When I landed at the Suvarnabhumi International airport, I instantly felt dizzy (well, I easily get dizzy). It was a hassle to ride an airport bus after flying and be taken to another part of the airport for immigation and luggage pick up. Then, after a long walk towards the arrival hall, I was greeted with a bunch of people who may be hotel staff, travel agents, etc. and most of them are holding placards/papers with names written on them. It took several minutes before I found our travel guide.
It's my first time in Bangkok. I envisioned the place as colourful, relaxing, comfortable just as what I've seen on travel magazines - colourful market in a river, grinning couple on top of an elephant, amazing golden temples, fun night markets. Our travel guide led us towards the hotel car which meant we have to walk across a busy, smokey road. Once in the car, we did a little introduction to the driver then head to our hotel. I was excited so even though I was feeling a little dizzy already, I just stared around the roads and checked the big signboards. My dizziness got bad as I tried hard to read or recognize what's written on signboards and street signs...I couldn't even recognize a single Thai letter!
The next day, I realized that Bangkok is hot, noisy and that the traffic jam is crazy all the time. But I chose to enjoy every moment I was there.
1. Monday, it's a yellow shirt day. Almost everyone is wearing a yellow shirt with the King's crest.
2. Food is amazing! It was so nice I ordered extra rice and an extra spicy seafood.
3. Shopping in Bangkok (cheap and fun).
4. Golden temple...busy.
5. Took some time to walk around a street where there are a lot of massage places and bars and realized ladyboys are way beautiful than any other women and that includes myself. They said if a woman is so pretty, she could be a he.
6. I asked a taxi driver to take us to a decent bar or pub. We were thrilled that he took us to a place with lots of bars. I remember one with a huge Oscar trophy outside its building. A live band was playing and so we ordered a few drinks. After almost half an hour, another set of band are about to play. The leader of the band is a ladyboy and he has a lot of dancers..young girl dancers wearing little piece of clothe. Then, two old Caucasian men sat to the table next to ours. They were smiling at us and saying Hi. It was creepy. We knew right away we have to leave the place.
7. It made me sad seeing kids selling flowers on the street. I wish they would do something about this issue.
8. The internatinal backpacking community of Khao San Road is like a whole new place.
9. Excellent tattoo shops.
10. The colourful taxis. I like the screaming pink ones.
11. Thai people's love to the King.
Bangkok has a lot of stuff to offer...a lot of nice places to visit...a lot of things to discover...and might even make us more grateful of what we have at the moment.
Weather
Very different this time, not hot at all. Due to the cold wave hits northern Thai, the weather was so cool that i have to wear the jacket almost every hour. Night time was even cooler, just like you are in HK or Taiwan during year end.
Shopping
Platinum Centre - Big Shopping Mall with cheap stuffs – make it the 1st place to shop.
Suan Lum Night Market – Selling local designer stuffs – must bargain. Can chill out at those nearby pubs after one whole day shopping.
Silom Night Market – This one can skip. Just like KL Chinatown – nothing much.
Chatuchak Weedend Market – Selling things that you can get it at Suan Lum & Platinum – crowded & hot.
Siam Paragon – Big Shopping Mall with Expensive Branded Goods.
GV Cinema – Siam Paragon
1st class – 600 baht (S$26.00) for 2 persons – big but don’t look comfortable to me.
2nd class – 160 baht (S$7.00) for one – not bad, more comfortable than the seats at The Cathay.
3rd class – 140 baht (S$6.00) – normal Singapore GV seats.
Can deposit things with them and collect it after the movie.
Transportation
Sky train – cheap & fast – but have to do some walking to destination.
Taxi – cheap but slow – after jammed for an hour, it only costs about 120 baht (S$5.20).
Tuk Tuk – slightly expensive and very exciting – but due to the air pollution, you will have pimples after few rides.
bangkok rocks! superb shopping and incredibly cheap food (:
1. suan lum night market
loads of quirky local designer goods, shouldnt cost more than 300B (S$12). grab a few vintage tees at 100B (S$4)!
2. platinum centre
THE place for shopping. food court sells amazing food (sharksfin soup in a claypot for S$6, beef kway teow soup for S$2.20) lovely dresses for average 200B (S$8), tees for average (S$4). good if you're lazy to bargain cos you can't and wont need to here, already so cheap!
