
    Wat Ratchaburana, Ayutthaya
    Wat Chai Mongkhon
    Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon
    Phra Chedi Suriyothai
    Ayutthaya historical Study Centre
    Japanese Settlement
    Wat Phu Khao Thong
    Elephant Camp

Navigation

At the bottom of the page I've provided a map of the main historical sites in the town.  This is where the temples, museums, tuktuks, taxis, tour guides, elephants, bikes, etc can be found and where you will likely be dropped off.  The main road which goes around the island from the inside is Uthong road.  One way to tour all the sites and surrounding area is to go along the road and see everything.  Another option is to cut down the middle along Pa Thon road.  While there is a lot to see on the island there are also more temples and ruins located outside the island but they will be more spread out.  As with my other posts, you only need to click on the map to see a larger representation to read.