Hi everybody, I've just gotten back from my Bangkok trip and organised my clothes & room & what not, so I finally have some time on my hands to type down my thoughts about my trip :-)
Before I disembarked on my trip, I did tons of research to figure out the best places to shop and eat. However, I felt that most blogs have not managed to extensively cover details, or they are just full of selfies (GIRLS...). I'll list down my itinerary too so hopefully you guys will be able to plan ahead.
A few things to note:
1) Buy a Traveller's Sim card at the airport (near the exit)! It has unlimited data for 7 days so you can whatsapp and also use GPS in case you're lost and need directions. best of all, it costs around 300 baht only :-)
2) Pick up some basic thai like how to count, and how to say that it's expensive/ phang , and also how to ask for price of items. I didn't and ended up paying 100 baht more when buying stuff, because they have local and tourist price! The only words i knew were sawadeeka and kapkunka which were good morning/evening and thank you respectively (very pathetic indeed).
3) research, research and research. Google is everyone's best friend.
3) research, research and research. Google is everyone's best friend.
Day one:
just looking awkward, hi.
Departed from Singapore to Bangkok, and landed in the late afternoon (there were no other plane tickets left... remember to book way ahead!). Oh no, less time for shopping. But it's okay, we stayed at Arnoma Hotel, which was directly opposite Central World, located in between Siam & Chit Lom BTS stations. Major malls nearby include the very famous Platinum Fashion Mall, Siam Center/ Siam Paragon etc (will cover details about them later).
Had a quick dinner at the night market around Central World and tried the famous grilled snakehead fish for only 150 baht (SGD $6!!!). It was a huge fish stuffed with herbs and very worth the money indeed. Also had some roast chicken :-) marinated really well.
After that, it was time to shop! Platinum mall was nearby so I headed there at 8pm, but the shops were already starting to close... I was shocked because I thought they close at 10pm. Turns out that there's the old and new Platinum malls, the new one (which houses Starbucks) (also known as zone 3) closes earlier than the old one :-) (consisting of zone 1 and 2) but to be on the safe side, just take it as they close at 9pm hahaha.
So yeah, i went into new platinum mall. The lower floors had fashion apparel, and the top floors were mostly shoes, bags and accessories. Didn't get anything from here though, because there was a night market right outside the mall (and also across central world...)! Thais seriously know how to set up shop anywhere and any time haha (as evident from the next few days of shopping at night markets).
Proceeded on for a massage, wanted to go to the famous Health Land at Asoke but got cheated by a tuktuk driver who convinced us that it was very far and he drove us to some other massage place which was overpriced & gives commission for taxi drivers for 'luring' tourists... but it was a fun ride though hehehe.
Taking advantage of tourists money, but i guess we are contributing to their local GDP.
After that, we cabbed to Health Land (yes, we spend so much on cabs! it's cheap there and according to my friend, always run by the meter cos the fixed price is 50 - 100 baht more ex.) and tried the traditional Thai massage for only 500 baht per person (SGD $20). Overall it was... okay I guess, but not strong enough for our liking, maybe your experience will be different? I like the high class feel though, because we got served tea and all. Best of all, I had a really good sleep.
Day two:
Carb up.
Let the intense day of shopping begin.
Platinum mall x Siam square x Siam night market
Went to the old platinum mall today at 11am. (some shops open earlier though, like at 9am, so maybe you wanna head there earlier)
Platinum mall is like a huge Bugis Street layout-wise and it's forever so crowded! But the concept is like City Plaza, you can mix and match pieces of clothing for discount, depending on the amount of clothes required for the 'whole sale price'.
A gauge of how much clothes cost here (w/o bargaining):
Tank tops (like muscle tanks or the very hipster kind, like weed/yinyang/tumblr text etc patterns, and also band tees!): 150 - 250 baht. I love this shop called Happy Monday (Platinum Fashion Mall Floor 1 No.014 Platinum Fashion Mall (ตึกใหม่) 2 rd floor no.2-77) & also Seven Heaven, they are located at platinum mall zone 3. There's a few other shops nearby that sells nice tanks but i don't remember the names, just around the area.
