Thailand Tourism

Bully’s Pub Thanksgiving Buffet
I have walked past Bully’s pub at least 100 times as it’s on the way to the gym I usually work out at.  It is located right on Sukhumvit Road in between Soi 2 and 4.  You can’t miss it as there is a life-sized brass bull in front (see picture above).  I thought it was an expat and tourist bar so I figured it was overpriced and filled with drunk Ausies, Europeans and Americans so I never really had the urge to go.  This changed when I was invited for a Thanksgiving all-you-can-eat buffet by my neighbor Jan who is a fellow travel blogger at TravelWithJan.com

There was no way I be eating Thai noodle soup on the biggest eating day of any American’s year so I gladly accepted the invitation.  I arrived to Bully’s Pub around 7:15pm after my Thai Language class and luckily it was not that busy.  I stacked up my plate with all the Thanksgiving regular foods including mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, yams, ham and of course gravy.  I stuffed my face with the delicious Thanksgiving foods as I met Jan’s friends.  One of Jan’s friends happened to be like me, another photographer hobbyist with a photo website which you can see at HowardKreiger.com

After I returned from Bully’s Pub that night I went online to see reviews.  One review sparked my attention as it said Bully’s Pub had a large American breakfast which has been one of the very few things I have missed from America during my 8 months so far in Thailand.

Big American Breakfast
I went to bed looking forward to the next morning when I could dig into a big greasy American breakfast.  After going to bed around 2am I woke up unusually early around 9am.  I checked a few emails and headed out the door around 10m towards Bully’s pub and when I got there it wasn’t open yet!  I was aggravated that I’d have to wait until 11am to get my breakfast but luckily there is a Starbucks across the street which I headed to to drink a coffee while I waited.

The American breakfast comes with 2 large pieces of toast, 2 eggs done any way you like, 2 sausage patties, 2 slices of bacon and potatoes which were made on the skillet with bell peppers and onions.  The American breakfast at Bully’s also comes with coffee/tea and juice which I special ordered a orange/pineapple mix.  The portion size was just like I wanted it and I found myself having trouble finishing although the giant coffee I drank 20 minutes before at Starbucks may have had something to do with it.

Overall Impression
I’m not really into the bar scene so I pretty much ignored Bully’s Pub and now that I’ve eaten there twice I can say if you’re used to American sized portions Bully’s is a good place to get filled up.  As far as bars go, the place was very big and spacious with multiple flat screen TVs playing sports along with a couple pool tables.

Bully’s Pub is probably the best place in Bangkok (so far) to refuel and begin to reduce that Saturday or Sunday morning hangover.  If you’re really hungry at breakfast time, Bully’s Pub’s breakfast is the perfect thing to get in the morning to fuel you up for a day of whatever Bangkok has to offer you.  The price was 180 baht but after the standard 10% 20 baht tip it came out to 200 baht (around $6 USD) which is double most “American breakfasts” served around Bangkok but Bully’s is twice the size and twice the grease;)

For the last 60+ years Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX has been the king of Thailand.  He is revered by all Thai people and his birthday is a week-long celebration.  You can view a documentary about his reign in the following  King Bhumibol documentary (27:50).  I remember how large the celebration was when I attended it my first trip to Thailand in 2005.

First Trip to Thailand
When I came to Thailand for the first time in November-December 2004/2005 I was fortunate enough to attend the King’s birthday celebration event.  I was staying near Khao San Road which is a 5 minute stroll to the the Grand Palace and the home of the famous emerald Buddha Wat Phra Kaew. I was fascinated that so many Thai people attended the birthday celebration.

Sanam Luang which is basically a huge (30 acres) empty lot next to the Grand Palace was completely packed with people who sat and watched the performances, muay Thai, parades and fireworks while they occasionally sang.  The way the giant number (estimate later in post) of Thai people handled themselves during this huge celebration showed me a lot about Thai culture and the people of Thailand and really factored in my decision to move to Bangkok.

Getting to the King’s Birthday Celebration
I now live far from the dinky hotel I was staying near Khao San Road when I was in Bangkok in 2005.  I got an early start because I knew traffic would be difficult if not impossible to get near the Grand Palace before the streets were closed off.

I took the BTS from Phloen Chit to National Stadium to bypass some of the usual Sukhumvit Road gridlock.  I knew I would have to ask multiple taxis because few will take me to the most crowded areas.  After asking 3 taxis the 4th guy decided to take me. I left just at the right time because as we approached the area there were tens of thousands of pink-clad Thais lining the streets to view the King’s motorcade pass.

They were on the verge of shutting down all traffic so my taxi driver actually had little traffic to deal with although security wouldn’t let him drop me off until we got all the way to the Grand Palace. After I got there I was ushered to a sidewalk amidst heavy security which was there more for traffic and people control than security.  They stopped everyone from crossing streets and I sat patiently on the sidewalk until the King’s motorcade passed and they let people move freely again.

An Absolutely Huge Gathering
I made my way to Sanam Luang (the 30 acre lot next to Grand Palace) which was filling up rapidly.   People were ushered to certain areas to create lanes which I soon found out was for parades.  You can see some of the parades in the video at the bottom of the post.  After the parades the area was getting even more filled up.

