Friday, December 30, 2011
Bangkok and Back
Yup! Did a short trip to Bangkok from the 27th to the 30th of December. Just gonna do a quick summary in one post cos it's seriously nothing to break up into days for.
Day 1) 27th of December
Got up all bright and early! Last minute packing before I was supposed to leave home at about 0730. Flight departs at 1055 from terminal 1 but Friend A told Friend B to meet her at airport for breakfast at 0800. I wouldn't have know about this arrangement had I not asked both A and B if we were going together or separately and B told me that she was meeting A at 0800. Oh well, is not the first time A only sms B and probably think she is telling everyone...
Dropped off our bags and had BK breakfast!! Hands down so much better than sucky mac's.
We were gonna fly by Airasia so I have to say I had a little bit of apprehension going on. I flew Jetstar to Beijing and back, so I do wonder what Airasia would be like. Was aggravated the night before when I was doing online check in, because I thought that I had purchased designated seats ($9) when I booked the airfares, but it turns out the seats were split 2 and 1 out in the boondocks... Paid $9 to get seated in a row. Same for the return flight but since the one seat was just one row behind us and a similar seat to the one I wanted to change, I decided to save the money and try asking the passenger if he'd be so nice as to change seats with us.
Flight was fairly ok. Seats not that bad, just awfully small leg space as expected.
Landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport and proceed to the Immigration counters .. and there was this huge swamp of humans!! It looks absolutely crazy cos you have absolutely no idea whether there was even a queue! We managed to get ourselves somewhat into a queue and then some russian-looking people started to squeeze past us to get ahead in the queue because they had someone there. Lucky it wasn't my queue but I was still just as pissed. I got so pissed I didn't allow a poor Singaporean boy to pass when he asked if he could pass. Sorry but I really get my heckles up when queues get cut and my brains doesn't work well when I'm like that! Good thing was, he was also upset at the queue cutters and tried to inform the staff to no avail. Airport with smiles = you cut queue they also smile.
After finally clearing the immigrations, we collected our bags, bought prepaid phone cards and grabbed a taxi to our hotel. Although they have a taxi assigner there, the driver still didn't switch on the meter. Charged us flat 500 + toll for total of 570 baht. Because I had previously heard from my friends that getting into Bangkok would cost around 300 to 500 baht, I didn't want to haggle on the price and the meter. Incidentally for info, on our way home we took the cab to airport for 330 baht (toll inclusive) the driver was so sad when I wanted to get the 20 baht change back from him (gave him 350). Lol, maybe I should have tipped him.
Stayed at Miramar Hotel along Mahachai road. It's really near Yaowarat which is Chinatown so it's great if you think you want to be in Chinatown all the time but it's not so good because the taxi drivers will tell you traffic jam due to the massive jams in Yaowarat and then try to charge you 100 baht to get there. Throughout the trip we were usually overcharged by around 40 baht or so which is ok.. but I was upset at the 200 baht we were charged for travel between Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kheow. Serve us right, cos we didn't know the location. By meter it would have cost only about 40-50 baht.
Anyway sometimes you will still get a driver who will turn on the meter once you ask them to. The odd thing is they don't ask you for flat rate when you get on so I wonder what their plan was if I never asked them to turn on the meter? Maybe they have a "Free 1KM" or something like that promo hahahaha! Dream on.
After checking in at around 1530, we walked all the way through Yaowarat and ate at China Scala. The food was not bad and since we were there kind of early, there was no one else in the restaurant.. which was kinda scary but service was good. Ate a 100 baht bowl of Bird's Nest and my mum scolded me over the phone when she heard that. "why eat cheap stuff!! Eat the better stuff!!"
The list different types of bird's nest and then for the same listing they have different pricing. That is NOT the size of serving, like I erroneously thought... it's the quality. So I got the cheapest crap in the house lol!! My friends got the 200 baht version which looked like agar agar. Mine looked like mini pellets lol.
After dinner, it was taxi to MBK. We were quoted a flat 100 baht for this ride but as the ride went on, I got happier cos it was incredibly jammed wherever our driver turned and I was sure the meter would have read more than 100 baht had he turned it on!! Too bad loh, I ask you to turn it on, you don't want and you say traffic jam. Not my fault.
Shopped at MBK and found lovely Auntie Anne's Nori Ham and Cheese mini rolls. I tell you it is DAMN YUMMY. Oh I forget nowadays people no like salt in SG. Ok maybe not yummy to you.
Dinner was Japanese. Japanese food is cheap in Bangkok. If you do not know what to eat, go Japanese. After that we went back to hotel.
Day 2)
Started the day with breakfast in Hotel. As our booking did not include breakfast, we had to pay 295 baht for the buffet. It was so not worth it. Sunny side up eggs, one type of cocktail hot dog, fried rice, fried noodle, bread for you to toast, soya bean milk.. is all I remember from the spread.
After breakfast took a taxi too....... MBK again. One of my friends likes to shop. And I thought.. well we could have used the 295 baht per person to stuff our faces with Auntie Anne's!!! The Nori Ham n Cheese was only 89 baht for 10 pieces....
