Bangkok Trip - 18 to 22 Oct 2012

Bangkok Airport

My first trip to Bangkok that was 7 year ago (Year 2005). That was travelling with my family member. 7 year later I decided to visit the most populous and enjoyable city again as I saw the promotion on those coupon website. I'm lucky that one of my friend also interested to travel with me.

It is really a good steal but the weird timing given for the flight has already wasted half of the day. Our departure from Singapore to Bangkok is 1335hr and Bangkok to Singapore is 1145hrs. Although the journey of the flight is only 2 hours but by the time we reach there is close to evening and on the last day we need to leave the hotel by 8am.

So we decide to extend the stay for 5 days 4 nights. We took Cathay Pacific flight. This is my first time took a non-budget airline. Indeed there is a different, the space is a little bit more spacious, free magazine for individual, tv program to choose and watch and meal are included. I truly enjoy travelling with CP ^.^

Tall boss chair

We choose Baiyoke Boutique Hotel. We stay at level 09-27 and the room cleanliness should be improve. There are baby cockroach in the bathroom and dressing table. Lots of ants busy moving around on the shelf and dressing table as well. This is my first time seen such a filthy hotel room.

Other than that, I like the staff service. They are rather polite and helpful, there is always a smile on their face and most of the time they will open the door when you enter the hotel.

Our stay is just right beside the Bangkok's tallest hotel (Baiyoke Sky Hotel) and out of the street there are plenty of rows and rows of shops selling clothes, pants, shirts, dress and accessory etc. Similar like Bugis Street and walking straight down will be able to see the Platinum Fashion Mall.

View of the restaurant @ level 82

 

International Buffet (690 baht)

We had our first day dinner at Baiyoke Sky Hotel and we choose the international buffet at level 82. You can get to view the roof top scenery for free if you choose to dine at the restaurant if not there is a fee to enter the roof top to view the scenery.

Open-air roof top view

 

This will spin around, not very slow nor fast speed and get to see the awesome scenery. Actually we didn't know there is a open-air roof top. When I was walking around at level 83 and I saw people walking up the stair so I'm curious and follow and found this gem place.

Over-head bridges to cross over to platinum fashion mall

The traffic there seem to jam everyday from morning to evening, especially the town area.

Let's have a hug "P & S"

Breakfast - Sunny flower egg

 

My package included free daily breakfast. Breakfast located at level 10, the place and decoration look elegant. There are beautiful sofa and balcony to see the morning view. Train station just right beside the hotel but have no idea which station is this.

 

We have a complimentary half day tour to the temple and jewellery factory. I still remember my tour guide name Jimmy, so far he is the best tour guide I have ever met. He's a very polite, patience and cheerful tour guide. He would consistency remind as to be careful of pickpocket and don't get cheated by the road side store seller who trying to make up steep price and con the tourist.

 

Joint Stick and Flower (20 baht)

On the way to Thao Maha Brahma Temple. Get the joint stick and flower inside the temple instead of buying from the road side. Jimmy told us recently there are tourism get con by the road side seller, selling in a demand price. That's horrible.

四面佛

After done the praying, I saw some of the local people bought the cute little bird and release them from the small cage.

Next stop, we went to the Traimit Witthayararam Temple. The Sukhotthai Traimit Golden Buddha is made of pure gold. Jimmy told us, he as a Thai is really proud of having the Golden Buddha in his country.

Golden Buddha

Temple Ceiling (Beautiful, I like the ceiling)

 

 

Temple Exterior

After visiting the temple, our last stop visit is jewellery factory and I'm not interested at all. There are lots and lots of tourist people, including us. They lead us to a small theater room and play video about how jewelley is made from stretch to exquisite products. After the video, they will lead us to a shown room where all the workers live demo show how jewellery are form. I just curious does the worker feel awkward and stress if the tourist people keep eyeing them while they are working on such a tedious task. Hmm...

After visiting the demo show, the final destination is to the jewellery shop but I skip away and resting in the lounge room while waiting for my friend. After that we told Jimmy to arrange and send us back to the hotel (btw is the driver send us back). 

By the time we reach hotel is already close to 1.30pm. So we had our lunch at McDonald because I want to try their Samurai Pork Burger. Yes, pork because I have never try McDonald pork burger before. I'm so thrilled when I saw that in the menu board. Without hesitation, immediately I knew what I want to order. In fact the taste is not that scrumptious but I'm still happy who finally get to try it.

