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Laem Chabang (Bangkok or Pattaya), Thailand Grand Palace, Bangkok
IntroductionLaem Chabang is the port for either Bangkok or Pattaya. Bangkok is over 2 hours away to the north by bus while Pattaya is closer and about an hour away to the south. Pattaya is a beach resort town popular with Russians, Japanese and Europeans. Chinese tour groups have also invaded recently. See the new and more detailed city guide for Bangkok at our sister site citytravelwiki here Where You're DockedLaem Chabang is a large commercial port with not much in the area. You can buy souvenirs and get a massage at the cruise terminal and there is a shopping center, Harbor Mall, on the main road by the entrance to the port with a Tesco/Lotus supermarket. Your cruise ship may provide a shuttle to Pattaya. It previously dropped off at Siam Bay View Hotel between Soi 9 & 10 and near Mike Shopping Mall and Central Festival Mall. Official port website here https://laemchabangport.com (English and Thai) but no cruise schedule. Smaller ships may head up the Chao Phraya River and dock at Khlong Toei Port relatively close to Bangkok's city center. Khlong Toei also is the site of a large food market. Recent reports indicate shuttles may be provided to the Shangri La hotel beside Sathorn Taksin pier (Saphan Taksin skytrain) if docked here. Laem Chabang Cruise Terminal Khlong Toei Port Money & Tipping
Exchange Rates Live
Thailand's currency is the Thai Baht. Currency exchange kiosks can be found throughout Bangkok with reasonable rates. Make sure there is no service charge or commission and better rates are typically given for larger US notes. Slightly better rates can be found at Super Rich 1965 (multiple locations including BTS Asok and Silom Rd) and Vasu Exchange (BTS Nana). In Pattaya, look for TT currency exchange (lot of copycats). ATM's tend to have a high service fee (220 THB) for foreign cards. Aeon Bank ATM's may have a slightly lower 150 THB fee. Credit cards are accepted at larger stores though there may be a minimum or surcharge. Tipping is not expected though small change is typically left (less than 20 baht) when dining at a restaurant. Sit down restaurants may add 7% VAT and 10% service charge to your bill. You can give taxi drivers a small tip (5-10 baht for short trips) for good service and for not overcharging you.
Getting To/From Laem Chabang and the AirportSince Laem Chabang is a large industrial port, there aren't many public transportation options from Bangkok. Train service in the area is both slow and infrequent and public buses will only run the popular route from Bangkok to Pattaya. Your best option is to take a metered taxi or arrange a private transfer service from Bangkok. Bangkok has two airports. Suvarnabhumi (BKK) is the newer international airport. The old airport, Don Muang (DMG) is now used primarily by low cost carriers such as AirAsia, Nokair and Lion Air. If arriving from Suvarnabhumi airport, you have a couple of options of getting into Bangkok. If you can handle your own luggage, the Airport Link train will get you into the city (BTS Phayathai Station) where you can continue your journey by taxi, Skytrain or MRT. Fare is 45 baht with a 30 min journey time. If taking a taxi from the airport, there are reports of some drivers rigging their meter but a journey to Siam Square should cost around 400 baht and 1000 baht to Laem Chabang. There is a 50 baht surcharge for airport taxis and 75 baht for tolls if using the expressway. Avoid touts offering rides since it will likely be more expensive or part of a jewelry/gem scam. Suvarnabhumi airport has a "hidden" food court, Magic Food Point, mainly for airport employees but open to everybody with local Thai pricing. Head to the bottom level 1 (Bus Lobby), turn left, and walk to the end by exit door 8. There is also a Family Mart on the departures level pre-security where you can spend your leftover change. HotelsTo avoid taking taxis and heavy traffic, try finding a hotel by a skytrain or metro station. Siam Square and Sukhumvit are central areas. Search hotels in Bangkok here  Local TransportationIn Pattaya, the best way to get around is on the songthaew or Baht buses. These covered pickup trucks have two rows of seats in the back and are privately owned but government regulated. Board one on Beach or Second Road depending on which direction you want to go. Most drivers will do a loop from the dolphin statue to South Pattaya Rd. Hit the buzzer when you want to get off or if it heads off in the wrong direction and pay the driver 10 baht. Flag one down that is moving or board one that is dropping off. A stopped or empty songthaew may assume you want to charter him for a private ride and charge a much higher rate. To get to Jomtien Beach, you will need to change to the songthaews waiting on South Pattaya Rd and Second Road beside the school. These leave when full. Despite occasional government crackdowns, metered taxis will not use their meters and charge at least 200 baht for short trips. In Bangkok, there is