Parks/Gardens in Bangkok!

Hi,

You can find a list of the park and how to get there, in this website ( scroll down ) : http://www.bangkok.com/sport-parks---activities/

Seems like a couple of more parks left to visit. I will check them out for sure. Thanks

We'd already talked about Suan Luang or Rama 9 park on another thread, I think, my favorite in Bangkok.  It's out beside Paradise Park mall on Srinakarin road (or Srinagarindra; transliteration isn't consistent).  If you are into tea there is a really nice tea shop in both Seacon Square (Tea Dee Zhang, probably the best high-end loose tea shop in Bangkok), and in Paradise Park (a more typical mall shop, but still nice).

The Dusit Zoo is also worth considering, even though it really isn't a park.  It was a private Royal botanical garden back in 1930 or so and later converted to a public park, then to a zoo, so it's a lot more mature in terms of trees and plant life than most parks in Bangkok, definitely a lot nicer than places like Lumpini or Benjasiri.  My son loves the playground the most, and they have a tram to tour the whole place, and paddle boat rental on a lake there, so you could visit without ever looking at animals much at all, although of course they have them there.

You mentioned Chatuchak park but not Rot Fai / Railroad park, which is right beside it.  It's a converted golf course so it is a mature park, just not as nice as Suan Luang.  To me the design isn't as nice, originally designed for open spaces for hitting golf balls instead of simulated nature.  One nice option is bike rental, a place just outside of the main entrance rents used bikes for next to nothing, so although some are a bit clunky you could go and ride around without bringing a bike.  Getting there can be tricky, not easy to navigate the roads around there or easy to find parking since it's limited there, so probably better to either take a taxi or the BTS to Mo Chit and walk through Chatuchak park since it's not far over (or both, take a train then a short taxi ride).

Since I stayed near Asoke BTS I got off at Mo chit BTS for visiting ChatuChak. Rama 9 park is on my top list to visit. Do you know how to get there if you do not want to use a taxi from Asoke area?

I just found this site today:

http://transitbangkok.com/

It shows how to get places using all forms of transportation in Bangkok, BTS, MRT, river Express boat, khlong boat (canal boat), and bus.  The problem will be coming from one part of Bangkok to another, if you have to take two buses or a train and a bus it's lots of messing around.  At a guess you might best take the BTS to Udom Suk and a bus from there, or a taxi ride over wouldn't cost much.

That site is set up to tell you how to get from one place to another but the map on the first page of where it will help you go it says it doesn't reference there

35 baht is already metered. I read somewhere that if you are riding a bus and want to get off at the last bus stop it would still cost you 25 baht on the bus at max. I have no time constraints this time around it would be better to minimize the usage of taxi cabs. But I guess taxi ride would still be cheaper if 2 or more people would be traveling together. I will look into this option as well.

BTW, if 4 people are traveling together, would it still be a better idea to take BTS to Udomsuk station?

I only take a bus from home to the nearest bts station, maybe 2 or 3 kilometers, and the fare is between 8 and 13 baht (some without air conditioning cost less). I think fares top out around 30 baht,  really just a guess though.

Bts fare is between 15 and 40, more or less, so with 4 people you'd typically be as well off in a taxi regardless of other alternatives.  If the bts runs from the start and end of where you want to go time saved is a factor, surely of some value to anyone.  For perspective,  250 baht covers a really long taxi ride here, maybe an hour.

That;s a good assessment of things when it comes to bus fares and using different modes of transportation. Really appreciated it.

I have a problem with taking taxi rides. I mean, when I was there as recent as this March , Every taxi driver expected a huge tip from me I don't know why and they shared their company accordingly , chatting about random things , cracking jokes , did not make me feel bored etc. So I never disappointed them and tipped them graciously. This time I can not tip 150-200 baht every ride.   It was the same experience in Singapore.

How do you guys deal with tipping culture? Do you tip to a taxi driver  on a regular basis? I am talking about here as a long resident not as a tourist.

I live in Thailand for nearly 5 years.
So i do it the "Thai way", And Thai don´t go around giving tip left and right.

If Taxi is 61 baht i give 65 baht, if taxi is 63 baht, i give 65 baht. if taxi is 67 baht i give 70 baht, and so on.
If we be out shopping big and the taxi driver help put item it in the car trunk, help take it out when we home, i tip a additional 10 baht.

If we be out eating and the food is "special" good, my Thai wife sometime tip 20 baht.

That all the tip i / we give.

bkk tea blog wrote:

I .  For perspective,  250 baht covers a really long taxi ride here, maybe an hour.

I took taxi 8 july from Dong Mueang to Bang Kapi not far to shopping mall, I pay 279 THB on meter including the 35 THB plus there is an extra 50 THB when you take it from airport ( it is clearly written )

Never done that wrote:

If we be out eating and the food is "special" good, my Thai wife sometime tip 20 baht.
.

Yes I agree for restaurant I give usually 20 THB sometimes 30 max 40 THB for 3 people.

However it will depends on the bill and restaurant : for example if I spend 400-800 THB for family in local restaurant, or over 1500 THB in more expensive one, check also if they did not already add 10% for service ( I discover that recently for a well known bistrot type restaurant franchise selling wine ), but they still wait for tip, I will not give anything in this case.