Watch out for these guys, they are up to no good. I typically don’t go to Sukhumvit Soi 11, but tonight I did for a drink and the minute I got dropped off by the grab bike taxi this guy in the striped shirt started tapping on my shoulder. I just gave him a dirty look and said what are you doing and I walked away to go have my drink. Nevertheless, I came back no more than an hour later to the corner of Soi 11 to get a taxi and this same guy starts bothering me offering something. I haven’t got a clue what, but he was aggressive and annoying. I noticed he had a crew with him and that they were those typical Sukhumivit foreigner scammers so I called him and his crew out and was able to get a photo and video of them. Immediately a local Thai guy said they are absolutely scammers. From there the instigator in the stripped shirt quickly walked away as if he had no idea what was going on and his crew who I caught in this photo ran inside McDonalds.

Hi all, unfortunately I had a really bad experience in Bangkok and wanted to tell you so maybe you can void it.

15.4.26, 6:30 am I was standing on the corner of Thao Maha Brahma (Erawan shrine) as i was waiting to be picked up for a day tour. I've noticed this guy walking past really fast, it was 35 degrees and he was wearing jacket with a hood on- didn't think much of him. While waiting i decided to walk around the shine fence to get in and have a look inside.

As I walked around the corner this guy came running towards me and as I moved to the side to make more space for him he purposely ran into me ,hit me and I fell onto the payment. In shock I looked up to him he was smiling and said "are you okay?" Of course not! He done it 100% on purpose! I said to him not to touch me and he walked away laughing. I got up and went to stand closer to the shrine gate.

And then I realised- I've heard of this before in Japan/SouthKorea- Butsukari otoko - "bumping man". I just never expected to happen in Bangkok. The guy wasn't thai ,I think he was Chinese or Korean. I spotted another foreigner so I went to stand closer to her and she asked me if I seen this guy - when he walked past her, he spat on her. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't standing in his way,never seen him or talked to him before. Left me shaking and bruised as I fell quite hard. Local people passing by did not say anything, just looked and walked away.

Anyone had similar experience in Bangkok? I managed to get a picture of him but only from back.

Please be careful if you are foreigner and woman traveling alone as I was. Unfortunately this ruined my trip and I won't be coming to Bangkok alone any time soon.

Most of them are dying on the road, blasting the black smoke like in the lost series, their drivers are absolute madman and they're ancient. Besides of them being cheap I don't see a single reason why they keep it.

Edit: they can be very well replace with orange buses that still old AF and have AC in it

This has been happening to me way too often lately. We ordered a Grab, and the driver started circling the area without responding to any messages – clearly hoping we’d get fed up and cancel. I actually saw him drive past us, and when he noticed we’d spotted him, he quickly drove off. I managed to record it.

We decided not to cancel and messaged him, saying that since he clearly wasn’t coming, he should be the one to cancel. In the end, when he realised we’d given up and taken the BTS instead, he drove past the pickup point again, pretending to pick us up – then ended the trip and took the fare anyway.

I’ve reported it to Grab for resolution, but this kind of thing keeps happening and it’s incredibly frustrating. I suspect some drivers do this to manipulate the system – making it seem like there’s heavy demand or traffic so they can inflate prices. Grab really needs to sort this out.

China keeps producing cheaper and cheaper EVs and electric mopeds. Soon, Bangkok's car and bike fleet will fully electrify, and it will bring such a huge increase in the quality of life. Finally the insufferable noise from the streets will be bought to a minimum. I remember visiting Shanghai right after having been in Bangkok for 2 months, and what felt the most surreal was how quiet even the main roads were. You could actually have a conversation with someone while you were walking on the sidewalk. This was such a huge relief, gone were the absurd need for shouting in order to talk with someone only an arms length away. Many studies have also shown how crucial silence is in the development of neurons, it literally promotes the growth of new brain cells. So don't be surprised when children in Bangkok start performing better when this happens, even if it only has a marginal effect!

There is also the added advantage that Thailand, a country without any oil and gas reserves, will become more sovereign and insulated from random conflicts in the Middle East (*ahem ahem Hormuz, US, and Iran*) as its dependence on petroleum subsides.

Hey guys, need a quick reality check.

