I'm back from the land of thousand smiles once again! This is my 10th trip (or so) and I've finally broke the monotony by venturing outside of Pratunam and Siam. Clap for me please! /dies/

We flew by Thai Airways and this being my second trip to BKK on TG, I have to say that I'm really impressed by their in-flight menu! My first experience on TG wasn't fantastic because I encountered some rude senior stewardess (the irony) who threw me hot towels when I asked for it but this time, luckily, all I got was juniors (or younger ones, I guess) who were very polite and smiley. I didn't expect to have good in-flight entertainment (afterall, it is a 2hr flight) but they wow-ed me with the touchscreens (I have a bad misconception that short connecting flights are usually shitty but that's about to change) and good selection of movies and music. We took the morning flight, so there were breakfast (finally, no more Burger King before flights), either Chicken Rice or Omelette with Sausage and needless to say, we opted for the latter. Thank God, we made the right choice! The omelette was comparable to the one I had on SQ and it was so fluffy! Forgot to take pictures because I gobbled everything down as soon as I got my hands on it. The steward was quite funny as he collected our plates as it seemed like we were among the first few that finished everything (literally everything on our plates), and jokingly asked if we were really hungry.

Once again, I have to say that I am very, very reliant on internet while abroad because apart from depending on GPS in the unfortunate occasions that we lose our way, I feel compelled to constantly update instagram with my latest finds and whatnots. So… We rushed to the nearest True Move booths to get our tourist 4G SIM cards! It is located just outside the arrival gates so you should not miss it. The booth is largely white with a distinct 'TRUE MOVE' in red and yellow. In any case if you still do not manage to spot this booth, look out for where most tourists are crowding at. If you are a Singaporean, you should be able to spot many fellow countrymen here and that's when you know you're at the right place. I paid 399B for a 7-day unlimited wifi and data package (but with lower calling and texting credits) because I figured that's all I need. You can top up your card at any 7-11 or Family Mart and the pack comes equipped with a really handy foldout guide in case you run into any difficulties reloading your mobile when the staffs don't speak English. The price remains the same for the nano-SIM (for iPhone 5), micro-SIM (for most smartphones) and regular SIM cards (for all other mobiles).

Afterwhich, you can make your way to the hotel to drop your whatnots before taking the shopping scene by storm. You can either take the taxi from level B1 or take the train at level B2 to central Bangkok. I have always been a 'cab-person' but recently I've decided to switch sides because I don't usually have a luggage when I head to BKK so I don't really see the need to take a cab anymore. On top of that, cab prices have been steadily increasing since I last went to BKK in January! Last June it was the same rate of 350B, 400B in Jan and we were quoted 500B this round. Granted, 500B is only about S$20 but why waste money on transport when you can spend it on something else later on? The ride was about 40 minutes (minus jams here and there). On the other hand, the Airport Rail Link is cost-efficient at only 40B (< S$2!!) and takes no more than 30 minutes to reach central Bangkok (Siam, Pratunam etc) or Ratchaprarop station to be exact, where the Pratunam market is. If you manage to hop on the express train (that terminates at Makkasan station so you'd need to hop on to the next train if you are heading elsewhere), you can expect to reach in 20 minutes or so. The only downside is that you would have to walk for about 5 minutes to Baiyoke Sky if your hotel is located around there.

This time, I arrived on a Saturday so the only place I should be heading to is the Chatuchak Weekend Market (a.k.a JJ Market)! I usually try not to take a train there because the exits can get a little confusing and the journey is a little too long to bear for someone who's so excited to shop so I get there by a taxi. Meter or not, the fare usually comes up to about 120-150B and the journey is about 20 minutes. 

I always try to locate this little eatery serving a good selection of local salads (Thai Mango Salad, Crab Salad and etc, but I usually skip them and go straight to the meat dishes). Jad-Jan is at JJ Market Section 4 Soi 2 Gate 23. I always order the Triple Mushroom Tom Yam Soup (add a packet of glutinous rice if you like), Fried Pork Strips and the Fried Chicken Wings. It is not cheap compared to street food prices but they are good. If you can locate this, you should definitely try it!