the Skytrain (elevated light rail) or MRT (metro) but the routes don't go to the main tourist sites on the west side of the city. To avoid the heavy traffic and scamming tuk-tuk drivers, you can take the Skytrain to BTS Saphan Taksin and then board the inexpensive Chao Phraya Express Boats from Central Pier. Tourist stops include N5 Rajchawong for Chinatown, N8 Tha Tien for Wat Pho, Grand Palace Pier or Maharaj Pier for the National Museum. Colored flags on the boats indicate their route and those with fewer stops cost a bit more. Only the tourist route stops at the Grand Palace. Tickets can be purchased on board or at a ticket office at Central Pier. A separate canal boat service runs along the canal behind Jim Thompson's House. To use the Skytrain, purchase a card at a ticket machine. A map beside the machine will indicate the fare based on the your destination staition. Most machines only take coins though a few have bill acceptors. If you need change, looked for a staffed ticket office. To enter a station, tap the card at the top of the gate. To exit, insert the card where it will be collected. Daypasses will need to be tapped (don't insert it) to exit. Skytrain fares start at 16 baht for a single station and top out at 44 baht. A one day pass is 140 baht (Mar 2019) and will break even after four intermediate length trips. The pass is not valid on the MRT and daypasses for the MRT are no longer offered. See the One Day in Bangkok section as well. The MRT has the same pricing but the system issues a token instead of a card. All MRT ticket machines have bill acceptors though your change will be in 10 baht coins if you use a 100 baht note. You can buy a token at the ticket office if you don't want all that coin change (Skytrain ticket offices only give out change and sell day passes). Tap the token to enter the gate and deposit the token in the slot when exiting. If taking a taxi, make sure the driver uses the meter. A general rule is to avoid parked taxis and try to get one off the street away from touristy areas. Most drivers do not speak English so have your destination printed in Thai to show the driver. Though taxis are relatively cheap, they may get stuck in Bangkok's notoriously bad traffic. Ride hailing is available through the Grab app in Pattaya and Bangkok. You will need data on your smarthphone and payment can be made cash or credit card. Beware of Tuk-Tuk drivers telling you sites are closed and friendly locals giving advice on cheap tuk-tuk rides. You will probably ending up wasting your day in a scam to sell you overpriced jewelry. Info on Bangkok scams here http://wikitravel.org/en/Bangkok#Stay_safe or http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Thailand/Central_Eastern_Thailand/Bangkok-1445238/Warnings_or_Dangers-Bangkok-Jewellery_and_Gem_Scams-BR-1.html There are no government approved jewellery stores in Thailand. There was a scam involving the duty free store at Bangkok's International Airport where tourists are setup and accused of shoplifting. Must See Sights in Bangkok
Sights near Laem Chabang/Pattaya
Day Trips from BangkokIf Bangkok is your turnaround port and you have several days, there are good day trips from Bangkok.
EventsIf you're lucky to be in Thailand during Songkran (Thai New Year), you can participate in what's considered the world's largest water fight. Occuring in April, dates celebrated for Songkran differ in Pattaya than for Bangkok. In Pattaya, most of the action takes place by the beach bars on the northern end of Beach Road. In Bangkok, head to Central World or Khaosan Rd to take part. Some may consider being in Thailand during Songkran not good since many businesses are closed and it may be hard to avoid getting wet. Street vendors sell waterproof bags to protect your mobile phone. Shopping & RestaurantsChatuchak Weekend Market is Thailand's largest market and can be reached from BTS Skytrain Sapan Khwai Station or Mochit stations or Kamphaengphet station of the MRT blue line (best option). Also in the area is Or Tor Kor food market. The famous floating markets are located in Ratchaburi and far from the city centre. Khao San Road, famous as backpacker central, is closed to traffic in the evening and turns into a night market. There are several malls around Siam Square in Bangkok including MBK mall (BTS National Stadium) which has indoor markets if you're looking for cheap souvenirs. Siam Paragon has luxury shops and car dealers, a massive department store, restaurants and a nice food court on the lower ground level and Siam Ocean World aquarium in the basement level. Terminal 21 (BTS Asok) has an airport theme and a different city represented on each level. Central World (BTS Siam) is Bangkok's largest and most popular mall with seven stories of shopping and restaurants. Iconsiam opened in late 2018 and features an indoor floating market (free ferry runs from Saphan Taksin). Malls in Bangkok are generally open from 10am to 10pm. If you have an overnight, there are a few night markets in the city. Talad Neon is a small night market in the Pratnum