*-_Blogging Bangkok_-*

Sawadee kaa, beautiful wats, tuk-tuk and taxi drivers that tries to rip you of, shopping galore, go-go bars - welcome to this travelogue of our trip last Aug 14 to 19,2008 from the city which we normally refer to as Bangkok :-)

Arriving in Bangkok

We landed at the Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport at about 2 AM. I did not notice much of the problems when I arrived and getting through immigration and customs were pretty fast and efficient. We have our accommodation booked in Grand Watergate Hotel, which includes a half-day city tour.

Arriving on your destination when you go on vacation is always special. All of a sudden you are far away from home and when you get out of the airport there are new sounds, new smells and lots of new things to see. 

Sightseeing in 

Bangkok

In Bangkok, numerous beautiful temples can be found featuring traditional Thai architecture. The old sections of Bangkok are immensely popular tourist spots, particularly the area around the Royal Grand Palace. 

Our spacious van makes its way to the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Trimitr), the first temple of the day located relatively close to the city centre. The statue made of gold weighs five and a half tons and has a height of 15 feet 9 inches, making it the world's biggest golden Buddha image. Then comes Wat Pho, the most extensive temple in Bangkok with its colossal Reclining Buddha and the Chedis of the Kings. I was surprised with how long the Reclining Buddha is. Then I learned that it's the largest temple in Bangkok and its famed for its huge and majestic reclining Buddha which measured 46 meters long and covered in gold leaf. Next on the itinerary is the highlight of the tour, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), 

the highly revered Buddha image meticulously carved from a single block of jade. When I was inside Wat Phra Kaew, I was amazed by the stunning architecture and intricate Thai craftsmanship. The temple is beautifully decorated and has a great sense of peace about it.

Getting around Bangkok

Taxis are a great way to get around, as it is cheap and comfortable just make sure the driver agrees to use the meter. But beware of some taxi drivers who will agree on meter-down but after a while, he will dictate the amount which is exaggeratedly overpriced. In cases like this, just request the driver to stop the car, do not pay, and run away from the driver – really fast! :-) 

Then have the tuk-tuk's. These three wheel cars/bike can be a pretty effective way to get around but it feels like they drive like maniacs, it is noisy and the chance of being ripped off is pretty high. It seems like you can always find tuk-tuk's outside hotels and they are always trying to tempt tourists with tours etc. Remember: If the price is too good to be true then you are probably being conned into something :-)

Shopping in Bangkok

Coming to a major city like Bangkok also offers great opportunities when it comes to shopping. It might sound strange to travel on vacation to go shopping but the stores do have more to offer than the shops here at home. And there are plenty of places that I can recommend in Bangkok. I can say that bargaining can be a lot of fun to practice and is certainly worth a try but bargaining must not be done at some shops especially at shopping malls like MBK. But you can bargain with the street vendors and small shops in the market. I believe that doing it with the right manner and friendly attitude will help you get a better deal as based on my experience, smiling is the most important negotiating tool :-) 

 We shop mostly in the modern Platinum Mall and Indra Mall just about in the Pratunam Area where we got the best deals when it comes to wholesale buying. We also found maize of shops and interconnected small stalls on the ground level of Baiyoke Sky Hotel building that are really good and cheap. If you are looking for a more sophisticated (and cooler) night market, then Suan Lum Night Bazaar and Patpong Night Market are the must-visit night shopping destinations for you. Here, we got to see the market that is busy and chaotic with all the commotion from the GO-GO bars nearby and lots of foreign tourists. We Of course visited the mother of all markets, the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok which bargain hunting really gave me adrenalin rush. The reward for taking a lot of patience along together with bottles of water is that you can find pretty much anything there. For me, Bangkok's modern, multi-storey shopping malls, and day-and-night browsing in unbelievable variety of markets –are a shopaholic's paradise. The best!!!

Touring Bangkok

The last leg of our tour was a trip to two of the must-experience and visit leisure places in Bangkok - Ancient City and Safari World. 

The Ancient City's beautifully landscaped gardens mimic the shape of Thailand, and feature replicas of the county's most significant landmarks and monuments. Each of the over 116 structures is in their proper geographic position, and include palaces, bell towers, pavilions, temples, halls, floating markets, Buddha images and shrines. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to see all landmarks because it is 2-full day trip and we only tour there for 2 hours. But we make sure to take a glance of the best spots it can offer. 

If we have any regrets to choose from in our Bangkok trip, it is our tour in Safari World. Why? Because there’s nothing special about it except for the Sea Lion Show which we really enjoyed watching. Other than that, the Bird Show, the Dolphin Show, the Western Cowboys, and Whale show, are really terrible. These shows are spoken in Thai language which of course, we cannot understand. The animals are limited and you’ll just have to see them from our van and some of the shelves of reptiles are empty. Our buffet lunch also is forgettable. The dining area is so untidy and has bad smell that makes us ungrateful of the whole experience in Safari World. But still, to make our stay less frustrating, we manage to appreciate some of the animal statues and of course, the polar bear :-)

Experiencing Bangkok

Despite all the hassles with our excess baggages, tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, all together it has been a great vacation in the land of smiles. I can say that Bangkok is an interesting blend of traditional buildings, and modern skyscrapers. I hope that our vacation story has helped a little if you are going to Thailand soon.