ICE TO HAVE OR NOT HAVE THAT IS THE QUESTION.

ICE TO HAVE OR NOT TO HAVE ?
First of all I need to apologise to Mr. William Shakespeare. OK I feel better now that is out of the way.
It's a real problem, a total dilemma, for so many travelers and even Expats living in SE Asia, should I have ice in my drink, should I eat anything made from ice.

a fantastic fruit shake in Vientiane, Laos.

Well let's look at what you're missing.
Well probably the most obvious use is ice cubes in your drink, well honestly being in such a hot climate your drink will rapidly warm up and taste disgusting. A cooling refreshing drink is essential, even water is a real must, actually so much better for you than a fizzy sugary drink. Although a fizzy sugary drink is good for you to prevent dehydration, but all in moderation, go more for water and less for coke.
You'll also miss out on a strange SE Asian habit of having ice in your beer, for you beer drinkers this a really great way of keeping your beer really cool and very drinkable.
Fruit Shakes for me personally, this is one of the best things I've discovered since moving here, an amazing selection of icy fruit drinks, a fantastic way of keeping cool and having a really nice healthy drink too, watch out for Thai heavy hands when it comes to adding sugar.You can get them with milk added too really yummy, but watch your waist line.
Tea and coffee are really amazing when we add ice, so iced tea or iced coffee goes down a treat in the hot afternoon. Iced Black Coffee is really great, but the milky icy  coffee is a really nice treat.
Desserts often contain ice, there are dozens of Thai Desserts, some of the most simple desserts , a really cool dessert is shaved ice , it's so refreshing and cooling, there's a really strange blend of textures too, ranging from cooling ice to bread and some crunchy fruits. All combined with a very sweet and colourful syrup.
One amazing coconut based desert, is a fantastic combination of coconut, coconut milk, sweet green noodles and ice. This looks a little odd because the noodles are green in colour and they sort resemble baby snakes, but they are sweet noodles! and the whole dessert is so cooling, sweet and tasty it's a fantastic dessert to savor.

an amazing iced dessert on JJ Market in Bangkok, Thailand.

OK so this is a little sample of what you are missing. If you don't eat ice, it's so much more than just ice cubes in your drink. You'll be missing out on a whole part of Thai Cuisine and infact SE Asian cuisine. I always think if the locals are eating it, well it can't be that bad !
I've lived here for nearly 8 Years and I have always taken ice as do all of my Thai friends and Laotian Friends, and I have never been sick. But that alone is no recommendation.
How is the ice made and where does the water come from. For sure it's NOT made in little ice cube trays in the cafes fridge and they go down to the river and fetch the water, that does not happen.
Generally the ice is made by local businesses who specialize in the production of ice.They have modern facilities to produce bulk ice and they then deliver the ice either chopped into ice cubes, or in a big cube, a mini iceberg.
 The modes of transport they use is really impressive and very amusing too, from motorbikes to pick up trucks to refrigerated trucks.

Ice being delivered in Bangkok.

Three wheeler motorcycle ice delivery in Bangkok.

The water they use is filtered water and cuts out all the nasty bugs you find in tap water.
So why do people still get sick, because they do, so do I. But it isn't usually the ice that's to blame.
Perhaps it's the result of eating some dodgy food or eating too much chili, chili is a real culprit when it comes to people getting the runs or a bad stomach ache or worse,but usually that will disappear after a very short period of time.
I have seen some people have ice in their drink let it melt, leave in the sun and heat and then slurp the remains, this can be a problem.
People often don't drink enough water, usually they do drink a lot but it's usually beer, then you will get sick very sick if you get dehydrated.
So all in all it seems that the humble ice cube gets the blame for many other things, but you always need to be careful and be aware, but it doesn't mean you have to be too cautious and miss out on all of the amazing culinary delights that await you in SE Asia and are based on ice or contain ice. Go on try them and see, oh and if you do get sick, don't blame me.
Being adventurous always involves an element of risk, maybe that's why you're here in SE Asia and not tucked up safe and sound at home, enjoy exploring and discovering with lok8rboutique.

chilled water essential shopping aid.

typical ice delivery in Bangkok.

Hard work when there,s not much room.

street vendors can be found with ease, really popular with locals.

keep cool drink, drink, drink. 

CHAT U CHAK MARKET BANGKOK THAILAND.

A VERY WARM WELCOME TO JJ MARKET.

WELCOME TO JJ MARKET, What?  You Said Chat U Chak Market, I know!  It's the same!  Really! 
I hear confusion all the time, and before I tell you anything about this amazing place I thought we should know what the place is called, most Thai people call it JJ MARKET but most Tourists want to call it Chat U Chak Market, either one is correct and it is the same place!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've lived in Bangkok for some 7 Years now and I call it by both names. I used to live only a couple of minutes from here and it was the first place I started to discover in Bangkok.
The Market is huge, I couldn't start to explain or describe JJ to you in one simple blog, so I wont even try!
What I will do is tell you how to get here and how the market is layed out. I 'll be adding a lot more as the weeks unfold.
How to Get To JJ MARKET.No matter what mode of transport you choose you should be dropped within a short walk of the market. Here's your options.

