Today while waiting to collect my passport at ICA, I saw 2 old ladies, who were seated next to each other, started exchanging words casually. From their conversation, I could tell they were just 2 strangers chatting away to past time.
Sometimes I wonder, how many can actually put away their electronic devices and speak to random people around in public spaces? If they did, will and how will the other party/parties respond? Ok la, to be honest, I can only put my mobile phone away but to stare into blank spaces thereafter... Hehe.
- -
人在做，天在看。
很多事不需要你去"揭发"，它往往也会水落石出。
不要太执着，即使全世界知道了"真相"，那又如何?
不要太在意世俗的眼光，只要活得踏实，心安理得就好了。
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Ok, it has been almost 2 years since I last touched this small personal space of mine. But here I am today to blog about my first overseas trip to Bangkok with my boyfie :3
Planning for a trip can be fun and yet frustrating at the same time because you have soooo much information on hand but you have no idea how to fit everything into your short trip. Nonetheless, proud of myself to put together an itinerary which both of us enjoyed thoroughly! Also, thanks to my baby for his contributions to our itinerary, accommodating me and fulfilling the places/activities that were planned for in our 5D6N trip!
As I have gotten loads of help from online blogs and reviews for our itinerary, I hope my post on our BKK trip can benefit first-timers like me!
Day 1 (9th Apr 15)
We flew by Scoot in the afternoon at around 4pm. I remember we bought the air tickets last year around Aug when they were having a 1-for-1 promotion. But with all the surcharges and taxes, one ticket costs about $190. Not exactly veryyy cheap but we got a deal here (;
By the time we reached Don Mueang airport, it was near 8pm (BKK is 1 hour slower than SG). Surprisingly, the crowd control for the taxi was better than imagined - we were orderly ushered into the queues. There was also a counter amongst the queue where a lady asked us for our destination and wrote it on a form. When our taxi driver came, she wrote down his name and passed us the form. Not sure what the form was for but it had a feedback section. Probably for unsatisfied passengers to make complaints (like being overcharged or encountered bad service) as after the ride, the driver collected it back from us. Within 30 minutes, we were on our way to our hotel, Lemon Tea Hotel, which was situated at Pratunam. The ride was around 30 min and costs 300THB + 70/80THB (highway toll).
Lemon Tea Hotel is situated strategically near the main attractions in Pratunam - 5 min walk to Pratunam Market, 10 min walk to Platinum Market, 15-20 min walk to Central World and Big C. The downside is the nearest BTS station, Ratchathewi, is 15-20 min walk away. It can get a little tiring when you have to head back to hotel from the station at the end of the day. Hotel wise, there is an elevator to our rooms from the lobby. Our hotel room was clean and neat too - up to my expectations! But the air con can get a little noisy. All in all, I really like Lemon Tea Hotel :)
We reached at around 9pm, feeling hungry and a little tired. Went to the Pratunam Market area as it was nearer. Many shops were already closed by then. And strangely there were a lot of Indian restaurants around. Finally, we settled in the only Thai food place we could find.
Day 2 (10 Apr 15)
Set off at around 10am the next day and hunted for the highly-raved Sab Sab Wanton Mee. The stall was located inside one of the alleys near Shibuya Glow. The queue got really long right after we joined in (phew). Waited for 10 min before we were seated. To be honest, the wanton mee was really so-so (maybe our expectations were high after reading reviews online) and the portion was small. My boyfie had to order the larger one. Despite that, they had nailed the pig trotters! It was tender and juicy! Luckily we ordered it :p
After which, we went to Amari Watergate Hotel (200m away from the stall) as my boyfie wanted to make suits for his work. There were 3 tailor shops and we had decided on Alex's Fashion - we had read good reviews on it and my boyfie felt comfortable after conversing with the shop owner who is an Indian guy in his early thirties (I think). He paid around 400SGD for a blazer, 3 shirts and 2 pants - all tailored-made! Super good deal :D However, as Songkran (Thai's new year) was around the corner, the locals had gone on holiday so my boyfie opted for the delivery of his clothes to SG at an additional cost of 40SGD. Not that bad as we could still email them if the suits weren't delivered by end Apr. They also visit SG periodically to promote their services/sales so my boyfie actually self-collect when they come in Jun.
