Bangkok 20-23 Aug 05

DAY 1(Saturday)

Reach Bangkok via Tigerairways at 14:05 local time. This time round, Ple(my friend) is not around to pick me. She is working in Holland currently (She finally makes it there). Took a cab from the Airport to Royal Parkroyal Hotel at 20 Sukhumvit. Took us 15mins on the highway and 20mins on the jam road along Siam/Sukhumvit area. 300Bt for the effort.

Reach hotel get a shock with so many tourists from India. Mecham like Serangoon in Bangkok…haha….lucky only Tourist and no locals that is Indians. There is this Indian Vegetarian restaurant (Komala), almost confirm my fear that this is a Serangoon when we took our first walkaround!!!

Talk to the hotel “tour” agency & book a dinner cruise tonight. It cost us around 1300Bt each, anyway it should be good from what I have read on the internet.

The cruise was great for the quality it provides for the value. Pheck Leng and myself enjoy it. I believe in Singapore, this kind of trip will cost more than $100.

Reach back hotel around 10:30pm. Talk a walk at the street outside the hotel & head to 7-11 to get some orange juice (got craze for it then).

Tired and sleep around midnight.

DAY 2(Sunday)

Woke up at 6am (7am Singapore time), left the hotel at 6:20 for a run. After yesterday hearsay, I know that there are 2 parks around. Decided to go for a bigger park (It is the Queen Park- Benjakiti Park), it took me nearly 6mins to reach the park. The park is pretty well keep, lots of security guards. At least every 2-400 metres there is a security personnel standing guard. The loop inside the park is estimate at 2km. Today is Sunday, I expected quite a few joggers or exercising folks inside, but was wrong. It looks pretty empty. I went for 2 loops and headed back. I estimate the whole run is around 6km, maybe slightly less. Finished the run around 32mins

This shoe (use mainly in Gym) is causing me having blister. Sian. Run in gym no problem, but not on the road…;( I head for the Gym for some workout first before heading back to bath in the hotel room after 20mins later.

Had breakfast and took BTS from Asok to Mo Chit. Today is shopping day, first stop is the famous weekend market – Chatuchak. We reach there around 9am+ It was messy and we walk round and round and I think I also abit confused. Anyway I didn’t try to remember as I normally would. It was hot and still haven’t get use to the weather yet. We didn’t stay for long, we leave around noon time. Hot, wet and still wet.

Took BTS back to Siam and a quick nap on the BTS., damn shiok with the aircon.…We head straight to BMK. It is heaven in a familiar Aircon environment shopping centre. We have lunch and shop around. We were tired easily, do not know why? Bo pian, around late afternoon, headed back to hotel for a rest. We took BTS back to Asok. On the way back to Siam BTS, we saw the “con” lady on the street doing her trade again. I noticed her on first sight, but Pheck Leng seems to be unsure. Anyway, we leave her alone and go our way.

Around 7pm headed up BTS to Sala Daeng, yes we are heading to Patpong. The famous “Geylang”. Last year when we were there, the inner street is dark and we don’t dare to venture into the lanes. This time round, there is a street that are brighter up and the middle path there are row of shops. We decided to venture in and take a look. Lot of men/lady approached us asking whether we are interested to see Sex Show or some sort. We walk along and peep around. We saw a few pole bikini clad dancers, a “fish tank” joint and lots of pups and other interesting sights. We had dinner at one of the side street restaurant. Pheck Leng want to eat thai food which I agree since we are there, we need to take as much local authentic food as possible.

It is a long and tiring day for both of us and we headed back to Hotel before 10am. A Long day ahead tomorrow.

DAY 3 Monday

Book a half day tour to Floating market, and another half day tour to Grand temple today. Pickup time is 6:30am at the hotel lobby. Working backwards, we have to have breakfast at 6am, that left me to wake up at 5am. I gonna for a swim at the hotel. Think it is a short swim, the pool is damn small- pathetic, anyway I just want to be inside and practice some strokes…

Waked up at 5am, look outside the window, Wow…still damn dark leh…how to swim? The swimming pool is officially open at 7am and at least if I want to do it illegally, must also have some lights for safety reasons. No choice goes back to bed. Alas can’t sleep, so have to read the story book(Anything for a T-shirt) & kill time.

Had breakfast and off we go for Floating Market. The drivers picked us and proceed to pick up other tourists from other hotels before proceed to the Floating Market. Before reaching Floating Market, the tour (as usual) divert to another “tourism hotspots”, this time bring us to see coconut plantation!!! Look at the sugar extraction process from coconut etc. What to do? This kind of thing bounce to happen during guided tours. Anyway we proceed to the floating market shortly.

Reach Floating Market area, not Floating Market itself but a distance away, as we suppose to take a boat to the central market. Boarded a speed boat(more like sampan with motors) and drive through the canal(some sort of backstreet) between row of houses. The water is brown and saw local folks going around doing their daily chores along the canal(eg washing clothes). Boat waves through houses and some deserted plantation. One thing we notice is the lack of Life Jacket on the boat. Wonder what is the safety level? Anyway, maybe it is only us (Singaporean) that is kiasi lah…

Finally stop at central market (where the action is) and venture on foot. We are given 1 hour to loiter here. It wasn’t a big place to walk around, we took up another boat ride for 100bhat each to go through the stretch of Floating Market where the action is in the water rather than on foot. It was hot, no shade, and for once I feel like we have enter Floating Market. Chaotic is the buzz word in the river. The water is jam packed with so many boats, movement is un-orderly and constant banging and crashing of boats are experienced. For 30mins ride, it became 45mins as the “traffic jam” is pretty bad. Nevertheless the experience is worthly.