Samurai Pork Burger Set Meal (127 Baht)

I requested for sweet and sour sauce but was given the plum sauce, actually the taste are similar though. Btw there is a charges for the plum sauce at 5 or 10 baht (can't remember the exact price). For the ketchup and chilly sauce is FOC and there are two type of ketchup for choices.

After filling up our tummy, we took a cab to Terminal 21 Shopping Mall. This shopping mall just turn one-year-old, it was opened in last year October. The mall is huge and in every level has a different concept, such as Caribbean, Rome, Tokyo, etc. It is fun to visit every level especially the toilet.

Caribbean @ LG Floor

 





 Caribbean theme - Toilet
 

Caribbean theme - Toilet

 

Caribbean theme - Toilet

 

I saw one of my flavour bread shop, Yamazaki group one of the franchise shop. My flavour Mochi Mochi sesame bread can be found at there too! The size is triple than the one we saw in S'pore and it only cost 15 baht if I didn't remember wrongly.

 Some of the dessert shop found @ LG Floor

 

Sumo & 招财猫 @ 1st Floor Tokyo

 

2nd Floor - London

  

2nd Floor - London

 

2nd Floor - London

 

3rd Floor - Istanbul

 

Our legs and hands started to protest after walking almost half of the day. So in order to comfort our body and soul, we visit the massage service at Urban Retreat.

Urban Retreat @ Asoke Branch

 

Urban Retreat @ Asoke Branch

 

Urban Retreat is located just opposite of terminal 21 mall. We are so lucky there are slot for us because we did not make any appointment for the massage on a friday close to evening. I choose the head and shoulder massage and my friend choose the thai massage.

I find the service is really good, the massage therapist will ask you is the strength enough or is it pain and you can always see the smile on their face. I'm really impress how the service of Thai has change, it remind me of Taiwan. Our body feel so relax and shiok after the massage and we agree to come back again on sunday for two hours massage. ^^

Tom Yum Soup (80 Baht) and Fried Rice (55 Baht)

We went to MBK after the massage and had our dinner at the food court. Both the dish is kind of disappointed. The soup is mild spicy, not sour enough and somehow has a kind of very rich taste. Only lots of prawn and fishcake in the soup, no sotong or real fish meat given. As for the fried rice is too wet and there are only prawns. Thumb down.

Papaya Salad

My friend bought the papaya salad and we are suppose to share but when I just try a few stalk of the papaya, I immediately throw out from my mouth. I don't know how to discribe the taste, the sauce just not my liking. At first I didn't saw the raw crab but after my friend toss the salad and I was shock to see a whole RAW crab. I nearly fainted (joking) and I didn't want to try a second portion at all. My friend manage to finish 3/4 portion but not the crab. *give a big clap for her*

BTS - Asoke Station

The next morning we went to Jatujak market (Chatuchak Market). We leave our hotel around 7.30am and reach there about 8.30am by taxi and there are quite a few shop already started their business.

The place is really huge, there are plenty of stuff to be spoil such as clothing & accessories, furniture decoration stuff, cooking utensil, bakeware & cookware (one of my flavour!), handicrafts & ceramics, plants and even pets. How I wish I can buy more of the bakeware item back but the weight is a problem for me and mostly the one that I eye are make of glass.

 Chatuchak Market

Chatuchak Market

Chatuchak Market

 

 

  Chatuchak Market

This store is crowded with patron, seem like the food must be yummy but I didn't try any from this store.
 

Coconut Ice-Cream (20 Baht)

 

There are lots of ingredient given such as glutinous rice, jelly, peanut, real coconut fresh, one scoop of coconut ice cream and coconut juice. This really help to cool down at such a hot weather day.
 

My friend order a bowl of fish ball noodle soup (40 baht) and papaya salad (50 baht). I order the chicken and pork stick (10 baht each) and pad thai noodle (70 baht).

Both the chicken and pork stick are well marinade and big chunky of meat are given but I vote for the pork stick because the meat is more tender. This is the best pad thai noodle I had eaten on the past 5 days in thailand. In S'pore I can find more scrumptious pad thai noodle, that's why I have a higher expectation to find a good ptn in thailand.

After shopping and makan at Chatuchak, our next target is to Amphawa Floating Market (ตลาดน้ำอัมพวา). This is a night market and they open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I went to the web and research to check if there is any BTS, train or bus to reach but I wouldn't find any and mostly the people suggest to take a taxi to there because the journey is pretty far away from the city.

