Bangkok Nov 2010 (1)

I'm back from my Bangkok trip! Albeit with an upset tummy that has plagued me for days. :( Alright, putting that aside for a moment, let's get started on my five day trip to the land of massive shopping! ;)

Day 1: The family and I took the early morning flight last Thursday and arrived in Bangkok around nine-ish? Poor Daddy was unwell the first few days (upset tummy) and he didn't get to play golf as he had scheduled. Anyway, we got to the cab stand to get a cab to our hotel, and Mr Cabbie looked at our three luggages and four persons, and you can totally read his mind that it seems just a bit too much load for his car. THEN, you should have seen his face, when I opened the huge EMPTY luggage Sis and I brought to Bkk, and stuffed one of the other medium sized luggages in. Snigger. That's what I call space saving. I know I know, I'm such a smart ass arnt' I? *beams*

The cabbie with zng-ed stereos.

Checking into our hotel

Our hotel is Bkk's tallest building - Baiyoke Sky Hotel

After a crappy lunch at one of the hotel's cafe, Daddy went back to his room to rest, while I kept hurrying Sis to get a move on. We were about to hit the stores! Haha. No pictures cos we were too busy shopping the rest of the day away at Platinum Fashion Mall. *loves*

We met up again with the rest for dinner, at the hotel again cos Daddy wasn't well and we thought that hotel food should be relatively clean. Had the seafood buffet and wasn't very impressed with the food standards once again. Seriously, for all the hype, Baiyoke isn't a very good hotel. Sniff. There were tons and tons (and I mean it) of tourists though, and the hotel seemed to be doing a roaring business cos I see it being swarmed with people no matter what time I happen to be walking about it.

The hotel lobby was on the 17th floor, so you gotta take a lift up to the lobby, and then take a separate lift up to the hotel rooms. There's yet another section of lifts to the dining restaurants levels/viewing observatories. So imagine how complicated the system is - people must switch between lifts quite often. Hmpf.

Anyway, after dinner, we took a short walk below the hotel to digest our dinner. Our hotel pros: relatively near to Platinum Mall, has a shuttle bus to MBK/Siam/Paragon/Airport Rail station, and situated right at the Pratunam area.  

Street vendors

The fruit and mandarin juice vendors were so funny la! When Sis and I went back again two days later to get some more fruits and juice, they actually remembered me! When we were paying for the stuff, they motioned at me and mimed the camera taking photos action (I had snapped these photos two days ago) and they were like smile smile, remembering. Hahaha.

Fruit seller

Tuk tuk

Our hotel cons: service - some of their staff didn't really understand English well, so we had trouble explaining certain stuff, the food isn't all that great, cleanliness - Sis saw a cockroach in the toilet on day one when we about to shower, we dialed room service and someone came to kill it (yeah, we're wimps like that), but the second night, Sis, again, saw a baby cockroach in the toilet!!! Thank god it wasn't me who saw the roaches. Disgusting things roaches. I can't stand 'em.

Day 2: My birthday! Okay, cos the day was embedded within our holiday, I didn't really feel any birthday feeling whatsoever (must be age catching up that I don't get all excited at the thought of birthdays...). Sis did gave me a birthday kiss though on our way out haha.

First up, we all skipped breakkie and went to Health Land for a much needed massage (at least for Sis and I, after our whole day of shopping the day before). The two hours long massage left us feeling totally energized again and ready for our next spree! In fact, I think, in the duration of the whole trip, I was addicted to crack. Cracking my sore muscles that is. Especially my back muscles after a whole day of walking. Aaaaaah.

After the lovely massage, we headed straight to MBK for some much needed food. MBK food court at level 6 is one of the best place to have some awesome Thai food. Sis and I always make sure to pop by there whenever we go Bkk.

Papaya salad;Roasted meat and veg; Beef noodles; Sticky coconut rice with mango

We always always order the papaya salad and beef noodles. Just cos that's what we crave so much. And something sweet to finish off the meal? That would be the sticky coconut rice and mango of course. Talk about indulgence...

Papaya salad stall; Crowded food court

Maple waffle (we shared one)

Right oh, next up is more shopping, at Union Mall this time round. Coming out from the train stop, we saw one of these ubiquitous waffles stall at the entrance of the mall. I'm a sucker for these miniature waffles, I can scarf down one of these every day if I could (which actually, I think I did, have one everyday that I was there that is haha). These are straight out addictive.

Best tasting crepe stall 

After all that walking, the piggo sistas (aka Sis and I) saw this crepe stall and we decided to share a chocolate banana crepe. Ooooo, imagine one of those lovely big crispy crepes, filled with your choice of filling, then folded expertly by those sellers wielding the spatulas. Can you just smell the smell of freshly prepared crispy crepes already? Seriously good stuff.

Met up with the adults at the hotel again (this is kinda a recurring thing - Sis and I shopping whole day, then meeting up at night with the adults for dinner lol), and as it was supposed to be a birthday dinner celebration, and Daddy stomach was kinda settling itself, we headed out for some seafood.

Dear Fishie, sorry but you're gonna be our dinner...

Beer; Steamed fish; Gigantic prawns; Pineapple rice

Crab tang hoon

Dinner turned sour at the end, as the place turned out to be some place that charged way exorbitant prices (yes I know we had seafood, but the prices were really mad exhortion!). But oh well, at least I had a decent birthday meal. That's the end of my first two days of the Bangkok trip...too many photos, I've split them into three posts. :)