Vintage tops / dresses: I saw the cheapest was going for 150 baht each at a sale :-)
Shorts: 150 - 200 baht.
Super trendy pieces of clothing like daisy prints and dungarees (I only saw one shop selling the trending kind of dungarees??? OMG) are expensive.. like 300 - 500 baht.
So if you are looking for tons of mainstream clothes, like those flowy kind of spag top that are trending right now, or just girly stuff in general, just shop here :-) Although maybe you can get it slightly cheaper elsewhere... (just read on). They also sell cosmetics & contacts in the middle of the area between zone 1 and zone 2.
Lunch options... you can head up to the food court, it uses a prepaid card mode of payment, something like a Kopitiam card hahaha. You preload the money in the card first then scan at the shop. I heard their crepe is good (but i haven't tried it). I tried the chicken here, it isn't very good. Or alternatively you can try the famous Wanton mee (Saab x2 just go google about it, i won't review it coz i didn't try) , or pink shirt chicken rice (i heard it's really good from word of mouth), it's located at Petchburi Soi 30,
Bangkok. I didn't want to try because I feel that those can be found in Singapore too... and i personally don't like wanton mee hahaha.
So after shopping a bit more at platinum, I headed over to Siam Square :-) Actually, Siam square refers to the Siam shopping area which consists of Siam center, Siam paragon, Siam discovery centre (Ps: give mbk a skip, it doesn't have much) if i'm not wrong? But the Siam square that i'm referring to for the best spot to shop is actually at this spot over here adjacent to the Lido... (its across siam center) and the sois/streets around that area.
the area adjacent to lido is air-conditioned and consists of indie boutiques selling really pretty vintagey sweet looking dresses but they may be kind of overpriced, just check it out anyway if you have time. the clothes there are around 300 - 500 baht but they are unique! You can shop here for a while, explore the sois around the area (they have other small 'pockets' for affordable shopping excluding the individual boutiques, which sell upwards of 1000 baht) and have dinner before continuing shopping at the night market! It's located right below Siam BTS station and stretches from the MBK area to just before opposite Central world.
A place I would recommend for dinner is Greyhound Cafe at siam center! It can be a bit pricey though... I had beef salad here and it was really buttery and tender. Oh and do try the famous prawn paste chicken wings too, but personally i felt that they were too small as compared to Singapore's famous ones like at Emerald no. 5.
Okay now time for Siam Night Market! It can be really crowded on weekends. You can also opt to have dinner here because they sell street food nearing opposite central world, stuff like cheap western meal only costing 100 baht and oyster omelette etc, i never tried though so idk if it tastes good. Anyway, stuff here may be overpriced so try to bargain! I personally feel the stuff here is kinda mainstream though, although you can find little treasures on certain days. Like i said, once you let them know that you're a tourist and not 'khun thai' or local, they won't even want to give you discounts, or just give you 20 baht discount lmao. Oh but you can also find cheap stuff here, especially basics like flowy spag top, some shops sell for only 100 baht! and shoes too, I saw shoes that were going at platinum for 250 - 300 baht only costs 150 baht here. Other things you can find here include second hand stuff like shoes, and they are actually cheaper here than places like chatuchak / jj market! I bought some second hand shoes (i'm a cheapo ok... and im forever broke) for only 200 baht and the same pair would cost upward of 300 baht in jj market. But there's more variety of shoes in jj market. (which will be elaborated on the next section)
Day 3
went to chatuchak! chatuchak only opens on weekends so make sure you include weekends on your trip. not sure if its open on friday because by right friday is allocated for wholesellers...
you can take bts all the way to mo chit station or take the subway train to Kamphaeng Phet station. i recommend you take bts first, because there are stores along the way to the jj market and street side stalls surrounding the exterior area of jj market usually sell items cheaper than the stores in the market itself. for example, i found bags (the sling kind) selling for 150 baht only and tote bags for 100 baht.