After MBK, went Siam Discovery and Siam Center and we ate at CoCo Ichibanya in MBK for lunch!! Never managed to try it in SG yet but tried it in Bangkok. Not bad, I shall certainly go for it back in SG!
End of day we went to Yaowarat on our way back to the hotel, bought the pork products (crispy pork skin!!) bought our KFC dinner and tried the hotel's massage services. One of my friend's legs were hurting so bad so she was really eager for massage. I only tried foot massage though but my friends went for the head, neck and shoulders option too. They originally wanted to do it again the next day but one session was enough to let them take a few days to recover!!
Day 3)
Morning was shopping again, near the hotel there is this place called Chinaworld so we went there for breakfast and shopping. Also went along Soi Wanit for more shopping. We wanted a drink so we stopped by one of the roadside stalls and one of my friends was like "Yay they speak teochew!!". Didn't intend to order food but we decided to order a bowl of kway teow just to.. you know.. be nice even though the lady boss didn't say anything. I took one bite and declared that it was something one of my friends would love cos it tasted it kway chap! So she decided to have one bowl too but she did not want pig's blood in it. Oh yes, that bowl was 30 baht and had pig's blood. You blood lovers should start going there now.
After a morning of shopping it was finally decided that we would go visit some Wats. Took a taxi ride to Wat Pho to view the Reclining Buddha and then got bloody overcharged for the trip to Wat Phra Kheow (my fault really cos I didn't know the distance.)
While at Wat Phra Kheow... I wasn't sure if it was the heat.. but my 'shopping' friend looked not so happy. Anyway my other friend's legs gave up on her and so we went back Chinaworld, had dinner at a hotpot place which had pretty good service and then back to hotel.
Day 4)
Wen to KFC for breakfast and ended up in Chinaworld again for more shopping. went up to the hotpot place to clarify some receipt issues with the place and then we bought donuts to prep for our flight!!
Checked out and got to the airport in good time. Do always be careful in Bangkok because of the unexpected jams and queues (if you can find the queue) that may delay you. Dropped off baggage, chilled in Starbucks... and then when we went into the departure area...... more shopping for my shopping friend!! I think she really loves it.
Finally got on the flight back home and the passenger did change seats with us. Thank you so much! Although I could see that he had an unfriendly face at first... I probably would give that face too if initially asked!!
All in, it was almost a complete shopping trip. My friend was always buying something for mum etc so it's quite amazing how she keeps going!!
0 Adorations
Yup! Did a short trip to Bangkok from the 27th to the 30th of December. Just gonna do a quick summary in one post cos it's seriously nothing to break up into days for.
Day 1) 27th of December
Got up all bright and early! Last minute packing before I was supposed to leave home at about 0730. Flight departs at 1055 from terminal 1 but Friend A told Friend B to meet her at airport for breakfast at 0800. I wouldn't have know about this arrangement had I not asked both A and B if we were going together or separately and B told me that she was meeting A at 0800. Oh well, is not the first time A only sms B and probably think she is telling everyone...
Dropped off our bags and had BK breakfast!! Hands down so much better than sucky mac's.
We were gonna fly by Airasia so I have to say I had a little bit of apprehension going on. I flew Jetstar to Beijing and back, so I do wonder what Airasia would be like. Was aggravated the night before when I was doing online check in, because I thought that I had purchased designated seats ($9) when I booked the airfares, but it turns out the seats were split 2 and 1 out in the boondocks... Paid $9 to get seated in a row. Same for the return flight but since the one seat was just one row behind us and a similar seat to the one I wanted to change, I decided to save the money and try asking the passenger if he'd be so nice as to change seats with us.
Flight was fairly ok. Seats not that bad, just awfully small leg space as expected.
Landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport and proceed to the Immigration counters .. and there was this huge swamp of humans!! It looks absolutely crazy cos you have absolutely no idea whether there was even a queue! We managed to get ourselves somewhat into a queue and then some russian-looking people started to squeeze past us to get ahead in the queue because they had someone there. Lucky it wasn't my queue but I was still just as pissed. I got so pissed I didn't allow a poor Singaporean boy to pass when he asked if he could pass. Sorry but I really get my heckles up when queues get cut and my brains doesn't work well when I'm like that! Good thing was, he was also upset at the queue cutters and tried to inform the staff to no avail. Airport with smiles = you cut queue they also smile.
After finally clearing the immigrations, we collected our bags, bought prepaid phone cards and grabbed a taxi to our hotel. Although they have a taxi assigner there, the driver still didn't switch on the meter. Charged us flat 500 + toll for total of 570 baht. Because I had previously heard from my friends that getting into Bangkok would cost around 300 to 500 baht, I didn't want to haggle on the price and the meter. Incidentally for info, on our way home we took the cab to airport for 330 baht (toll inclusive) the driver was so sad when I wanted to get the 20 baht change back from him (gave him 350). Lol, maybe I should have tipped him.