One more thing that I always try to find at the JJ Market is this the Triple D Bakery where you can get bags of crispy, baked bread snacks at 80B. Triple D is at JJ Market Section 4 Soi 48, near where the local designer stores are located. I have tried to look for this store on my last last visit but to no avail so if you do happen to pass by this little store, please give it a try (they offer samples) and I'm sure you'll love it! 

Other than that… I really do enjoy shopping at Chatuchak. Or rather, I enjoy getting lost in the alleys after alleys after alleys of shops in there. I have no particular stores that I can recommend for you to buy clothes here because I don't remember their names but by their location (IKR)… But what I usually get here are the bottled essential oils (5ml ones are 3 for 50B), home fragrance products (reed diffusers, room scent sprays, fairy lights, little candles and natural salt scrubs) because I can't seem to find it in the malls or market stalls outside. I also buy local designer clothes if I have spare cash on hand as they usually range from 500B onwards. Lastly, I go on a earrings-spree here if I manage to locate my favourite earrings stall that is at one of the entrance to the fashion lanes (not helpful, I know) because they are at a mere 10B each and how can anyone resist them?! On days that I don't manage to locate them, I buy it off carts opposite Platinum Mall, but they are going for 20B each. Chatuchak to me, is Bangkok's little shopper's wonderland so I never leave without visiting here! 

One funny thing to take note is that no matter how excited and happy we start out with at Chatuchak, we always end up almost chao-bin (black face, i.e. face that depicts irritation) and worn out from all the walking and shopping in the alleys once we've decided to call it a day. The strange thing is that it happens to each and every different person I travel with! So if you're with me, expect (a rare) 20 minutes of silence from me on the way back to the hotel, while I recharge so I can continue to annoy you with my voice later on. I usually start at 11am and end around 4pm here.

Once we get back to the hotel, we try on our clothes and buys from the market (for fun) and freshen up for a nice dinner and some sightseeing at the Asiatique Night Market! 

I've heard so much about this place but didn't manage to go there on my last trip so I figured I must slot this in by hook or by crook. To get to Asiatique, take the BTS to Saphan Taksin station and take exit 2 to access the free shuttle boat that will bring you there. It operates at a frequency of 10 minutes and the ride is about 15 minutes. Enjoy the view of the Chao Phraya river and be wow-ed by the Keppel Bay-esque residences and hotels along the way. I last checked, it was only S$100 a night at the lush 5 Star Chatrium Hotel (or so, it seemed) beside Asiatique. Good if you want to be away from the hustle bustle of central Siam and enjoy life for a bit but not so good if you're gonna travel to and fro everyday! I was spoilt for choice the moment I set foot there and wandered around for a while before we decided to have dinner at the Checkmate Bar and Bistro, located at Room E01 or Soi 72-74.

We were drawn to the huge chess piece decor at the entrance and soothing, comfortable ambience. There was a live band performing English and Thai songs... Abi had the mixed platter, I think it was a small portion of beef steak, a sausage and a slab of salmon grilled to perfection. Pretty good choice if you can't decide which to have! The highlight was her Pink Hoegaarden Beer that tasted so light and fruity, I regretted not having some myself! Singapore, why you no haz?! Anyway being slightly satiated (LOL I was never hungry in BKK) and not knowing what to order off the menu,  I opted for the Australian Striploin Beef Steak (480B) and it definitely surpassed my expectation. It is very well done (pun not intended, I had it medium done), the salad with vinaigrette dressing was a tasty starter, seasoned potato wedges were well, crispy and the mushroom (??) sauce that accompanied the steak added a perfect finishing touch. Not being a fan of wine, I downed my steak with a glass of Fruli Strawberry Beer. Yum! 

We walked for a bit more around the area and ended up beneath the giant ferris wheel where the view was stunning. Abi bought her Little Ponies while I continue to snap away at everything I see and we left the place at about 1030pm. One thing to take note of: the last ferry departs at 11.30pm so if you want to get out without having to cab, make it a point to catch this ferry! The departing queue was rather insane and we only boarded the second ferry so do a time check if you don't want to be stranded there! We were tired from the beer (LOL, old people) so we cabbed back from the train station. Fare was about 120B, reasonable if you don't want to walk or take the train with a slightly flushed face. 

