Page 65 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Bangkok

Bangkok for Free ❮❮ 63

TOP 10 MONEY-SAVING TIPS
1 Get a local SIM card for your phone
or tablet. Kiosks offer short-term plans
at the airport and in all city malls. Data
speeds are very good in Bangkok.
2 All shopping malls have air-
conditioned food courts, often in the
basement, where a variety of vendors
offer local specialties for much less
T’ai chi practitioners in Lumphini Park than you would pay in restaurants.
Lumphini Park
7 3 Bangkok’s mass transit systems –
the MRT, BTS Skytrain, and Airport Rail
T’ai Chi
As soon as dawn breaks, Link – cover most of the city.
4 The Chao Phraya Express Boat
aficionados of this ancient Chinese Service is a great way to see all the
dance-like practice start their river sights and beat the traffic.
routines. Visitors are always very
welcome to paricipate: simply stand 5 Bangkok 101 and The Big Chilli are
great magazines that give a current
at the back of the group and follow picture of free events, discounts, and
the movements (see p86). promotions in the city. BK magazine is
Bangkok Butterfly
8 free but less interesting.
6 Bangkok’s new hostels
Garden
A respite from the are clean and cheap.
Try Suk 11 (see p117).
nearby weekend
7 Bargaining is perfectly
market, this park appropriate for any
within a park has non-food item in a street
open areas where the market. Offer 50 percent
butterflies live, as well and keep on smiling.
as displays of various Bangkok 8 Imported alcoholic drinks are taxed
specimens under Butterfly up to 300 percent here, but the local
glass (see p55). Garden beers (such as Singha, Leo, and Chang)
Neilson Hays
9 are good, as is the rum – try Sang Som
with soda and a squeeze of lime.
Library Art Galleries
MAP N5 • 195 Surawong Road • 02 9 Traditional massage venues do
not offer the luxury that you will
233 1731 • Open 9:30am–5pm Tues– find in the spas, but these ubiquitous
Sun • www.neilsonhayslibrary.com shops offer good body or foot
Housed in a beautiful Neo-Classical massages at very reasonable prices.
building, the private Neilson Hays 10 If you make any significant
Library has two excellent art galleries: purchases, you can get a refund of the
the Rotunda and the Garden Café. 7 percent VAT when leaving Thailand.
Meditation Course at
0
Wat Mahathat
Introductory walk-in courses
in Buddhist meditation start at 7am,
1pm, and 6pm and cover both seated
and walking techniques. A brief
lecture introduces the three-hour
session. The temple also offers
longer residential courses, with
food and accommodation provided;
a donation is usually expected Food court of Siam Paragon
for these courses (see p44).

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