Stayed at Miramar Hotel along Mahachai road. It's really near Yaowarat which is Chinatown so it's great if you think you want to be in Chinatown all the time but it's not so good because the taxi drivers will tell you traffic jam due to the massive jams in Yaowarat and then try to charge you 100 baht to get there. Throughout the trip we were usually overcharged by around 40 baht or so which is ok.. but I was upset at the 200 baht we were charged for travel between Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kheow. Serve us right, cos we didn't know the location. By meter it would have cost only about 40-50 baht.
Anyway sometimes you will still get a driver who will turn on the meter once you ask them to. The odd thing is they don't ask you for flat rate when you get on so I wonder what their plan was if I never asked them to turn on the meter? Maybe they have a "Free 1KM" or something like that promo hahahaha! Dream on.
After checking in at around 1530, we walked all the way through Yaowarat and ate at China Scala. The food was not bad and since we were there kind of early, there was no one else in the restaurant.. which was kinda scary but service was good. Ate a 100 baht bowl of Bird's Nest and my mum scolded me over the phone when she heard that. "why eat cheap stuff!! Eat the better stuff!!"
The list different types of bird's nest and then for the same listing they have different pricing. That is NOT the size of serving, like I erroneously thought... it's the quality. So I got the cheapest crap in the house lol!! My friends got the 200 baht version which looked like agar agar. Mine looked like mini pellets lol.
After dinner, it was taxi to MBK. We were quoted a flat 100 baht for this ride but as the ride went on, I got happier cos it was incredibly jammed wherever our driver turned and I was sure the meter would have read more than 100 baht had he turned it on!! Too bad loh, I ask you to turn it on, you don't want and you say traffic jam. Not my fault.
Shopped at MBK and found lovely Auntie Anne's Nori Ham and Cheese mini rolls. I tell you it is DAMN YUMMY. Oh I forget nowadays people no like salt in SG. Ok maybe not yummy to you.
Dinner was Japanese. Japanese food is cheap in Bangkok. If you do not know what to eat, go Japanese. After that we went back to hotel.
Day 2)
Started the day with breakfast in Hotel. As our booking did not include breakfast, we had to pay 295 baht for the buffet. It was so not worth it. Sunny side up eggs, one type of cocktail hot dog, fried rice, fried noodle, bread for you to toast, soya bean milk.. is all I remember from the spread.
After breakfast took a taxi too....... MBK again. One of my friends likes to shop. And I thought.. well we could have used the 295 baht per person to stuff our faces with Auntie Anne's!!! The Nori Ham n Cheese was only 89 baht for 10 pieces....
After MBK, went Siam Discovery and Siam Center and we ate at CoCo Ichibanya in MBK for lunch!! Never managed to try it in SG yet but tried it in Bangkok. Not bad, I shall certainly go for it back in SG!
End of day we went to Yaowarat on our way back to the hotel, bought the pork products (crispy pork skin!!) bought our KFC dinner and tried the hotel's massage services. One of my friend's legs were hurting so bad so she was really eager for massage. I only tried foot massage though but my friends went for the head, neck and shoulders option too. They originally wanted to do it again the next day but one session was enough to let them take a few days to recover!!
Day 3)
Morning was shopping again, near the hotel there is this place called Chinaworld so we went there for breakfast and shopping. Also went along Soi Wanit for more shopping. We wanted a drink so we stopped by one of the roadside stalls and one of my friends was like "Yay they speak teochew!!". Didn't intend to order food but we decided to order a bowl of kway teow just to.. you know.. be nice even though the lady boss didn't say anything. I took one bite and declared that it was something one of my friends would love cos it tasted it kway chap! So she decided to have one bowl too but she did not want pig's blood in it. Oh yes, that bowl was 30 baht and had pig's blood. You blood lovers should start going there now.
After a morning of shopping it was finally decided that we would go visit some Wats. Took a taxi ride to Wat Pho to view the Reclining Buddha and then got bloody overcharged for the trip to Wat Phra Kheow (my fault really cos I didn't know the distance.)
While at Wat Phra Kheow... I wasn't sure if it was the heat.. but my 'shopping' friend looked not so happy. Anyway my other friend's legs gave up on her and so we went back Chinaworld, had dinner at a hotpot place which had pretty good service and then back to hotel.
Day 4)
Wen to KFC for breakfast and ended up in Chinaworld again for more shopping. went up to the hotpot place to clarify some receipt issues with the place and then we bought donuts to prep for our flight!!
Checked out and got to the airport in good time. Do always be careful in Bangkok because of the unexpected jams and queues (if you can find the queue) that may delay you. Dropped off baggage, chilled in Starbucks... and then when we went into the departure area...... more shopping for my shopping friend!! I think she really loves it.
Finally got on the flight back home and the passenger did change seats with us. Thank you so much! Although I could see that he had an unfriendly face at first... I probably would give that face too if initially asked!!
All in, it was almost a complete shopping trip. My friend was always buying something for mum etc so it's quite amazing how she keeps going!!
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