Gate One selected the hotel, so we could not stay in Bangrak, prized for easy access to river boats and the skytrain, nor in Sukhumvit, tailor made for custom clothes. This my 5th time in Bangkok, was my first in the Victory Monument area.
The area is lightly touristed. Shopping is omnipresent, but largely irrelevant. The area malls, and the night market, cater to young working class Thai women. Think low end 'Forever 21' knockoffs. Trendy clothes, and accessories, that are cheaply made and cheaply priced.
The area's two claims to fame are boat noodle alley and 'The Saxophone Club.' Expats flock to The Saxophone for the best live jazz in the city.
The club features live jazz 7 nights a week with no cover, and drinks at a tad over 5 dollars. Although a pleasant diversion, few tourists hop to Bangkok for bebop.
Street food, and hole in the wall restaurants, are part of the foreign foodie pilgrimage. Being a local area, street food is strong. The Century Theatre area is filled with options.
A glimmer in the eye, of every Thai, is the certain reply, to the mention of boat noodle alley. Originally these bowls of noodle soup were sold from boats along Bangkok's khlongs (canals). This accounts for their name and the portions. To prevent spillage bowls were less than half full.
The unique taste is not from the noodles, which can be any one of 6 varieties. The distinction is the spicy broth, finished off with a few drops of pigs blood that sizzle into the boiling concoction. Locals eat multiple bowls, at a cost of about 10 baht per bowl. The cost is less than a dollar for 3 bowls.
I splurged and also ordered fried wontons to drop into the broth: A tasty dinner for just over one dollar. The alley is just northwest of Victory Monument. Multiple vendors satiate hundreds of Thais.
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