Bangkok/Chiang Mai advice

[PeterRS]

On 8/14/2025 at 10:40 PM, Keithambrose said:

500 yards?

Not surprising! If I am in Silom near or at Silom Complex, getting home by taxi outside the rush hour can take no more than 15 minutes for a fare of around Bt. 65. If I try getting a taxi  for the same distance from and to the same locations in peak rush hours on a Friday, first - taxis are very difficult to come by, and second - just getting from, say, Silom Complex to turn into Soi Convent can take almost 20 minutes! The traffic is basically stuck. And that is little more than 100 meters I reckon.

[Riobard]

On 8/13/2025 at 11:33 AM, PeterRS said:

That is B/S. How come for the last 2 years I have had BMW's from the Airport Limousine Service? Never a Merc!

Oh the old my personal experience stands in for rational science argument. 

[vinapu]

10 hours ago, PeterRS said:

..... If I try getting a taxi  for the same distance from and to the same locations in peak rush hours on a Friday, first - taxis are very difficult to come by, and second - just getting from, say, Silom Complex to turn into Soi Convent can take almost 20 minutes! The traffic is basically stuck. And that is little more than 100 meters I reckon.

it's why I question sanity of taking taxi in such circumstances

[jimmie50]

On 8/15/2025 at 9:22 AM, vinapu said:

consider visiting Chiang Rai and Golden Triangle from there . You may want to comb through my Jan 2025 trip report to get some ideas

I have read your trip report and appreciate the suggestions.  I do know the tour includes Golden Triangle.  I really want to visit an elephant sanctuary around Chiang Mai, so that is one of the reasons I am thinking of hiring Woody thru Siam Roads.  

[floridarob]

11 hours ago, Riobard said:

Oh the old my personal experience stands in for rational science argument. 

Ah, the classic ‘pretentious tone over substance’ approach—impressive how little you actually said while pretending to lecture.... 

And, Just wondering—how many posters are you aiming to annoy? Or is irritating the message board your full-time pastime now?

[Keithambrose]

58 minutes ago, floridarob said:

Ah, the classic ‘pretentious tone over substance’ approach—impressive how little you actually said while pretending to lecture.... 

And, Just wondering—how many posters are you aiming to annoy? Or is irritating the message board your full-time pastime now?

I think the latter. 

[daydreamer]

5 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

I really want to visit an elephant sanctuary around Chiang Mai, so that is one of the reasons I am thinking of hiring Woody thru Siam Roads.  

The Mae Sa Elephant Camp is a good one, located in Mae Rim, not too far from Chiang Mai.  Woody will know the location.  I went there with a Thai boy.  The camp offers full day and half day programs, but we just showed up in a rental car, and paid a small admission fee, without joining a program, so that we were free to wander around the camp on our own. 

We wanted to see the elephants up close, but we were not interested in bathing the elephants in the river, as the programs all seem to include.  If you do decide to bathe the elephants in the river, I suggest taking an extra set of dry clothing, as you'll get soaked.

The camp also offers a bamboo raft trip down the river that runs right next to the camp.  After wandering around, and visiting the elephants, we took the raft trip.  The trip lasted about 45 minutes, then the crew brings you back to the camp (upriver) in a van.

Here are a few photos taken at the Mae Sa Elephant Camp:

 

[PeterRS]

9 hours ago, vinapu said:

it's why I question sanity of taking taxi in such circumstances

I fully understand your point. But how do you get from A to B when the distance is between 3 - 4 kms with a backpack and two relatively full shopping bags? When you live in a place there are sometimes other commitments making it difficult to shop at other times. Add in rain, however light, and would you plan to walk? You'd probably have to as empty taxis will be thin on the ground and available motorcy guys non-existent.

[vinapu]

4 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

 But how do you get from A to B when the distance is between 3 - 4 kms with a backpack and two relatively full shopping bags? 

whatever I always do - wait for the next bus

[PeterRS]

10 minutes ago, vinapu said:

whatever I always do - wait for the next bus

Fair point again. But there is no bus that goes within 1 km of my apartment and the nearest MRT station is even further away. Besides, on a Friday afternoon getting on any bus in the upper Silom area means waiting a very long time as there are very long queues.

