Chinatown & Khaosan Road

On the second day of our trip, we hit the streets at Chinatown in the evening to check what this place has to offer. I've been there two years ago though.

Chinatown.

Since we were in no hurry, we took a stroll along the narrow pathways of Chinatown or more like walking aimlessly until suddenly...

...we met a lovely couple sitting by the roadside who recommended to us a supposedly famous Thai fried noodle. We took note of their advice and searched for it later at night.


Before we left Chinatown, one of the girls spotted this wo tip look-a-like dumpling. My friend figured it would be nice to have a try, so she bought five pieces for 350 baht (RM 3.50).


Took a cab and travelled on the road for less than 15 minutes to reach the following destination. And that was where our food feast began.


Me, Suzanne and Meei Ruu at Khao San Road.


Caryn had the time of her life shopping for cute printed baby t-shirts.


Of course the first food we hunted for was none other than padthai as suggested by the elderly couple.


The various ingredients used for cooking padthai. As for its taste, it's somewhat similar to our local char kuey teow.

If there is one food Thai people that they can't live without, that would have to be sugar. In fact, most of their food needs a whole lotta sugar to compliment its taste.


Another food stall we tried was the banana + egg pancake which cost 250 baht (RM 2.50) as well.


Next, we hopped on to the next stall for mango sticky rice for 250 baht (RM 2.50).


Incredibly sweet. Very rich in coconut milk too. The sticky (glutinous) rice is like a solid rice pudding base to the dish (mango).


We also each had a piece of yummy grilled bbq chicken wing.

;)

Crafts, paintings, clothes, pirate CDs, DVDs, fake educational diplomas, fake driver's licenses, food, second-hand books and many other items are among the common goods traded along the road.

Walao, can you imagine I could just walk up to the seller and say, "Hey, I'd like to buy a degree certificate." -_____-"

Since our stomach were able to consume a lil more food, we proceeded to McD's for a second round of dinner. ;p


Ronald McDonald with a Thai pose which was something new to us. Sawadeekah!

Notice that pork burger is available here.

Oh and apparently, what you see on the board is the exact amount you pay for your food. Pretty good isn't it? Not so deceiving and all. Tsk tsk.


All of us were darn full when we finished our burgers, we couldnt stuff in anymore of the french fries.


When we decided to leave, the rain started pouring heavily. Luckily, we had our ponchos to put on. Teehee!

Tell you something, the second night of our trip was one heck of a nightmare when we were back at the hotel. By far, one of the worst experience I faced. More about it in the next post.

Signing off.

Tasty Thai

While I was in Bangkok, one major problem I encountered was language barrier. Out of 10 people seen on the street, only 3 could speak proper English. For instance, simple questions like 'How do we get there?' or 'Which train station must we board to reach this place?', some of them just couldnt understand.

So that made it even harder for my friends and I to ask for directions and other information. Fortunately Caryn prepared a list of English-Thai word translation. I'd say it helped us quite alot.

After returning from the floating market, we seeked for restaurant suggestions from the receptionist at the hotel counter. She named several but we were only fond of one name - Tasty Thai. O.o Sounded catchy ma! So off we went hunting for it.

The weather that day was exceptionally hot. I remember I had to endure a long tiring walk before we finally found the place.


Tasty Thai.


The color combination of this restaurant somehow reminds me of Burger King.


We were very thrifty during that particular lunch. Why? Coz we deliberately ordered two set lunch (which comes with two different dishes - a bowl of soup and a plate of appetizer) and added three more plates of white rice. That's how we save for the sake of more shopping! Smart leh. *grin*


For appetizers, we chose Por Pia Pak (crispy spring roll) and Tod Mun Pla (fish patties). As for soup, we tried Tom Yam Koong (tom yam with prawns) and Tom Kha Gai (tom kha with chicken).

Our food verdict? Wasn't the best Thai meal we had. I personally thought the food was mediocre in taste but to Suzanne a.k.a food critic, it was below average. She even reckoned the Thai restaurants in Malaysia are anytime way better than this one wor.

When we were back at the hotel for a short rest, a series of unforgettable incident took place. Have got nothing else to say but it was purely my mistake. My bad. :( By now, I presume most of the people who personally know me would have gotten a full coverage of it. So, I shall put a fullstop to this part. Period.

*fast forward*

In the evening, we wandered around the Japanese street. The girls were in search for some...

...Takoyaki!!!!!

I cant recall how much this cost but it was more or less the same price as the ones sold in Malaysia.


However in Malaysia, digging into a Takoyaki ball to find a huge piece of squid would be like hitting a jackpot. But at Thailand, it looks so visible you can almost die of delirium by the sight of its ingredients! *gasp* Like seriously.

This time, the girls definitely loved this one.

Salivating already? Heheh. Me too. *wipes own mouth*

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

I dont know how many of you have been to Floating Market in Bangkok before but during my recent trip to Bangkok, I visited it. And I got conned because we had to pay a massive amount of 400 baht (RM 40) per person, literally a daylight robbery to me. Mind you that was already a discounted price after a long bargain. Initial price was charged at 550 baht (RM 55). Siao.

