So, you are in Bangkok, and you want to make time most useful, visit interesting places, meet local cuisine. Let's start with stay at the hotel. As a rule, the staff at the hotel's reception speaks English, not very good, but you can explain. In Russian, nobody speaks practically, therefore, in order to convey his request to staff (if you do not own the language), you will need a Russian-English phraser, or a translator in the phone. As a rule, there are no problems with communication in hotels. It often happens that in hotels asked a deposit in the amount of 1000 baht - this is a guarantee that you will not break anything in the room. Deposit is returned when evicting from the hotel. But, if you, for example, have lost the key, then the key will be deducted from the deposit, be ready for it.
But with taxi drivers, it is more difficult to communicate, not everyone understands in English (or pretend that they do not understand). In Bangkok, taxi drivers come across different: and conscientious, and not very. It often happens that the taxi driver carries you at all wherever you want, but "to your friend," which offers you to buy excursions or something else. This is an ordinary divorce, so it is better to have a card with you and know an approximate train ticket (or ride the counter), for example from the airport to the hotel in the center. At the same time, it consists that some roads in Bangkok are paid.
Often the taxi driver offers to drive along the way to the store, "You just look, can not buy anything," and he, for it will be given a tag to gasoline. Do not waste time, catch another taxi. Sometimes, the taxi driver simply refuses you to take if it is not profitable for him. Again, catch another car - there are a lot of them in Bangkok, there is a normal taxi driver and takes to the place for adequate money.
In general, to avoid "divorces", never say to local residents (for those who offer you to buy or go somewhere) that you are in Bangkok for the first time. It is better to say that you have been here for the fifth time and in general, we traveled around all Thailand along and across. But in general, Thais - very friendly, do not be afraid to come out on the street to the passing and ask something - if he knows, he will surely answer.
Tips can be left in a cafe and in a taxi, and the hotel's maid. But do not leave too much - 20-30 baht is quite enough. But the masseuses in massage salons are very loved by tips, sometimes even straightened. Leave at your discretion if you like her work, then why not leave 50 baht.
To keep in touch with Russia, it is better to buy a SIM card of the local True or DTAC telecom operator (sometimes they can be taken on the airport racks at the airport with a balance of 5 baht). You can buy it in any store "7-Eleven", it will also help to activate and put money on account.
In general, in the manual instructions, everything is described in detail: how to find out the balance, how to make an international call (for this you need to dial 004 or 007 and then a mobile phone number, if you need to call the city number, then 004 or 007, country code, City code, phone number). The cost of the call to Russia is from 4 baht per minute, local challenges - from 0.2 baht per minute. That is, mobile communication is very cheap. If you left Bangkok to another region of Thailand, you can continue to use the same SIM card. There are tariffs and the Internet, but if you do not need it every second, it is better to use free Wi-Fi at the hotel. At the reception you will give you an access code. Well, if the Internet you need to work, you can buy a modem.
To rest in Bangkok managed, observe the usual security measures: valuable things, money, documents are better stored in a safe in the hotel, and even better, wearing with you, since cases of theft from safes still happen. Money is better to have both cash and in the bank card, and the PIN code from it is in the head. Do not abuse alcohol in the company of local girls - among them also there are fraudsters. If conflict occurred - you need to try to solve it calmly, and if it does not work, it is better to contact the police, but only in full confidence that the truth is on your side. In general, the best way to avoid unpleasant adventures is to relax calmly and avoid dubious situations.