[vinapu]

58 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Fair point again. But there is no bus that goes within 1 km of my apartment and the nearest MRT station is even further away. Besides, on a Friday afternoon getting on any bus in the upper Silom area means waiting a very long time as there are very long queues.

take taxi then

[PeterRS]

14 minutes ago, vinapu said:

take taxi then

Sometimes no alternative but to wait near this time of year. 

[khaolakguy]

6 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Fair point again. But there is no bus that goes within 1 km of my apartment and the nearest MRT station is even further away.

Has electricity reached the area yet?

[vinapu]

streets seem to be thoroughly washed, it must be sparkling clean now

[gumbleby]

On 8/13/2025 at 4:52 PM, Department_Of_Agriculture said:

 

I usually just take a Bolt or Grab. It's quick, convenient, comfortable and far cheaper, and the driver will know exactly where to go. I looked at the Bolt prices from Suvarnabhumi to Silom, Tarntawan Hotel

 

Any recent experiences using Bolt from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)?

A few years ago I used Bolt a few times to go from BKK to Pattaya, but I gave up on them. Too many scams and difficulties finding the car (it wasn't always clear what level, many times the car has a different license plate than the app, and sometimes the driver claimed they couldn't find you, so you can't complain to Bolt if they insist on extra payment, and I got a bad rep with Bolt. Similar problems Pattaya to BKK. I had better experiences via Agoda, or booking from the stall in Jomtien Complex.

[floridarob]

Mike's has never let me down.... 1000 baht BKK airport to Pattaya tolls included.

https://mikepattayataxi.com/

[Olddaddy]

10 hours ago, floridarob said:

Mike's has never let me down.... 1000 baht BKK airport to Pattaya tolls included.

https://mikepattayataxi.com/

Mike's has let me down twice in the last 8 months 

Driver had no idea how to get to.pattaya

2nd one without even telling me decided to stop off at a food stall on the highway,I thought he was going for a pee but sat down and ate leaving me in the air conditioning car for about 15 minutes ☹️

 

[MaxBKK]

10 hours ago, floridarob said:

Mike's has never let me down.... 1000 baht BKK airport to Pattaya tolls included.

https://mikepattayataxi.com/

Years ago I had one very unsafe driver with Mike's (way too fast). He was very unhappy when I insisted on a safe speed. Mike's doesn't seem to vet their drivers very well. I've not bothered to use them since. 

[floridarob]

45 minutes ago, Olddaddy said:

Driver had no idea how to get to.pattaya

Are you sure you got in  the right car ?

 

 

14 minutes ago, MaxBKK said:

Years ago I had one very unsafe driver with Mike's

I used to use the Ambiance Mercedes service to pick me up at the airport, I felt I had Mario Andretti as a driver.... 

I've been using Mike's for maybe 15 years now, never a driver problem but once they sent a tour type van that held 15 pax and it was only me. Wasn't as comfortable as a car, I asked them not to do that again and they haven't.

Who do you use now?

[ichigo]

33 minutes ago, floridarob said:

Who do you use now?

The bus! 

[vinapu]

6 hours ago, ichigo said:

The bus! 

+1,  I wanted to say the same but you beat me to it, eh to be young again, sigh !

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, floridarob said:

I've been using Mike's for maybe 15 years now, never a driver problem 

8 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

Mike's has let me down twice in the last 8 months 

 

7 hours ago, MaxBKK said:

Years ago I had one very unsafe driver with Mike's (way too fast). He was very unhappy when I insisted on a safe speed. 

all this is pretty normal when comes to service industry . We all tend to make an opinion based on OUR experience and then extrapolate it across the board but other may find it different.

It the same story with our boys, we recommend  somebody to friend who turns to be disappointed ( two my recommendations to forum friends this year did not turn as I made them to) or we follow recommendation of trusted friend and recommended boy turns not exactly as we hoped ( 1 case this year so far ) .

Africa is considered very hot continent, over years I visited 5 times 4 different countries well spread out, not even once it was as hot as summer where I live and it's far from Africa  

[Olddaddy]

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

where I live and it's far from Africa  

You live in Alice Springs I heard 🙉

They say never a dull moment in the Alice particularly when the bars 🍺 close 🥊

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, Olddaddy said:

You live in Alice Springs I heard 🙉

 

almost

[Keithambrose]

44 minutes ago, vinapu said:

almost

Doubt if Olddaddy knows where Alice Springs is!