area. Rot Fai Ratchada is larger, crowded and more hipster and convenient to get to since it is close to the Thailand Cultural Center MTR station. Both are open every night. Asiatique is a modern shopping and restaurant complex on the riverfront. Operating primarily as a night market opening at 5pm, a free ferry is available from Saphan Taksin pier (beside Skytrain). Don't be discouraged by long line ups at the pier since the boats can accommodate lots of passengers including standees. Bangkok has a large Chinatown's with Yaowarat the main road. Markets fill narrow and crowded pedestrian alleys such as Sampeng Lane (officially Soi Wanit 1). Not recommended for the claustrophobic. Access will be easier as the MRT extends to this area in 2019. Best value for food is to go to a food court in a mall. Terminal 21 (BTS Asok/MRT Sukhumvit) in Bangkok has an excellent and the most inexpensive food court in Bangkok (Pier 21 on 5th floor) which is very busy during peak times. Dishes cost an average of 30 baht which is on par with street food pricing. You'll need to prepay for a card from the cashier which is used at the counters. Don't forget to get a refund on the remaining balance from the same cashier. MBK mall has three food courts - the main one on the sixth floor, a more upscale one on the fifth floor, and a smaller one on the ground level. MBK also has free 4 hr luggage storage (100 baht for the day) and a tourist lounge. In Pattaya, Central Festival Mall Pattaya Beach has a busy food court on the ground floor and an upscale one on the third floor. Even Suvarnabhumi Airport has a food court on level 1. Street food in Bangkok can be found almost everywhere. Look for busy stalls with high turnover for better odds that food hasn't been sitting out too long. Silom Road and Soi Convent (BTS Sala Daeng/MRT Silom) is a popular location servicing the office workers in the area. The Wat Pho area also has a concentration of street food. Try moo ping (bbq pork skewers), banana roti/pancakes, fried chicken, or have a seat for some noodle soup. Rot Fai Ratchada night market has lots of street food stalls. Boat Noodle Alley can be found at the northeast end of Victory Monument on the north side of the canal behind Fashion Mall. Bowls are small and inexpensive so you are expected to order a few bowls trying out different combinations of noodle and toppings. Pattaya has several malls including the large Central Festival Mall Pattaya Beach (supermarket and food court on the lower floor), the older Royal Garden Plaza, and renovated and renamed Central Marina with a Big C supermarket and new food court. The newest mall, Terminal 21, opened in Oct 2018 by the dolphin roundabout. This airport and world city themed mall has a large and inexpensive food court, Pier 21 and super clean and themed washrooms on each level. Malls in Pattaya are generally open from 11am to 11pm. For markets, Mike Shopping Mall is more of an indoor market (public swimming pool on the top floor) and the Pattaya Night Bazaar on Second Road (north of Mike Shopping Mall) has stalls open during the day. Thepprasit Night Market is a large market operating Fri-Sun nights with great street food. Soi Buakhao Market is held every Tues and Fri during the day at the corner with South Pattaya Rd. There is a smaller night market on the same street further north a block east of Central Festival. Thai regulations restrict alcohol sales only during the hours between 11am and 2pm and 5pm to midnight (enforced strictly at supermarkets and chain stores). Alcohol sales are also prohibited on election day and some religious holidays. You may be tempted to try a fish spa where fish nibble on your feet's dead skin. However, there is a risk of catching an infection (including HIV and hepatitis) from these tanks. http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easier-stuff/225723/the-downside-of-fish-spas
Post OfficesIn Pattaya, the post office is on Soi 13/2 off Pattaya Beach Rd near Royal Garden Plaza. In Bangkok, there is a post office on the bottom floor of the car park behind Siam Center (BTS Siam). Nana Post Office is at S118-122 Sukhumwit Road (west of BTS Nana across from Soi 3/1). InternetThe cruise terminal may have paid wifi. In Pattaya, McDonalds has free wifi with food purchase. Terminal 21 has free wifi. Bars and restaurants may offer free wifi. Day in BangkokIf taking the cruise ship "On Your Own" tour to Bangkok, you may be dropped off at Central World near Siam Square and near BTS Chit Lom Skytrain station. Tours previously dropped off at the Asia Hotel a couple of blocks north of Siam Square and beside BTS Ratchatewi Skytrain station. It is always wise to start furthest away from your end destination and work your way back since you don't want to be stuck in traffic close to a departure deadline. Here is a sample one day itinerary. http://wikitravel.org/en/One_day_in_Bangkok Maps (right-click to save)Pattaya Bangkok Bangkok Metro and BTS Map WeatherBangkok Weather Forecast Suggested Port Guides
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