areas that i recommend for shopping would be section 1 to 6 (if you are only into clothes and bags etc)! section 1 - 4 houses indie boutiques that sell discounted tops at 150 baht, and normal price 200 - 300 baht. some are quite ex though like 500 baht you can just avoid those shops. bags are usually more expensive, but i found a store selling bags for 300 bahts only. they also sell quite a lot of guys clothes that actually look good (printed tees that resemble topshop style) so GUYS YOU CAN SHOP HERE. section 5 and 6 sells secondhand items so it's like a giant flea market! most of the things here consist of vintage clothes, army jackets and old shoes. im not sure about the authenticity of the shoes though so i didn't buy them and also because i was already broke as hell, but they were selling things like timberland shoes for 1000 baht? i also saw red wings and sperrys!!!
the rest of the market (divided by the 'outdoor lane') consist of home items, like lights, spices, and also handmade soaps/scents, cutlery etc. so if you wanna pick up some interesting gifts, feel free to head here and just explore, because... i got lost so i cant really direct oops :-) and... art galleries. oh and i also saw handpainted shoes going for 300 baht!!!
the stores which are near the outdoor area (there's 2 huge 'outdoor lanes/roads')... the ones at section 1 - 6 are worth checking out because they sell items for really cheap like 100 - 150 baht! but its mostly basic tops like just plain color and maybe the material isn't so good. for the other sections, the stores near the outdoor sell touristy stuff or very boho stuff like tribal design bags and are quite overpriced, like bracelets etc so i advice you just buy them from the roadside stores, i could get bracelets for like 20 baht each only.
since i spent 12 hours here in total for 2 days, i combed through the entire market. just do it systematically because there's like 3 lanes for the indoor parts, so walk through one lane all the way, then when you reach the end, turn around and go into the other lane.
AND DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT TRYING COCONUT ICECREAM. the famous one is near the subway station (near section 1) , you get to pick your topping from things like sweet potato, nata de coco, peanuts etc. and they serve free coconut water too which is unlimited, perfect for a hot day. you will know which one it is judging from its long queue hahaha. it's really creamy and not too sweet which i love a lot! some other interesting food i saw was a diy your own mango sticky rice, which was basically the same as the coconut icecream, but just with mango :-) it can be found in the section 1 - 4 area. ps there's a lot of food there so just EAT.
Another thing you should totally try is the massage near the subway station / coconut icecream store, if you love strong & forceful massages this is perf for you, only 200 baht for 45min leg and shoulder massage, which feels great after shopping for the entire day.
after chatuchak i headed on to union mall! its nearby, only one stop away via bts at Phahon Yothin station. its basically like a far east plaza because there's lots of clothes shops here. start on the first floor, rent is cheaper there for the booths thus that translates to lower-priced products. second floor sells female fashion. and on the third floor, there are more fashion shops and also beauty, hair and nail shops. i wouldnt do my hair here though, doesnt look reliable but nails seem ok!
on the 5th or 6th floor they also sell second hand stuff so you can look through here again if you love fleaing and giving old products a new purpose (reduce reuse recycle eh). at 5pm there's also a really small night market outside union mall, you may wanna check it out cos night markets are sometimes cheaper than chatuchak or platinum.
Day 4
Wanted to head to chatuchak again but before that...
YOU HAVE SERIOUSLY GOT TO TRY MR JONES ORPHANAGE for..
1) the ambience, it's so cute! the theme of the place is actually an 'orphanage' / donation place for old teddy bears. You must head to the thonglor outlet, even though it takes 15 mins to walk there from the thonglor bts station (or just take a tuktuk hahaha or cab idk), it's so picture perf and the lighting is awesome. even my mom loved it so much that we werent quarreling the whole time we were there and she was so grateful to me for bringing here there lol because thonglor is a really chill area which is kinda atas, like expats all around and rich thais and condos. there's also another outlet at siam central if you have no time to head to thong lor.
2) the food. duh. cakes are like 100 baht only. 4 sgd for this huge slice of heaven. and it doesnt taste too sweet, at least for the red velvet one i tried! oh and free water is always a plus point.
And since roast cafe is just upstairs...
1) the breakfast set is so worth the price, at only around 12 sgd, you get a huge breakfast platter, and orange juice plus latte. WOW.
