Sawadeeka!

Amazing Thailand.

It really earned its name.

Thailand is an enjoyable amalgam of good food, great buys at bargain prices and respectful, fun-loving people.

Thai food is on top of the list of my favorite cuisines.

Pratunam and the Chatuchak weekend markets are my favorite bargain jaunts. Add to this list my newly-discovered Suan Lum night market.

It’s just too bad that Thailand is once again arrested with political issues. Now tourists are discouraged from booking tours going to Bangkok because of the civil unrest and street protests.

Luckily, Boyfriend and I had the chance to take a 4-day extended weekend trip before the protests erupted!

Protests and civil strife notwithstanding, I don’t mind going back again late this year. This is especially true now that Boyfriend and I found a new friend in our tour guide, Ole Intasri, who happens to have the same birthday as mine and who is equally fab!

Here are some of the places we went to in our Bangkok “revisit”:

1. Four Seasons Bangkok - The hotel’s look and feel remains to be Thai. Our room had a humongous flat screen TV and an iPod dock. I’m also very particular with bathrooms. Rico, on the other hand, is peeved by small showerheads. Thebathroom is just perfect. How can we complain? It’s Four Seasons!

The hotel’s concierge was also very efficient. We came to Bangkok without any tour reservations. I just gave the printout of my desired itinerary and voila! The hotel took care of all our reservations.

155 Rajadamri Road, Bangkok 10330

Tel. 66 (0) 2 250-1000

2. Spice Market – uber yummy Thai restaurant inside Four Seasons. We were lucky to get a free 4-course meal as part of our package!

Normally, hotel version of Thai food is already tempered to cater to foreign taste. But I don’t want my Thai food tempered! Thai food and tempered – they don’t match! I want the burst of Thai flavor in my mouth and the Spice Market captured this.

Aylavet!

Did I mention that I love my food spicy? Spicy to the tagaktak-pawis point (Note to self: buy Thai chili powder next time).

3. Aqua Bar – also inside Four Seasons, just right in front of the Spice Market. It’s very cozy at night and the crowd is a mix of expats and nouveau riche Thais. Try their caipirinha and mojito cocktails. Wonderful!

4. Manohra Cruise at the Chao Phraya River

Owned and managed by the Marriott Hotel, the Manohra Cruise is the best river cruise along the Chao Phraya River. There are several river cruises plying Chao Phraya, but I find the other ones (except for the Loy Nava) too commercialized – with loud music, too many people in a “love boat” pa-effect liner.

Manohra, on the other hand, plays traditional Thai music in the background and the boat can only seat 40 people. It’s more romantic and relaxing with a very Thai ambience.

We rode the old rice barge made of dark, gleaming hard wood. It’s like cruising through Bangkok in its ancient times.

En route the Chao Phraya River, there was an introduction of the temples (Wat) that we see along the way along with the Grand Palace and the Royal Barge boat-house.

Boyfriend and I were served 3 kinds of appetizer, tom yum soup, 3 main courses and 3 kinds of dessert. Gluttony ito!

The best cruise, of course, comes with a price as it cost almost 6,000 baht for 2.

5. Pratunam shopping

Near the Baiyoke Hotel, the Pratunam area is populated by garment stalls. They do both retail and wholesale. If you’re the maarte cum claustrophobic shopper like me, you can ply the air-conditioned sections. If you’re a serious bargain-hunter, check out the side streets. Fashionable tops can be had at 90 baht, saan ka pa!

I go for hard-to-find and unique accessories and clothes. For fashion-forward apparels, I got some of them for 300-400 baht. Still not bad.

6. Chatuchak weekend market

Aaah, eto talaga ang shopping haven ng mga bargains. Warning: it’s hot and humid in Bangkok (as if it’s not in Manila, noh) so prepare to sweat it out. I mean, really sweat it out. Kung gusto ng bargain, pagtiyagaan ang crowded stalls. It is uber worth it, obs kors. I bought incense sticks, lavender sprays, 100 baht colorful shirts, hand-made copper and silver accessories and cocktail rings.

Honestly, my shopping was bitin. I was impatient and I didn’t have THAT drive to scour for stuff. As in dig. Next time I go, I shall come prepared!

7. Calypso Cabaret

The Patpong go-go bars are soooo out.

In fact, tourists are discouraged to watch these acrobatic, circus-type go-go shows where the girls and some katoeys smoke cigarettes, throw darts or what have you with their vajay-jays. Maraming manloloko and pickpockets in the area. So beware.

Instead of the usual Patpong visit, I scheduled us to watch the Calypso Ladyboy Cabaret show where the performers literally gender-straddle. In fairnezz, ang gaganda ng mga katoeys. Flawless. And they really look like women. Prettier than most women, even.

It’s a wholesome cabaret show. Plus, the spiels are really funny. I was LMAO.

8. Temple tour

Boyfriend and I booked a private tour (dahil sosyal si Boyfriend. Yes, Boyfriend – it’s you. Not me. Pwede ako magtiyaga sa 3-star hotel at sa siksikang tour. *wink*). We asked the concierge to do this and we were booked through East Meets West Tours and Travel.

We visited four temples:

- The Grand Palace

- Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaeo)

- Wat Po

- Wat Arun

The tour was very efficient and organized. Ole, the tour guide assigned to us, was very accommodating. At dahil

ka-federacion siya, his personality was very bright and sunshiny.

The travel agency also books tours in Bhutan, Cambodia and Vietnam. Check out their website: http://www.eastmeetswesttravel.com.

I never get tired of going back to Bangkok. Amazing place, fantastic food. It’s one of my breathing spaces. I can’t wait to go back! When I do, I will make sure I’m emo-prepared for shopping.

For my next wanderlust, I wish I can go to Siem Reap in Cambodia to see the Angkor Wat with Boyfriend before the year ends.

Wish ng wish. Baka matuloy. =)

Photos from:

http://www.bangkok.com/

http://www.fourseasons.com/bangkok/