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TRAVEL
TIPS CAMBODIA
- THAILAND - January 2008
BEWARE OF BANGKOK's TUK TUK DRIVER HUSTLE - BANGKOK SKYTRAIN BLESSING - BEWARE OF HELPFUL THIEVES - WHAT TO DO IN PHNOM PENH - BEWARE of ENGLISH TEACHING JOBS THAILAND - THE FAST FOOD WORLD OF CAMBODIA'S BB WORLD - HELPING HAND FOR BEGGARS - DR BEAT IN SIEM REAP - BUMRUNGRAD HOSPITAL
National Radio Text Service - Thursday January 31, 2008
BEWARE OF BANGKOK's TUK TUK DRIVER HUSTLE: Bangkok tuk tuk drivers who offer to show a tourist around town for 50 baht or for free are on the City of Angels hustle. The hustle is that they will try to interest you in shopping. If you go along they will take you to shops that they have agreements with. The tuk tuk driver is usually paid 100 baht from each shop they take you to regardless if you make a purchase. They also receive a commission from your purchases. They usually have five shops on the list or more. They will stay with and wait for you as long as you're willing to shop. When they know from your conversation that the next stop will be your last stop and you're not making purchases you will find that they will disappear thus when you come out of the shop you will have to seek other transportation. We know, it happened to us. BANGKOK SKYTRAIN BLESSING Those of you who have visited Bangkok prior to the completion of the above ground Skytrain and MRT subway you are in for a pleasant surprise. You can now get around most of the central part of the city in air conditioned comfort without having to go through hassling with Bangkok traffic and taxi drivers. The Skytrain can take you to the Silom Road area and its main tourist attraction Patpong. It can also take you to the famed weekend market at Chatucahk Park. The MRT from the Hua Lamphong train station to Bang Sue. They also have a stop for the near the weekend market at Chatucahk Park the same name. Other key stops along the Skytrain routes are, Paragon shopping center, The Emporium Shopping Center, Siam Square, Mah Boon Krong (MBK) Shopping Complex, National Stadium (football matches), World Trade Center, Pratunam Garment Market (stop is one and an half blocks away), Chulalongkorn University, Ekkami (Eastern) Bus Terminal, and the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. For those who are interested in taking in the Bangkok nightlife scene of Patpong, Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy it can also be reached on the Skytrain The MRT Sukhumvit stop is also for Cowboy and where the two systems cross. It is there that you can change train systems. Train operations cease at midnight. WHAT TO DO IN PHNOM PENH One of the most asked questions is after visiting Angkor Wat/Siem Reap, what can a tourist do in Phnom Penh? The answer is not a whole lot. Tourist's sites are rare. The first thing tourists are aware of is the Killing Fields. Other tourist sites include: (2) The Royal Palace (3) The National Museum There is little in the way of recreational facilities for both Cambodians or tourists. Most upscale hotels have a pool and a small gymnasium. Aerobics classes are available at the Clark Hatch Fitness Club at the Intercontinental Hotel BB WORLD Thailand and Cambodia have realized that foreigners love fast food. Therefore.... you can burger your buns off at one of Phnom Penh's most popular fast food eateries. BB World has several locations including the Sorya Shopping Center. Its former operation on the busy corner of Monivong and Sihanouk Boulevards was torn down to make way for a 40 story office building. There are now a growing list of fast food spots that have popped up in the city in recent years including Thailand's Pizza House and Swenson's Ice Cream. Both are also located in the Sorya Chopping Center. BB World's varied menu includes burgers, hot dogs, fish chicken, sweets and ice cream. The Cambodian Burger is made of pork. BB World's director Chy Sila previously pointed out to us that the ice cream burger was very popular. We tried the chicken sandwich that was juicy and delicious. It looked like chicken, smelled like chicken and tasted like chicken. That's unlike many fast food chain chicken sandwiches that taste like cardboard. Sila has been busy selecting the best products available from around the region to adorn his menu. Sila purchases his pickles from Lanzi's Dan Meats a German owned company in Phnom Penh. The company also owns the popular CD World shops popular for VCD's and CD's in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville DR BEAT IN SIEM REAP When visiting the Angor Wat Temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia a good hour plus of entertainment is a concert by Dr. Beat Richner. Richner is most notably known for two things... building children's hospitals in Cambodia and playing the cello. He performs in Siem Reap at Jayvarman Hospital on Friday (NEW) and Saturday nights at 7:15pm. BUMRUNGRAD HOSPITAL The Tsunami tragedy brings into focus the importance of good hospitals and health care. Thailand has high marks for having excellent hospital facilities. Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital is recognized as one of the best in the region. Some of the Tsunami survivors have been treated at Bumrungrad. Bumrungrad visually has the atmosphere of a five-star ho BEWARE of ENGLISH TEACHING JOBS THAILAND Many foreigners fall in love with Thailand and wish to stay for a while. In doing so many take jobs as English teachers that are listed in Bangkok's English language newspapers. If you don't have a work permit this is illegal. Many of these schools will tell you that they will obtain one for you and they don't. Make sure that you have a work permit before starting the job. Many of these schools take advantage of the naive and anxious foreigner stating that they will obtain it later. You are the one at risk and breaking the law if caught. Many English schools deal with teachers like cattle. They know that you won't be there for long and most likely will chew you up and spit you out. They know someone else will be right behind you to take your place. This is a case of ship them in ship them out. Its not a question that they are interested in high quality teachers, it's a case of having bodies that will teach from a book so they can collect the money from students to be in the class. The school takes the money and you could be on the run…. depending on how PC (politically correct) you are. HELPING HAND FOR BEGGARS Several years ago in beach town of Sihanoukville, a tourist couple were eating out doors at a restaurant. At their table was a crippled former Khmer soldier whom they were treating to a meal. Several healthy looking children beggars approached them asking for yum yum meaning money to eat. The male exclaimed, "I can't give to everybody." There was a conversation between the three eating at the table. The handicapped ex-soldier thanked them and left after finishing his meal. The couple departed several minutes, later walking in a different direction. Within minutes they returned to the restaurant and approached an elderly couple sitting on a low cement wall. The man then pulled out a loaf of bread and broke it in two and handed the pieces to them. They smiled, thanked him speaking in Khmer, "Akhun Trahn (spelled phonetically) meaning, thank you very much. It was an interesting way to handle the beggar situation in Cambodia. The Khmer people have suffered badly during 30 years of civil conflict and many of the population are showing the signs and results of the wear and tear of war. (See: Travel Tips - Cambodia - April 2001) tel. Their equipment is modern and the service is fairly prompt. Located in the heart of the Sukhumvit district at 33 Sukhumvit 3 ( Soi Nana) Wattana between New Petchuburi Roads and Sukhumvet Roads. Tel: (662) 667-1000 -- Web site: www.bumrungrad.com MALARIA: Two of the most asked questions on our road trip from Bangkok to Phnom Penh were "Is there malaria in Cambodia and Thailand and should I take precaution?" The answer is yes malaria is a major problem in the region as well as Dengue Fever. On or first trip to Asia we obtained anti malaria medication. Take whatever precautionary measures you can. Mosquito coils and mosquito repellent are helpful. Mosquito's are plentiful at many outdoor restaurants particularly near bodies of water. . It is wise to take a mosquito coil. BEWARE OF HELPFUL THIEVES A traveler to Khao San Road was in a mess when her bags were stolen at the Surat Thani, Thailand train station. When she boarded the train a man helped her with her luggage. By the time she reached her seat and looked around the baggage helper was gone… with her bags.
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