Bangkok (Day 1) – Arrival in Bangkok

By Veron | Posted in Travel / Thailand
Tags #Bangkok

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Hi guys! I’m back from my 9-day trip to Bangkok! The journey is far from over though. Now’s the time to really relive the memories and start my traditional day-to-day posts about the vacation.

For a city that I’ve already visited four times, it’s amazing how there are still so many new places to explore! I had plenty of new experiences and it was a whole lot of fun through and through :)

With the riots in recent months, many people are unsettled by the thought of traveling there. This also marks the first time I’ve actually bought travel insurance. You know what they say about insurance — you’re paying for something you hope you’d never have to use. And I didn’t have to. My entire trip was pretty much peaceful throughout.

Welcome to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Let’s get started!

It was my first time at the new airport, which certainly is a far cry from the old rundown Don Muang Airport. The terminal sports a futuristic steel and glass structure, although I couldn’t help but draw parallels between it and our own Changi Airport T3. Some people rank it as the third best airport in the world!

I was also pleased to find that the taxi system was far more orderly than the one at the old airport. You get a slip of paper with the taxi license plate number and a hotline you can call to complain if the driver overcharges or refuses to go by the meter. Yay! (Still, that didn’t stop our driver from not using the meter, and we had to tell him to.)

We checked in to our hotel, the cheap and rather suckass Diamond City Hotel (low quality breakfast, mosquitoes, charges for EVERYTHING and that includes helping guests to dial the local McDelivery). But heck, it costs just 50 bucks per night so I probably shouldn’t even be expecting much in the first place.

The ten minute long walk from our hotel to the nearest skytrain station, Ratchathewi (coincidentally the same one I used during my trip in ‘04), was shared with many cats and dogs. I think the roadside hawkers took good care of them. The dogs far outnumbered the cats so each time I spotted a kitty, I would squeal with delight!

Kittens near our hotel in Bangkok

These kitties seemed ready to pounce at me for waking them up from their furry slumber. I bet the one at the bottom is Daddy!

Map of Siam, Bangkok

Ratchathewi is just a stop away from Siam, the central shopping district. Several malls are concentrated in that area, with 3 major shopping malls — Siam Discovery Center, Siam Center and Siam Paragon — side by side, as well as the bustling Siam Square and MBK Center on the opposite side of the road.

Siam Paragon, Bangkok

Siam Paragon, the newest mall here, would appeal to the upper class. If you are noting a resemblance with our very own Paragon in Orchard Road, you’re absolutely right! The designer boutiques you would find here include the likes of Chanel and Burberry.

Christmas tree at Siam Paragon, Bangkok

Even the Christmas tree looks classy, formed completely out of shiny silver shards that look like upside down icicles. That was just the first of the many unique Christmas trees we would spot in Bangkok!

Black Canyon Coffee at Siam Center, Bangkok

We stopped by Black Canyon Coffee at Siam Center for a cuppa joe. Black Canyon is the most popular café chain in Bangkok and you can find at least one of it in each mall. One mall that we went to had five Black Canyon Cafés alone!

Black Canyon Coffee at Siam Center, Bangkok

These frappé coffee cost around 2 dollars each, less than half of what you would have to pay at Starbucks. The drinks are good too. There used to be a Black Canyon Café in Singapore, at Serene Centre, but I think it has closed down.

Coca-Cola Christmas tree at Siam Center, Bangkok

A huge Christmas tree made out from coca-cola cans stood outside the mall’s main entrance. It certainly had that wow factor! Here’s a closer look:

Coca-Cola Christmas tree at Siam Center, Bangkok

See how closely the cans are packed together? I wonder if they encountered any problem building the tree. If they hired a klutz like me to stack up those cans and paid me by the hour, they would go broke with me having to redo it many times over!

Christmas tree between Siam Discovery & Siam Center, Bangkok

A short distance away we found another Christmas tree that looked like it had shiny disco balls. Groovy, baby! Can you tell what the tree is made of? Hang on, don’t scroll down first.

Christmas tree between Siam Discovery & Siam Center, Bangkok

Compact discs! I bet you didn’t see that comin’! I wonder if any of them were pirated movies or software?

At that point I started to wonder if I should do a Bangkok edition of the Christmas Tree of the Day series! For a city with a largely Buddhist population, they sure pay a lot of attention to Christmas!

