Update: The app below is now discontinued, but my tours are now available via the VoiceMap app, for iPhone and Android. Check them out here.
Well, it’s taken the better part of 18 months, but the Bangkok walking tour app that I’ve helped put together is finally available for download! As of launch, there are 4 tours available that take you on foot through some of Bangkok’s most interesting areas, from a quick food walk through Chinatown to a half-day route that takes you clear across the city (don’t worry – part of it is on a boat). Using your iPhone’s GPS, you follow the mapped route while listening to an audio track (ahem, me) talk about the area you’re walking through. Bonus: headphones block out the noise of Bangkok!
The app started almost two years ago when my friends Bessie and Kyle asked me to put the content together for a walking tour app. They had already launched one for Vienna and wanted to see if they could add Bangkok to the mix. It sounded like a great idea, so I got started.
However, I soon found out that mapping a route, researching its noteworthy points, writing the script, and recording, re-recording & editing the audio took a long time, much longer than I had anticipated. On top of all that I had my regular job and life to lead, so the process got stretched out a bit.
And then the anti-government protests started up (again). It wasn’t a problem until people started getting killed (again), travel warnings were put out for Thailand (again), and a coup and curfew threw everyone into panic (again). So when, after 6 months, things got back to “normal” (or as close as they can, anyway), we thought it was finally okay to release.
If you’re coming to Thailand, or even live here and want to dig a bit deeper into an area you might not be familiar with, please give the app a try. It’s $2.99 (95 baht) on the app store (sorry, no Android) which is less than a Starbucks coffee. Well, at least the one I buy every day. If it’s received well, I have a few more tours in the back of my mind that I’d love to add in the future.
And if you’re wondering, yes, I was a bit concerned that using my cartoon face as the icon for the app would seem a bit douchey, but we decided that it was colorful, unique, and representative of me. That app, after all, is called Greg’s Bangkok.
I hope you like it.
Greg,
Downloading the app now and can’t wait to try it.
What an achievement my friend. This is something you should be very proud of. Well done and hope it sells thousands!
Scott
Thanks Scott, here’s hoping. 🙂
That’s a wonderful travel tool and I am sure it will be a huge success… BUT: no Android? 🙁 Hope the developers will decide to put it on Android one day.
Cheers,
Thanks Andee. No Android for now – it was hard enough to get the iOS version finished. If it’s mega-successful, then maybe. Time will tell. 😉
Greg
That’s great congrats, Will download , But won’t be in Bangkok till January. To try it out .
Good luck
Guy
Thanks Guy, let me know what you think. 🙂
Greg
Pretty cool app.
I we like the History and the Personal Commentary from someone who knows this city.
Enjoying it from the comfort of our bedroom but Can’t wait to try it out on the streets of BKK .
Note . Glad you know and Mentioned Chai. , He is Amazing , we go see him a few times When we are in town Nurse a ( Thai women )sings with him she is great as well . We Usually see him at Nothing the blues , Saxophones and Maggie choose . I did not know about 13Th will Definitely GO.
Take care
Thanks Guy, and glad you know about Chai. You’ll love Ad Here, it’s a great place. Let me know how the app gets on when you’re in town. 🙂
Hi Greg,
Just an idea, you should do one about food, especially street food & deserts. That is one of the highlights for any young Asian tourists itinerary. A lot of my friends from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea actually knows more about where to eat street food than me who’s been here for over 20 years. They get it from blogs and guide books, it would be a great addition to your app.
China town is a chapter all on its own (seafood, noodles, shark fin, all sorts of deserts and more)
Siam Square another chapter (somtum, desert)
Sukhumvit can be one about thai restaurants mix with western
Thonglo another big chapter that can be divided into bars/pubs/clubs and restaurants
Probably a “Must Eats” section outlining the foods like Pad Thai, Chicken Rice, Seafood, etc.
Roof Top Bars is another biggie.
Hey Thanadon, thanks for the comment. A food-centric tour would be great, but not sure it fits with an audio walking tour. I can imagine the voice saying “Walk to this stall…okay now stop listening to this for 30 minutes while you eat. Done? Okay, walk to the next stall.” I think food-based content is better suited to blogs and websites, actually, which can include GPS directions and pictures of the food. My app isn’t set up that way. My Chinatown tour does focus on food a bit more than the others, but it’s secondary to exploring the neighborhood. Maybe I’ll do a similar one later on with a bit more food info, but that takes a lot of research. 🙂
Hi Greg,
Did your app ever go anywhere? I’m about to visit Bangkok and can’t find your app in iTunes.
Hi JP, thanks for asking! My app is gone from the app store now, it got a bit old and outdated, but you’re in luck – I’ve repackaged it with a company called VoiceMap. You can see my tours here: https://voicemap.me/tour/bangkok A quite note – one of the locations on the Red Lights tour (Check In 99) is closed now but I haven’t yet updated the audio for that. If you use it, please make sure to leave a rating and comment. 🙂