I did check with Jimmy, approximately how much it cost to take the taxi to amphawa and back to hotel (2-way flow) and he told me about 2500 baht. Okay, so on the day when I had my buffet at Baiyoke Sky Hotel, I saw one tour agency at a corner with table and brochure so I approach and check the price, she offer 3500 baht. Of course I didn't want and on the way back to my hotel, I saw my hotel has the same tour agency at a corner with table and brochure, again I ask, he use a calculator and press 2000 baht and than I press 1800 baht to him. At that moment he didn't refuse and yet staring at the calculator for a few minutes and I keep pester him to negotiate the price and in the end he AGREE at 1800 BAHT. I was so thrilled because so far this is the cheapest I had found. Immediately we agree too and make the payment to him.

Is still consider expensive to me because there are only me and my friend to share the taxi fare, if there are more people the share will be lesser. The mini van can accommodate 10 people including the driver and there are only 3 of us during that journey to Amphawa. Isn't a waste. Anyway the journey take about 2.5hr to there due to the traffic jam.

There is something precious note I would like to share with everyone. Continue from the amphawa journey. So that day we board the mini van to the amphawa and after 2 hours we saw a big banner written something like welcome to the floating market and I thought that finally we reached the place but is not at all. Upon arrived, there is a friendly guy approach us and ask do you want to visit the toilet first. On the way to the toilet, my friend ask me where is the floating market how come there are nothing at all. Ya truth I only saw road, car, forest and no floating market. So after the toilet break, that guy offer us a seat and telling us the package of the boat from here to the floating market and blah blah blah. Straight away I ask him, how much is per person. Guess what!? 2000 baht per person! This is terrible and horrible, this vampire trying to sucks tourist money. I got a shock at that moment, I said to him so expensive and he trying to cover the negative side of it and telling us the grandmother story and I told him I want to speak to my driver and he said go ahead. So I walk back and look for my driver and told him this is to expensive, no way I will take the boat ride, can u drive me directly to the floating market. That guy trying to bluff me and said there are no ways to reach there by car, you must take our boat to reach the floating market. I said no, I read up on the web there are people reach there without any boat riding at all. Again, he said no, the information you got is incorrect. I told him don't you trying to bluff me and than immediately he change the story. He said, it will be difficult for your driver to wait for you over there because parking are not allow at amphawa but here is different, if you take our boat ride your driver can park the car over here and wait for your return. A full of crap, he's trying to cover the lied.

That guy did not give up and ask me how much u can offer, so I was thinking a while and said 500 baht and his face turn exaggerated with a no, not possible. We keep negotiate the price but he refuse to offer at 500 baht and keep pester me to take the boat ride. I just refuse and telling him very firmly that I'm only able to afford at 500 baht if not I will not take the boat ride.

*Luckily I met a good driver, he did not pursue me to take the boat ride and keep a smiling face and said it's alright. Let's get back to the van.

So we return back to the van and he refuse to leave and keep pester me again and again, I got so angry and told him please I don't want to waste your time (actually is my time but I don't want to offend him) and let us go. Than he said okay I offer the price at 700 baht and again I refuse and told me I will only give at 500 baht, no more than that and I turn my face around and do not want to talk to him anymore. He started to piss off too and he knew I not going to give in and finally he give up and close the door. FINALLY! So my driver drive us directly to the amphawa floating market, it can be reach without any boat ride at all. So people please be careful with all this con man, don't give in so easily and I glad that I even save up my 500 baht.

After alight the place, my driver gave us his name card and told us to give him a call after we are done. So we walk around the places, taking photo and buy street food. While walking to the end, I saw one boat service store, I was curious how much is the ride, I ask the man is this boat going to see the firefly and he said yes so I ask how much. Guess........... only 60 baht per person for 1hr.

The actual ride took about 1hr 45min. The boat rider really generous to spend the time longer for us to see the firefly, he will slow down the ride and let us enjoy viewing the firefly while some other boat rider speed super fast and gone with a blink. This is super worth it, my first time see real firefly in a natural environment and is pretty close to us. I really thanks GOD that I didn't took the vampire sucker boat.

Upon arrived at Amphawa

 

Amphawa Floating Market

 

Those are the speeding boat that we took and watch the firefly. You can see those small boats stationary at the side of the river bank selling their cook food.

