Travel To Everywhere

Bangkok: day 5 of 5

2012-03-25T07:22:00.001-07:00

Day 5 -Thursday

Ate the forbidden fruit, mango stick rice and cup noodle (13 baht from 7-Eleven) at the hotel room balcony.

Then it's another mad rush to try to pack and balance the 2 suitcases, now filled to the brim.

Picked up rest of tailored clothes from concierge, settled the bill and then it's off to the airport to catch our 12:30pm flight.

Bought some last minute souvenirs at the airport (and even packets of mango sticky rice).

Then it's home sweet home!

Goodbye Bangkok, hopefully we'll be back soon!

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Day 4

Bangkok: day 4 of 5

2012-03-25T07:03:00.002-07:00

Day 4 - Wednesday

Breakfast at the hotel again. Wow, we are so full that we promised not to eat lunch again.

Then got trapped in Chidlom Central for another couple of hours, grabbing more clothes and shoes for the children that were on sale.

Then went to MBK (http://www.mbk-center.co.th/en/index.php). Again, many floors of shopping. Don't forget to ask for a Tourist Card from the information counter, which entitles you to discounts at various stores, and Tokyu (5%), their anchor tenant. More children's clothes and shoes, and of course, disposable contact lenses (got Acuvue Oasys at Your Optical on level 1 - the prices much cheaper than Singapore).

Then more hair treatment at Ten Ten and spa at Asian Herbal Association (http://www.asiaherbassociation.com/en/index.html). They used the best oil as compared to the other spa.

Foot massage: 3/5
Body massage: 3.5/5

Then it's back to Nickermann Tailor to collect our orders. Most are fine but still minor adjustment to a few pieces and they promised to deliver to the hotel.

As for dinner, T and K at Chinatown was so good that we'd decided to go and try the rival red shirts, Lek and Rut, that's just opposite them. Just to see how good the competition is. (Final conclusion - T and K which is the yellow and green shirts, is the winner!)

Then we walked along the streets looking for fruits (and eventually smuggled the forbidden fruit into the hotel cling-wrapped and ziplock).

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Day 5

Bangkok: day 3 of 5

2012-03-25T06:46:00.003-07:00

Day 3 - Tuesday

Breakfast at the hotel. Wow what a spread...

It's off to 8 floors of shopping at Central Chidlom (http://www.central.co.th/en/index.php). As a tourist, it seems that you are entitled to discounts and certainly VAT refunds at most major departmental stores. You'll want to check out the details at the customer service counter on level 8. If memory serves, the layout is as follows:

Level 1: Cosmetic Hall and right at the back, the supermarket (with very nice fruits) and food hall.
Level 2: Women's fashion, bags and accessories
Level 3: Muji, men and women's fashion, and this level is linked via a pedestrian bridge to Chidlom BTS
Level 4: Men's fashion
Level 5: Home decor, linens, appliances
Level 6: Toys, children fashion, Women's lingerie
Level 7: Customer service, Page One bookstore, an interesting store selling quirky decorations

B1: Laundry outlet, Facial, miscellaneous

Then it's spa again at Urban Retreat Spa (http://www.urbanretreatspa.net/). In terms of skills and pampering, this is the best one yet.

Foot massage: 4/5
Body massage: 4/5

Final fitting at Nickermann's Tailor, and to collect all our tailored clothes (some call it: bespoke) the day after. Wow, they only took 3 days to complete all.

Then it's dinner at Cabbage and Condom (http://www.pda.or.th/restaurant/restaurant.asp) for inexpensive and great thai food in a very nice environment.

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Bangkok: day 2 of 5

2012-03-25T04:15:00.000-07:00

Day 2 - Monday

Breakfast at Central Food Hall. Compared to the food places outside, this place is relatively expensive.

Then off we go to Nickermann's. We ended up ordering (mens) a suit, a pair of pants, 5 shirts, and (women) 2 dresses, 5 shirts and a skirt for a grand total of about 35,000 baht. Not all that cheap but looking forward to seeing the end product!

Then we separately had a spa and hair treatment - TenTen Hair and Nails Spa (http://nailspa-bangkok.com/) near Time Square, a shopping district near BTS Asok.

Spa was at King and I (http://www.soidb.com/bangkok/spa/king-and-i-spa-massage.html) The ambience is quiet (maybe because it's in the afternoon) and nice.

Foot massage: 4/5
Body massage: 3/5

For dinner, we'd decided to go to the famous T and K at Chinatown.

First we walked along Soi Sam Peng and were shopping in the shops along there that wholesale all kinds of trinkets, toys, hair accessories...

Opposite the street from T and K, there is a newly refurbished 林真香 store that sells all kinds of goodies.

At T and K, we ordered Shark's Fin soup, Fried Rice, Deep Fried Squid, Crab with mung bean vermiceli. Yummy! Great value! Pictures tell a thousand words:

Of course we ended our day with a bowl of deliciously presented bird's nest soup at Xing Ma just around the corner.

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Bangkok: day 1 of 5

2012-03-24T01:18:00.005-07:00

Day 1 - Sunday

We'd decided to have a short break only a week before as the original idea was to go the Chiangmai. However, the smog issue they were having drove tourists, and us of course, away from the city.

So it was a mad rush in the morning to pack, drive the kids to the in-laws and then to get to Changi Airport.

Flew free SQ on our miles... well, we still had to add $300+ taxes and surcharge... at least they gave us a hot meal and entertainment...

Online checked-in the night before so managed to get seats right at the exit... more leg room!
Need a good seat? Check out: http://www.seatguru.com

Finally arrived in Bangkok and checked into Swissotel Nai Lert Park (http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Hotel_Review-g293916-d607553-Reviews-Swissotel_Nai_Lert_Park-Bangkok.html) - a city hotel with an urban resort setting within a short walk to Phloen Chit BTS Station. Also a short walk to Chidlom Central - 8 floors of upmarket departmental shopping... more on that later.

For more info on the Bangkok BTS, go to: http://www.bts.co.th/customer/en/06-travel-palace-01.aspx

2 things we wanted to do today:
1. Chatuchak Market (http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g293916-d450971-Reviews-Chatuchak_Market-Bangkok.html)
2. Nickermann Tailor (http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g293916-d1892020-Reviews-Nickermann_s_Tailors-Bangkok.html)

Done all our research online already... Tripadvisor was a great help!

Officially, Chatuchak Market is opened till 6pm. But the shops on the main streets are still buzzing with loads of people when we left at about 7pm.

Took the BTS to Mo Chit station, then just followed the crowd.

Loot:
1. Paper flowers for handicraft

2. Foodstuff (from stall opposite Toilet 3): durian chips, cuttlefish
3. Vintage cotton t-shirts
4. Cute keychains
5. Printed stockings (jeans lookalike)

Also had a light dinner there in one of the stalls at the market.

Then off to Nickermann's Tailor at the basement of Landmark Hotel. Reached there at 8.30pm but they are closed by 6pm on Sundays and 8pm other days.

No choice went to Chang Foot Massage & Spa (http://www.soidb.com/bangkok/spa/chang-massage-langsuan.html) on Soi Lang Suan (next to Chidlom BTS) for massage.
Foot Massage rating: 4/5
Body Massage rating: 3/5

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