With our shopping done at the malls, we paid a visit to the Hard Rock Café at Siam Square. These days I try to make a stop at the local Hard Rock Café when I travel. So far I have collected t-shirts from Bangkok, Dallas and Tokyo. (I missed Bali’s narrowly!)

Ladies tee from Hard Rock Café Bangkok

This black ladies tee is the newest addition to my collection. The logo is completely formed with shiny diamante studs!

Christmas tree outside Hard Rock Café at Siam Square, Bangkok

We spotted yet another gorgeous Christmas tree outside Hard Rock Café. It’s majestic and pretty in pink!

Christmas tree outside Hard Rock Café at Siam Square, Bangkok

Snow white and the dwarfs say hi!

Christmas tree outside Hard Rock Café at Siam Square, Bangkok Photo by hloc

Not only was the tree pink, even the Christmas lights on it were pink too!

Thai restaurant at Siam Square, Bangkok

Dinner was at a fancy Thai restaurant in Siam Square. It was a double-storey building with a wooden exterior.

Fresh coconut and lemonade with honey

Fresh coconuts are a must-have in Thailand. They are very cheap here while in Singapore they go for 10 times the price! The other drink we had was lemonade with honey.

Curry prawn, curry chicken and Kang Kong

I was determined to have Thai curry for our first meal in Thailand so we ordered two curry dishes — one with prawn, the other chicken. They were superb, while the kang kong did not taste as good as the one in Singapore.

Walking around Siam Square uncovered some interesting shops, mostly selling clothing and accessories. Unfortunately, I could no longer find the Doraemon merchandise shop that I visited in ‘04. It must have closed down and I know so many of you were looking for it.

Florists at Siam Square, Bangkok

What attracted me most about this flower shop was how quaint it looked!

Siam Square, Bangkok

A little Christmas tree on the second floor waved goodbye as we left Siam Square. And that’s it for our first night in Bangkok!

Stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow!

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About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

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22 responses

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py
January 12

I am staying tuned. Glad that you have returned home safely, and have in some ways enjoyed yourself.
Reply
- Veron
  January 13
  
  Thanks for the kind thoughts! Being down with flu and fever somewhat put a damper on part of the trip, but it was a whole lot of fun once I recovered!
  Reply
sandy
January 13

wow, i love reading travel posts, esp bangkok!
oh and thanks for sharing the details of your trip! :D
Reply
- Veron
  January 13
  
  My pleasure!
  Reply
mikey
January 13

wow another trip can’t wait to read day 2, thanks.
Reply
- Veron
  January 13
  
  It’s up :)
  Reply
Edmund Ng
January 13

Glad you enjoyed your Bkk trip – I’m going there this weekend for 9 days :)
Even throughout the riots and protests, it was a safe city to visit since the protests were just confined to a small area. Tourists aren’t usually bothered.
You certainly got ripped off at diamond city hotel – for $50/night there are so many better places to stay, try the Sukhumvit Rd area, lots of boutique hotels and good value for money!
Bkk is known for their street dogs, there’s a charity called Soi Dogs that looks after the strays. Have to agree with you there aren’t too many cats around on the streets.
As for the Hard Rock cafe, they’re opening a new massive one in Phuket next month – see if you can do a blog about it :)
Where did you get that map from? its pretty cool.
Reply
- Veron
  January 13
  
  You’re going on a 9-day trip too? Cool! During the trip I somewhat got the feeling that people seemed more tense, less friendly. Let me know if you feel the same way.
  I wouldn’t exactly call 50 bucks a night a ripoff. That comes up to just 25 bucks a person for twin sharing — one of the cheapest hotel deals I’ve ever gotten! Though, staying in a boutique hotel would be nice for a change :)
  Phuket is an unexplored terrain to me. Who knows, I just might head there for the next vacation! I’m looking for some place nice to go over the Chinese New Year holidays anyway.
  Reply
  - Edmund Ng
    January 14
    