I wanted to take pictures which was very difficult in this area because the crowd was huge and it was all flat making it almost impossible to get a good vantage point for whatever was going on at the main stage.  I saw photographers on top of these tall utility trucks and thought about paying them for a spot but I knew there was a lot of things to see and photograph elsewhere. I started getting annoyed by the constant flow of people in the area so I walked away from the main action.

There was muay Thai, traditional Thai dance, snake charmers, loads of food and product vendors and more stuff I missed because I decided to move to a less packed area. How many people attended the celebration was a big question for me.  I attended new years even in Brazil on Copacabana beach which I have heard has 2 million people but the King’s birthday seemed to have even more people.

The 30 acre area of Sanam Luang was completely packed so I did a little math.  I read 6000+ people can fit in an acre so if Sanam Luang is 30 acres then 18,000 people were packed on it.  I think the estimate of 6,000 people fitting in an acre is way off as I remember college football games where crowds of 35,000 stormed the field and it seemed 3/4 of the crowd was on the field which is slightly larger than an acre.

I decided to find a less crowded area and decided to walk towards Democracy Monument.  The whole way from Grand Palace to Democracy Monument was completely packed with people to the point where I couldn’t extend either arm without touching someone.  There was more crowded areas but I highlighted the areas which were packed.

Enjoying the Festivities
As I made my way away from the super densely packed area and walked along Ratchadamnoen Road I could enjoy the celebration a lot more.  The whole area was still packed with people but I was able to put down the tripod to take some pictures of the many attractions.  Everywhere I turned was something different to watch or photograph.

At a certain time (I forgot) everyone lit the candles which were handed out along the way and the people all started singing the king’s song.  Anyone who spends an extended amount of time in Bangkok knows the song as it’s played in the city and park every day at 6pm when people stop what they’re doing, stand and listen to it.  It’s also played at movie theaters before the movie starts.

After the song one of the many fireworks shows began.  The fireworks lasted for around 5 minutes and then a parade of brightly lit floats began.  The floats reminded me of the boats that I saw during the Loy Krathong festival but this time they were on wheels and slowly proceeded down the street.  There were many Thai musical groups performing on a large stage just past Democracy Monument which was being recorded professionally for national television I presume.

Overall Impression
I had a great time although I’m not the biggest fan of large crowds.  I would recommend a visit to the King’s birthday celebration in Bangkok for anyone who happens to be in Bangkok the week of December 5th.  In fact I would also recommend the King’s birthday as a reason for anyone to travel to Bangkok and experience the Thai people and part of their culture.  I went on the actual day of the King’s birthday but from the fireworks shows I could see from my apartment window, I’m pretty sure the celebration is on for the entire week.   I will let the pictures and video do most of the talking for this post.

Thailand is one of the best holidaying spots in the world. You can relax on mesmerizing beaches, hike large mountains, dive impressive coral reefs, visit grandiose historical sites, explore great caves, and hang out in energetic and fast paced cities. However, most tourists come to Thailand for the beaches and, these tropical islands are the best reason to come to Thailand – Thailand has numerous tropical islands to choose from! Most tourists stick to a few exceptional Thai islands and with good reason. They wouldn’t be popular if they weren’t good. Here are some tips for your next holiday in Thailand!

Ko Tarutao National Marine Park consists of 51 islands located in the Andaman Sea. Ko Tarutao is the main island and is where the park headquarters is situated. There is just the park’s canteen and a small store that is only open until 8pm. Accommodation here is simply economic bungalows or tents. For those looking for a cheap and rustic island in Thailand, this place is it.

The island of Ko Chang is a tropical marine national park. Situated in the east within driving distance of the Cambodian border, it’s Thailand’s second largest island after Phuket. Recently, with the surge in modernization and popularity, Ko Chang is growing to be Thailand’s new popular tourist destination If you stick to the east side of the island, there is very little development and you can still enjoy a holiday away from the crowds.

Travel to Phuket, it is one of the most popular and attractive tourist places in Thailand. Known as Tha-Laang or Talang or even Junk Ceylon, it is located on the south of Thailand with the cities of Phang Nga and Krabi neighboring it.

Since Phuket is located off the Andaman Sea, it has pleasing climate. It has a tropical monsoon climate along with warm climate throughout the year. You can enjoy here three seasons including winter, summer and rainy season as well. However, the weather doesn’t create any hassle in your traveling to the city. Phuket has a large number of popular places where the visitors can explore and have a lot of fun.

If you have the opportunity, you must enjoy a Bangkok visit. Bangkok is judged to be one of the world’s top tourist attractions. Normally walking is better compared to hailing a cab or renting your own vehicle. You can also take the MRT metro (underground railway) to explore Bangkok.

Bangkok is an excellent place to shop and is widely known as “the shopper’s stop.” The city is filled with many shopping arcades which are very unique on their own. The entire streets usually sells only one kind of product ranging from fresh flowers, clothes, gemstones, electrical goods, monk supplies, and even guns. The city’s other cultural attractions are the Siam society, national museum, national library and the Thai cultural center.