While waiting for the tailors to come to do up my boyfie's measurements and all, we walked and shopped around Pratunam Market and Platinum Mall. *Shop-mode on!*
After my boyfie's fitting and our shopping, we walked down to Central World from Platinum Mall (5-10 min walk) to have dinner. We had more Thai food at Yam Saap - the food and price were decent :) Then we dropped by the famous After You cafe for dessert. The Shibuya Honey Toast was HEAVENLY and TO DIE FOR~! The toast was crispy on the outside, soft and tasty on the inside (my boyfie said butter was added inside their toasts). Best toast ever seriously!! A must-try if you ever visit BKK! :D *Getting hungry as I am typing this...*
Day 3 (11 Apr 15)
We ventured out of our area and headed to Chatuchuk Market in the morning. Anyway, we traveled around via BTS and MRT in BKK. BTS is like their main line (akin to MRT in SG), whereas MRT is like their sub-line (akin to LRT in SG). Places of attraction are also conveniently located near their BTS and MRT stations :) It was a 20-min ride from Ratchathewi to Mo Chit station. Just follow the crowd to get to the market. *Shop mode on again!* The shopping experience at Chatuchak was good :) - not as hot/humid/frustrating as my bro described. The stuff were cheap cheap~ too :p I think we only covered 1/4 of the market? Many many stalls/shops and some nice street food (including my fav coconut ice cream - 35THB with 2 toppings!) We almost wanted to go back there the next day, but didn't :p
After 3-4 hours of shopping, we decided to head to Union Mall via MRT. The Chatuchuk Park station (MRT) was located just opposite Mo Chit station (BTS) :) We took the MRT one stop to Phahon Yothin and exited at Exit 5. Union Mall was like a mini Platinum Mall but after our shopping experience at Chatuchuk Market, the mall wasn't that appealing to us :p The stuff were more pricey but you could still find some good buys there. Anyway, we had our lunch at a random restaurant there - Tom Yum soup noodles which I think was super delicious (maybe I was too hungry hehe)! We got to choose the type of noodles (glass noodles, ramen, rice noodles etc) too. The soup was spicy and authentic - I would go back for it! :)
We took a taxi back to Lemon Tea Hotel which cost around 150THB - totally made the right choice as we bought a lot of stuff and were dead beat. And I gonna thank my dearest boyfie who gentlemanly carried our loots all day without complaints <3 br="">
Had some rest and washed up before heading out again for dinner at the zichar area near Central World. There was a stretch of zichar stalls along the pavement and we had chosen the last stall (nearest to Central World). It looked the most popular and customers were streaming in non-stop. We had chicken, omelette and vegetables which was not bad. A pity we only had 2 people else we could order seafood too. Hehe next time! We went to Big C supermarket (just opposite Central World). It was really huge but we only aimed the tidbits section :p Carton boxes were also provided for people like us to pack our loots so that we could check them in with our luggage. But we gonna buy our own tapes. And again, my macho boyfie lugged our big heavy box and walked all the way from Big C to our hotel :3
Day 4 (12 Apr 15)
Our day began with cafe hopping - Gram. There are many cafes in BKK near Asok-Ekkamai area (refer to the BTS MRT map), you can google one easily. We took the BTS from Ratchathewi to Asok station which took around 15-20 min. Walking under the sorching sun and with the help of the locals in a supermarket, we finally found Gram (soooo much relief) :) It was located a good 1km or so away from Asok station and deep inside the area. Getting there by a taxi is advisable. The environment was nice and food was decent, similar to what we have in SG, but cheaper for the quantity we ordered (I can't remember how much though!). Good cafe hopping experience :)
Having some time to spare before our massage at Health Land Spa, we decided to drop by Terminal 21 Shopping Mall which was located just next to Asok station. As the name implied, Terminal 21 was airport-themed. At the end of every upward escalator, there were signs similar to the arrival signs you see in airports. The retail shops in Terminal 21 resembled those in Vivocity, ION orchard. And I was very impressed by their cinema - super grand! I guess watching movie in BKK is like a luxury for the locals.
