We took the 12.25pm flight by Thai airways to Bangkok. There was a slight delay due to the rain and we reached Bangkok only at 2pm (Thai time). I knew that Bangkok has a traffic problem but I didn’t expect it to be so bad – I was trapped in the jam for 2 hours! We originally planned to visit Chinatown but at the end I could only shopped at MBK which is linked to our hotel, Pathumwan Princess.
I managed to find a shop selling stamps at the ground floor. I also managed to get the SIM cards for the phones and the SIM card for internet access form the 4th floor. However the internet speed is rather low. My husband bought a pair of sandals and a China made tablet.
My husband was extremely pleased with the hotel and its service. We were given the 11th floor – I was hoping for a higher floor but the hotel is heavily booked. Too bad the hotel’s internet access is chargeable but I heard the wi-fi will be accessible free from July 2011.
We ate at the Korean restaurant Kong Ju located at the hotel. I would really recommend it, especially the wagyu beef and meat set BBQ – even the side dishes are so nice. The service is equally good – after I ordered the set and the gingseng chicken soup, the waiter actually said that would be sufficient for the 2 of us – which was very true. As the restaurant is using charcoal, it gave the BBQ meat a unique favour. The waiter would also be very attentive and change the grill netting when it was charred.
We ordered some late night supper and was pleasantly surprised when the waiter pushed in a cart cum table. I ordered 2 cups of hot milk and a cup of milo but they actually served in jugs! There was also complementary bread and cookies given. The shrimp spring roll was delicious but not so for the duck foie gras terrine.
Taking off from Singapore
Traffic jam in Bangkok - Best way to travel will be by the BTS and the ferry/tourist boat down Chao Phraya river.
Street vendors outside Platinum Mall and Central Point - photos taken from the bus on the way to the hotel.
Our dinner in the Korean restaurant in our hotel - highly recommended.
Our hotel in Bangkok - Pathumwan Princess, which is linked to MBK shopping Mall. Strange that there is a glass window to the toilet - we had to roll down the curtain for privacy.
Room service was great - treated like a king with the spread on the table brought in by the waiter. Nice warm milk and milo in jugs!
DAY 2
Took a Tuk Tuk to JJ, the weekend market. Dang, the driver, was quite friendly but brought us to 3 shops so that he can get coupons for gasoline before we proceed to the weekend market. Though he asked for 20 baht(84ct), we gave him 100 ($4.20) as we felt that it was simply too miserable.
I managed to find the banana fritters- 5 pieces for 20baht (around 84ct) and tried some other street food. I simply love the quail eggs and bbq skewers. The weather was pretty hot and I bought a small portable fan. I saw a luggage bag and asked the lady how much it cost. She quoted 2900 baht and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted it so I said I would get it if it is 2000 baht. She actually said OK and I was too embarrassed to say that I would think about it. Hubby was so mad at me as it meant we have to carry such a big luggage bag around. Got some jerseys set for Ian and took a cab back to the hotel. Got trapped in the traffic jam again and it cost us around 160 Baht to get back to the hotel.
After that we took the BTS from National stadium to Saphon Taksin BTS to take the Tourist Boat from Tha Sathon Pier to Tha Phra Arthit Pier. It was a fantastic ride down the Chao Phraya river with much to view and it only cost 25 baht ($1) for the one way trip.
We alighted at the last stop – Phra Arithit Pier to get to Khaosan Road. We saw a big crowd on our way to Khason and was shocked to see some firemen tearing down the grill from the 2nd floor of a building. It seemed that they had just put out a fire and the fire engine was so miserably small. It was quite a long walk to Khason and hubby found his long waited pig blood cake cooked with braised chicken feet in bee hoon soup. We also tried the orange juice which was so brightly coloured and I thought they added coloring but it is really bright orange. It tasted more like lime juice though much sweeter.
We took a cab to Pantip and regretted buying the tablet from MBK. The prices are like at least 1000 baht ($41)cheaper here! We bought some screen protectors and then walked to Platinum Mall which sells a lot of clothing. Hubby bought 2 pants and I bought a t-shirt as well as a pair of sandals. We then walked towards the BTS . Tried the fried noodle (30baht) and oyster ommelete (40 baht) on the way back.
We engaged the service of a Tuk Tuk. No special effects - just the fog on the lens due to the air-con in our room - it was so very cold in our room.
All the street food from the weekend market.
The weather was so hot that I had to get a portable mini fan.
Took the BTS to the Central Pier (Saphan Taksin) and bought the one way trip to N13 which is near to Khaosan Road.
More street food along Khason Road.
Took our dinner back at the cafe in the hotel - nice Tom Yum soup, fied rice with crab and wrapped duck slices.
Day 3
A tiring day today – we had breakfast at the hotel which was inclusive but we haven’t got a chance to try on the second day as we woke up late. The breakfast buffet was quite a spread and we set off to our trip to the floating market and the train market.
We engaged the service of Mai, a friend of Dang (the tuk tuk driver), to drive us around for the whole day at 2500 baht ($106). We hired a motor powered boat at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market from the pier. More expensive than the paddle boat but it offered better shelter, especially when it started to rain. Many of those in the paddle boat were holding umbrellas but I pitied them as the water splashed onto them. We love the noodle soup bought from one of the boats. We also went to a coconut sugar farm and a temple.
