Bangkok – Part 2
Previously on NG2013: Pre-departure, Bangkok 9 Nov
10 Nov
10 Nov was the first full day on November Getaway 2013 and it was also a shopping day, window shopping mostly. Today agenda was to visit Chathuchak Weekend Market, malls in Siam district, and to watch the Siam Niramit show.
Sunday Morning Bus Trip
When the travel mate did the booking on booking.com, there was no breakfast included for our rooms. But when we checked in, we received free sandwhich and coffee/tea coupons for 3 days. So we started the day around 8.30-ish in the morning, munching the sandwhich, slurping coffee, reuniting with internet (internet connection was only available at the receptionist and dining area).
The receptionist told us to take bus number 3 if we wanted to go to Chatuchak Weekend Market. When we asked about the fare, they said that some buses are free, wah! Unfortunately I didn’t run into such bus during my stay in Bangkok (that’s because you only took the bus twice, Ra!). Well, maybe next time.
ride like a local!
Bus no 3 only had one seats on each side and that Sunday morning everyone got a seat and no one was standing. The bus conductor was a woman wearing mask, she would got up and collected the money when there was new passenger aboard. I guess it was a flat fare because with exception of the foreigners, all local passenger didn’t mention where they would alight.
This ride cost 13 THB and though the receptionist warned us about the traffic, I think the 45 minute trip to Chatuchak Market was rather due to the distance.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
This. Place. Is. HUGE! If one really intends to do serious shopping here then one should have the market map in their hands (available on their website and provided at certain entry point) otherwise one will waste their time. And if one also likes something they see then one should immediately open their wallet and haggle if possible otherwise one will forget where the stall is and regret not buying the first time.
coconut ice cream – perfect for your sunny Sunday!
boat noodle – use tongs to get as many bean sprouts as you want from the blue bucket
crocodile head, sir, mam?
Let’s Go To The Mall.. Today! (*song by Robin Sparkles)
The (windows) shopping tour continued. Next on the list was Siam district area. The malls there are connected by sky bridge. To get to Siam district from Chatuchak was easy. Mo Chit BTS Skytrain station was nearby and the train could take us to Siam Station (22 THB). The first mall that I saw right when exiting the station was Siam Paragon.
top: park next to Chatuchak Weekend Market
bottom left: Bangkok traffic, what a colorful line of cars
bottom right: one of my regret, did not investigate what rabbit and carrot service center was
Siam Paragon, Siam Center, MBK Center
Siam Paragon: this mall has luxury car showrooms and Kinokuniya
Siam Center Toilet: Must Visit
Bridge to MBK Center: perfect spot for photoshoot session
Plan B
After buying book, postcards and car charger adapter in those malls, the travel mate and I went back to the Skytrain station with hope to find travel agents that sold Siam Niramit ticket for that day. It was Sunday and it’s either there was no travel agent at Siam station or it’s closed. We then searched the area with no luck and decided to switch the schedule and end this day with sky bar experience.
I did my homework on Bangkok sky bars and proposed Cloud47 because this sky bar was new, not crowded yet, and it received excellent reviews for points that I cared about including say-yes-to-flip-flop rule (the famous Lebua sky bar/Hangover sky bar has strict dress-code and more expensive beverages/food, not to mention the place is certainly packed). If I am to visit Bangkok again, I’d like to have dinner at my second choice of Bangkok skybars, Vertigo.
Flying Going to Cloud47
We followed guide from Tasty Thailand and went back to Siam station and got into the Silom Line and alighted at Sala Daeng station. Ten minute walk, we stepped inside Union Center office tower, gladly arrived at 5 PM sharp (Cloud47 opens at 5!) and found before us an announcement that Cloud47 was closed until 8 PM due to a private party. Ok.
3 hours to kill.. at Moz in Union Center tower, snacking and writing postcards.
2 hours to kill.. Patpong Red District Night Market. We walked through the market which was not alive yet (it was merely 6PM) and then entered one of the bar a supermarket where we saw the sexy dance one of the staff, the deposit counter staff (is this the right term for ‘penitipan barang’?), greeted and talked to us in Indonesian (and amazingly the travel mate didn’t realize that at all).
‘dua tas?’ ‘iya, makasi’
45 minutes to kill.. Leaving the Patpong night market area and heading back to Union Center tower, there was this street concert for charity. This was my first encounter with Thai pop that night.
Cloud47
Finally
wait.. what?! the party is still on! crashing party abroad: checked! Second encounter to Thai pop that night.
40 minutes later… I was definitely on cloud nine on Cloud47
Back To Khao San Road
The magical night didn’t end there. That night the travel mate and I managed to get a taxi that used meter! Ha! It was night, we were going to Khao San road and the mob was still going on, so I would count that as a miracle. Thank you, Mr. Taxi Driver!
Back on Khao San Road, our first priority was to find travel agent. Several of them were still open and our Siam Niramit tickets for tomorrow show were secured. The official ticket costs 1500 THB each but we got it for 1000 THB. It was the first price that the travel agent mentioned and we quickly nodded in agreement.
Happy. Happy House. Sleep. Ready for tomorrow.
Plan: Chatuchak Weekend Market, malls in Siam district, Siam Niramit show Reality: Chatuchak Weekend Market, malls in Siam district (Siam Paragon – Siam Center – MBK Center), Patpong Night Market, Cloud47