Bangkok Recommendations
Almost everyone who comes to Koh Chang eventually finds themselves thrown into the sweaty chaos of Bangkok. We are there quite often as well so in this new section we’ll list a changing selection of things to do in the capital. Don’t expect an exhaustive travel guide, you can find those elsewhere. We will just draw your attention to things to do and places to go that we try and think that you might like.
Sitar Trek: Rainbow Guest House & Restaurant
This is currently my favourite Indian Restaurant in Thailand and heaven knows I’ve been to a few over the years. There are some quite nice ones on Koh Chang itself – India Hut merits a mention here. But follow the Rainbow, located in the heart of the famous backpacker’s kingdom of Khao San Road. It is an unassuming one unit shop located on Chakkrapong road, the big one-way road opposite the Temple end of Khao Sarn Road itself. It’s next door to a couple of Israeli places – also good by the way - pass them and you’ve missed it. And don’t miss it because the food is cheap and fantastic and the service is great. Friendly and efficient, why is it so rare that you can say that about waiters in these parts?
The menu features pretty much all of the Indian Classics prepared “spicy or non-spicy” to your tastes. But there’s nothing here hot enough to singe the tastebuds of a diner who is used to the fiery splendour of Thai cuisine. Their freshly-made breads in particular are great. Try the Keema Naan bread filled with minced meat or a crispy Aloo Paratha with a spicy potato stuffing. They also have rooms which we know nothing about other than that they are above a place serving great Indian food. And that’s reason enough to stay there. Call them on 02-280-6648 or e-mail rainbowguesthouse@hotmail.com.
Bangkok Art & Culture Centre
If you are on shopping frenzy in Siam Square and you find yourself standing next to a row of gargantuan severed heads then don’t be alarmed, it isn’t civil unrest, you’ve found the new Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC). It is located on a prime piece of real estate right in the heart of the city between the Mahboonkrong (MBK) and Siam Discovery shopping malls. In fact it is something of a miracle that it got built in such a central location when there must have been a queue of rabid capitalists a mile long offering strong ‘inducements’ to city councilors to erect – yet another – mall. But miraculously there it stands in all its glory. On the outside it is all huge curvy whiteness and award-winningly modern. Inside you feel like you are in the empty shell of the biggest snail that ever lived. You will probably be almost alone but for a sparse scattering of people who from their bizarre attire could only be lunatic psychopaths or Art Students.
The place has several gallery’s that display several exhibitions at any one time as well as shops, cafés and a big library and reading room in the basement.
While we were there we saw a display of photography from students at Rangsit university. Images ranged from everyday life, through dramatic landscapes to the wildly weird and Photoshopped. I wondered what went on in the mind of the artist who had turned everyday fruit into sabre-toothed killers. He is probably in the employment of McDonald’s.
The huge top floor gallery was given over to the installations of four modern Thai artists. This turned out to be a two-all draw, we thought, between good weird and bad weird.
But the exhibitions are changing all the time and by the time you get up there something entirely different will probably be going on. Bangkok has needed a place like this for a long time and it is well worth going and having a look. And happily there is none of the different Thai/Foreign pricing that happens in so many places – it’s free.
