Patara Fine Thai Cuisine is not an easy place to find.  They do provide decent directions.  It is a residential area and the restaurant is in a converted home.  A very nice home.  They also have onsite parking which is uncommon in Bangkok.  The interior is one of the nicest decors for a restaurant I’ve eaten at in Bangkok.  I went by for lunch and ordered the Chicken Satay to start and the Stir Fry Thai noodles with Tofu and Pad Thai sauce.

The Chicken Satay was very good but the portion was rather small.  Same with the Tofu Pad Thai.  Very good but small portion.  Overall, a very good meal.  A little expensive for lunch.  I would try again for dinner.

Address: Soi Sukhumvit 55, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok

Hours: Monday through Sunday, 11:30am to 2:30pm and 6:00pm to 11:00pm

A common Thai greeting is to place your hands together in a prayer like position. All the greetings I’ve experienced were held close to the mouth. I am told the the height of the hands shows respect. The higher the hands the more respect. This gesture is accompanied by a slight bow and the greeting “Sawasdee” pronounce “sawatdee.” This is done quite often by all Thai people. As you can see in the photo, the younger gentleman initiates the greeting with respect and the older gentleman will respond.

I did research before this recent visit to Bangkok (May 2015) about how I can get to Ayutthya without hiring a private taxi or tour company. The information was a bit vague, with most reports stating just to go to Victory Monument where the vans are. Well, when you first see Victory Monument Circle it can be pretty intimidating. The circle is huge with many vans and buses. I took the time to find the right place to go.

Take the BTS Skytrain to the Victory Monument BTS station. When you exit the train, you descend one level and turn towards the elevated walkway to Victory Monument. It could be right or left depending which direction you arrived from. It is easy to figure out but the most important thing is not to go down to street level yet. When you reach the Victory Monument on the elevated walkway you can turn left or right. Here you have a great view of the Monument. As you look out at the Monument, you can see the elevated walkway continues halfway around the circle to the right. Turn RIGHT! this is the easiest direction to go for the vans to Ayutthya. As you near the end of the walkway, halfway around Victory Monument Circle, there is a staircase. It is not the first staircase you encounter. I have attached photos of the stairs to descend. These stairs take you to a small shaded concrete park called Victory Point. There are several shops and food vendors. You will see a row of tables with all the writing in Thai. The table and person on the far right is who/where you can purchase a ticket to Ayutthya. The ticket is only 60 Baht! The vans are just behind on a narrow side street when walking away from the circle.

The vans run every 30 minutes starting at 5:00am. However the BTS system does not start until 6:00am so plan accordingly. If you are early or close tot he time they will depart, you will be directed straight to the van where you will pay the driver. I was a solo traveler and found this to be quite easy and affordable. Once I figured this all out, I made plans to arrive early the next day and went to Ayutthya for the day. It was awesome and cheap!

If you arrive to Bangkok by way of Don Mueang International Airport, you may need a taxi to get to your hotel. After immigration and customs you descend an escalator to the arrival/departure area. You will see many taxi counters with employees directing you to their counter. Many of them are flat fee counters which are definitely more expensive than you need to pay. To use the meter taxis, walk to the very far left of the arrival departure area (when you are facing the building exits). You will see bright yellow signs with explanations of cost and fees. This is the cheapest way to get into Bangkok from the airport by taxi. Approach the yellow counter and tell the staff where you want to go. If you are not sure on pronunciation, have a print out of the hotel reservation. This should have the address and they will tell the driver.
My recent trip I told the taxi driver not to take the tolled highway. The trip only cost me 260 Baht with the 50 Baht surcharge. If I were to take the tolled highway, I would be responsible for the tolls, one for 70 Baht and the other for 50 Baht. The flat fee places quoted me 800 Baht.