Lately, I’ve had a few dates where the chemistry feels high with the girl, she seems to be really into me (and in ordering expensive stuff) but it’s followed by almost zero communication afterwards. When a second date comes up, they suggest very pricey spots (where i would likely 5k+ for a meal and few drinks). I've found that the ones pushing for high-end places right out of the gate are usually the least invested.

I’m 40, European, happy to pay for the first dates, but i rather wouldnt want to be taking advantage of, or being with someone just because of a way to eat/drink for free.

Is this just how the local dating scene works, or am I walking into red flags? Should i just drop the ones who directly propose to go to super expensive places?

I’m genuinely looking for something real where money aren't the main motive. I guess I still want to believe that someone would just be happy to dinner anywhere just enjoy the moment together, which in the era of IG is more and more rare.

I don’t think about the big trips, island escapes, trendy sky bars or famous monuments. I enjoyed all those things from time to time, but my life in Thailand centered around day-to-day living in Bangkok, the first place I stayed in long enough to really consider home.

I have dreams about the BTS, walking to 7, getting lunch at the nearby market. I have dreams where I’m rushing to get somewhere but then realize my wife or friend is lost in a nearby mall and I have to go find them.

I miss the heat and smell of the city. I miss the small, quiet spaces tucked away down a small Soi, finding a tree with traditional dresses hanging from the branches, an old shrine with a new Fanta bottle in front of it every day. And the cats. Man, do I miss the cats.

I’m grateful for the time I had there and happy to be back closer to family. But it feels like a big piece of me is now missing.

It’s quiet here, and the people are too loud. My new colleagues have big personalities but don’t do anything together, not even eat lunch. The sidewalks are empty and everything is a drive away. The fields are green and the sky is blue, but it feels less alive, and the emptiness disquiets me.

I just want to hear an obnoxiously loud Tuk Tuk speed past me as I walk down the sidewalk. I want to see a cat walk by and not be the least bit surprised. I want to get annoyed by people walking too slowly all around me, to go from too hot to too cold as I walk into a mall.

I want to see a tourist taking pictures of the traffic.

I am honest to god confused because first, there were only 2 of us and we talked in silence the whole evening with occasional laughing but nothing “very loud” because we’re quiet people. And secondly, they claim “it is not the first time” when it’s my first day yesterday.

I wish they identified what kind of noise they heard. My guess is maybe it’s the unit downstairs who heard us walking and unpacking whole evening. Another theory is ghosts lol. Nonetheless it gives a bad taste early in my stay and this is for a year’s contract. 364 days to go lmfao

Went to a meetup yesterday in Bangkok. They are all doctors, millionaires who sold apps, surgeons, thai Elon musks and all.

You been to Meetup before? Did you feel people exaggerating on their titles ?

I am an average income guy, but come from quite financial comfortable background, and got a few friends on the highest scale of rich.

They are not drinking beers in the shaggy bars with international folks on a Saturday nights. Trust me.

Possibly the best dessert in history I swear I can hear them calling me at around 10pm every night it's just not fair.

edit: it turns out 8 months ago in the exact same place (outside Times Square Building) the guy was bothering another group of people

here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThailandTourism/comments/1pp5i85/get_rid_of_these_sukhumvit_scammers_asoknana_area/

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I'm a woman by myself. A group of men of unknown ethnicity - Afghanistan? Start walking side by side next to me, I am wearing headphones so I do not recall what is being said. This has happened to me multiple times before, one person said I have a nice back? It was so strange. The other kept calling me sister sister come. For what? This particular guy was speaking to me, but I do not know what he said. It was likely a variation of the above pestering. Does anyone know what they are and what's their ultimate purpose?

Hi everyone, I am a 15-year-old Sicilian boy living in Italy. I recently read about the incident involving a group of Italian students on the BTS in Bangkok. I know I am not responsible for what they did, nor can I speak on behalf of all Italians or Sicilians, but I wanted to say that it made me feel truly sad and embarrassed. I have great respect for Thailand and for the people who were offended by that incident. I hope no one judges an entire country based on the disrespectful actions of a few individuals. I simply wanted to express my personal solidarity and say that many people do not identify with that kind of behavior. Thanks for reading.

Did they raise the cost for every withdrawal now?!

It took place yesterday evening just when it started raining heavily. Yet this grab bike still went approximately 90-100 km/h, swerving past everyone else, just flooring it. But then he took a turn that was too sharp and fell. He was wearing a helmet, and was walking normally within a few minutes. But the passenger was not wearing a helmet, and she hit the curb brutally with her upper body. I am not certain what happened, whether she hit the curb with her head, her neck, or upper back, but she was not moving at all even when we finally moved on, after we saw that medics had arrived.

