Things To Do In Bangkok

Hi all! So as promised, I have come up with  a few things that in my opinion you all must do when visiting Bangkok. Especially for all you Bangkok virgins! :P They may suit you (if you are young and adventurous like me...hahaha NOT!) or they may not but I do really recommend all of these as to me, your trip to Bangkok will not be perfect if you haven't done all of the below. Anyways...here goes my version of top things to do while you're in Bangkok.

1) Go crazy in Platinum Fashion Mall

Yes Bangkok has too many shopping places to choose from so you need to really know which to choose depending on the things you want to buy (and the budget you have! :P). Well if your are looking for quantity and acceptable quality of clothing, then this Platinum Mall should be the number one on your to do list.You can actually find a whole new set of wardrobe if you want to and if you stay long enough lah. :) They have numerous kinds of clothings for men and women and you can also find bags and shoes and accessories. Basically anything to put on your body. One thing you need to know is they are wholesalers so you will get the best price if you buy 2 or more in any of the shops there. They will allow you to buy 1 only but the price will be slightly higher (from my observation they may vary from 50baht to 100baht cheaper per piece of clothing if you buy more than 1). So...it is best to go with friends who have the same taste as you since you guys can buy one each at the same shop and get the wholesale price. Oh one more thing to know is the 6 floor building is fully airconditioned  so you may shop at total ease! (kalau yg da biasa dgn Pasar Baru semua tu tak akan berpanasan macam tu lah yer puan puan semuaaa. No more ketiak berpeluh sambil sopping! hehe.) The place is open everyday from 9am to 8pm, 7 days a week. (Brand conscious peeps stay away! Go to Siam Paragon instead. :P)

There is a food court at the 6th floor of the mall that uses this prepaid card 

method where you go to the payment counter and get a card and request

and pay whatever amount you want then use it at the food stalls and then 

get the balance refund later back at the same counter. There are 2 halal 

food counters here. 

How to get there:

It is best to go by taxi if there are 3 or 4 of you but if you are alone or you're only a party of two then you can go by their BTS (their Subway) and exit at Siam station and walk around 600 meters past Central World shopping complex on your left towards Pratunam and you will see the Novotel Hotel just ahead also on the left which is just above the Platinum Fashion Mall.


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2) Go even crazier at Chatuchak Weekend Market!

Yeahhh tuan tuan puan puan semuaaa. Weekend market yer. Open only on Saturdays and Sundays from early morning 6am to 6pm in the evening... so take note on that. It's open though on Friday but only for wholesalers so if you have a shop or plan to open a shop you can go. There are soooo many things you can put your spending and bargaining skills on here! They have hundreds of different shops that sell all kind of things from clothes, souvenirs, home decorations, lamps, plants and even pets. More importantly is they can sell it cheap! So bargain bargain bargain! You can get very nice designed t-shirt for as low as 100Baht or RM10 only and office long-sleeved shirt for only 250Baht or RM25. Even the slim-cut work pants that I bought (and that I'm already wearing now as I'm typing this hehe) cost only 250Baht (Rm25). I'm sure that Chatuchak will be on everyone's list especially if you are first timers to Bangkok so yeah...don't miss all the bargains that you will experience there okay??? Another thing is bring along a large bag (trolley bag even better!) if you are really planning to shop a lot there so you don't have to carry 10 plastic bags on your back hehe. Oh yeah but please do wear very comfortable clothings and shoes or slippers before going to Chatuchak. All shops are covered but they do not have air conditioning so wear something thin and comfy and since you are going to walk for miles (I forgot to mention the vastness of this place! It's huge! Enormous! 27 acres to be precise! That is the size of almost 27 football fields combined! Yes size does matter here. :P) so please please wear comfortable walking shoes ya. 

Just arrived with my comfortable clothing for Chatuchak invasion hehehe. :P

Everything is 100Baht only! RM10 only.

Oops the owner was asking me to stop snapping pictures! :P

Map of Chatuchak Weekend Market

How to get there:

It is best to go by taxi if there are 3 or 4 of you but if you are alone or you're only a party of two then you can go by their BTS (their Subway) and exit at Mo Chit station and just walk around 150 meters to the nearest Chatuchak entrance or if by their MRT (their train) exit at Kamphaeng Phet station and walk around 150 meters to the nearest entrance of Chatuchak Market.