3. pratunam centre
relatively interesting night market (6-10pm). didnt manage to visit it during the day. sells everything from second-hand shoes (good for those who hate wearing in their shoes..and dont mind other people's feet smell..), wallets, fried locusts/scorptions, little clothed rabbits, mini youtiao/butterfly bun..
in pattaya
1. the avenue
very ex. higher end stuff like roxy, nike here. but the supermarket rocks!! loads of japanese goods at cheap prices (i dont understand why) and exotic stuff like reese's peanut butter cup BROWNIE. exotic for suaku me anyways (:
on a random note, there's this cup noodle that i quite like. its called light meal. claims to have 0.5g of fat! anw the flavor that i got was spicy tung hoon seafood salad. basically u pour in hot water, then drain after the tung hoon is cooked, and finally add in the tom yum seasoning. YUMMY and..light haha.
oh and swensen's in bangkok/pattaya is VERY CHEAP. like one scoop of ice cream costs only..S$1.60! the sticky chewy chocolate sundae (with malteasers, choc dipped wafer and hot fudge) cost S$2.20. i love ice cream (:
Went on a business trip to Bangkok lately and i have to say, there are certain things i liked and certain things i didn't like about the place.
Disclaimer: my view may be a little skewed since i spent most of my 6 days in the hotel for job training.
First off, i'll talk about what i dislike.
- Dislike the horrible streets which seem like they just went through an earthquake
- dislike the spicy food and hot weather
- dislike the crowds and generally clatter
- dislike the dirty streets and back alleys
- bombs and protests
Now, we'll talk about what i like:
- cheap stuff for shopping
- huge shopping malls
- superb bargaining
- wonderful hotel (i stayed in Sheraton on the 26th floor shared with a male colleague)
- superb hotel buffets and food
- generally better service then Singapore
- CHEAP BEER (USD 90 cents for Tiger beer anyone?)
- Elephants on the streets
- Ma Boon Kong (enough said)
- Awesome sky train that shields and brings you to major hotels and shopping malls
- company sponsorship (can't live without it)
When all is said and done, its more or less justified to risk life and limb to visit the place. Its dilapidated and back in some areas but in others, it excels beyond what SG can offer at times.
The shopping is legendary and to be honest, i don't even know why i'm paying so much for the same things in Singapore now. However, pros and cons abound as usual.
Verdict? Visit the place at least once. Get over the horrible streets and expensive hotels and you'll find a place with charm, really cheap stuff and a really different experience.
BkK,BKK,Bkk,here i come,yearly prayer at Erwan 4 Face Buddha with my family and some shopping.Take boat at Pratunam pier to Bobae wholesale clothes centre(12min) or opposite way to The MAll (30 minutes).Cheap way to exprience local canal transportation and local shopping areas.
For dinning,can try Yong Lee Kopitiam at Sukumvit Soi19,very delicious thai chinese Zi Char,come before 8pm,quite pack during dinner,located near Asoke Bts sky Station.
Have dinner cruise with Yokyor Marina Restarant cost 140 Bht pp,food a la carte order separate charge(total seafood dinner cruise for 4 cost 2000 Bht)Take Sky Train to Saphan Taksin Station,next proceed down to pier and take Yokyor boat transfer to Yokyor Marina Restaurant,cruise depart at 8pm till 10.30pm along Chao Phraya river.
Can also try shopping at Ratchasipek Robinson,Carrefour and Siam Jusco(mostly Local)Can go by subway Thai Cultural Center station.
Outer Bangkok,areas visited:Sea World ,Ban Sean,Ko Chang,Ko Samut,Rayong(Banphe) and Pattaya
2006 led tour to White Dragon Temple
i cant get enough of bangkok. even though i went there more than 10 times. and there are even times id be lying in the hotel not knowing what to do next. chatuchack, siam sq siam centre, mbk blah blah all been there done that.
but when i finally dragged my feet down to chatuchak, the adrenaline started flowing again. CHIONG!! haha all the bargains and some new things they came up with.
for personal preference, i like to drink at the road side, cocktails sold at cheap prices by a van, and they'll provide the chairs n tables. cheap and new experience.
another one is banyan tree's top level bar called the vertigo. i know its similar to another top level bar in bkk but i totally prefer this one!
i think ill never get tired of thailand in the long run aha
I think I am getting bored of Bangkok. Or maybe it's just because the shopping doesn't seem as attractive these days with most blogshops bringing in stuffs from there. True enough the shopping there is much cheaper, but the quality of the apparels are undeniably lower too. Indeed, we pay for the quality.
For more unique finds I recommend Suan Lum. A tad like our Haji Lane, the shopping lanes are littered with small shops that sell things different from everyone else. It's a break from all that "you've seen one, you've probably seen them all" syndrome. Still, don't expect EVERYTHING to be unique here. There will inevitably be some fashion that repeats.
I think the most worthy activities to engage in when one is in Bangkok is to go on an eating spree and visit massage parlors every night (: Food is really significantly cheaper there than in Sg, especially if you head to the Japanese restaurants. Central World has a level-ful of Jap restaurants for you to choose from, so take your pick after comparing the range they serve and the prices.
Massage parlors can be found in almost every nook and corner too, so I am sure you will be able to find one that looks comfortable and inviting enough with friendly prices too.