2) again, the ambience and lighting. i went in december so it was really cooling, even if you're seated outside! the alfresco area is on a balcony overlooking the area outside seenspace.
note that for both places, since they are really popular, i suggest you come in the morning so you'll get the best seats and don't have to wait or reserve seats. plus, it won't be too noisy :-)
So that kind of covers the places that i've been to in Bangkok! (I left out some places I don't recommend though, only hear the good stuff right?) Shall visit more places and review them when I 'm able to. Follow this blog for more updates when I travel! Till then, :-)
the area adjacent to lido is air-conditioned and consists of indie boutiques selling really pretty vintagey sweet looking dresses but they may be kind of overpriced, just check it out anyway if you have time. the clothes there are around 300 - 500 baht but they are unique! You can shop here for a while, explore the sois around the area (they have other small 'pockets' for affordable shopping excluding the individual boutiques, which sell upwards of 1000 baht) and have dinner before continuing shopping at the night market! It's located right below Siam BTS station and stretches from the MBK area to just before opposite Central world.
A place I would recommend for dinner is Greyhound Cafe at siam center! It can be a bit pricey though... I had beef salad here and it was really buttery and tender. Oh and do try the famous prawn paste chicken wings too, but personally i felt that they were too small as compared to Singapore's famous ones like at Emerald no. 5.
Okay now time for Siam Night Market! It can be really crowded on weekends. You can also opt to have dinner here because they sell street food nearing opposite central world, stuff like cheap western meal only costing 100 baht and oyster omelette etc, i never tried though so idk if it tastes good. Anyway, stuff here may be overpriced so try to bargain! I personally feel the stuff here is kinda mainstream though, although you can find little treasures on certain days. Like i said, once you let them know that you're a tourist and not 'khun thai' or local, they won't even want to give you discounts, or just give you 20 baht discount lmao. Oh but you can also find cheap stuff here, especially basics like flowy spag top, some shops sell for only 100 baht! and shoes too, I saw shoes that were going at platinum for 250 - 300 baht only costs 150 baht here. Other things you can find here include second hand stuff like shoes, and they are actually cheaper here than places like chatuchak / jj market! I bought some second hand shoes (i'm a cheapo ok... and im forever broke) for only 200 baht and the same pair would cost upward of 300 baht in jj market. But there's more variety of shoes in jj market. (which will be elaborated on the next section)
Day 3
went to chatuchak! chatuchak only opens on weekends so make sure you include weekends on your trip. not sure if its open on friday because by right friday is allocated for wholesellers...
you can take bts all the way to mo chit station or take the subway train to Kamphaeng Phet station. i recommend you take bts first, because there are stores along the way to the jj market and street side stalls surrounding the exterior area of jj market usually sell items cheaper than the stores in the market itself. for example, i found bags (the sling kind) selling for 150 baht only and tote bags for 100 baht.
click to enlarge.
areas that i recommend for shopping would be section 1 to 6 (if you are only into clothes and bags etc)! section 1 - 4 houses indie boutiques that sell discounted tops at 150 baht, and normal price 200 - 300 baht. some are quite ex though like 500 baht you can just avoid those shops. bags are usually more expensive, but i found a store selling bags for 300 bahts only. they also sell quite a lot of guys clothes that actually look good (printed tees that resemble topshop style) so GUYS YOU CAN SHOP HERE. section 5 and 6 sells secondhand items so it's like a giant flea market! most of the things here consist of vintage clothes, army jackets and old shoes. im not sure about the authenticity of the shoes though so i didn't buy them and also because i was already broke as hell, but they were selling things like timberland shoes for 1000 baht? i also saw red wings and sperrys!!!
the rest of the market (divided by the 'outdoor lane') consist of home items, like lights, spices, and also handmade soaps/scents, cutlery etc. so if you wanna pick up some interesting gifts, feel free to head here and just explore, because... i got lost so i cant really direct oops :-) and... art galleries. oh and i also saw handpainted shoes going for 300 baht!!!