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3) Quench your thirst with Bangkok's squeezed sweet oranges

Oh yesssss! This is actually the one thing that I was really looking forward to before I went to Bangkok. The juice was, is and forever will taste very very good! I tasted it every time I went to Bangkok before, and now it still tastes the same....and it is sold everywhere around Bangkok and everywhere, it tastes the same too! So I am pretty convinced you will also get the good and tasty one if you tried. They sell it cold so its always cool and refreshing and always sweet! Oh my I'm getting thirsty while writing this! Only price may slightly differ depending on the place you buy it. On the side streets it is usually 20Baht for the small one and 40Baht for the big one. In shopping complexes it may be more expensive. Whatever it is make sure you try at least once okayyyy? I'm sure you will not regret it! Hey live up to the tagline "Try Everything Once" laaaaaa okayyyyyy. :D  Don't worry you will surely bump into a stall selling these orange drink if you walk around in Bangkok (unless you don't go out of your room you "frog under the coconut shell"!) and you will surely notice the bright orange color so just go ahead and buy one. :) 

Yummyyyy!

Ahhh sedappppp!!!

Only 20Baht!

Yummehhhhhhhhhhh!!!! :D

So fresh and cool!!!

Healthy too! :)

Yeahhhhh. Iklan sket.

4) Taste the chocolate banana pancake!

(WARNING: Not diabetics friendly. If your are diabetic please skip to number 5! )

I'm sure when you're in Bangkok you will also bump into at least one of this kind of stall selling something like "roti canai" or crepe thingy with some naming it pancake and some rotee. Have it as a yummy appetizer before your meal or enjoy it as a lovely dessert after your meal. There will be many stalls selling this everywhere and they pretty much taste the same I guess so just try whichever looks better to you. :) Whatever it is you must try it! They have various fillings and toppings but I myself am really crazy with the banana nutella one. This is the flavor I'm recommending you. The filling inside are slices of sweet banana with layers of creamy Nutella chocolate on top and they will ask you if you want to top it off with concentrated milk, please say YESSSS! Haha yeahhh why not go all the way just for this one time. :P Yummyyyyy!

This one with banana and concentrated milk and sprinkle of sugar on top. Yummy!

5) Have some street side grilled squid

Yeah you guessed it. You will also bump into a lot of stalls in Bangkok selling these. :) I love it. If you are into seafood then you must not go back home before tasting this. And if you like it extra spicy then take a little extra of the sauce that comes with it. The stall that I bought in Patpong below, has the craziest extra hot sauce that I almost couldn't endure the first time I bought it so the next time I asked for less sauce (pedas giler okayyy hehe :P) The one I bought cost 10Baht per stick and 40Baht for the squid eggs. I tasted both and yeah of course I loved the eggs better (sesuai la lagi mahal pon kannn). (Muslims please make sure that the stall only sells squid or seafood okay coz some sells more 'stuff' if you know what I mean...)

Most divide the tentacles part and the body part.

6) Have some Swensen's Ice Cream. This is a compulsory!

I'm sure majority of my readers are from Malaysia so why I say it is compulsory is because the Swensen's there in Thailand are really cheap and have more choices of ice cream compared to Swensen's Malaysia. And unlike in Malaysia, they only focus in selling ice creams which is what they are really good at. So they have a variety of ice cream combinations that will surely suit your taste buds and you will notice that even the prettiest, nicest, and most creative yummy looking combination does not cost so much compared to other brands. Actually I did not really notice the other brands here in Bangkok hehe. They also always have promotional ice creams that are even cheaper that the ones in the regular menu so be sure to check their promo menu first okay! Like during my trip they had the Sticky Rice with Mango ice cream promo which my friend took (but I forgot to snap the pic demmit). He said it tasted good though. Anyway... Swensen's are located at most of the shopping complexes in Bangkok. I have been to the one in Siam Paragon and also in Platinum Fashion Mall on my number 1 to do list above, at the ground floor at the main entrance.

This Swensen is just at the entrance of Platinum Fashion Mall

Look at that Nutty Banana only for 115Baht which is RM11.50 only...The one below it Oreo Banana also is 115Baht.

The Sticky Chewy Choc Fantasy only for 115Baht. Yummy!

Friend's waffle with ice cream...

Pic from my previous trip...

Taken from the internet. The Sticky Chewy Choc Fantasy....

6) Hop on the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat to see Bangkok

Guys...for you who have been to Bangkok a few times but yet still haven't seen the Chao Phraya river, what a bummer. Make sure you do the next time! And for you first timers...I am recommending you to hop on this Chao Phraya Tourist Boat to see some of the must go attractions in Bangkok. This boat service which costs only 150Baht for a day pass, starts at the main pier just below the Saphan Thaksin BTS station and up to 30 stops inwards and then back. It is just like the Hop On Hop Off tourist bus that most cities have that go to all the attractions in the city, only that this boat stops at the nearest pier near the attractions in Bangkok and luckily most must see attractions in Bangkok are just walking distance from the Chao Phraya river piers. So apart from experiencing the cruise along the river you also can visit The Grand Palace, The Sleeping Buddha, Wat Arun (one of the must see temples), Snake Temple and many more. There are many boats by this company that cruise along the river so you don't have to worry that you have to wait for a long time to board the boat once you have stopped at any of the piers. Only thing that towards the late afternoon there will be many tourists and locals(who pay a few Baht for a one way trip on the boat) that will be on the boats going back to the main pier so you just have to cramp up for a little while.

