Bangkok : Land of Smiles

My first step in Thailand began in Bangkok. It happened in 2009. A 4 day trip from 18.12.2009 - 21.12.2009.

My friend and I didn't have a camera then. We used her mobile phone. I would said the photos didn't turn out too bad. 

I researched a very cheap place to stay. I googled hostelbookers.com and came upon Asha Guesthouse. It was a very cheap budget house. In addition, it's a 5 minute walk to Chatuchak Weekend Market! And I cannot resist the temptation of shopping! Asha Guesthouse cost RM30 for 3 nights. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the rates! It was so darn cheap! I thought the place would be very dodgy. 

Decide for yourself in the below photos.

The Courtyard of the Guesthouse

The Bedroom

The Bathroom

The mini restaurant

The tables for travellers to discuss and eat. Behind is a mini pool.

The place is so safe! The owner of the place is an expat who married a Thai lady. They are so friendly and helpful.

On the first day we reached, we visited the must-see tourist : Grand Palace. It was so hot but we braved the heat. Since our guesthouse was kind of isolated from the town, we took a taxi that brought us to town. The taxi driver offered to bring us around for a day but we declined because it was expensive. 

The architectural of the Grand Palace was simply amazing. It was so hot, that the sun rays made the Palace looked like gold. The murals in the Palace was amazing. I can't believe that the caretakers actually took so much effort in doing the murals. One must need a lot of patience to draw and colour. Spectacular!

After the Grand Palace, it was a short walk to the Sleeping Buddha temple. There were alms placed in the temple. 

We were in Thailand, and the next thing you must try is the tuk-tuk! So, my friend and I took a short ride to the jetty. Which was less than 500metres, just for the joy of sitting in a tuk-tuk! 

While waiting for the boat trip, we had our lunch. Fried noodles-Thai style. It was delicious, and so affordable. About RM3.

The boat came. It was a nice short boat ride. And we saw the Temple of Dawn across the river. I can understand why it's named so. Look at the Temple against the sun.

Yes, the legs have ached. But the day was still long. We went to Patpong. For the night scene. It was just us 2 girls, and we dare not accept any "sex shows". It was practically asked to us at every opportunity - sex show? tiger show? So, the only brave thing we did is enter into a pub (after dinner in one of the restaurants. We could only find one look-like decent restaurant. Of course, dinner included the must-have Thai Curry which is not spicy at all and Thai Mango Salad), and drank a beer while watching girls in bikini dance on the counter.

The next day, it was off to Chatuchak Weekend Market. It was a quick stroll towards the Market. When it's so hot, the best thing to try is Coconut Ice-Cream. The Market is so huge that you can't cover it in a day. And you get lost so easily. Everywhere looks almost similar.

Fried Vegetables

Coconut Ice-cream

 After the Market, it was back to the Hostel where we had our dinner from the mini restaurant. It was Thai Curry again. Not spicy either. So disappointed. And Big Fat Prawns.

Since we were in Thailand, it was our opportunity to try Hamburger. We don't have that in Malaysia. So, seize the moment!

The next day, we had breakfast like the locals. My friend and I was thinking that the food the Thai eat contributed to their excellent skin texture. The leaves were raw. I can actually taste the chlorophyll. After our weird breakfast, we explored the free tickets we got (when we visited Grand Palace). It was the Throne Hall. Superbly huge. It was actually a museum inside. It used to be the accomodation of the King. I am not sure which King. This was followed by Vivanmek Mansion - the home of King Chulalongkorn. He was the first King to venture to Europe. We can see so many stuff he brought from Europe. Alas, no photos allowed. According to the tour guide (it's a free hourly tour), the place is built of wood without any nails.

After the Mansion and Museum tour, we visited a local nearby market. It was just across the street.

After the Market tour, we took a short taxi ride to another temple - that has a replica of the tree which Buddha found enlightenment.

We had a quick lunch. Now, this was really spicy. Look at all the chilli flakes, courtesy of my hand.

At night, we visited Siam Paragon. One of the famous malls in Bangkok. They have a small pond in the Mall.

Our trip finally came to an end. It was fun walking around. Eating like the locals. Shop like the locals. Will I go to Bangkok again? Definitely. I am not done with shopping in Chatuchak!