Safe in the bowels of Kao San *Welcome to Bangkok* Traditional Geocache

Sawasdee Krup

Welcome to Bangkok, The city of angels

• Jewelry Scam
  A few folk will tell you about Tax free day or something like that and not make the sale. Tell you how somone made loads of money buying jewelery in Thailand and selling it back home. The third person will try and make the sale and take you off to a jewelery store. They are real gems just not worth the amazing resale value they are claiming. Most likely a jeweler back home would offer you 80% on what you paid for them.
  
  If you want Jewelry choose a store don't be led to one and compare prices. :-) Often tours by taxies and Tuk Tuks will take you to Jewelry stores as they are paid too.
  
  
• The attraction is Closed
  This can happen near any tourist attraction but still happens a lot outside the Grand Palace. As you approach, someone will tell you that the palace is closed for various reasons. Ignore them as you will end up in either a gem store or a tailor shop.
  

• On the phone
  Always carry a mobile phone or a device that you can pretend is a mobile phone. The general public will pretty much ignore someone on a telephone and understand that they will poke around and "doodle" while talking. So you have a good idea on where the cache is but you are in a very public place with every tout for 10 kilometers watching you. Get out the phone and pretend to have a conversation. after a minute or so, start casually looking/feeling around and no one will pay you any mind.
  
  Can fill in the log and put it back if you are calm and very casual about it. Say or seem to be saying "uh huh" once in a while and all will assume you are talking to someone.
  
  
• Got to have that picture.
  Another great trick for caching is pretending to take a photograph. Tourists are a blight on the environment and go to the most extremes to get some picture from just the right angle (happens to be right where the cache is). People world wide are used to this and if they see you pretending to take a photograph they will assume, you are a tourist and therefor your are to be forgiven for not being normal.
  

• TP (Toilet Paper) always good to have your own.
  
  
• Liquid, Bangkok is hot and a little bit constantly is so much better than a lot all in once on the system. bring along a bottle. Bangkok is a hot city and for most visitors hotter than they are used to. Watch the locals, always in the shade and they move slow and steady. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in noon day sun.
  
  
• Pencil/pen Many of the caches are urban and are BYOP
  

• Bangkok Tour - Rattanakosin Island (Very old part/Grand palace):
  This is a 4 ish hour tour of all the main attractions of the old Part of the city, The Grand Palace, Wat Po, National Museum, Giant Swing, Golden Mount and so on. Thirteen stops and a lot of caches. Every ones happy.
  
  
• Kung Kaseam Canal walk:
  A walk along a canal from the Kao sarn area to River city. 3 ish hours and 27 plus caches. A great way to see the city and different aspects of it in one go. There is a River bus that connects the canal at either end making it a ring. :-)
  
  
• Best Bangkok has to offer:
  This is a list of locations on the must see list for visitors that are in the city. Some are known others are off the beaten track. Enjoy.
  
  
• Tourist Assistance:
  Bangkok Metropolitan Authority has an office catering to tourists needs in the Kao Sarn area right under the Phra Pin Klao bridge. They have maps, help, lots of friendly smiles and folk to help you. This is a free service offered by the City.
  
  
• Bike Rental:
  Fastest way to cache. All that is needed is a copy of your passport page and 300 Baht per day or 50Baht per hour.