Just buy the tickets at the Main Pier also know as Sathorn Pier. Ticket is 150Baht.

The ticket and travel guide given as well.

As you can see, the Central Pier is just at the Saphan Taksin BTS station (exactly a few steps away from the BTS exit) so it is easily accessible by their BTS or MRT if you decide not to go by taxi.

To me, the most must see attractions is at N8 Tha Tien Pier and N* Maharaj Pier so make sure you stop here. If you chose to use my route, I stopped at N8 and crossed the river to Wat Arun by a 3Baht boat per way then back at N8 you can go to the Reclining Buddha (Wat Phra Kaeo) first and walk along the main road to the Grand Palace and then hop back on the boat at Maharaj Pier (N*). The main road from the Reclining Buddha to the Grand Palace is definitely not a boring one as you will walk along the side street vendors selling all kinds of things and just before the Grand Palace you will see a lot of food stalls right up to the Maharaj Pier. Lots of food to try here.

A total of 30 stops but up to pier N15 is sufficient to cover all main attractions but if you like to just stay on board until the last stop it is okay. View of the buildings and houses along the river is quite nice and picturesque. I did go until the end and back and I enjoyed it since I love sightseeing. :)

The Boat...

On the boat...

 

THE GRAND PALACE at Maharaj Pier

WAT ARUN at Tha Tien Pier

Some of the views along the river...

For more info on the boat service please go to their website below...
Chao Phraya Tourist Boat website : http://www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com/en/home/


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7) Have the ride of your life on the Tuk Tuk!

Yes if you have not rode on the tuk tuk before, please please do. At least once in your lifetime. Get on the tuk tuk and just go anywhere and feel the adrenaline pumping and the wind blowing in your hair. Just take it as another fun roller coaster ride. Haha! I know that is not a good metaphor that will scare some of you but come on guysss we are all young at heart righttt? :) My recommendation is just go somewhere near just to experience the ride and please deal your price with the tuk tuk driver before you get on the tuk tuk. Some tuk tuk drivers are saints and some are the ones who try to get the most that they can from you by scamming you for a city tour and all but you end up going to all the fake jewelry factories etc so please beware. That's why I only recommend to go to only a place that you know that's not that far and you can budget the fare beforehand. You must not pay more than 50Baht per person for a 5km ride on the tuk tuk okay? Good luck! :D

8) Experience Khaosan Road at night!

I almost forgot about this! Khaosan Road is very famous among backpackers from all over the world since most backpackers hostels are located in this area. So where there are a lot of foreigners or "farang" as the Thais call, there will surely be lots of happenings around the area. This trip I finally made it one of my itinerary to go to Khaosan Road and was I at a loss that I never went there during my past trips to Bangkok. The place was really happening and a feast for your eyes in many ways! You can see all the people be it the locals doing their usual business or foreigners criss crossing shopping and having fun getting drunk, shop at the street markets along the road, taste the local delicacies (some scary ones with fried insects and even fried scorpions!), have a mass street side foot massage or just chill the night away while people watching at the many bars along the street. And if you go a little deeper along the side streets and alleyways you will find some quaint little cafes and desserts bar that look so french you will think that you're in Thailand no more. I was pleasantly surprised myself! I definitely recommend you to only go at night since the street will only get alive after dark. Btw this is where I bought my Banana Nutella Rotee at No.4 on my list. The rotee stall is at the beginning of the street if you're coming from the Burger King side and the quaint french looking dessert cafe is in an alleyway on the left side of the other end of the street. You will see the Desserts signboard just at the entrance of the alley. Most of the t-shirt stalls here already put the fixed low price of 100Baht per piece which makes your life much easier. No more stress of bargaining! Haha.

Mass foot massage hehe...

There's this cool mobile ATM and Money Changer in a van at both ends of Khaosan Road. It's definitely a trap to make you spend more, conveniently disguised as a facility! Haha. :D

How to get there: By taxi is the best!


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Well...that's all that I can think of now for my top things to do in Bangkok. I will update this entry if I suddenly think of another thing or two to add on to the list so it will become the Top Ten Things To Do In Bangkok. Baru bestttt! Heh heh hehhh. :P

Anyways I will put up an entry soon on my itinerary when I was there in Bangkok last week and an entry on Halal Food in Bangkok that you can go. So do come again soon ya? :) Till then, take care all!