an outdoor lane near section 1 - 4
the stores which are near the outdoor area (there's 2 huge 'outdoor lanes/roads')... the ones at section 1 - 6 are worth checking out because they sell items for really cheap like 100 - 150 baht! but its mostly basic tops like just plain color and maybe the material isn't so good. for the other sections, the stores near the outdoor sell touristy stuff or very boho stuff like tribal design bags and are quite overpriced, like bracelets etc so i advice you just buy them from the roadside stores, i could get bracelets for like 20 baht each only.
if you walk further in, you even see live animals being sold. guppies for only 10 baht WOW
since i spent 12 hours here in total for 2 days, i combed through the entire market. just do it systematically because there's like 3 lanes for the indoor parts, so walk through one lane all the way, then when you reach the end, turn around and go into the other lane.
thai - viet fusion lunch, located at section 1 - 4. there's food stores at the lane which is the outermost (aka nearest to the exterior gates) from the 'outdoor lanes'.
AND DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT TRYING COCONUT ICECREAM. the famous one is near the subway station (near section 1) , you get to pick your topping from things like sweet potato, nata de coco, peanuts etc. and they serve free coconut water too which is unlimited, perfect for a hot day. you will know which one it is judging from its long queue hahaha. it's really creamy and not too sweet which i love a lot! some other interesting food i saw was a diy your own mango sticky rice, which was basically the same as the coconut icecream, but just with mango :-) it can be found in the section 1 - 4 area. ps there's a lot of food there so just EAT.
Another thing you should totally try is the massage near the subway station / coconut icecream store, if you love strong & forceful massages this is perf for you, only 200 baht for 45min leg and shoulder massage, which feels great after shopping for the entire day.
fat legs from eating too much in bangkok
after chatuchak i headed on to union mall! its nearby, only one stop away via bts at Phahon Yothin station. its basically like a far east plaza because there's lots of clothes shops here. start on the first floor, rent is cheaper there for the booths thus that translates to lower-priced products. second floor sells female fashion. and on the third floor, there are more fashion shops and also beauty, hair and nail shops. i wouldnt do my hair here though, doesnt look reliable but nails seem ok!
my nails feat really cool bottle from greyhound's.
Day 4
Wanted to head to chatuchak again but before that...
Seenspace 13, Thonglor Soi 13
YOU HAVE SERIOUSLY GOT TO TRY MR JONES ORPHANAGE for..
1) the ambience, it's so cute! the theme of the place is actually an 'orphanage' / donation place for old teddy bears. You must head to the thonglor outlet, even though it takes 15 mins to walk there from the thonglor bts station (or just take a tuktuk hahaha or cab idk), it's so picture perf and the lighting is awesome. even my mom loved it so much that we werent quarreling the whole time we were there and she was so grateful to me for bringing here there lol because thonglor is a really chill area which is kinda atas, like expats all around and rich thais and condos. there's also another outlet at siam central if you have no time to head to thong lor.
first floor dining area.
second floor area with low-ceiling, you have to crawl around to get to your table.
even teddy wants a slice of cake...
who needs boys when you have a teddy bear for a cuddle buddy?
2) the food. duh. cakes are like 100 baht only. 4 sgd for this huge slice of heaven. and it doesnt taste too sweet, at least for the red velvet one i tried! oh and free water is always a plus point.
100 baht red velvet. spongy and with the right note of sweetness.
the mother of diabetes.
And since roast cafe is just upstairs...
1) the breakfast set is so worth the price, at only around 12 sgd, you get a huge breakfast platter, and orange juice plus latte. WOW.
2) again, the ambience and lighting. i went in december so it was really cooling, even if you're seated outside! the alfresco area is on a balcony overlooking the area outside seenspace.
thonglor is a really nice place to chill so check these other places out if you have the time.
the early bird gets the worm, or rather, gets the tranquility of an empty cafe.
note that for both places, since they are really popular, i suggest you come in the morning so you'll get the best seats and don't have to wait or reserve seats. plus, it won't be too noisy :-)
just had to pick up all the thai snacks like seaweed etc and broccolli/ salmon skin chips (i know my taste in snacks are weird) at the supermart. fat for life...
please avoid areas with rallies unless you want to get stuck in a sea of people.
No comments :
Post a Comment