My Bangkok moments :)

My recent Bangkok trip was indeed the best family trip ever. It was my very first time boarding AirAsia to Bangkok. We were quite fortunate to be seated on the new Airbus A320. The plane was new and comfortable, but the limited legroom was among some of the things that let some us down. Unlike my previous long haul flight experience with MAS, there were no magazines available or complimentary snacks given onboard and no in-flight interactive services. Besides, they used the garbage bag to collect rubbish along the aisle directly from their passengers. Of course, it’s unfair to compare a budget carrier with a commercial carrier. At least, they did try their best to provide us a pleasant in-flight experience, which is commendable. :)

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The new Airbus A320 at LCCT, KLIA.

Day 1: Friday, Dec 15th, 2006.

We landed on the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Dec 15th, 3pm. Soon after we collected our luggage, we eagerly checked out to the arrival hall to meet sister Lisa who arrived few hours earlier from Singapore. Thereafter, our family vacation officially started on a foreign soil. Whee~

We were picked up from the airport to our hotel in Bangkok City with a private van. From there we faced our very first communication breakdown with the Thai. The driver didn’t understand any of our languages, not even English! So we just took some pictures throughout the journey. We saw lotsa cars in the congested metropolitan Bangkok, but not even a single Proton! Unlike the inferior taxis in Malaysia, they use the superiorly new Toyota Corolla as their taxis! Oh my gosh!

We checked in our hotel rooms in Asia Hotel and had a quick rest before exploring its surrounding. The second floor of our hotel is linked to the Ratchathewi BTS (Bangkok Transit Systems) Station. Literally, that means most of the attractions of the city were just situated at our doorstep. We had our dinner at a nearby restaurant, Siam House. The food was fantastically yummy and cheap. But we did have some problems communicating with its waiter. In Bangkok, their Tom Yam is heavenly; their coconuts are so aromatic that manage to make you an addict!

That night, our whole family indulged ourselves with the full-body traditional Thai massage. Dad, mum and sister Lisa signed up for a 2 hours session, while sister Marine and I opted for an 80 minutes session. Traditional Thai massage is lotsa pressing on the body. Frankly, it was quite ticklish to me at the beginning. :) Late at night, I did some random exploration near the hotel, while waiting for my sisters who were having a manicure at a shop.

The Bangkok Transit Systems (BTS)

Day 2: Saturday, Dec 16th, 2006.

Since we had signed up for a day tour, the travel agency picked us up from the hotel lobby at 8.30am and brought us to some famous landmarks of the city. They brought us to two famous temples and gave us a commentary ride around the city. In the afternoon, they dropped us in Bangkok famous’ Jatujak Weekend Market - an open-air shopping heaven for bargain hunters. By the time we were at Jatujak, it was already 2pm and the sun wasn’t merciful. The heat was trapped by the aluminium roof hanging over thousands of stalls. The market is literally mind-boggling to make tourists lost inside and desperately looking for exits under the Bangkok’s hot and dry weather. Fortunately, plenty of coconuts, mouth-wateringly refreshing desserts and local delicacies could be found easily in the market. We spent about 3 hours in the market before going back to our hotel rooms to dump all our shopping bags.

That night, we had buffet sushi with steamboat as dinner at Shabushi Restaurant for about 200 baht each person. What a bargain! Then, we spent the rest of our night exploring Pat-pong, a red-light district. Most of the street vendors in that area were very rude and moody. Walking down the streets, you could see pole-dancers dancing seductively inside the pubs. There were also people promoting x-rated shows along the streets but we just ignored them. We returned to our hotel quite late at night. I explored the surrounding of our hotel and tried their local food, Hoitord (which turned out to be fried oysters) at a roadside stall, while sister Marine and Lisa were having a body massage and foot massage, respectively in a massage parlor.

Part of the red-light district.

Dare to eat? Fried Grasshoppers, worms and other insects. 20 baht for a full packet. Creepy!

Thai's version of Fried Oysters, Hoitord. Yummy!

Day 3: Sunday, Dec 17th, 2006.

We woke up early for a buffet breakfast at the hotel. Then we went off to the city center by BTS. We spent plenty of hours in MBK Shopping Mall. Both of my sisters became shopaholics at MBK. From there, I bought a 30x explorer’s binoculars for 600 baht. We had our lunch at Fifth Avenue, which is quite similar to our Marché at The Curve. Next, we went to Siam Paragon (a KLCC equivalent) for some shopping, though sister Marine decided to remain in MBK for her exciting shopping expedition. We had our dinner at delicious Siam House again (we ordered different dishes, of course!).

Christmas tree at Siam Paragon.

Day 4: Monday, Dec 18th, 2006.

Packing desperately, trying to squeeze everything into our luggage. We had our lunch at Siam House. The boss gave us a sweet smile when were leaving, knowing that it was our third time there and I showed her my thumbs up before I left. We were fetched to the airport by a private van in the afternoon. We spent hours in the huge and modern Suvarnabhumi International Airport. My sister’s flight to Singapore was delayed to the same time as our flight to KL. All in all, it was such a fabulously fun trip. Bangkok, we are definitely anticipating our next trip to catch up the attractions that we have yet to explore!!!

Siam House Restaurant, near Asia Hotel. - Picture taken by a loyal patron. :)