Overall Rating:
When I landed at the Suvarnabhumi International airport, I instantly felt dizzy (well, I easily get dizzy). It was a hassle to ride an airport bus after flying and be taken to another part of the airport for immigation and luggage pick up. Then, after a long walk towards the arrival hall, I was greeted with a bunch of people who may be hotel staff, travel agents, etc. and most of them are holding placards/papers with names written on them. It took several minutes before I found our travel guide.
It's my first time in Bangkok. I envisioned the place as colourful, relaxing, comfortable just as what I've seen on travel magazines - colourful market in a river, grinning couple on top of an elephant, amazing golden temples, fun night markets. Our travel guide led us towards the hotel car which meant we have to walk across a busy, smokey road. Once in the car, we did a little introduction to the driver then head to our hotel. I was excited so even though I was feeling a little dizzy already, I just stared around the roads and checked the big signboards. My dizziness got bad as I tried hard to read or recognize what's written on signboards and street signs...I couldn't even recognize a single Thai letter!
The next day, I realized that Bangkok is hot, noisy and that the traffic jam is crazy all the time. But I chose to enjoy every moment I was there.
1. Monday, it's a yellow shirt day. Almost everyone is wearing a yellow shirt with the King's crest.
2. Food is amazing! It was so nice I ordered extra rice and an extra spicy seafood.
3. Shopping in Bangkok (cheap and fun).
4. Golden temple...busy.
5. Took some time to walk around a street where there are a lot of massage places and bars and realized ladyboys are way beautiful than any other women and that includes myself. They said if a woman is so pretty, she could be a he.
6. I asked a taxi driver to take us to a decent bar or pub. We were thrilled that he took us to a place with lots of bars. I remember one with a huge Oscar trophy outside its building. A live band was playing and so we ordered a few drinks. After almost half an hour, another set of band are about to play. The leader of the band is a ladyboy and he has a lot of dancers..young girl dancers wearing little piece of clothe. Then, two old Caucasian men sat to the table next to ours. They were smiling at us and saying Hi. It was creepy. We knew right away we have to leave the place.
7. It made me sad seeing kids selling flowers on the street. I wish they would do something about this issue.
8. The internatinal backpacking community of Khao San Road is like a whole new place.
9. Excellent tattoo shops.
10. The colourful taxis. I like the screaming pink ones.
11. Thai people's love to the King.
Bangkok has a lot of stuff to offer...a lot of nice places to visit...a lot of things to discover...and might even make us more grateful of what we have at the moment.
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BANGKOK – 15 TO 18 JANUARY 2009
Weather
Very different this time, not hot at all. Due to the cold wave hits northern Thai, the weather was so cool that i have to wear the jacket almost every hour. Night time was even cooler, just like you are in HK or Taiwan during year end.
Shopping
Platinum Centre - Big Shopping Mall with cheap stuffs – make it the 1st place to shop.
Suan Lum Night Market – Selling local designer stuffs – must bargain. Can chill out at those nearby pubs after one whole day shopping.
Silom Night Market – This one can skip. Just like KL Chinatown – nothing much.
Chatuchak Weedend Market – Selling things that you can get it at Suan Lum & Platinum – crowded & hot.
Siam Paragon – Big Shopping Mall with Expensive Branded Goods.
GV Cinema – Siam Paragon
1st class – 600 baht (S$26.00) for 2 persons – big but don’t look comfortable to me.
2nd class – 160 baht (S$7.00) for one – not bad, more comfortable than the seats at The Cathay.
3rd class – 140 baht (S$6.00) – normal Singapore GV seats.
Can deposit things with them and collect it after the movie.
Transportation
Sky train – cheap & fast – but have to do some walking to destination.
Taxi – cheap but slow – after jammed for an hour, it only costs about 120 baht (S$5.20).
Tuk Tuk – slightly expensive and very exciting – but due to the air pollution, you will have pimples after few rides.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
bangkok rocks! superb shopping and incredibly cheap food (:
1. suan lum night market
loads of quirky local designer goods, shouldnt cost more than 300B (S$12). grab a few vintage tees at 100B (S$4)!
2. platinum centre
THE place for shopping. food court sells amazing food (sharksfin soup in a claypot for S$6, beef kway teow soup for S$2.20) lovely dresses for average 200B (S$8), tees for average (S$4). good if you're lazy to bargain cos you can't and wont need to here, already so cheap!