We window-shopped and rested for a while and found our way to Health Land Spa - the massage place my boyfie's colleague introduced him to. Anyway, before we left our hotel in the morning, we had called to book a slot. Health Land Spa was huge - 8 storey high with a grand reception area and atas facilities. We had an hour of therapeutic massage at 350THB. I would actually try their spa/sauna if I had extra money next time :p
After the relaxing massage, we took MRT from Sukhumvit station to Thailand Cultural Centre. Similarly, the MRT station was located near the BTS station so it was super convenient :) After a short walk from the station, we found ourselves at Rod Fai Market 2, situated behind Esplande Complex. The market had a vintage atmosphere and a vibrant bazaar of street food, fashion and home deco. Clothes, food and drinks were sold from vintage cars as well. What a cool and unique concept! A pity it was drizzling when we arrived. Many stalls were closed but we managed to try some really yummy street food! We left shortly and walked around Esplanade Complex. To our delight, we spotted Kyo Roll En which served Japanese desserts! *slurps*
Day 5 (13 Apr 15)
Happy Songkran 2015! It was the first day of their New Year and we were fortunate to experience the fun atmosphere (we didn't know about this when we booked our air tickets actually). People were all armed with super soakers and water guns and even buckets of water. So getting wet was inevitable :p We realised that there was a foam and water party at Central World too. Too bad we weren't prepared for it so we didn't participate. Anyway, we had lunch at KFC there. First time eating my chicken using ceramic plate, fork and knife! Movie: Home was up next! Enjoyable movie. The cinema at Central World was as grand as the one in Terminal 21. Really impressed :)
Our next destination was Asiatique The Waterfront. We took BTS to Siam station, changed to dark green line and stopped at Saphan Taksin (refer to BTS MRT map). As usual, we followed the crowd and took the ferry (for free) to Asiatique. Note that the last ferry from there is at 11pm. I find Asiatique similar to our Clarke Quay. Nice ambiance - restaurants by the river and shops/stalls neatly lined up in various warehouses. Can take pretty photos and suitable for couples :) We had a hearty seafood dinner and modern mango sticky rice dessert there.
Day 6 (14 Apr 15)
Awwww, like all good things will come to an end, it was our last day in BKK. We took a taxi (100THB flat rate, no metre) to Erawan Shrine in the morning, thinking that it was a distance away from our hotel. Upon arrival, we realised it was just right down Central World/Big C! :p The shrine was smaller than we thought but definitely crowded. After praying, we did some last minute shopping at Big C and Platinum Mall before settling down for lunch at the Platinum Food Court. They did not accept cash and we had to purchase a top-up card for the food. There were many food choices but I think they were mainly Thai-Chinese fusion.
After lunch, we had a foot massage at a decent-looking massage parlour my boyfie spotted near our hotel. It was pretty good as I actually fell asleep halfway! :3 Good alternative to Health Land Spa. We then got a taxi with the help of the receptionist (400THB flat rate again). Reached Don Mueang airport rather early and had some random food there before departing at 8pm. Really enjoyed our first overseas trip and we will definitely go back to BKK again!! :3
Planning for a trip can be fun and yet frustrating at the same time because you have soooo much information on hand but you have no idea how to fit everything into your short trip. Nonetheless, proud of myself to put together an itinerary which both of us enjoyed thoroughly! Also, thanks to my baby for his contributions to our itinerary, accommodating me and fulfilling the places/activities that were planned for in our 5D6N trip!
As I have gotten loads of help from online blogs and reviews for our itinerary, I hope my post on our BKK trip can benefit first-timers like me!
Day 1 (9th Apr 15)
We flew by Scoot in the afternoon at around 4pm. I remember we bought the air tickets last year around Aug when they were having a 1-for-1 promotion. But with all the surcharges and taxes, one ticket costs about $190. Not exactly veryyy cheap but we got a deal here (;
By the time we reached Don Mueang airport, it was near 8pm (BKK is 1 hour slower than SG). Surprisingly, the crowd control for the taxi was better than imagined - we were orderly ushered into the queues. There was also a counter amongst the queue where a lady asked us for our destination and wrote it on a form. When our taxi driver came, she wrote down his name and passed us the form. Not sure what the form was for but it had a feedback section. Probably for unsatisfied passengers to make complaints (like being overcharged or encountered bad service) as after the ride, the driver collected it back from us. Within 30 minutes, we were on our way to our hotel, Lemon Tea Hotel, which was situated at Pratunam. The ride was around 30 min and costs 300THB + 70/80THB (highway toll).