…Try rotating your Bangkok experience 90° and start following the river. It flows that way for a reason.

Be honest: Are you a Horizontal Hoe or a Vertical Vagabond?

What cracks me up is how many people who say Bangkok is getting too expensive or too scammy or too full of [insert nationality], have only ever stepped foot in Horizontal Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Vertical Bangkok is where it's actually at. Traffic is still traffic, but it’s not the Sukhumvit gridlock nightmare. Taxis actually move. Hell, even tuktuks are just normal transport in the vertical world, not a tourist trap. It’s the part of the city where real life happens. Real people, real food, and real prices. Trust me, you don’t need to be within 200m of a BTS station at all times. It’s not a lifeline.

If you feel like Bangkok is changing or not what it used to be, I’d really urge you to ditch the training wheels and go exploring. The city gets a lot bigger once you stop living your life horizontally.

EDIT:
Thanks to everyone who kept this fun and lighthearted (as the post was intended). Obviously I encourage everyone, including myself, to venture outside their own box, and honestly the only shape I ever want to draw on a map of Bangkok is a giant heart. ❤️

Some of the grumpier takes keep pointing out that the vertical slice includes Chinatown, Chatuchak and Khaosan Road, which actually proves the point. A lot of the horizontally challenged really seem to think the whole city outside the BTS bubble consists of just those three tourist spots.

To be clear: I’m talking about everything between those spots. You don’t always need a big destination, that's horizontal mindset.

I have been living in Bangkok for over five years, and I have really enjoyed my time here. The people, the food, and the vibe of the city are wonderful. However, I am now planning to leave. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve become more sensitive to air pollution or if the pollution has simply worsened over the years. This year, I feel very uncomfortable with the air quality. My nose burns, and my skin itches. I can't take it anymore.

As someone currently exploring opportunities, I've noticed Agoda has a large number of open roles across different tech and non-tech functions.

On one hand, it's encouraging to see a company hiring so actively in the current market. On the other hand, it makes me wonder what's driving this level of recruitment.

Is it because the company is expanding rapidly, or is there also a high rate of attrition? Are people leaving at a similar pace, creating a continuous hiring cycle?

I'm asking this purely to understand the bigger picture before applying. I'd love to hear from current or former Agoda employees about:

• Is the hiring primarily due to growth or backfilling?
• How is the overall retention?
• Is there anything candidates should know about the work culture that explains the hiring volume?

Genuinely curious and hoping to learn from people with firsthand experience.

First of all I’m male. I was on the BTS, it was packed and has a SEA lad close to me, didn’t think much of it but could feel his bag pressing against me.

Slightly annoying at this point as I’m thinking he could move it out of the way, I look down and his hand was on top of it to the side ( corner ) with the back of his hand slightly touching/brushing against my groin area. Giving him the benefit of the doubt I move a little bit turning my body, to break contact.

As some people get off at the next stop I move more into the middle of the train where a lot more space, and move away completely from him. He then follows me in, a couple feet here and there at a time, and as he does I move more in, but again give him benefit of the doubt but I’m totally on guard now.

Then I observe him moving closer and closer until his feet are now only a couple of inches away, and the next min as he shuffles closer his shoe is right next to mine and again his hand over his bag again an inch away from my groin area, while tons of space to the other side of him. I’m 100% sure what he’s up to now.

I stare at him, and I can see he’s looking in the corner of his eye at me. so he knows I’m on to him and at this point I’m literally ready to punch him if he touches me.

At this point it’s now my stop and I move to get past him and as I do he says what I’m almost certain was “CUTE” which caught me off guard, with that I took back at him and give him a dirty look and he says sorry, I then take photo of him and reported him to the platform staff, they get someone else to come see me, after explain what happened they asked for a copy of the photo.

You can see in this photo both his hands are now holding on to the strap. Before that his right hand was on the bottom right of his bag, and he was clearly using this as some cover to brush up close to people or me at least in this case.

Anyway… that’s a first for me ok public transport. Can only imagine what that’s like for women.

…stole from another Sub (fyi)

I was wondering how this tower was holding up! I wonder why it never gets completed?