 The "CANAL" Tour...nothing great if for SEAns by ickee | Tours - unscheduled shopping stops tips and photos posted by real travelers and Bangkok locals. • 12 Photos
• 17 Reviews
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A tour which has optional extras that you don't take - can have you left stranded at the side of the road.
My husband was dead keen to visit the Tiger Temple, near Kanchanaburi - and we found it relatively difficult to find a tour which went there. Thought we had jackpotted somewhat when we found one that encompassed River Kwai and tain ride plus tigers. However, we did not know that there were additional things which were juggled from the same vehicle. We were left at the side of the road near a swimming spot while others went off for elephant rides - and left there for over 90 minutes. Other stops and collections later, we were dropped off at the tigers. The day was much longer than needed.
Just check all of the options on the tour, and check how the itinerary is arranged around the various choices.
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This encounter happen on the way to the Grand Palace. We arrived infront one of the entrance to the Palace and was told that we can't go in due to a ceremony happening in there. the person who inform us is appratently a local tour guide standing beside the entrance.
Since we were already there, she recommended us to take a tour with the tuk tuk to visit some other tourist spot around the area. As soon as we agree and aboard the tuk tuk, we were taken for a ride to palces we weren't expecting - jewel shop, carpet shop and suit shop. Basically the reason this tuk tuk bring u to these shop is just to get his free ' gasoline'
~sigh~
1. Ignore the tour guide recommendation and try some other entrance.
2. If aboard the tuk tuk - just get down on the very 1st shop that's not right for you and make your own way back yourself.
Talk to some local Vt : ) Leave a Comment
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Scenario
First time visitors to the Grand Palace will be filled with awed until some license guide will approach you and say that in order to get around the Grand Palace ..."you need a guide."
Solution
You can rent a "self audio tape recorder guide.
If you really need extensive explanation of the Grand Palace, you may need a guide.
HOWEVER, you can rent a "self-audio tape recorder guide" for free adjacent to the ticketing counter.
Just provide your credit card details (as a securitiy for the recorder) and off you go ....on your self guide of the Grand Palace.
Its fun in a way coz you can re"start" the sections if its going too fast for you Leave a Comment
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 by TinyTuck
However, I would recommend it! (So, it´s not really a trap ;-) ) On a (private!) tour of Bangkok guided by a local you´ll learn a lot of interesting things you won´t otherwise, especially about buddhism and its traditions, plus you don´t have to buy anything. So go for it! Leave a Comment
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 by alisonrLeave a Comment
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Almost all the tours somehow manage a stopover at a Jewellery Factory with the idea that you'll go home a few gems richer (and lotsa $ poorer!)Being 10,I really wasn't too keen,although the tour of the factory was just a tad bit interesting. Leave a Comment
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Jewellery Factories - I have been on several day tours around different parts of Bangkok, and the operators are quite knowledgeable and friendly - and the tours very reasonably priced. However, at around 3pm they always have an obligatory trip to a jewellery factory. Personally I find it totally boring. I would not buy anything there, unless you really know what you are getting. Tit kind of puts a bad spin on the whole day, as you get lots of high pressure salespeople trying to sell you something you don't want. So if you are going on a tour, just ask them whether they are going to any factories, as you may be able to go straight back to the hotel pool instead.
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A tuk tuk driver will quote you 10 bahy for a trip somewhere, but will then stop at a tailor and a jeweller on the way. They get petrol vouchers for dropping tourists at these places
If you use a tuk tuk, the way you go about it is to ask the price, but WITH NO STOPS. If this is the price they give you, they will take you right there with no problems, and it is a lot of fun. The price is also for the tuk tuk, and not per person, so ask in full, then you have no hassels, eg. " what is the price for the 2 of us to MBK, no stops"....The price you are then quoted has no Hidden agendas
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Be aware of people trying to help you out. If you are approached by a local offering you very cheap transportion or personal tours.... don't take it. Just smile and say "no", and keep walking.
If you go with them, you will end up on a shopping tours that will get you frustrated and waste your valuable vacation time.
It happened to me, and it was very uncomfortable and frustrating. Had to laugh it off and continue with our vacation. Leave a Comment
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Even though I read all about it here on VT, I still ended up on a tuktuk tour. Basically we happened to be in Bangkok on a public holiday and because of this, when we were told the Grand Palace was closed, we had no reason to disbelieve (see my other Tourist Trap tips for more details). A random Thai man flagged down a tuktuk for us who said he'd take us on a tour of various cool places (the Marble Palace etc). Of course, along with the pretty palaces comes the silk and gem shops.
Luckily for us, our tuktuk driver was very honest. He simply told us if we spent five minutes browsing then he would get his petrol voucher from the shop owner and we didn't have to buy anything. At our second stop we were told that we didn't spend long enough browsing so the tuktuk driver didn't get his petrol voucher. Our "punishment" for that was to be taken to a third shop. We could have hopped off the tuktuk but we had no idea where we were (some dodgy backstreet) but the third shop was the final and we did get to see things we wouldn't have otherwise seen (the palaces not the shops) so we just went along with it. When we eventually got to the Grand Palace we paid our driver 100 baht and he went on his way. No harm done.
The alternative would be to go via taxi but if you do that make sure you negotiate a fare beforehand!
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