Bangkok
Shopping
and Eating
Basically,
our Bangkok trip consist of mainly eating and shopping. Nic and I were fortunate
enough to stay around Siam Square and it was just a stone's throw from the huge
shopping complexes and the subway nearby. We frequented MBK very often, and
found it very similar to Far East Plaza in Singapore. A lot of fashion shops
inside were rented out to young local entrepreneurs and we could find lots of
inexpensive and trendy items. As for the notorious traffic, we usually took
a tuk-tuk (a modified motorcycle cab) but you have to be good at bargaining
and you must roughly know the price. For the faint hearted; it can be a bit
scary; for those health conscious, wear a face mask.
Another place
we chanced upon was a shopping centre near to "Victory Monument" subway station.
I've forgotten its name but I could still remember the shops and restaurants,
especially its inexpensive but tasty hotplate buffet. There was also the Backpacker's
Street (Kaosan Road) with stalls stretching along both sides of the road, and
also the touristy Patpong area with all the dancing ladies in the go-go bars.
We've been warned beforehand not to buy anything at the night market there if
you don't the price. Slash the price by half may still be too expensive!
Finally, there's
the ever popular Chatuchak Weekend Market which is just next to the Chou Kit
Station, prepare to spend at least half a day there if you plan to do some shopping.
They have virtually everything there, from clothings to furniture to even pets!
We were there for half a day but I don't think we covered even one third of
the whole place. Remember to bring a compass in case you get lost. Wear something
cooling if you don't intend to get heat exhaustion.
Eating n eating n eating...
Sight-seeing
The Royal Palace is a must-see in Bangkok,
especially after watching the movie "Anna and the King". It was good
to stroll among the majestic buildings and taking our own sweet time without
any time restraint, a luxury lost if we were to go with guided tours. Without
the commentary from any tour guides, I really feel that it would be wise to
read up on the place before you visit, in fact to anywhere else you travel to.
Besides the Royal Palace, we visited other temples along the river as well.
It's really amazing to see the locals taking the "water-taxis" to
their desired destinations. Some of the jetties were hidden among the shops
and I nearly got a headache trying to figure out the route.
Another interesting place
we visited was Jim Thompson's house. This mysterious Thai silk king went missing
in the Cameron Highlands and was never seen again. His house has since became
a museum and opens to the public. Besides housing large amount of artifacts
and art pieces, the building itself is an architectural masterpiece. We also
been to other places, like Chinatown and Floating Market. However, we didn't
find Chinatown especially interesting for obvious reasons and we couldn't wake
up early, as usual, to see the floating market. I don't even go to the market
back home...
Links: Backpack
Thailand
Basically,
our Bangkok trip consist of mainly eating and shopping. Nic and I were fortunate
enough to stay around Siam Square and it was just a stone's throw from the huge
shopping complexes and the subway nearby. We frequented MBK very often, and
found it very similar to Far East Plaza in Singapore. A lot of fashion shops
inside were rented out to young local entrepreneurs and we could find lots of
inexpensive and trendy items. As for the notorious traffic, we usually took
a tuk-tuk (a modified motorcycle cab) but you have to be good at bargaining
and you must roughly know the price. For the faint hearted; it can be a bit
scary; for those health conscious, wear a face mask.
