Saturday 28 April 2012;

Bangkok Trip - Like a finally!! 
23 Apr 2012- 27 Apr 2012


Always wanting to go to Bangkok for shopping, food and grab cheap stuff.. 
Finally making this trip down after months of planning with the girls.. :) 

Day 1 

Not taking SQ, first time to budget terminal before it closed..
Quick 3 shots before the security guard starts screaming at us.. *oops* 


Doing masks on air-plane wahaha..
*idea from chew! but not a bad idea.. we make use of the time..

From Airport to Bangkok City 
* there are lots of taxi scam so please be careful 
The recommended way: My arrival hall is at level 2, so I took one level down to first floor and you will see this "Public Taxi" and someone will be at the desk asking where you heading to (beforehand: Do note to ask from hotel  the hotel's address written in Thai), they will provide you a paper for the taxi driver. 
Price: ~ 800baht for the bigger car  (4 of us with all our luggage)   

May recommended me this cheap and good hotel in bangkok..

Citin Pratunam Bangkok (http://www.citinpratunam.com/)
Serve - Buffet style breakfast *do take note it's a vegetarian restaurant but food still not bad..
Location: Walking distance to every shopping heaven (BIG C, Siam, Platinum Mall, Pratunam Market, Central World) - 10-20min to the nearest BTS) 
Price: 12800baht for (4 nights X 2 room)

Settle down, photo taking, pack, touch-up etc.
Hotel provides transportation (Tuk tuk) to somewhere near to Platinum Mall but for the first timer in Bangkok, we got lost in that area..we walked one super big round from Platinum mall to Siam area..
We nearly fainted, seriously!! after which we found out that the weather for that day was 38 degree! 
*ahh~~

Siam Paragon
How to go: Alight at BTS, Siam Station; exit 5

Siam Center
How to go: Alight at BTS, Siam Station; exit 1
Note: Level 3, “Boots” (USA cosmetic brand) shop. 
* remember to grab the tourist discount card at the customer service counter

Siam Discovery
How to go: Alight at BTS, Siam station (beside Siam Centre)

Siam Square (Opp Siam Paragon) – Night market
Open: Tuesday – Sunday (7pm – midnight, best time to go 9:30pm – 11:30pm)
* some clothes are expensive but saw some cheap belts, earring, rings. 
We had our lunch aka dinner at this restaurant that is highly recommended among all the Taiwanese online - Som Tam Nua (Resturant)
How to go: Alight at BTS, Siam Station, exit 4 walk towards Soi 5 street (Look for Street 5) restaurant will be seen in left hand side.
Must Try: Thai Papaya Mixed Salad
Operation time: 11am – 9pm
Comment: nice!! do also try out thai milk tea! and the tom yam goong is damn spicy.. haha



Walk around and randomly saw this pudding drinks at Siam Paragon. Not bad!
Cold drinks in this hot weather is always good!


Day 2

What's Bangkok without shopping?!
This time round we try to walk out from our hotel to Platinum Fashion Mall, unknowingly we reached Pratunam Market started out shopping! Things are cheap, you can get yourself a lower price if you grab 3 or more item in a shop, most of the shop works this way.. if you ask how much "120 baht" - min 3 and each cost 120 baht..if you taking individual it will cost ard 190baht.. 

Pratunam Market
How to go: Take BTS alight at Chit Lom Station, exit 8 walk ard 10~15min (near to Platinum Fashion Mall)
From Platinum Fashion Mall, cross the road and walk through the City Complex. Its right behind the building. I spend near to 3-4 hours walking~~ 

Platinum Fashion Mall
How to go: Chit Lom Station, walk around 15min (walking towards Central world)
Operation timing: 10am - 10pm
Cross over using the overhead bridge to Platinum Fashion Mall for more shopping 
Had KFC for lunch. Price range for clothing is little bit higher but better quality can be found. 