3. pratunam centre
relatively interesting night market (6-10pm). didnt manage to visit it during the day. sells everything from second-hand shoes (good for those who hate wearing in their shoes..and dont mind other people's feet smell..), wallets, fried locusts/scorptions, little clothed rabbits, mini youtiao/butterfly bun..
in pattaya
1. the avenue
very ex. higher end stuff like roxy, nike here. but the supermarket rocks!! loads of japanese goods at cheap prices (i dont understand why) and exotic stuff like reese's peanut butter cup BROWNIE. exotic for suaku me anyways (:
on a random note, there's this cup noodle that i quite like. its called light meal. claims to have 0.5g of fat! anw the flavor that i got was spicy tung hoon seafood salad. basically u pour in hot water, then drain after the tung hoon is cooked, and finally add in the tom yum seasoning. YUMMY and..light haha.
oh and swensen's in bangkok/pattaya is VERY CHEAP. like one scoop of ice cream costs only..S$1.60! the sticky chewy chocolate sundae (with malteasers, choc dipped wafer and hot fudge) cost S$2.20. i love ice cream (:
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
Went on a business trip to Bangkok lately and i have to say, there are certain things i liked and certain things i didn't like about the place.
Disclaimer: my view may be a little skewed since i spent most of my 6 days in the hotel for job training.
First off, i'll talk about what i dislike.
- Dislike the horrible streets which seem like they just went through an earthquake
- dislike the spicy food and hot weather
- dislike the crowds and generally clatter
- dislike the dirty streets and back alleys
- bombs and protests
Now, we'll talk about what i like:
- cheap stuff for shopping
- huge shopping malls
- superb bargaining
- wonderful hotel (i stayed in Sheraton on the 26th floor shared with a male colleague)
- superb hotel buffets and food
- generally better service then Singapore
- CHEAP BEER (USD 90 cents for Tiger beer anyone?)
- Elephants on the streets
- Ma Boon Kong (enough said)
- Awesome sky train that shields and brings you to major hotels and shopping malls
- company sponsorship (can't live without it)
When all is said and done, its more or less justified to risk life and limb to visit the place. Its dilapidated and back in some areas but in others, it excels beyond what SG can offer at times.
The shopping is legendary and to be honest, i don't even know why i'm paying so much for the same things in Singapore now. However, pros and cons abound as usual.
Verdict? Visit the place at least once. Get over the horrible streets and expensive hotels and you'll find a place with charm, really cheap stuff and a really different experience.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
BkK,BKK,Bkk,here i come,yearly prayer at Erwan 4 Face Buddha with my family and some shopping.Take boat at Pratunam pier to Bobae wholesale clothes centre(12min) or opposite way to The MAll (30 minutes).Cheap way to exprience local canal transportation and local shopping areas.
For dinning,can try Yong Lee Kopitiam at Sukumvit Soi19,very delicious thai chinese Zi Char,come before 8pm,quite pack during dinner,located near Asoke Bts sky Station.
Have dinner cruise with Yokyor Marina Restarant cost 140 Bht pp,food a la carte order separate charge(total seafood dinner cruise for 4 cost 2000 Bht)Take Sky Train to Saphan Taksin Station,next proceed down to pier and take Yokyor boat transfer to Yokyor Marina Restaurant,cruise depart at 8pm till 10.30pm along Chao Phraya river.
Can also try shopping at Ratchasipek Robinson,Carrefour and Siam Jusco(mostly Local)Can go by subway Thai Cultural Center station.
Outer Bangkok,areas visited:Sea World ,Ban Sean,Ko Chang,Ko Samut,Rayong(Banphe) and Pattaya
2006 led tour to White Dragon Temple
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
i cant get enough of bangkok. even though i went there more than 10 times. and there are even times id be lying in the hotel not knowing what to do next. chatuchack, siam sq siam centre, mbk blah blah all been there done that.
but when i finally dragged my feet down to chatuchak, the adrenaline started flowing again. CHIONG!! haha all the bargains and some new things they came up with.
for personal preference, i like to drink at the road side, cocktails sold at cheap prices by a van, and they'll provide the chairs n tables. cheap and new experience.
another one is banyan tree's top level bar called the vertigo. i know its similar to another top level bar in bkk but i totally prefer this one!
i think ill never get tired of thailand in the long run aha
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
I think I am getting bored of Bangkok. Or maybe it's just because the shopping doesn't seem as attractive these days with most blogshops bringing in stuffs from there. True enough the shopping there is much cheaper, but the quality of the apparels are undeniably lower too. Indeed, we pay for the quality.
For more unique finds I recommend Suan Lum. A tad like our Haji Lane, the shopping lanes are littered with small shops that sell things different from everyone else. It's a break from all that "you've seen one, you've probably seen them all" syndrome. Still, don't expect EVERYTHING to be unique here. There will inevitably be some fashion that repeats.
I think the most worthy activities to engage in when one is in Bangkok is to go on an eating spree and visit massage parlors every night (: Food is really significantly cheaper there than in Sg, especially if you head to the Japanese restaurants. Central World has a level-ful of Jap restaurants for you to choose from, so take your pick after comparing the range they serve and the prices.
Massage parlors can be found in almost every nook and corner too, so I am sure you will be able to find one that looks comfortable and inviting enough with friendly prices too.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!