Lemon Tea Hotel is situated strategically near the main attractions in Pratunam - 5 min walk to Pratunam Market, 10 min walk to Platinum Market, 15-20 min walk to Central World and Big C. The downside is the nearest BTS station, Ratchathewi, is 15-20 min walk away. It can get a little tiring when you have to head back to hotel from the station at the end of the day. Hotel wise, there is an elevator to our rooms from the lobby. Our hotel room was clean and neat too - up to my expectations! But the air con can get a little noisy. All in all, I really like Lemon Tea Hotel :)
We reached at around 9pm, feeling hungry and a little tired. Went to the Pratunam Market area as it was nearer. Many shops were already closed by then. And strangely there were a lot of Indian restaurants around. Finally, we settled in the only Thai food place we could find.
 |
| Banana crepe which tasted like roti prata. Yummy but oily! :p |
Day 2 (10 Apr 15)
Set off at around 10am the next day and hunted for the highly-raved Sab Sab Wanton Mee. The stall was located inside one of the alleys near Shibuya Glow. The queue got really long right after we joined in (phew). Waited for 10 min before we were seated. To be honest, the wanton mee was really so-so (maybe our expectations were high after reading reviews online) and the portion was small. My boyfie had to order the larger one. Despite that, they had nailed the pig trotters! It was tender and juicy! Luckily we ordered it :p
 |
| The smaller portion - so little right? |
While waiting for the tailors to come to do up my boyfie's measurements and all, we walked and shopped around Pratunam Market and Platinum Mall. *Shop-mode on!*
 |
| Pratunam Market |
 | |||
| Swensens Mango Sticky Rice ice cream! They only serve ice creams, unlike in SG. |
 | |
| On an overhead bridge connecting to Platinum Mall! |
After my boyfie's fitting and our shopping, we walked down to Central World from Platinum Mall (5-10 min walk) to have dinner. We had more Thai food at Yam Saap - the food and price were decent :) Then we dropped by the famous After You cafe for dessert. The Shibuya Honey Toast was HEAVENLY and TO DIE FOR~! The toast was crispy on the outside, soft and tasty on the inside (my boyfie said butter was added inside their toasts). Best toast ever seriously!! A must-try if you ever visit BKK! :D *Getting hungry as I am typing this...*
Day 3 (11 Apr 15)
We ventured out of our area and headed to Chatuchuk Market in the morning. Anyway, we traveled around via BTS and MRT in BKK. BTS is like their main line (akin to MRT in SG), whereas MRT is like their sub-line (akin to LRT in SG). Places of attraction are also conveniently located near their BTS and MRT stations :) It was a 20-min ride from Ratchathewi to Mo Chit station. Just follow the crowd to get to the market. *Shop mode on again!* The shopping experience at Chatuchak was good :) - not as hot/humid/frustrating as my bro described. The stuff were cheap cheap~ too :p I think we only covered 1/4 of the market? Many many stalls/shops and some nice street food (including my fav coconut ice cream - 35THB with 2 toppings!) We almost wanted to go back there the next day, but didn't :p
 |
| BTS: Green lines; MRT: Blue line |
After 3-4 hours of shopping, we decided to head to Union Mall via MRT. The Chatuchuk Park station (MRT) was located just opposite Mo Chit station (BTS) :) We took the MRT one stop to Phahon Yothin and exited at Exit 5. Union Mall was like a mini Platinum Mall but after our shopping experience at Chatuchuk Market, the mall wasn't that appealing to us :p The stuff were more pricey but you could still find some good buys there. Anyway, we had our lunch at a random restaurant there - Tom Yum soup noodles which I think was super delicious (maybe I was too hungry hehe)! We got to choose the type of noodles (glass noodles, ramen, rice noodles etc) too. The soup was spicy and authentic - I would go back for it! :)
 |
We took a taxi back to Lemon Tea Hotel which cost around 150THB - totally made the right choice as we bought a lot of stuff and were dead beat. And I gonna thank my dearest boyfie who gentlemanly carried our loots all day without complaints <3 br="">
Had some rest and washed up before heading out again for dinner at the zichar area near Central World. There was a stretch of zichar stalls along the pavement and we had chosen the last stall (nearest to Central World). It looked the most popular and customers were streaming in non-stop. We had chicken, omelette and vegetables which was not bad. A pity we only had 2 people else we could order seafood too. Hehe next time! We went to Big C supermarket (just opposite Central World). It was really huge but we only aimed the tidbits section :p Carton boxes were also provided for people like us to pack our loots so that we could check them in with our luggage. But we gonna buy our own tapes. And again, my macho boyfie lugged our big heavy box and walked all the way from Big C to our hotel :3
Day 4 (12 Apr 15)
Our day began with cafe hopping - Gram. There are many cafes in BKK near Asok-Ekkamai area (refer to the BTS MRT map), you can google one easily. We took the BTS from Ratchathewi to Asok station which took around 15-20 min. Walking under the sorching sun and with the help of the locals in a supermarket, we finally found Gram (soooo much relief) :) It was located a good 1km or so away from Asok station and deep inside the area. Getting there by a taxi is advisable. The environment was nice and food was decent, similar to what we have in SG, but cheaper for the quantity we ordered (I can't remember how much though!). Good cafe hopping experience :)
 |
Having some time to spare before our massage at Health Land Spa, we decided to drop by Terminal 21 Shopping Mall which was located just next to Asok station. As the name implied, Terminal 21 was airport-themed. At the end of every upward escalator, there were signs similar to the arrival signs you see in airports. The retail shops in Terminal 21 resembled those in Vivocity, ION orchard. And I was very impressed by their cinema - super grand! I guess watching movie in BKK is like a luxury for the locals.
