Re: Bangkok Shopping & Forex


"Brian" <brian@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gdbg4k$en7$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi.
What is the best place in Bangkok to shop for these things
1) Casual Clothes
2) Shoes (joggers, sports shoes)
3) cheap cell phone accessories

How much of a bargaining would be involved in any of these?


Also, I am carrying US dollars to the country. Do I need to exchange as
soon
as I get there - or can I exchange as I need money? Where can I get good
exchange
rates?
Or do shops/cabs etc take USD?
What is the current rate of exchange?

Thank you for all the replies. I went to Bangkok & and I am back. So let
me try answering my own questions.

Did most of my clothes/shoes shopping at Pratunam Market & Platinum Market
next to it. I was on a tight schedule & didn't get to visit any other
clothes market.
Purchased a lot of fake Polo (RL) & Boss Shirts, T-Shirts & Polos - paid
somewhere
around 150-200 Baht's for each. Very satisfied.
Didn't get time to visit the shops for cellphone accessories.
Purchased a 3 DVD set of Fawlty Towers at the Night Bazaar for 300 Baht's.
Amazing quality. The DVD's even had the artwork printed on one side.

Visited Floating Market on a half day tour - paid 500 baht's per person
for this - they took us to floating market, Elephant village & some
handicraft place
for this money & brought us back. Wife bought some idols, tea set etc from
the
floating markter - lot of bargaining involved.
Wife also purchased a jade bangle from China Town.

Visited the Grand(?) Palace or is it the Royal Palace - forgot the name.
Costs
around 8USD per person & not allowed to go in with shorts.
When I was taking a taxi back from the Palace to Sukumvit Soi 11, on
the way, the wife noticed a couple of street which were full of shops
selling
huge Buddha & other idols. Stopped a taxi there & wife bought some idols
there.

Exchange money mostly at the small Bank Exchange Kiosks all over the
place - Bangkok Bank, Ayuthya Bank etc. Usually got 34+ baht's per
USD.

Cabs were great & very reasonably priced.

My local agent contact was Chin Tour - They picked me up from the airport
& took me to my hotel - the Ambassador - not bad. Reasonably clean &
comfortable
but seems to be a very old hotel & hence a little run down. My flight back
was
at 6:45 pm & Chin Tour said they would pick me up at 2:00 pm (at my
Sukumvit Road hotel
for this) - in my opinion it was too early even accounting for traffic
problems.
They said they didn't have a 3.00 pm slot. Finally they phoned me back,
saying they will come at 3:00 to pick me up. Left the hotel at 3:15 &
reached
at 4:00.


I also visited Bali for a couple of days. Dollars are almost universally
accepted
there but still better to keep local currency. Stayed at Wina Holiday - was
ok.


.

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