[Long post ahead]

Nevertheless, for those who want to be amid the peaceful atmosphere and observe the traditional ways of life by the water, Bangkok has quite a lot to offer. It is also undeniable that one of the most visited tourist sites around Bangkok is the infamous Floating Market.


Early in the morning on Day 2 before we hopped into the taxi.


The same taxi driver who drove us to the hotel from the airport on Day 1.

This uncle damn smart lor coz he gave us his name card before dropping us off at the hotel. So we contacted him the following day to arrange for transport to the Floating Market.

Getting to the Floating Market takes between one and a half to over two hours from Bangkok depending on traffic conditions. Since we opted for a taxi ride so that we could travel using a faster route instead of taking the bus (which takes double the time to reach the market), we incurred a total fare of 2000 baht (RM200).


Getting all excited for the boat ride.





Happy faces. ;)


The original Floating Market Damnoen Saduak is so popular numerous markets have been developed around Bangkok for tourists to enjoy and are located 110 kilometres from Bangkok in Ratchaburi province.


This was the first stall we stopped at...


...where Suzanne bought a set of chopstick souvenirs.


Then along the way, we met this sweet looking girl selling another type of Thai handicraft souvenirs.


Different sorts of bags dangled from the top.

The weather began to turn humid when it was almost noon. So hot it caused us to sweat like pigs.


Plus, I cant help but wonder how these boats can move around so smoothly without crashing into each other.


Shared a coconut with one of the girls.


Somehow I didnt bother to haggle with the sellers simply because I wasnt interested with anything at all.


Rempah-ratus.


After for about 30 minutes of monotonous ride, we asked the boatman to stop and let us walk around to see if we could scout for food and grab some souvenirs.


























That's the portrait of the Thai king.


None of us got ourselves any food except for Caryn who bought two pieces of this Thai version of apam balik. Sorry, I've no idea what they call this.


All I can recall is it's super sweeeeeeeeeeeet. For people with a sweet tooth, this is the one for you. Strongly recommended. Heh.


I almost got myself this springroll a.k.a popiah though but I wasn't exactly hungry.


Roughly 20 minutes later, we got back into the boat and headed back to the jetty.


It's ironic how I could still put on a smile because frankly speaking, I think going to the Floating Market was a total turn off. Not that I didnt enjoy it a wee bit at all though.

Total damage : Taxi fare + Boat ride = 800 baht (RM 80)


Now, the only question that remains is - Is it worth spending half a day minimum on a tour to and around the Floating Market? What I would say to that is if you have sufficient time, and have looked at the pictures and feel it would be of interest. Then it's definitely a must go.

Right, I gotta get ready for youth cell soon.

Stay tuned for the next update. ;)

Take A Nap hotel in Bangkok

A month before I flew to Bangkok, my friend Suzanne made two room bookings at Take A Nap's website and subsequently confirmed the accommodation reservations several weeks later.



Now that I'm back here in Malaysia, I still hold fond memories of the hotel. There's absolutely no doubt my friends and I are exceedingly satisfied with the services offered through out our four day stay at Bangkok.

Let me tell you why.

What really pleased us was the fact that every single employee was so courteous and helpful, we totally felt at ease the minute we entered the hotel for check-in. Kinda gives me a very homey feeling.


At the reception counter.

Speaking of Take A Nap hotel, click on this. They're all creatively designed in an incredibly cute, funky, and fantastically unique way. Every room has got its own touch of style allowing customers to have plenty of rooms to pick which matches their tastes.

Inititally, we were looking out for In The Pink (Double L) but sadly, it was no longer available when we wanted to reserve it. So we opted for the next best choice, What A World (Double L). Because there were five of us, we had to get another room which was the Bang Bang (Double S). Hahah. I know the second room's name sounds rather inappropriate.


Outside our room.

Yes, that karerful colourful sliding door is our door. No windows at all but the flow of ventilation was fine.


Inside the room, with flash.


Without flash.


The view from my bed.


Look! Even the bed was enormously huge it could fit four people to a bed. O.o

Since Suzanne, Phoebe and I shared a room with two separate beds, I volunteered to sleep on the single bed while both of them took the double bed.


A neat simple toilet.


Caryn and Meei Ruu's bedroom. Funky bo?


The eating area.


One thing I like most about Take A Nap is that it's a very simple hotel and maintains its cleanliness well. Besides, its room rate charges are considerably cheap, making it super affordable for poor people like us. Heh.

Not forgetting, it's strategically located. That's another plus point!


And thank God they have free Wi-Fi internet connection for me to use. Heheh.

All in all, a great hotel! Thumbs up! I reckon that this is the perfect place to stay for those who are on a budget trip. If you ask me to rate it, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give a 10 for their excellent customer service and a 9.5 for room comfort. ;)

Will definitely patronize the hotel again IF I ever land in Bangkok again in future. ;p

Shopping paradise!

