A Trip to Bangkok - Part 1

20th June 2014

The last time I've been to Bangkok, Thailand was probably 9 years ago. My memory of Bangkok was pretty vague. All I could remember was the Erawan Shrine ( the four-faced Buddha ), performances by a number of 'ladyboys', a race between pigs and dogs ( the pigs won, by the way ) and photo taking sessions with a cub. Oh, and a supernatural incident which I do not want to share here. Many missing puzzle pieces in my mind and I have always wanted to return to the Land of Smiles again. 

It all started from a dinner with family and parents' friends in Kuala Lumpur. The adults mentioned about having a trip to Bangkok and I thought it would be all talk and no action. Surprisingly, we actually went ahead with the plan. I was asked to deal with the flight tickets and accommodation ( I love doing this. It's as if a new adventure is about to begin. ) for everyone. It took more time than I expected because I had to gather the necessary details of a total of nine people. The plan was only confirmed a week before the trip and in a blink of an eye, the day has finally arrived.

My family and I took the Malaysia Airlines from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with their friends before we left to Bangkok together with Air Asia. We departed from KLIA 2. It was our first time being at the newest terminal but too bad, we didn't have sufficient time to explore around. 

The adults rushed to check in so we could take our own sweet time at the departure hall. We had lunch while the adults were expressing their excitement for the trip. My sister and I were bombarded with countless questions regarding the trip as if we were tour guides. "Where do you think is best for us to go?" "Do you know where is ___?" "Have you heard of ___ before?" In the end, we were given a 'task' by dad to plan the agenda for the whole trip, which did not really work out. 

Yes, this was my lunch. Don't question it. I was saving my stomach space to indulge in local Thai food.

The flight took only about an hour to reach the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. There were quite a number of travel agencies in the airport for us to pick from as we needed to hire a transport to get to the hotel. One has to be really cautious to not become victims of unreasonable travel agencies with offers that come with exorbitant prices. We actually encountered one with a charge of RM300. Not for the transport, but per person. Thankfully, there are still sensible and rational people existing in this world. We found one agency which charged us at a discounted rate of RM400 for a MPV to accommodate all nine of us. The discount was given probably because of dad who is able to speak a little bit of Thai, although not very fluent. The friendly agents even gave us a few mobile prepaid cards for free for our convenience. 

Dad taught us a few basic Thai words and phrases throughout the ride to the hotel and I admit that the Thai language is pretty hard to comprehend.. Even the Japanese language is easier to learn, in my opinion. I'm not surprised with myself but I've actually forgotten everything he taught already except the number 1 to 5 in Thai. Neng, song, sam, si, ha. Right?

We stayed at Best Western Premier Hotel at Sukhumvit. I can say that the location isn't very strategic if one wants to spend most of his/her time at Pathum Wan where many of the shopping centers are located. Besides, the hotel is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the main road where the nearest skytrain station is at. On the contrary, the hotel staff was really helpful as they recommended us a few places where we could go during our trip. Many of them could speak basic English language, so there wasn't much of a language barrier between us. Besides, the rooms were really comfortable and spacious which lifted our moods even more during the trip. 

One of the restaurants the staff recommended us to have our dinner at was Na Aroon which was only a minute walk ( not kidding ) away from the hotel. The staff even volunteered to walk and guide us to the restaurant. Talk about efficiency. Na Aroon is actually an award winning vegetarian restaurant of a luxurious boutique hotel called Ariyasomvilla and it suits perfectly for couples on honeymoon! A wooden interior with an authentic feeling surrounded with greenery added a boost to our appetites. Fish and seafood were served though and we definitely had our fill with many Thai specialties. 

A Thai meal will not be complete without sipping on refreshing coconut water!

Phad Tai! Favourite.

Kao Pad Goong - fried rice with fresh shrimps topped with a fried egg.

Por Pia Tod - Deep fried vegetable spring rolls.

Tom Yum Pla - Hot and spicy sea bass fish clear soup with basil.

Stir-fried Pak Boong ( Kangkung ).

Fried egg with shrimps.

The staff showed us one of the rooms of the hotel.

With an exterior like this, the adults couldn't resist but to relax and chill outside while chit-chatting.

Ordered Tao Hoo Tod - fried tofu served with peanut sauce to munch on while enjoying the outdoor breeze. Surprisingly, it wasn't greasy at all!

Everyone rested at the hotel after a fulfilling meal before going to the Erawan Shrine ( Thao Maha Brahma ) at Pathum Wan. The four-faced Brahma statue attracts a great number of visitors every year, making it one of the many popular tourist attractions in Bangkok. I remember the place being packed like sardines the last time I went there. With my past experience of being burnt by ashes from the burning ends of incense sticks, constantly being pushed and knocked into by the people there along with the unbearable hot weather, I admit I was pretty reluctant to go.. But it wasn't that bad afterall as it was already night time when we reached there! There were no crowds and the weather was quite cooling instead. We took a 'tuk tuk' ( rickshaw ) owned by the hotel to a 5-minute walk distance from the main road and we continued having a 30 to 40-minute walk to the shrine. 

