David Paul Morris: Goodbye Bangkok, Love You Long Time

After 2 weeks in Bangkok and the outskirts it was time for me to move on to the next assignment in Japan. It was a great time working on an interesting set of stories from protesters in the streets to high end fashion to people dying with dignity. Of course there was the socializing and catching up with friends I haven't seen in a long time, as well as making new, life long friends. First of I'd like to thank Ron Gluckman, my brother on the road, for his insight and introductions as well as his hospitality and the use of his place to crash. Jolanda for the use of her phone chip! Communication is key and I couldn't have done it without her sim card. Okay, I could have gotten my own sim card but that would have been a hassle :) Thanks to the lovely and talented Korakot Punlopruksa better known as Nym for her humor and her wonderful smile, her help when I was returning to Bangkok, her insight of Soi 5,6, and 7 in search of the great food stall, and turning me onto the best foot massage place in Bangkok. Only 10 steps from the front gate of Nym and my buddy Ron and his wife, Jolanda's apartment building. I loved it and I am ticklish....go figure. If you ever need a fixer or someone to help you in Bangkok, Nym is the person to go to. Jutamanee Nilthamrong but I know her as Kay for her company and brilliant conversation. What a beautiful person both inside and out. Awesome photographer Paula Bronstein of Getty Images for her insanity and giggles. Paul Lakatos for his generosity and grand tour of Bangkok one fateful night. And Paul Ehrlich and his beautiful wife Zeny for their wonderful dinner company. Okay here are a few places I would recommend to check out if you are going to Bangkok. For great street eats try Lang Suan in the Ploenchit district down Soi 5, 6, and 7. Great street stalls here with amazing food and cheaper then you can even imagine. I bought lunch for 3 and spent about US$5. But this is a lunch place so better to be there before 2-2:30. Also there is a great mango freeze stall on Soi 6 more towards the end. Great smile and really fresh mangos as well as any other fruit you could imagine. You can get away with a freeze of your choice that will delight your taste buds for about 75cents. For dinner you have to try the Bed Supper Club. Here you can eat a fabulous Thai dinner and then go next door and dance the night away in their live DJ or band club. Housed in a custom-built new building and set in a modern and futuristic all white environment. This place is on the cutting edge of the dining and entertainment scene in Bangkok and is a showcase for all the arts-culinary, visual, musical and theatrical. Check it out. For live music you have to go by the Saxaphone Bar just off the Victory Monument BTS exit. Really easy to find and really a great bar with some of the best musicians in Bangkok grinding out some great blues, rock and jazz. They don't have a website but you can search them easily on Google. Below are some last minute photos from Bangkok. Thanks for reading my posts. More later!