The last time I visited Bangkok was almost three years ago. Back then, my shopping mission failed terribly. Given such a short time period of lesser than three days, it was almost impossible to buy all the things I wanted.

This time around, I made sure we plan our itenararies properly so we could have sufficient time to do our shopping spree. Man, indeed we totally shopped our hearts out. Simply awesome. ;)

In a taxi heading to Pratunam Market and Platinum Mall.


One of my favourite shopping spot, Pratunam Market where you can get loads of clothes and other hot stuffs sold at wholesale prices.


Most of these items can be easily bought at a mere 100 baht. For better quality clothes, it would range between 150 to 200 baht.


Later in the evening, we walked over to Platinum Mall.


Pretty shoes.


Colorful accessories.


Cute looking rubberbands.

When we were done with shopping, we hunted for food again. Heh. Our first dinner at Bangkok was Prathong Buffet at Coco Walk.


Coco Walk can be found at just below Ratchatewi train station.


Previously it was 89 baht but now it has been increased to 98 baht. Inflation lah. *shakes head*


Besides fish balls, beef, chicken, pork and other what nots, they serve salmon too.


For vegetables, all we ate were kangkung and bak choi. Dont know why.


Suzanne is confused not knowing which to pick. Haha.


While waiting for the soup stock to boil. You see that bottle of Coke in the photo? I suspect it is somehow not the original but artificial drink because there wasnt a single bubble of gas in it when it was opened lor. How can?!?!


No one wanted to eat the pork intestines *points to the left top corner of the pic* , so I ended up finishing it by myself. -_______-"


Me, Meei Ruu, and Caryn.

That was quite a fun night as far as I can remember. But we were soooooooo tired the minute we reached our hotel rooms, we dozed off almost immediately after bath.

Next up, I'll blog about the review of the hotel we stayed in. ;)


It's getting late. *yawn* Gotta be in bed now. Need to attend church service tmrw. Nite peeps!

An escapade to Bangkok!

Three weeks ago, I was on a Bangkok holiday with a few secondary school friends for four days. Ahhh, how I miss shopping. Anyhoo, let's see if I'm able to recap everything in order. Hope that it still stays fresh in my memory. ;)

Our flight to Bangkok was at 8.25 am but we were already there by 7.00 am. That gave us ample time for a quick breakfast at McD's.

When it was time for check in, we slowly made our way to the gate. Despite being warned about the dangerous H1N1 virus, I was pretty surprised to notice most passengers went on board without any protective masks except for....

...these three kiasi girls. Lol.
[From left : Suzanne, Meei Ruu, Phoebe at the LCCT airport before departure.]


A beautiful shot from the sky above moments after taking off.


Finally arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport after two hours.


While waiting for the baggage claim.


Initially, we couldn't decide which mode of transport to choose to take us to our hotel.


After much discussion, we opted for a mini taxi van when a counter lady offered a fare deal of 700 baht [That's RM 70 - just remember to minus one zero from the total baht].

Oh and here's a piece of advice : Never agree to enter into an airport taxi because they usually charge the passengers way higher than what it should be. The one we took was a normal taxi.


Travelled for another half an hour to fourty five minutes on the road to arrive at our destination, Take A Nap hotel. ;)


Next, we adjourned to a nearby shopping complex called Mahboonkrong Center or rather known as MBK Mall.


Inside MBK Mall.

By the time we were there, it was almost 2.00 pm but we have not had our lunch! Our tummies were literally screaming for help forcing us to franctically search for food as fast as possible until we landed ourselves at....

...this extremely high class looking food court. However, the prices were ridiculously expensive. O.o

The girls and I couldn't bring ourselves to splurge heavily on our first meal, so we briefly made our way out of the food court and hunted for another less cut throat restaurant for lunch.

We were so lucky because next to the food court was a 59 baht [RM 5.90] buffet restaurant. Forgot the name of it but oh well if you ever visit the mall, no worries you won't miss it.


Just spot for this right in front at the entrance of the restaurant.

They offer around three to four types of gravy which would relish with the white noodle. But out of those four, we only liked ONE because the rest were either too sweet, spicy or milky. How to swallow it down wor?


Nevertheless, we each had at least two to three servings of the same gravy with noodles. Heh. What to do? Too hungry already is liddat one lah.


Silly Suzanne and I.

Caryn insisted we should walk over to the Tokyu mall which is interlinked with MBK to grab a few brassieres after our makan. At first, I was like, "Sure or not?" but trust me, she was soooooooo right.


We were so ecstatic when we saw plenty variety of brassieres to choose from.


It's really cheap especially the ones from Wacoal. As I browsed through racks after racks, I myself couldnt resist getting one for barely 280 baht [RM 28]. My first purchase from Bangkok. Nyeheheh. ;p


Meei Ruu and Phoebe outside the complex with a huge adorable dog.


See those cute little Thai miniature wooden thing behind them? They're altars.


Me standing at one of the pedestrian bridge.

That's all for now. Wait for the next update. ;)