We had to ask the locals for directions to the shrine as there was no internet data in our phones and no wifi was detected anywhere nearby. I must say, it was a good experience to be able to communicate with the locals despite a few difficulties and having a sense of accomplishment to be able to reach our destination without the reliance on gadgets was indescribably amazing. 

Drinks being sold as offerings or to replenish your thirst.

We went to a night market nearby, just in front of Central World shopping center to look around and also bought some food for supper. The whole stretch of pathway was occupied by stalls selling various products, food and drinks. From what I observed, there was no vast difference between the night markets in Bangkok and in Malaysia, probably except the type of local food being sold. Never underestimate the plain-looking street food you come across as every food has its own distinct taste and flavour and I really love street food, so I've no complaints! Wait, all except fried insects.. I can never bring myself to swallow insects that always give me a hard time killing them whenever I see one.

We took a cab back to the hotel as it was quite a distance from the hotel and everyone was quite exhausted already. The initial fee per cab was about RM50. Thanks to dad's communication and bargaining skills, we were only charged RM20. Not bad, right? The hotel staff was kind enough to allow us to have our supper at the lobby lounge ( but paid with a small sum of money though ). Delicious food accompanied with good liquor , the adults certainly enjoyed themselves a lot. 

A whole chicken for only 200 Baht ( about RM20 ).

21st June 2014

We woke up early to have our complimentary breakfasts. Don't ask me why, but I'm always looking forward to having breakfast buffet during trips. A typical western breakfast will always be my favourite!

Remember the tour agency at the airport which we hired a MPV from to get to the hotel? Well, everyone liked the service provided so we hired a local tour guide for a one-day tour. Nancy, the tour guide, was super friendly, had a good sense of humour and she had no problem communicating with us in English. Although she was only a few years older than me, she had a solid knowledge of her home country which was pretty impressive.

There are over 50 temples in Bangkok and it was impossible for us to visit all. So, the only temple she recommended us to go to was the famous Buddhist Temple, Wat Pho ( Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Many people refer it as the 'Sleeping Buddha' ). Admission fee was only 100 Baht ( RM10 ). 

A strict dress code is emphasised upon entering the room where the Reclining Buddha statue is in. Shorts and mini skirts are not allowed or you would be given a long green gown to wear. Shoes are not allowed to be worn too. 

The Reclining Buddha.

We were each given a bowl of coins after a small sum of donation is made.

A coin was dropped into each and every bronze bowl arranged in a row by the wall. If I'm not wrong, the purpose of doing it is to bring us good fortune and luck.

After a long walk at Wat Pho under the scorching hot sun, Nancy brought us to a store selling local handmade chocolates.

A variety of chocolates with many fruit flavours such as mango, mangosteen, durian and raspberry. Oh, there was one exotic flavoured chocolate that the shop was selling; tom yam. An uncommon flavour infused into chocolates indeed.. I had a try of it and it really had a slight taste of tom yam, but I still found it pretty weird. 

Sunflower seeds coated with chocolates!

Handmade soaps.

Mum and I probably bought too much..

Then we proceeded to a local fabric store opposite the Mrs. Flowers Chocolate store. Like many other fabric stores out there, there were bolts of fabrics of different colours, materials and quality being sold. You can also find many ready-made outfits, clothes and scarves besides handmade items such as bags, pouches and decorative items there too.

We were then brought to the world's biggest jewelry store. Taking pictures was prohibited so there is no picture of the interior ( well, actually I did snap a few using my phone, but I guess pictures of gems and jewelries are not that fascinating. ) I'm not one who knows how to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of gemstones, so nothing actually caught my eye during the tour in the store. 

The adults got pretty exhausted  after a long busy afternoon traveling around. They requested for a massage and Nancy immediately brought us to a spa & massage center. Thai massages are quite popular among tourists from around the world. Besides the cheap rates, massage centers are easily accessible as they can be spotted almost anywhere in Bangkok or even in Thailand. 

Unfortunately, dad did not allow Jessica and I to undergo and experience a massage therapy because we're too 'young'. He probably was afraid that we couldn't tolerate the pain or he thought the masseurs might break our bones.. Nancy was there to accompany us throughout their massage sessions which took about 2 hours. She brought Jessica and I to a bakery beside the massage center and we each bought a bread to curb boredom while chit-chatting with the tour guide. There were so many breads to choose from and we were really spoilt for choice! Red bean, mixed fruits, raisin and shredded pork, crab stick, raisin, yam and many more! Each bread was only about 20 Baht ( RM2 ). Most of the customers were students of nearby neighbourhood schools which explains the cheap prices.

Jessica's red bean bun.

And I chose the coconut bun. The texture of the bread was like any other old school buns, soft and fluffy. I was actually expecting coconut flakes instead of coconut flesh in the bread.. I was quite amazed with it. Also with the generous amount of filling, it's definitely worth the price.

The day did not just end like this. There are a few highlights of the trip not being shared yet, such as the ladyboys! Is your curiosity whetted yet? Just wait for it!

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Coming up next : A Trip to Bangkok - Part 2