Starbucks Coffee

"C's" goal: Travel countries with Starbucks Coffee. Collect travel mugs and coffee tumblers per destination. It's fun if you think about it and we still have a long list to go. =) Taken at MBK mall and Suvarnabhumi airport before departure.

Shopping and No Smoking

We had to exchanged some of our Philippine Peso and US Dollar at MBK Center because we're already hungry and in need of some THB for some light shopping. You know, those banks located inside the mall. Exchange rates are bad especially for PHP.

Siam Exchange is an authorized money changer and they have one of the best rates. It is located between Honda and Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) along Phaya Thai road. This is a much better choice!

MBK finds: Tamarind, 3 packs for THB 100.00. Dried Fish at THB 80.00. You can also find souvenir T-shirts here.

If you're a smoker, be warned. Smoking is banned in air-conditioned buildings, indoor public spaces, shopping malls, bus stations, train stations, and at the Suvarnabhumi airport. If you can afford THB 2,000.00 then by all means, be a puff-happy.

Siam Ocean World

Siam Ocean World is located inside Siam Paragon Mall. I purchased our tickets at hotels2thailand.com the day before.

The sleeping otters are so cute. Do you know that they hold hands while in water? They do this to make "otter raft" so they won't separate and drift apart from each other.

Ratchathewi, Mango, and Tuk tuk

These images were taken on our way to Pratunam Market. If you're into clothes, this is your place but don't expect anything extravagant. I totally dig their Mango. You can buy it from a street vendor for only THB 20.00.

This is our Tuk tuk experience costing at about THB 100.00. It is kinda expensive because this is just from Platinum Fashion Mall to Siam Paragon Mall but totally worth it. You just have to hold on tight to those bars at the side because if you don't, you might end up somewhere because of how fast this thing travels.

Siam Niramit

Siam Niramit is a must see! Totally a world class and fact be told it is a spectacular show of Thai arts and culture. I bought our tickets at hotels2thailand.com (Show + Buffet Dinner).

There's a free shuttle bus service from Thailand Cultural Centre MRT Station, Exit 1. Pick-ups starts from 5:30 pm and the cycle time is roughly 15 minutes, traffic permitting. It's a first come, first-served basis. Drop-offs begin after the show ends.

Dinner is served from 5:30 - 7:00 pm daily. Show starts at 7:00 and the duration is 80 minutes. Theatre gates open 30 minutes before the show.

Cameras or any device that allows you to take pictures are prohibited inside the theatre but there are lockers in the reception area which you can leave them and pick up after the show.

Chao Phraya River and Grand Palace

We rode the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat for THB 30.00 each (single trip only). Get off at Maharaj Pier (N9) for our Grand Palace Tour. Taxi wasn't an option because we wanted to experience the river trip.

Wat Arun - The Temple of Dawn taken from the boat.



The Grand Palace is a place that shimmers.  It's dazzling and spectacular because of its intricate design. Looking through the walls of the Palace, you'll immediately know that so much hard work has been put through to make the beautiful Architecture.  I salute the wonderful craftsmanship of the Thai people.

Entrance ticket price: THB 400.00. This includes entry to Vimanmek Palace and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.

My curiosity got me bad, really bad.  I wondered why everybody was heading to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew). I asked "C" and her mom if we can go and check it out but then both totally hesitated because you have to remove your footwear before you can climb the stairs. So, I plead then after sometime they agreed. Heck! We're already there why not make the most out of it.

When we were seated inside the temple I can't seem to get comfortable. Something smells silly, like a dead rat. Then I looked around, and it dawned on me. Feet, feet and feet everywhere! Oh my Buddha! How can you stand the smell?! I almost hurled and clamoured for fresh air. It was so embarrassing considering I literally dragged "C" and her mom just to feed my curiosity.

Trust your instincts; it's there for a reason. Somehow, mine totally failed me that time. Let's just charged that to my bank of experience. =)

This replica of Cambodia's Angkor Wat amazes me. It was built in the time of King Rama IV and it's so detailed.

After that mixed emotions tour, we were hungry. There are some restaurants across the entrance of the Palace. We ordered mixed seafoods rice and chicken basil. That at the right image is coke.

Bangkok City Hotel

Bangkok City Hotel is a great place to stay. It's affordable, clean and just a stone's throw away from major shopping establishments.  WIFI is free and they also have an internet cafe at the lobby, just in case you need to print something such as vouchers or boarding passes. Printing is THB 5.00. The free breakfast buffet is from 7:00 am until 10:00 am which is totally great because I had my Pad Thai Fest everyday!

By the way, before you get excited and explore the city, make sure to have a printed copy of where you stay. If you don't have one, ask the receptionist of your hotel to write down the thai translation of the address. Hotels have business cards, ask for that too. It will come in handy in case you get lost. Though foreigners are everywhere, sometimes it's still hard to communicate with the locals.

We were supposed to go to Chatuchak weekend market on our first day in Bangkok but opt to stay at the hotel to rest. We were exhausted from the travel because we worked the night before this trip. And a friend visited us at the hotel and the story telling was great that we didn't noticed that time has gone by so fast.

So, for dinner we called on room service and ordered rice meals (the one at the lower left is my everyday breakfast staple - Pad Thai). A very delectable dinner indeed, just go easy on the spice if you're not up for it. Let them know if you want it mild or no spice at all. Otherwise, it could mess up your appetite or worst irritate your stomach lining causing pain and discomfort.

Suvarnabhumi Airport

This has been a long over due report but here it is anyway.

Suvarnabhumi Airport “su-wan-na-poom" has a sleek and modern look. It's blue neon lights and glass walls are astonishing. In fact, it is 13th in rank at the World's Top Airport for 2012 by Skytrax. It is easy to get around with all the visible signages. Just follow where everybody is going and when you reach a pile of foreigners then you know you're on the right track. Patience is a must since queue can quite get long at Immigration. Proof that Bangkok has a thriving tourism industry despite the damages the flood has caused.

There are money changers inside the airport. Try to exchange some USD for your fare going to the city. Note: They do not accept PHP.

We ate at Eat•tion Thai Food located at the 3rd floor concord-B at the airport. Albeit, expensive but when you're hungry who cares about the cost. Stir-fried broccoli with shrimp THB 220.00. Chicken wrapped with pandanus leaf THB 210.00. Jasmine rice THB 50.00 each.