Soi Arab in Bangkok

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

See here. A soi is what we would call a “lane,” although some have grown so big over time that they actually qualify as a full-fledged street.

I’m familiar with Soi Arab myself, and it is small enough to qualify as a soi. The actual name is the more mundane Sukhumvit Soi 3/1, and it really is quite a crossroads. This area is a center for Muslim tourists. Lots of hotels catering to them and some very good restaurants – Iraqi, Iranian, Pakistani – some even open around the clock. Interestingly, there are also several bars catering to the Muslim trade, allowing them to get their drinking binge out of the way before having to return to their strict homeland. They’re often packed when I pass by.

2

That’s a really fascinating article-- thank you for pointing it out! I walk through that area all the time and it is great for people-watching, and an interesting insight into what the “tourist experience” is like for folks from a different culture from my own.

I’d also like to find a small grocery or similar that sells ingredients, like rosewater and orange-flower water, so I keep my eyes open, but most shops seem to concentrate on incense/perfume.

3

I can’t really help you there, but you could maybe pop into one of the restaurants and ask where they get their stuff.

Of course, you must know about Villa Market by now, but they seem to be more Western-centric.