Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [213]
Smoking is banned in all indoor spaces, including bars and pubs. The ban extends to open-air public spaces, which means lighting up outside a shopping centre, in particular, might earn you a polite request to butt out. If you throw your cigarette butt on the ground, however, you could then be hit with a hefty littering fine. Bangkok has a strong anti-littering law, and police won’t hesitate to cite foreigners and collect fines of 2000B.
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WI-FI ACCESS
Wi-fi (wireless fidelity) is not hard to find in Bangkok. Most cafes now offer either free or paid wi-fi access, with free access available at branches of Coffee World and Gloria Jean’s; Starbucks charges. Most top-end and midrange hotels have wi-fi, as do quite a few guesthouses, sometimes for free and sometimes available by prepaying for time. Various websites list Bangkok wi-fi spots, including www.bkkpages.com, www.bkkok.com, www.stickmanbangkok.com and www.jiwire.com (see Krung Thep); JI Wire also offers an iPhone app version of its listings.
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If you are arrested for any offence, police will allow you to make a phone call to your embassy or consulate in Thailand if you have one, or to a friend or relative. There’s a whole set of legal codes governing the length of time and manner in which you can be detained before being charged or put on trial. Police have a lot of discretion and as a foreigner, they are more likely to bend these codes in your favour than the reverse. However, as with police worldwide, if you don’t show respect to the men in brown you will only make matters worse, so keep a cool head.
Visiting Prisoners
While the craze for visiting imprisoned foreigners in Bangkok’s notorious jails Bang Kwang (Map; 0 2967 3311; www.correct.go.th/brief.htm; Th Nonthaburi, Nonthaburi; Nonthaburi) and Khlong Prem (Map; 0 2580 0975; 33/3 Th Ngam Wang Wan, Chatuchak; Mo Chit & taxi) has cooled off, some travellers still make the trek. Visiting details are discussed on several websites, notably www.phaseloop.com/foreignprisoners/prisoners-thailand.html and www.khaosanroad.com. If you want to see a particular prisoner the best approach is to first contact the prisoner’s Bangkok embassy. Consular officials can tell you whether the prisoner, or any other prisoner, wants to be seen; note that they won’t give names or details unless the prisoner has authorised them to do so. If so, they can help out and advise on visiting times, usually a couple of days a week. Don’t try going directly to the prison without a letter from the prisoner’s embassy, as you might be refused entry.
Most foreign prisoners in Thai prisons are from the UK, Australia, Africa and Europe; most American prisoners are repatriated to jails in the US.
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MAPS
From the moment you enter Bangkok – literally right after you’ve passed immigration – you’ll see your first free maps. Quality varies between useful and utter rubbish, but the Official Airport Bangkok Map and the City Map of Bangkok, both usually available at the airport, will get you around the major sights, transport routes and hotels.
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BANGKOK ADDRESSES Joe Cummings
Any city as large and unplanned as Bangkok can be tough to get around. Street names often seem unpronounceable to begin with, compounded by the inconsistency of romanised Thai spellings. For example, the street often spelt as 'Rajdamri' is actually pronounced 'Ratchadamri' (with the appropriate tones, of course), or in abbreviated form as Rat damri. The 'v' in Sukhumvit should be pronounced like a 'w'… One of the most popular locations for foreign embassies is known both as Wireless Rd and Th Withayu (wí·tá·yú is Thai for 'radio').
Many street addresses show a string of numbers divided by slashes and hyphens, for example, 48/3-5 Soi 1, Th Sukhumvit. The reason is that undeveloped property in Bangkok was originally bought and sold in lots. The number before the slash refers to the original lot number. The numbers following the slash indicate buildings (or entrances to buildings) constructed within that lot. The