Our tired face, shopped from morning till evening~~ ahhh~~




Dinner - Kaiton Pratunam Chicken Rice
How to go: From Platinum Fashion Mall, walk all the way left towards the direction to Big C. 
You will reach a cross junction. Cross over and walk straight (not towards Big C/ BTS). It will be under some shop houses, all their staff is wearing pink top. 
Operating Time: 5pm~3am 





Day 3

Tour like a tourist how? Yes!! sight-seeing

After yesterday's walking under the damn hot sun, all of us were tired/lazy to walk from hotel to the nearest BTS, so we approach this tuk tuk driver. While I'm showing him where I wanna go, he just wave and say okokokok.. I am sure that he didnt even pay attention of where I am pointing on my map. We took the tuk tuk while driving, he ask me again where we wanted to head to on the point he told us that he needs to get petrol and he took out a card with stamps saying that it is just one stop away from where we wanted to go. I read it online that there are alots of tuk tuk scam! and this is one of it.. so we told him that we don't have much time and we are not going there.. He just point to the card again and again. Then finally when we told him that if you are not going to the place where we want then we alight.. so the drive agree and let us alight.. I guess we are damn lucky!! we were just 5min away from the hotel, luckily that he didn't ask us to pay him for that 5min rides..  

Read more regarding scams in bangkok, 
http://www.bangkokscams.com/undercover/the-great-tuk-tuk-scam.html


Our plan is visit, sleeping buddha, grand palace, Wang Lang Pier, Khao San road and Chinatown.

We went to Wat Pho (Sleeping Buddha) and indeed the sleeping buddha was huge~  

How to go: 
1) BTS – get off at Saphan Taksin (S6) - Exit BTS via Exit 2, go down the stairs and follow the crowd to the river (Sign: River Boat Services)
2) Wat Pho - Chao Phraya Express boat (Orange Flag) –Tha Tien Pier (N8) – Pay 14 baht on the boat – 100 baht entrance fee
8am~5pm (Break time 12pm-1pm)
*do not wear mini skirts, shorts







Then after that, due to the hot weather! and for your information that day the weather was 40 degree!! oh no~~ we are sooo tired after walking around Wat Pho so we decided to skip Grand palace and head to our next place. 

In case, you need the information
Grand Palace (station N9 of the riverboat station) – it was located just at the back of Wat Pho (Thai Wang road) you can go back to the jetty to take one more station to Grand palace. 
Time: 8:30am ~11am till 1pm~3:30pm
*ignore anyone that inform you that the palace is closed for any reason. 

We alight at Wang Lang Pier (N10) - Orange Flat
It's a traditional market, very crowded during the afternoon with students. Just something new and different from the city. 

Next we went to 
Khao San Road - Phra Arthit Pier (Express boat - N13), its quite confusing which direction of boat should we take from the jetty, please ask the person before boarding the boat) we will luckily to meet this little girl who bring us to the correct boat! 
We lost our way, so I am not confident in telling you the location but let me share the information I got. 
Planned to spend a while in the starbucks, as the design is a little bit different (vintage style) but its under renovation!




After that we went to Chinatown via tuk tuk.. we took quite a while deciding which tuk tuk driver to pick to ask for price from here to chinatown, we are offered 400 baht? of cos we argue back! If I am not wrong we got the price at 120baht hahaha..  

The driver is a kind father and his son follows him everywhere and of cos the ride with us to chinatown..the father dropped where he claims that is the most busiest street in chinatown, but hmm nothing special to us so we walked ard 15-30min to our dinner place. 
*tired!

T & K Seafood (Staff in Green Shirt)
49-51 Soi Phadung Dao, Yaowarat Rd, Bangkok 10100, 
Operating time: 4:30pm to 2am
How to go: Located right on the corner of Yaowarat road and Soi Phadung Dao
Must order: Grilled Prawn /Curry Crab/ Shark Fin (one pot ard 300 Baht)
Each person: 200 -300 Baht





Day 4

The usual, wake up at 8am, breakfast in hotel and then here starts our shopping journey.
We went to central world, and for girls do grab some cheap bra!!!!! Brand like wacoal, triumph are selling cheaper in bangkok!
Took us quite a while there.. hehe

MBK (BTS - National Stadium Station)
How to Go: Take BTS – Silom Line (National Stadium Station); Exit 4, take the over-head bridge and you will arrived at level 2, 3 of the shopping mall. 
Operation time: Daily 10am - 10pm

Not much photo taken as we all are busy shopping! Tried this Thai cuisine store in basement or level 1? of MBK, it turns out to be yummy!! 

After that we head back to BIG C (locate supermarket) which was located opp of Central world.

BIG C (Super-market)
How to go: Chit Lom BTS, exit 9, walk straight via Patchdamri road. After Armoma hotel; 3rd street turn right. (Across central world)
Operation time: 9am~11pm





Day 5 

 Did some last minutes shopping at Pratunam maret before heading off to airport.. :) 
Its was sad that we can't stay over the weekend for Chutuchak Market but yes! I have a great time with the girls but not the weather!!!!!!!!



Bangkok to be continue~~