 

Amphawa Floating Market

 

Amphawa Floating Market
 

Post-Card Shop

 

We past by a post card shop and my friend bought one and mail over to herself. So cute of her, I didn't join in and I feel so regretted now why I didn't buy one of the post card too and mail over to Singapore too. Maybe next year if I change upon this place again.

 

Plenty of post card to choose

 

Different kind of stamp chop provided

Photo Frames

Local Lottery

  

(20 Baht)

No idea what is the name of this purple snacks, it come with two shape. One in circle is more chewy and soft, de other is in rectangular shape is more crispy and taste nicer.

Bamboo white and purple Glutinous Rice

I was walking and looking around and I saw this stall full of bamboo on the table, out of my curiosity I walk forward and have a clearer look. Oh is a glutinous rice, stuff in a bamboo stick, that is interesting so I bought one and try. It doesn't have much taste, is just a glutinous rice.

Corn, Pandan and Coconut (25 Baht)

Same I have no idea what is the name of this snack. It come with 3 different flavour, Corn, Pandan & Coconut. This snack surely make you full after munch down 3. The seller warn me the snack is hot and it's truth, even after 5 to 10 minute it still piping hot. This snack is chewy, super chewy and a bit of sweeten add to it. Overall taste good, I like this snack.

Some of the street food we saw but didn't try, if there are more people to travel together than I might be able to try a little here and there. =p

On the boat, heading to see the firefly. I didn't manage to take the photo of the firefly because it is too dark and it can't be capture by camera, it can only capture by your eyes to see and feel it on the spot. What a wonderful experience.

Porkball Noodle Soup

After the boat ride, we decided to share a bowl of noodle since we didn't have a proper meal yet as we keep munching snack. The mini porkball are super bouncy and I have never taste such a bouncy meatball before. The soup give a clear and refreshing taste and noodle are soft and silky. Good choice, I forgot to note down the price but I remember is really damn cheap.

Next morning our plan is shopping and massage so we shop and walk around near our hotel area for morning breakfast.



There are bees surrounding this pushcarts drink store, maybe of the sweet honey that attract the bees. The old granny not afraid of the bees at all. I didn't dare to stand near, afraid the bees might stung me. Hahaha!
 

 Bake Banana

 

 

Mixed Rice (40 Baht)

My friend order this bowl of mixed rice with bamboo shoot and preserved vegetable (梅菜). Both of the dish are extremely spicy. I only took 2 stick of the bamboo shoot and my palate is like burning hot. Even my friend can take spicy food also agree and both of us didn't finish at all.
 

   Hotdog Waffle (20 Baht)

This ordinary hotdog waffle is so tasty. Crispy batter with succulent hotdog. Yummy! Did you notice the waffle has a web shape? The seller make an effort to style the food with a attractive presentation. Good job!
 

Central World Shopping Mall
 

Enoki Pork Roll (80 Baht)

 

 

Japanese Green Tea (27 Baht)

 

 

Saba Steak Set (250 Baht) & Salmon Teriyaki Set (220 Baht)

We had our dinner at Fuji Japanese restaurant before we proceed for the massage again. It can be easily locate at Terminal 21 at level 4F. Enoki pork roll, pork is tender and coated with a layer of crispy bread crumbs. I order the Salmon set, I can taste the freshness of the fish and it goes well with the marinate sauce.

Enjoyable days pass really fast, it's the last day of the trip at Bangkok. We decided to skip the free breakfast in the hotel and enjoy local breakfast for the last day.
 

Mixed Pork Noodle Soup

 

I'm so happy to saw pig blood but actually is chicken blood, anyway I cannot different shape the taste. Hee.. I like the texture of the blood, it doesn't have much taste nor strong-smelling (腥味). The soup taste similar to the bak kut teh (肉骨茶).
 

Fried Bread Stick - 油條

 

Mini 油條 (you tiao) that I have never seen before. Usually the one I saw is in big long shape. This is the best you tiao, crispy on the outside and yet the dough is so soft in the inner. Must dip the you tiao into the pork soup and eat together equal best combination. I miss the you tiao now, right now. =(

 

That's the end of the trip at Bangkok. Planning to be back next year, maybe with my parent and my sister. I told my mum of the places I went and she got tempted, asking me to plan and go together on next year. I miss Bangkok, see you next year. =D