- - - Day Two - - -

We started the day with the morning market that near where the Baiyoke Sky and Baiyoke Boutique hotels are located. Do take note that the variety of stalls and the products they sell differ by the days, for example, it is fashion wholesale goods from Mon-Sat but largely vintage family lifestyle goods on Sunday. I usually visit the market on Saturday morning (if I arrive on Friday) or Monday (if I arrive on Saturday) because there aren't usually things for me on Sundays.

However! I came across this entire new area of fashion wholesale morning market right beside the Indra Square, called the Four Seasons Wholesale Market (I think). It seems new and there are many pop up stalls full of fashion clothing but prices are about 100-150B each if you buy 3 pieces or above. Also be prepared that you may have to buy in wholesale quantities (3 pieces and above, no mixing between designs) to get these really low prices! I usually spend close to an hour here and spend up to 2000B.

 The next place needs no introduction. After dropping off our buys at the hotel, we proceeded to conquer the Platinum Fashion Mall. It has always been my favourite place to shop at because prices were reasonable, variety was good and there is aircon! However, things started to change, I guess it was because there were too many shoppers and prices started to increase and variety kinda shrinked. I can't even seem to find the stores that I used to patronize! Some shops that are still around are Above (Level 2, hipstur-ish/korean clothings) and Kruff (Level 4, for guys). Not my favourite anymore but I am in love with the Fried Mama Noodles (45Baht) at the Food Court (Level 6) so do give it a try when you're there!

They started to have 2 different Platinum malls, the original one clothings and the second (newer, beside it and accessible via link bridge at level 2/3) building seemingly mainly for shoes, bags and other leather goods. As well as more clothes. I usually get my 100B flats here and it doesn't really matter if it's fabric and can't withstand long wear because it's just S$4! You can stop for a break at Red Mango (Level 4, corner) and revitalize your senses with some strawberry yoghurt before moving on to somewhere else. The last I checked, there isn't anymore RM in Singapore?

When you're done with Platinum Mall, go down to Level 2 of the main building and cross over to the mall opposite for more clothes! Krung Thong Plaza is the name if you're google-mapping about this place. The variety of the clothes inside tends to cater mostly to the matured crowd so it's good if you're getting stuff for your parents. Carla Benotti, a shoe store that I like from this mall, have nice and comfortable heels and flats from 100B onwards. It is located near the escalator  on the second level (the level where you come in from Platinum) and is impossible to miss! Otherwise, go one level down and find the exit that will lead you to (my current favourite) the Red Market!

Okay, you will not get any results if you google about the Red Market because I gave it this term. I don't know what the market is called and could only recognize it by the reddish tiles and signage all around so if you happen to know what it is originally called, do let me know!

This 'Red Market' is the wholesaler's heaven - I guess nobody says no to cropped tops, work dresses and flowy chiffon tops for 100B right?! There are many lanes in this market and the main walkway is always, always crowded and near impossible to navigate through so be prepared to squeeze! If you're Singaporean, think Bugis Street. On a crowded Saturday afternoon. The only incentive you get from this place is clothes you see at platinum for close to half the price. If this doesn't excite you a single bit, I suggest you skip this place altogether. This market starts (or ends, I don't know) at the exit of Krung Thong Plaza and leads you to Baiyoke Suite Hotel when you're on the right track. You should be able to see this yellow "Chunky Monkey" food stall on the left and if you look further you will see the Baiyoke Hotel. The same thing about this place, as with the morning market, is that you usually have to buy in wholesale quantities - 3 pieces per design to be entitled to the wholesale price. It is not that hard for me because I'd like to think that I'd always have sisters, female friends, friend's girlfriends, friend's girlfriend's friends, colleagues and etc that will share the same taste as me so I buy in that quantity anyway.

In short, the entire market is filled with fast-fashion apparel ranging from cropped tops, bralets, chiffon tops, dresses, shorts, leggings, skirts to tees and sleepwear. Chances are whatever you see at platinum, you can find about 75% of them here at 50% of the price. Shops close at about 5-ish so go early to avoid disappointment! Expect to spend about 2 to 3 hours here if you're looking to cover the entire market at one go.