 |
We window-shopped and rested for a while and found our way to Health Land Spa - the massage place my boyfie's colleague introduced him to. Anyway, before we left our hotel in the morning, we had called to book a slot. Health Land Spa was huge - 8 storey high with a grand reception area and atas facilities. We had an hour of therapeutic massage at 350THB. I would actually try their spa/sauna if I had extra money next time :p
After the relaxing massage, we took MRT from Sukhumvit station to Thailand Cultural Centre. Similarly, the MRT station was located near the BTS station so it was super convenient :) After a short walk from the station, we found ourselves at Rod Fai Market 2, situated behind Esplande Complex. The market had a vintage atmosphere and a vibrant bazaar of street food, fashion and home deco. Clothes, food and drinks were sold from vintage cars as well. What a cool and unique concept! A pity it was drizzling when we arrived. Many stalls were closed but we managed to try some really yummy street food! We left shortly and walked around Esplanade Complex. To our delight, we spotted Kyo Roll En which served Japanese desserts! *slurps*
 |
 |
Day 5 (13 Apr 15)
Happy Songkran 2015! It was the first day of their New Year and we were fortunate to experience the fun atmosphere (we didn't know about this when we booked our air tickets actually). People were all armed with super soakers and water guns and even buckets of water. So getting wet was inevitable :p We realised that there was a foam and water party at Central World too. Too bad we weren't prepared for it so we didn't participate. Anyway, we had lunch at KFC there. First time eating my chicken using ceramic plate, fork and knife! Movie: Home was up next! Enjoyable movie. The cinema at Central World was as grand as the one in Terminal 21. Really impressed :)
 |
Our next destination was Asiatique The Waterfront. We took BTS to Siam station, changed to dark green line and stopped at Saphan Taksin (refer to BTS MRT map). As usual, we followed the crowd and took the ferry (for free) to Asiatique. Note that the last ferry from there is at 11pm. I find Asiatique similar to our Clarke Quay. Nice ambiance - restaurants by the river and shops/stalls neatly lined up in various warehouses. Can take pretty photos and suitable for couples :) We had a hearty seafood dinner and modern mango sticky rice dessert there.
 |
 |
Day 6 (14 Apr 15)
Awwww, like all good things will come to an end, it was our last day in BKK. We took a taxi (100THB flat rate, no metre) to Erawan Shrine in the morning, thinking that it was a distance away from our hotel. Upon arrival, we realised it was just right down Central World/Big C! :p The shrine was smaller than we thought but definitely crowded. After praying, we did some last minute shopping at Big C and Platinum Mall before settling down for lunch at the Platinum Food Court. They did not accept cash and we had to purchase a top-up card for the food. There were many food choices but I think they were mainly Thai-Chinese fusion.
After lunch, we had a foot massage at a decent-looking massage parlour my boyfie spotted near our hotel. It was pretty good as I actually fell asleep halfway! :3 Good alternative to Health Land Spa. We then got a taxi with the help of the receptionist (400THB flat rate again). Reached Don Mueang airport rather early and had some random food there before departing at 8pm. Really enjoyed our first overseas trip and we will definitely go back to BKK again!! :3
 |
 |
| Home bound! |
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