BUS. Depending where you are coming from the bus is a very cheap,  but, a very slow option, Bangkok being Bangkok you're sure to get stuck in The Traffic that is particularly slow around JJ Market. If you're staying in Kaosan Road, get the 3 or 524, there are always new buses starting up, but these two are fairly reliable and their route will drop you off outside ChatuChak Park and it's only a short walk to the market, take a short cut through the Park it's sign posted.

buses, taxis, vans, trains and more!

TAXI. Same as the bus you'll get stuck in traffic too, but it will cost you much more for that privilege!
TRAIN. MRT ( subway) or BTS (sky train) are your two choices depending on where you are!  They both pass Chat u Chak Market (subway) or Stop and Terminate there ( sky train) The sky train is fairly easy if you look over you'll see a big park and the market is just beyond the Park.. Many people choose to get off the MRT (subway) at Chat u Chak Park, however, it's easier to get off at the next stop along Kamphang Phet, it's will drop you off directly in the market, no long walk, so you can save your energy for shopping and exploring. It's by far the fastest way of getting to and from the market,  you'll miss all of that nasty traffic!  If you're a solo traveller or a couple it's a cheap alternative too.But if there are 3 or 4 of you a taxi may be cheaper,but much slower!
TUK TUK. Fun, but hot smelly and probably too expensive. You will probably be grossly overcharged too, particularly if you catch a UK UK outside of the Market on your return, not a good idea. I've heard TUK TUK Drivers talking about 300 to 500 Baht for a short trip that would usually cost 50 Baht.
MOTO CY. Motorr Cycle Taxi. Unless you are in a real hurry don't bother, too expensive and far too dangerous on busy main roads, give them a miss, they're OK for the small back streets and short trips but no more than a short quick dice with death, I Kid You Not!
Once you arrive at JJ Market grab yourself a map and although not great they'll give you an idea of the general layout of the Market.
Basically the market is set out with a main walkway that is an oval shape with numerous aisles radiating of the oval to the left and the right.

The market is divided into sections and this will help you explore, and discover where you are and where you're planning to go.

There are several Banks and ATM's located on and around the market, there are a couple of new shopping malls popping up in the general area and so the choice of Banks and ATM's will be even greater.

There are Toilets on the market and there is a wee charge ( sorry bad joke,especially if you're Scottish or Irish).The toilets are not the best. But if can it may be better to pop into one of the near by shopping malls, they should be a lot fresher.
The market is huge, and you will not get around it in one day. If you do have only one day, a very quick tip is to walk around the oval and as you get to the MRT, underground station entrance go into section 2 , which is next to it and you will be really impressed by the selection of Indy Designers that are based in and around this section.
Try to plan if you're looking for something special, it's really difficult to find a specific item. The free map may be of use but it's a bit too general with its descriptions. We are hoping and planning to bring you a fairly comprehensive listing of Affordable Quality that's available on the market, so it will take us a bit of time but  we hope to be bringing you stuff a couple of times a month.

explore and discover amazing quality.

There is a mix of good and not so good on the market, certainly you can get some really cheap T Shirts, clothes and shoes, and they are OK, but generally you pay for what you get!
There is a growing number of Indy shops and designers on the market, I've been living here for several years and have always been draw to this area and it certainly has changed for the better, Clothing, Fashion Designers and Artists are frequenting the Market more and more and offering a much better selection of Indy Designs. Like I said they can be hard to find, as in their location, but stick with us we'll do our best to help.
Generally some simple Tips that you may want to consider to help you enjoy your trip around JJ Market .

• Take Care, Keep Your Bag Safe.
• Keep your Wallet Secure, DO NOT FLASH THE CASH !
• Keep an eye on your kids it's really easy to get lost !
• If you buy something that is really big or heavy you probably need to consider shipping it to your home country, there are numerous shippers based on the market and they seem to have a fairly good reputation.
• Try to avoid getting a TUK TUK or TAXI directly outside the market gates, this is a prime location to be seriously overcharged.
• it gets really hot as you walk in the sun, wear sunscreen and drink lots of water.
• Always ask for a discount, barter and bargaining is fun, but remember these guys are trying to make a living and don't try too hard, sometimes they may only be making a small profit !
• Enjoy yourself and stop and have some food and a drink, it's got a lot to offer and there are some great places to have a snack, a drink or a bite to eat !
• try the Indy Local Businesses and enjoy some genuine Thai Talent.
• tell your friends about www.lok8rboutique.com and help us to sustain great Local Indy Biz in Thailand and Laos.
• THANKS! SEE YOU AGAIN !

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  A view from the Sky Train footbridge.  

  

  A short cut through the park is well sign posted 

  

  plenty of street traders before you get to JJ Market.

  
  

  

  a quick short cut to the market.

  
  
  
  
  

  

  chill out in the park after your shopping.