by Kay and David McMahon
Second Edition: published 10 March 2014

This short book is a collection of tips to help visitors to Bangkok get the most out of their time in the throbbing Thai metropolis.

It’s not a guidebook – there are plenty of guidebooks on the market if you want to find about about visiting the temples or other sights. Rather, it’s an insider’s guide to where to go and what to do. Kay and David have spent a considerable amount of time in Thailand over the last quarter of a century, and this book is based on their personal experience and on-the-ground research.

Bangkok is a large city – the Greater Bangkok area has a population of over 14 million! – and you’d need a much larger book to cover all the different places to go in all the different areas of the city. This book naturally centres on the places where Kay and David like to go and on the areas where they like to hang out when they’re there – areas which also happen to be popular with many of Bangkok’s expatriate residents.

It covers things like:

• Getting from the airport to the city, getting around, and getting out of town. There are comfortable ways to travel, cheap ways to travel, and tourist traps, and it’s not always easy to separate one from the other.
• Money – where to get it, where to exchange it, and how to make sure you don’t get swindled.
• Places to stay. As a major tourist destination, Bangkok has a staggering amount of choice – the book mentions a couple of Kay and David’s favourites, and one place to avoid.
• What to eat and drink, and where. Thai cuisine is justly famous, but there’s something for all tastes in Bangkok, from the Western to the downright weird! What’s more, the Thais themselves often have strange ideas of what visitors will and won’t eat.
• Shopping. Bangkok is South East Asia’s shopping Mecca, with shopping malls seemingly everywhere. The book looks at the major malls, the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market and the street vendors.
• Keeping in touch – telecoms and the Internet, post and courier services.
• Staying out of trouble. Keeping on the right side of the law and on good terms with the Thais isn’t that hard, but there are a few things to be aware of. The same goes for health issues.

And much more!

Now available as a PDF!

You can now buy Bangkok Basics as a Portable Document Format file through Gumroad using a credit card.
Buy Bangkok Basics (UK edition, £1.99)
Buy Bangkok Basics (US edition, $2.99)