    Hey Veron,
    yep, gotta agree with you, 25 bucks a person for twin sharing is pretty cheap, can’t get that in SG unless you stay in a back-pack place.
    I’ll keep you posted about the ‘more tense, less friendly’ impression when i’m there. I guess everyone is affected in some way, be it politics or the grim economic outlook..
    Phuket is heaven! Bkk is great for shopping, clubbing & eating, but Phuket is more to chill and explore the natural surroundings. Let me know your budget and i’ll recommend some places in Phuket for ya :)
    (better book early before the CNY stampede gets underway)
    Reply
    - Veron
      January 14
      
      Wow that would help a lot! I’m not really into the whole beach/surfing thing which is why I’ve never holidayed in Phuket. Other than beaches there should be a lot more to do and see there, right?
      Reply
vinsion
January 14

woo.. veron is backed.
continue to stay tune to ur holiday post. =)
reading ur post reminds me of my trip to bangkok.. hope to visit there soon.
Reply
- Veron
  January 14
  
  I know this sounds crazy, but I kinda feel like going there again during the Chinese New Year holidays! Too soon?
  Reply
pkchukiss
January 14

The city looks very clean from your pictures. Has Bangkok finally turned into Little Singapore? Mwahaha!
Reply
- Veron
  January 14
  
  Oh no I think that’s an illusion lol! The streets, particularly the smaller ones, were strewn with litter. Everyday when I returned to my hotel room after exploring the city in my flip-flops, the soles of my feet would be black!
  Reply
alldoneup
January 15

Great pictures, love the pink tree!
Reply
Emily
January 20

There is actually a Black Canyon cafe in Singapore at the Katong area. It’s in between Katong Shopping Mall and the few Katong Laksa stalls, opposite Roxy Square. I’m not too sure if that’s the same black canyon cafe chain though!
Reply
- Veron
  January 21
  
  Goodness, you’re right! I just checked out the Black Canyon website and this Katong outlet is their first outlet outside of Thailand! Looks like the one at Serene Centre didn’t close down after all. It merely moved to East Coast. Now I know where to go to relive some of my fond Bangkok memories :)
  Thank you!
  Reply
ck
February 18

where did you get tat map??? :D
Reply
Audrey
September 11

Hi Veron, I just finished reading your solo travel entries! I could practically feel your whole adventure because you were rather detailed with photos that you posted. I’ve actually been thinking of travelling solo to somewhere one of the days but what’s holding me back is the issue of safety. However, your entries were very inspiring…
The last time I went to BKK was about 5 yrs ago with someone so I’ve been thinking if I should make it a solo trip this time round in December.
One question though, when you were walking alone at “ulu” places, did you at any point feel uneasy or worry that someone might be following you? Haha…
Thanks!
Reply
- Veron
  September 11
  
  Hehe I can frankly say that I was on “high alert mode” at all times. No one actually made me feel uneasy or suspicious. But I feel it’s necessary to always be wary of the surroundings and the people around when you’re traveling. Even more so when you’re traveling alone and have no one looking out for you.
  So do remain alert and bolt when anyone starts making you uncomfortable.
  Good luck!
  Reply
Ingrid
March 3

Hi Veron! I’m Ingrid Mediarito from the Philippines. I got to read your Bangkok post from a link of a friend’s facebook post. My son, bestfriend, and I had just been to Bangkok two weekends ago and I still have this penchant for reading things about Bangkok. I think I still have a “hang-over” of researching about Bangkok since most of what we did there was DIY. I read the comments and your replies, and I can’t help but notice the familiarity with the way you speak :) I mean, it’s like I’m reading a post of someone close to me (but really haven’t met yet..haha!). I am not very fond of the beaches too…it’s already too hot here in the Philippines. Even here in the Philippines, I haven’t been to the nice beaches in our islands. I’m not a shopping addict either (even when we went to Bangkok). Most of the shopping malls or night markets there are similar with what we have here in Manila. And the price is not that far from each other. What we did was mostly culture and food trips! Were you able to watch Siam Niramit?
Hope we get to know each other and share more travel posts and tips :)
Reply
- Veron
  March 5
  
  Hi Ingrid! Thanks for sharing! I love Bangkok and try to make a trip there at least once a year. Happy to know that Manila has similar malls and markets because that means we have one more option! Like you, I’m not a beach person myself. The culture, the food, the sights and the shopping are the main draw for me.
  Siam Niramit? No, I haven’t seen it before. But you have me intrigued! That’s a great tip!
  Reply