We hit shore again and timing is running short, we head for a food store and order fish-soup noodle…cost us 50bhat. It is expensive IMHO, bcos I saw 25bhat on the counter, but we are charge 50bhat, maybe they see us as foreigner. A coke cost 40Bhat, as I overhead an Angmoh conversation with the local. I ain’t going to buy one with that type of cost for the environment there. Something like having Coke at hawker centre and changing $3-4 dollars for it. Who’s going to pay for it, when we bring our own water.

We were highjack to Coral show before we head back to Bangkok city area. It was a not really a great show, but nevertheless I went in (200bhat) to take a look. Pheck Leng stay outside as she fear snake.

We arrived at Royal Hotel around 13:00hrs. It was raining, first time I think I experience rain in Bangkok. We sleep on the way back don’t really noticing it, except the weather is abit cooler. We need to switch to another tour over there. We were hungry, but 13:30hrs is the next tour and restaurant there isn’t great. We have to go hungry then. Anyway, not much appetite to eat too.

Reach Grand Temple. An interesting palace on the history of Bangkok. We were introduce to the new name of Bangkok and Thailand while on the journey to the temple. The name mechiam like a damn long paragraph just for a name in Thai….haha….The highlight of the tour will have to be the Jade Buddha. Didn’t realised that Buddha wear 3 different sets of Golden clothes according to the seasons in Thailand.

After Grand Temple, the tour headed for a city tour (not in the itinerary), anyway it is free just go lah. Unfortunately nothing is free in this world. After touring the city on the van, they brought us to this “gem” factory. I hate going to this kind of “expensive” shops. No choice lah, we have to go through the motion, pretend to see/look even though we have no intention (of any kind) to get something there. Finally sit on the buses (provide by the gem factory) and headed back to Hotel.

Hunger gets better of us as we head straight to 7-11 to get instant noodle/bread after alighting from the buses(in front of hotel). Massage, at least we need to try one session in Bangkok, no matter what. Lacking of time, we went for the hotel in-house massage – 550bhat for 1 hour oil massage. Time flies so fast while you are on the massager table….she press on my right ankle and my injure surface. Aiyoh…a bit pain leh…I told her…..

We head to Suan-lum night bazaar in the evening. Took MRT from Asok station to Lumphini. We had our dinner at the “open” arena. Pheck Leng enjoy the cocktail which we order, no idea what is the name…..We walk and shop around. Even though it is evening, but the clothes still get drenched. We took a slip at one of the coffee joint there. The Thai-coffee…didn’t go down well with myself. Not use to it I guess….;)

Reach hotel around 10:30pm. Wow, long day and tired sia. Going to have a good SOUND sleep (snoring) tonight…hehe…

DAY 4 Tuesday

Last day in Bangkok, going back to Singapore in the evening. Do I look forward of going back? Yes and No. Yes, I missed my blanket and my bed and so many others. No, I want to go for a longer holiday. Alas time and $ does not allowed.

Woke up at 7am. Last day leow lah, going to take it easy. Hit the gym and try out the treadmill. After 10mins of warming up, found out that my shins are slightly sore. Don’t know why leh, it seems that old injury is coming back. Aiyah, not running fast and long also like that. This kind of injury wanna come, then come…sigh….;(

Didn’t spend too much time in the gym and hit the swimming pool. This time the sun is up and shining. Took a short swim as the pool is damn small and cannot swim for too long….bored…finally get a taste of the water.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel, leave luggage at the bellroom. Off we went to Sampeng(Chinatown) by cab. It was a good trip and we enjoy shopping and walking, minus the heat and humidity lah. We brought quite a fair bit over there. The weather tends to make our span of attention pretty short. Later in the morning, we took a cab back to Siam. We walk around Siam, visited Hard Rock and Dunkin Donuts. I always have a weakness for Donuts, and itching to taste the mini donuts…brought a set(box) and guess what…it comes in 24 pieces !!!! I was shocked but paisei to return so have to take it. We practically have Donuts for lunch. Haha… We saw that “con” lady again talking to some tourists. Hopefully the folks wont get con like we do and notice the scam. Walking in Siam also very hot lah…so we head to MBK to cool down.

We are practically killing time over there and wait for the time to go to the airport. Around 4pm, we took a cab from MBK, headed back to hotel to pick up the luggage and off to the airport. It was traffic jam on the road to the highway. We reached airport around 4:50pm just nice for the Tigerairways counter to be open for business.

It was a relief to get into the airport. We walk around since we have lots of time. Have our KFC. Pretty disappointed with KFC there as I run out of zinger burger which I have order. Pheck Leng complains that I tekan her for walking these distance.

The aim is to go for sightseeing and some shopping for this trip. On both front, we have did it. We are tired, but we enjoy ourselves. We left Bangkok around 7:50pm.

Back Home

Touch down in Singapore at 11:05pm. Bing came to pick us at Airport. Thanks Sis…We went to East Coast FC for makan before headed home. Reach home, bath and knocked off around 1am. Glad to be home…;)

Pictures of the trip to Bangkok...;)