After combing through the market, we went back to drop our things and chill out before our dinner at Centralworld. Since it was my birthday (ok, no big deal but it just happened to be on that day so), we wanted to dine at a restaurant or sorts instead of having street food for dinner. If you read my last BKK post, you'd have read that I would always patronize this steamboat restaurant at Centralworld Heaven on Seven (Level 7, Beacon sector, look for lift lobby B) but they seemed to have closed down. Disappointed (and very lost), we tried out something new and to our surprise, it was pretty good! AKA yakiniku restaurant serves up pretty decent BBQ meat that's marinated to perfection. The grill was easy to use and we did not stink after we were done with dinner. It costs about 500B per person for the buffet menu and I feel it's more value for money than the sets, if you're famished or you're one who can eat a substantial amount.

Walked around the mall in a weak attempt to speed up digestion and chanced upon H&M which seemingly just opened its doors the day before. Checked out the prices and realised that they were even higher than SG's, so we didn't buy much. So I think we kinda died after the super filling dinner and was half zoned out (worse state to go shopping in) so we decided to walk back to our hotel from Centralworld. Knocked out real early (blame it on the food coma) too!

- - - D a y T h r e e - - -

So it was a Monday and our last full day in Bangkok... Having heard many good reviews about the Thonglor area, we decided to give it a go! The 'IT' destination in Thonglor I last heard was at Seenspace 13 / Thonglor Soi 13 (sometimes seen as Sukhumvit Soi 55) so we immediately hopped on a cab and made our way there. The ride from pratunam was about 30 minutes and costs less than 100B if you're on the meter. Another way to get there would be to take the BTS to Thong Lo Station, take exit 3 and walk for about 15 minutes. More about it here.

Modern architecture greeted us as soon as we entered the Thonglor district. At Soi 13, expect to find chill-out places such as the much raved Mr Jones' Orphange, Roast, After You Cafe and BonChon chicken. We decided to have brunch at Roast, followed by dessert at Mr Jones' Orphanage as we wanted to give both cafes a try but not bust our high waisted shorts.

Roast gives off a very... Western vibe. I don't know how to describe it but it just doesn't seem like it's in Bangkok, Thailand! The first thing that greeted me when I entered was none other than Ted - comfortably seated on a rattan basket surrounded with various pastries and bread. The server led us in to a two seater near the window and it's nice to see the traffic go past while having a glass of Lychee Earl Grey Tea. Yum! After struggling for close to 10 minutes, I decided on the Duck Confit Salad and Abi chose the white bean stew with sausage. Didn't have to wait very long for the food, which was definitely a plus point. We were snapping away and before we know it, BAM! the food is here. The duck leg was flavourful but not too salty and the salad in vinaigrette dressing was so yummy - I finished it all! Other must-try items on the menu (that I gathered online) was the Crab cake benedict and the coffees (not a coffee lover so I'm not too sure)!

We reluctantly left Roast and moved on to Mr Jones' Orphanage located downstairs, near the entrance. If I'm not wrong, there is another MJO in Siam so if you're only after the cakes, go there instead. This place is so cosy - seats are littered with teddy bears and plushies, the walls adorned with paper planes and a rocking horse hanging from the ceiling and a beautiful display of cakes in glass jars beside the kitchen.

Everything is beautiful and we couldn't choose what to have, so we bought a mini kit kat chocolate cake (diabetes alert!) and the strawberry waffles with ice cream. The waffles are so good! Fresh cream and diced strawberries added so much flavour to the hot, fluffy waffles. I am not a fan of cream but I ate it all. Says a lot, huh? The vanilla ice cream wasn't as creamy as the others outside - not sure what to think of it. Anyway, it complements the waffles so I guess that's nothing to complain about! As for the kit kat/M&Ms cake......................................... It's really pretty to photograph but I'm not sure if you'll die of diabetes if you consume the entire cake. I tried to eat half of it but gave up after a quarter because it was too sweet! People with a sweet tooth would love this thing. Overall, nice ambience to spend an afternoon at.

That concludes our high-tea afternoon. I saw on @zeezeez's instagram that she will be at Siam Paragon for Secant's grand opening event so since I was in Bangkok, I knew I had to be there! The event starts at 6pm, so we had to take a cab over and lo and behold............... The jam............... I took 40 minutes to get to Siam Paragon. Word of advice: take the BTS during rush hour so you can get to your destination in time!