After that we went to the train market. Mai had a hard time finding the train market.Too bad we missed the train as I was misinformed that it would arrive in 10mins and went to shop for clothes. It seemed that the train arrived within a minute I left. When I got back, I saw all the stalls back on the track again! Hubby tried the grilled frog which was simply disgusting. Due to hygiene, I told my husband to take only a bite as I saw flies around the frog!
After that we went back to MBK to shop and for a massage. I would highly recommend this massage parlour on the 6th floor called beauty home. Though we only asked for foot massage and foot scrub which is very cheap at 480 baht, they also massaged our shoulder and head – quite a relief to the tired muscle.
We called Mai to bring us to Chinatown at night. Though it was already near to 10 pm, it was very crowded and the traffic was very heavy. We had the suckling pig, shark fin soup and bird nest in the restaurant.. quite a feast which cost less than half in Singapore. We were advised not to get those on the street as the shark fin and bird nest might not be authentic.
Breakfast in the hotel - I must applaud their efforts to vary some of the dishes everyday.
At the floating market - we got this motor-powered long tail boat at 2500 baht for 1.5 hour. More costly than those the paddle boat but there is shelter - a relief as it started to rain.
Very nice beehoon soup from one of the vendors on the boat.
The coconut sugar drink was nice but the factory is small compared to the one in Malacca.
Stopped by a temple on the way.
The train passed by so fast and the vendors were so quick in packing and displaying their goods along the track - the whole process was less than a minute! I miss the shot of the train! :(
Grilled frogs - not too hygienic so my husband just took a bite.
Had our dinner on the fifth avenue (food court on the 5th floor) in MBK. Nice food but a bit more costly,
Day 4
A very packed day today – we went to the Grand Palace, Golden Mountain (Wat Saket) temple, Reclining Buddha (Wat Phra Chetuphon), Chinatown and Patpng night market.
I must highly recommend the BTS 1 day pass and the tourist boat 1 day pass. With the pass, I did not have to figure out how to get the tickets from the vending machine which was quite a challenge. Moreover with the pass, we could get to Saphan taksin station which is near to the central pier which we can take the boat down Chao Phraya river. We stopped at N9 Tha Chang where the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha are and then also took the boat from N8 Tha Thien Pier (walking distance from Wat Phra Chetphon(Reclining Buddha) to N5 Tha Ratchawong pier where Chinatown is. You will really enjoy the breathtaking view with trip down the Chao Phraya river.
When we reached the Grand Palace, it was closed and the officer said it would only be opened at 3pm. He told us to get a tuk tuk to the Golden Mountain Temple. We climbed up the long stairs to the temple and we overheard some tourists complaining how tiring that was. We ate at the stall near to the temple. Some noodles, bbq chicken, salad, thai fish cake etc with drinks – all within 200 baht. Only after that we realized that it was a bad idea getting a tuk tuk as they will beg you to go jewellery shops so that they can get the coupons for the gasoline. Went to 2 in fact as we stayed too short in the first one – we had to stay longer than 10 mins for him to get the coupon. Bought 2 stamps from the 2nd store and I must say we wasted much time.
Finally got to the Grand Palace and the Emerald Temple. Admission is free for the local but cost us 350 baht each. A Caucasian wanted to get in with his Thai girlfriend using the lane for the local but was told to join our lane though he claimed to be a Thai. After that we took a cab to the reclining Buddha temple though we could actually take the boat at the pier to N8 Tha Thien pier. I was awed by the size of the Buddha temple. There are some locals selling street food just outside the temple.
As we walked towards the pier, we saw a lot of shops selling dried products. We then took the boat to N5 which is near Chinatown. If you do want to go to Chinatown, I would strongly recommend you this route as along the way, you will be seeing a lot of shops selling products in wholesale price. We visited Chinatown the night before and ate at the Chinese restaurant. It was a totally different picture in the day. We walked down the alley with many wholesale stores at the sides. It seemed that they are only opened in the day. Bought some very cute handphone holders which looked like jeans as well as some small souvenirs. We ate at a noodle stall selling fish dumpling- really missed that so much! Hubby also ate a fish bbq with salt at only 50Baht.
We went back to the hotel to put down our shopping bags and back to MBK (Beauty Home on the 6th floor) for a massage as it was really cheap – 600Baht for 2hr (around $25).
We bought some more T-shirts and a wallet at the Patpong Night Market – you must really bargain and slash the price by half. However, this is Bangkok’s red light area and there were many soliciting tourists to go into the pubs and watch some adult shows. We were also told to be careful of pick pockets. We dined at a restaurant nearby as we were tired and hungry from all the walking.
Best way to see Bangkok - taking the ride down Chao Phraya River.
Golden mountain Temple - I must warn you that it was a pretty long climb up to the top - we overhead some tourists complaining about the climb on the way up.
Had our lunch at the food of Golden MountainTemple - very nice BBQ chicken wings, noodle and salad.
At the Grand Palace.
The Reclining Buddha
The Patpong Night Market - remember to bargain as the price can be slashed by as much as half!
Day 5
We went back to Pratumum – Platinum Mall to get some more clothings and shoes. We actually saw many locals bringing a luggage bag to buy the clothings for retail. We ate at the food court which served quite a variety of food. The only negative point is that you must pay using a stored value card so you must find out how much your food cost and then pay at the cashier first. I still have 35baht left in the card when I left.
A real bargain at Platinum Mall
Street food on the way to the mall
Happy with the wonderful service provided on board the Thai airways.
No comments:
Post a Comment