Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Bangkok 2007 - Day 1

We took the first flight to Bangkok departing at 7.50 am. Oh gosh, both me and Dearie Suki only had about 2 hours of sleep then woke up at about 4.30 am. We left the house at about 5.15 am and we drove there and parked our car at the airport.

The LCC Terminal is so busy in the morning and jam packed with so many travellers. We got to queue for almost an hour to check in our luggage and the staff is so inefficient. What to do if you want to fly with cheap flight and thank god the there is no delay on the flight.

We slept all the way there and reach Bangkok at about 8.55 am. Weather in Bangkok is sunny and bright and it is real hot.
Bright and Sunny in Bangkok

Upon checking out, we stop by at a tour booking booth outside the airport to book for our tour. Dearie Suki got no idea where to go and he is the one in-charge to pay money. So I am the one to do all the bookings. We signed up for a half day tour in Bangkok and it is on promotion due to the King's Birthday on the 5th Dec'07. The half day Bangkok tour incuding to the Grand Palace only cost us 500 Baht. You will have a private car, private driver and a private tour guide to bring us a round but for the entrance fee we got to pay ourself so add up total tour is 1000 Baht.

So our itinerary for the day is to check in the hotel first then the tour guide will pick us up at about 11 am. We took a taxi to the hotel and upon reaching outside the hotel........

Dearie Suki : Dear ah, are u sure you booked this hotel. Why looks more like a 'Chicken Hut' to me.
Me : Yes lor hor, don't know la it is recommended by Aileen's Thai friend. Should be OK, kua.
Dearie Suki : How many star one?
Me : 3 star leh. But hor, I check from the internet those review by the travellers who stay this hotel mentioned good wor and furthermore it is convenient and there is a MRT station outside.
Dearie Suki : OK la, check in first. What to do you also booked already.

We checked into our room and there are rooms available and we don't need to wait till 2 pm. I have booked a STUDIO room at 1800 Baht per night inclusive of breakfast. When we opened up the room door, to our surprise the room is not too bad. Clean, complete wtih all the facilities and quite modern and I just love the wooden flooring instead of carpeted. The toilet is big but one thing about this room, it looks more like a room for mans doing their hanky panky stuff cos the room is gloomy but in another words quite romantic leh. hihihi....


The tour guide is so efficient, not even 10 minutes we checked into our room, he already called up our room saying he is waiting down stairs at the lobby.

We started our tour to the Grand Palace first and it was established in year 1782 and it houses not only the royal residence and throne halls but also a no. of government officers as well as a renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. A total area of 218,000 square feets and it is surrounded with 4 walls.

The building in the Grand Palace is divided in two structure. One is the modernaization building and the other half is the old Thai building sturucture and I think it is quite unique though.




Walking around the Grand Palace took us about 2 hours and with explanation from the friendly tour guide. After Grand Palace, he bring us around to show us Bangkok City and last stop is at a shop selling diamonds and stones. I am not quite interested in it but it is already included in the package.

That is the end of the tour and me and Dearie Suki quite happy with the tour and we booked our next day tour from this agency again. Day 2, it will be a full day tour to Damnern Saduak Floating Market, Crocodiles Farm and an Elephant Show. Total tour package is 3,000 Baht inclusive of a buffet lunch for two. Dearie Suki is not so keen to go to the floating market because the pick up time is 6.00 am in the morning. Knowing him he always wanted to sleep till late in the afternoon. So he go no choice but to follow me. Hahaha....

We get the tour guide to drop us at Siam Paragon as it is still early for both of us to go back to the hotel. Siam Paragon is a high end shopping mall with all the branded outlets like PRADA, GUCCI, ARMANI, etc...

We had our late lunch at the Food Court and the foods there is fantastic. Too many to choose and I don't even know what to eat. The food there is delicious but I still find most of the food there has a sweet base, maybe it could be Thai people has sweet tooth so whatever we ate is a bit sweet.


Clockwise from top : Assorted Fried Thai Fish Cakes/ Stuffed Crab Shell/Pork Sausages ( which cost us 230 Baht for that ), Fried Crispy Noodles Seafood in Thick Gravy Sauce, Thai Clear Noodle Soup with Fish Balls.

After our late lunch, we walked around in Siam Paragon and we went to the Gourmet Supermarket and shop around and see what interesting products they have on the shelves. Looking at shelves, I think Bangkok got more products than in KL. They have such a wide selection and makes both of us so tempted to buy and try.

Dearie Suki bought so many junk foods for the kids and I found a cute jelly moulds and a cute picks for only 10 Baht per packet of 2's.

The X'Mas decoration outside Siam Paragon is so beautiful. It was almost 7.30 pm and I wanted to go to Pratunam Market but Dearie Suki is too tired to walk there. End up we decided to take a taxi back to hotel first but.... Bangkok is such a place with a bad traffic jam. I was telling Dearie Suki, if we take a taxi back I don't think so we can reach in an hour time and the taxi fees could be quite expensive. End up we took BTS Skytrain from Siam Center to Asok station then change to MRT Underground train from Sukhumvit to Hwai Khwang station which is just 5 minutes walk from our hotel.

Eventually we didn't go back to our hotel first but we walked to Robinsons Shopping Center near our hotel. Walked around and they are having sales now and most of the stuff is quite cheap. Dearie Suki started to do his shopping and he bought a pair of shoes, a pair of Scholl slippers and a Guy Laroche sling bag.


On our way back, I 'tapau' the Cripsy Thai Pancake for supper and bought a McD Samurai Pork Burger for him to try. I told him this one must try cos you will never get to eat it in Malaysia.

It is a tiring day and we knock off quite early at about 11 pm cos the next day we got to wake up early for our tour to the Floating Market at about 6 am.

5 comments:

My Rantings said...

Kinda remind me of the time when we went to Bangkok 2 & half years ago. Loved it!

P.S. Eh, nice place to recharge ur ahem, ahem life leh! Didn't go to see live show meh? ;P

Cat Cat said...

That hotel room sure look so romantic... Pssst, ini mesti ada luck punya... Haha!

Unknown said...

you're back..you guys have so much fun.I like the crispy pancake but found very sweet to me.So many sales...I wish I could be there too.:)

Sue Sue said...

dancing queen,
I loved it too. Surprisingly the tour guide didnt ajak us wor unlike in Phuket or Hatyai wah they keep pressing us to go and see. Why leh? Aiyar no need to see la, see our own one better la. Hihihi...

Catcat,
Tak ada luck la mana ada.

Sweetiepie,
The pancake is certainly sweet but damn nice leh. Yup sales is every where in Bangkok, we go there at the correct timing leh.

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