I can't believe I went to the event just to catch a glimpse of Zee... and what a bonus! I actually got to see a few other toms that I follow on instagram as well. Still thrilled at the thought about it! But well, more on that later.

So we hung around till about 8 and decided it's time to quit being fangirls and head back to the hotel and have street food for dinner since we haven't had any the last few days. I was staying at The 93 Hotel in the Pratunam area, so there were a lot of street food along the roadside and we were always spoilt for choice. We settled for Tom Yum Fish Soup (100B - truly think we were overcharged), a big bowl of Basil Chicken (100B - overcharged again), Phad See Ew (35B), Mama cup noodles (12B) and a chicken drumstick (20B).

Packed our luggage for the rest of the night since it was the last. :( Didn't visit the night market this round though because there wasn't anything that I wanted to get... I used to buy those 'redbull' singlets and whatnots but I guess my friends had enough of them, haha!

- - - D a y F o u r - - -

My luggage weighs close to 30kg so I figured there is only so much that I can manage to stuff in my handcarry... But you don't leave Bangkok till you bust your luggage weight limit. So once again, we headed back to the Red Market for one last round of shopping! (So now you know how much I really love this place.)

Went to this Wanton mee stall again (beside Shibuya 19 Mall, along Krung Thong Plaza and at the entrance of the Soi is a Goldsmith - impossible to miss) because apparently they have really good and famous Wanton Mee and Pig Trotters. The portion is relatively small though so if you're hungry, you may want to order 2 bowls. The dried one is as good as the soup but with more oomph - probably due to the generous portion of lard they throw into the noodles. Not the healthiest thing ever but strangely, this tiny morsel of fats seems to make most food taste better! #fatpeoplepains

After that, we went to Terminal 21 because I wanted to show Abi the beautiful toilets that are designed to theme at each level. If you haven't been to Terminal 21, it is at BTS Asoke Station and it is designed like an airport terminal (as the name suggests). Each level represents a different city and my favourite is the greek one! The stores here carry many fashion goods but they are quite pricey, almost close to the price you pay at Chatuchak's local designer alley. Good place to shop for guys though, because there are so many stores that sells guy's shirts at really reasonable price - pretty good quality too! I frequent Stray Wolf Bank (Level 3) because I'm a fan of their whimsical prints and pointy collars.

Headed over to Siam Square to have A&W's as well as to find my contact lens stall in one of the alleys. To me, Siam Square feels like Taipei's Xi Men Ding! This place is popular with teenagers and seems to be a hangout after school for them - it's not hard to spot them along the way. There is a Bonanza Mall that serves as a linkway to MBK Mall. If you're looking to do your nails, that's the place to go. Try to locate Watson's - it's a two storeys building near one of the entrances to Siam Square and opposite Watson's is the mall. The link bridge is at level 3 and the store is on your left. I've done my acrylic nails there before and it's not too bad, really! Paid about 1000B then, which seems quite pricey now that I think of it.

Headed back to the hotel to pack our stuff for the airport and since our luggages were pretty heavy and not wanting to pay excess for our baggages, we deviced a plan to check in all our luggages for free - be the first few! Not wanting to spend time being stuck in a jam and risking our chance for 'free excess baggage', we opted for the train. I'd say it's not very smart of us to do this because it is insane - walking to the train station with so many barangs! We got there in about 25 minutes and didn't pay a single cent for excess, which made me very happy.

And that marks the end of my most recent BKK trip! I frequent Bangkok because I feel comfortable with the people and culture there - it is almost as if it is my second home. However I am not one who venture out of my comfort zone... So it's definitely a different experience for me this time that I tried out so many other places - Thonglor, Asiatique and chasing stars. Haha!
Till I'm back in October, Land of Thousand Smiles!

xxx

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If you want more: search hashtag #bangkokhustlin for my location tags in Bangkok (so you can google maps your way there), #TDBCBKK2013 or my friend Avian Jun's tumblr here for nice cafes (he can really find them man), Melody's BKK guide here and Ladyironchef's guide to BKK and BKK cafes, BK magazine's guide to the best restaurants and cafes here.

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P.S. No pictures for now because the blogger app is screwing up my pictures sequence, be back with images in a bit!