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Tuesday 10 June 2008

Back to the grine stone : Bangkok PART 1

I was engulfed in a surreal atmosphere this morning as i awoke in my own bedroom after spending the last 4-days in Bangkok... somehow it felt as though i was away from home for a much longer period of time. Sigh......
Reality check:back to work.

it was a fun-tastic trip this time round to Bangkok (BKK), lots and lots of shopping accompanied by even more walking...
We put up at the ultra-chic LeFenix Sukhumvit for 3-nights, which was sorta conveniently located near the nana BTS skytrain station. By the way, the BTS skytrain was our main mode of transportation around Bangkok city... though it wasn't convenient anymore after our 2 trips to Platinum Fashion Mall in Pratunam, cause the Missus went on a shopping frenzy and bought enough clothes to last the next one year or so. We did soo much walking that i was practically limping at the end of the day, the purchase of a pair of crocs only provided momentarily walking relief, though they are a whole lot more comfy than my flip-flops.

Day 1: We spent our first day and a good half of our money on shopping in Platinum Fashion Mall. For those not in the know, this is the mall where most if not all the women's boutiques here in KL/PJ get their stash from. Walking around the narrow corridors, you'd see loads of Malaysians & Singaporeans trudging along with oversized roller bags filled to the brim with clothes. For those of you who've spent your hard earned salary on fashion wear here in KL/PJ, you'd be dumbfounded by the wholesale price of the clothes on your backs now...
Dinner on day 1 was at a popular local chicken rice shop in Pratunam. The last time i was in BKK, we dined at this local eatery almost every other night of our 13day stay in bangkok... the chicken rice isn't awesome, but it is mighty tasty and highly affordable.
Day one came to end with me hitting the sack as soon as my head touched the pillow,much to the dismay of Emily...

Day 2: Thanks to my girlfriend living in Malaysian time, her phone alarm went off one hour early. After breakfast, it was off to more shopping at the now overly touristy Chatuchak Weekend Market. Prices of things here no longer warrants this place a "MARKET" anymore... it seriously wasn't that bad when i last visited the market in 2005.
After unloading our purchases in the hotel, we headed out to MBK and the other major shopping malls in the bangkok city golden triangle area for some airconditioned shopping. My net-addict girlfriend wanted to sample the Mango Sticky Rice at the MBK foodcourt, which not surprisingly she read about in a blog.. but i also have her to thank for her net-addiction did pay off.. the mango sticky rice was yummy!.
You can't come to Thailand without getting a Thai massage, so a 1-hr pit stop at a Spa en route back to the hotel was a requirement... relaxing as it was, the massage did some damage to Emily's back and she had to nurse a sore back for the next coupla days.
Before knocking off to bed, we decided to check out the chic rooftop bar atop our hotel called The Nest. Lovely ambience and decor i must say, but unfortunately it was packed and we couldn't get a nice seat..

Day 3: The super low prices of Platinum fashion mall beckoned us to head back there again, and it was another day of excessive shopping for us. Prior to hitting the 6-floors of wholesale outlets, we did make a pit stop at the famed Erawan Shrine to say a prayer (cause everyone knows i need more spiritual intervention in my life!). Word of advice for folks wishing to visit this 4-face Buddha shrine though.... DO NOT BUY INCENSE OR EVEN SPEAK TO THE STREET SIDE VENDORS! God/Buddha did not stipulate that you have to burn incense or stick gold leaves to show your faith... contribute to the donation box and say your prayers, cause i got ripped off by the vendors (possible for the 2nd time if i remember correctly...urgh!). Well... i think they need that extra few bucks more than i do, plus items were used for prayer (so it's on them for conning me! haha).. doesn't make me feel that bad after all.
A quick refresher stop at the hotel where we got dolled up for our lovely night out in town. first stop was dinner at The Cabbages & Condoms restaurant on Soi 12 in Sukhumvit (which was recommended by my dad).. food wasn't much to shout about, but the restaurant did have some pretty unique decor; lamps made out of condoms, and super hero mannequins decked out in condoms and contraceptive pills. Check pics in the coming post for a glimpse.
With me now limping from 3-days of excessive walking, we made our way to the Chaophraya river jetty via BTS to catch a river taxi to the super stylish Millennium Hilton Hotel. The Hilton is home to THREESIXTY (which is why it was a must see! gettit? ThreeSixty?), a bar/lounge ranked number #3 on Bangkok's must visit rooftop clubs/bars. (information obtained by net-addict girlfriend of course). The view of the Chaophraya river and Bangkok city skyline is absolutely magnificent from here, coupled with the cool sombre atmosphere of the venue makes for the ultimate place to chill and enjoy a quiet romantic evening... sipping on a ThreeSixty Martini.

Day 4: MORE EXCESSIVE WALKING. we walked from soi 11 all the way to soi 55 along Sukhumvit road. Nuff said.
Damn i miss bangkok already... foot-aches, shopping and all.

BKK Shopping Spoils:
- 4 pairs of shorts
- 3 collared tees
- 11 round necks
- 9 long sleeved shirts
- 1 blouse (for mum!)
- 1 dress (for mum!)
- 2 bling bling "J" key chains
- 1 dog leash
- 10 doggie snacks
- 1 crocs
- 2 pairs of sunnies

Pictures in the coming posts.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A few dresses, shorts and baby tees can't last me a whole year!!

Siiiiigh, I miss BKK too. I'm still having withdrawal symptoms. How now. :(

Demon said...

Well then... lets go again!!

Bangkok Hotels Thailand said...

From my experience of Bangkok trip. I think that looking for accommodation around Sukhumvit are is the good idea because Sukhunvit is in the heart of the shopping district, both in terms of large department stores and the various stalls lining both sides of the road. The various side-streets provide a proliferation of nightlife venues. For the renowned and well-known spots, you will need to walk onwards past the Asok crossroads to Sukhumvit Soi 21 or Soi Cowboy. This area also offers a wide selection of cuisine to choose from, both in terms of air-conditioned high-end restaurants and open air restaurants offering quite reasonable prices.