Detailed Postings for the Day
For my jog this morning from Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri, I decided to take another route after knowing there's another path (non-vehicular) after turning left from the hotel.
Yes, this was the same route we took the day before, towards Hotel Muse and then to the 7-11 convenience store. Despite the gate, I think access was either 24-hour or till very late since we cut through at about 11pm the night before.
There's also a nearer 7-ELEVEn (about 250 meters from Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri); pity I didn't know earlier as I wouldn't have to haul back two bottles of 5-liter drinking water from god knows which shopping mall.
Jogging past Hotel Muse. It's actually quite a nice looking hotel but for me, convenience to public transportation or major shopping districts is my key consideration for choosing accommodation and Hotel Muse is about 400 meters from Chit Lom BTS station.
Crowd still congregating outside The St. Regis Bangkok.
Guess Liverpool F.C would in Bangkok for a few days.
This building caught our attention due to some movement.
Long escalator down Silom MRT station.
Wearing sleeveless as it was so warm!
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Cutting across the Chinese Foods Market along Itsaranuphap Alley after arrival at Wat Mangkon MRT station; an area my mom would enjoy browsing through and I bet she would get salted vegetables and preserved radishes from here on her next visit.
Quiet Yaowarat Road; also known as the main thoroughfare for Chinatown, it would be way more crowded at night when street stalls take over. Click here for some pictures.
Electronic candles for the altars; a much safer alternative compared to candles that require lighting up although I don't quite understand the need for them in the first place.
An old school goldsmith; is this the same shop that was featured in Chinatown Detective? I enjoyed that movie very much and personally think Wang Baoqiang is a superbly talented actor, having caught quite a few of his movies.
My breakfast; Cathay Fish Maw that was sold out in Day Three and we made it a point to be earlier this time! The soup was unforgettably delicious and I can't wait to have it again on my upcoming trip!
Chinatown in Bangkok; I adore it for its mess, its shopping and its food. While many tourists would know to come at night for food, the daytime Chinatown has a thriving wholesale market along Sam Peng Lane! So make it a point to check out the stark differences between day and night!
This half exposed golden dragon was massive and it was set so low; I bet those towering Caucasians would hit its beard if they were not careful.
I went to check out ASAI Hotel; seemed like a nice environment. I did consider this hotel for my next Bangkok trip but the rooms were a bit too small. I can still cancel the hotel I reserved though. Let me think through again.
Wat Mangkon MRT station.
Is that public housing at the back?
The quaint Live Local Cafe!
Felt like I travelled back in time.
Captivating entrance; Rabbit Hill is a bar located just two doors away from Live Local Cafe. I am so looking forward to check out their craft beers (specifically their Moonzen Ribena Kölsch) in February!
We were in Chinatown.
Do expect a lot of Chinese temples!
Chinese Altar Houses for sale. These were for ancestral tablets I think but the one at my parents' place was a lot more simple, and without such intricate carvings.
Spotted a cat!
Praying at Er Ger Fong Temple (二哥豐廟); well known as the god of gamblers, my purpose wasn't related to wealth. I just hope for better luck for the rest of the year! Check out my post here on the location!
A small temple at the corner, with a slanted entrance.
It honors the goddess of mercy.
There's an iconic look for tuk tuk in Thailand, except for the ones in Phuket, and this one looked kind of dressed down, with muted earthly colors.
Chanced upon Suan Mali Fire Station. Based on a report I found online, there were about 35 fire stations (likely as of 2012) spread out in four districts in Bangkok. However, district one, being the smallest at about one-third the size of the next smaller district, already had seven fire stations. Reason: it's the site of the grand palace.
Intention was to check out the Michelin Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai but it had not started operations for the day. I made do with Jay Thip Kuey Teow; sadly wasn't impressed.
Taking GRAB to our next destination. The decorative item so cute although I wonder if the spinning copter would lull the driver to sleep!
First animal cafe for Bangkok trip; Dog In Town @ Ari. I must be specific about Ari as there's another branch for Dog in Town; albeit in Ekkamai.
More than ten dogs and some were huge! A few good things about Dog In Town @ Ari; I couldn't get a whiff of the dog smell in the indoor area and they were so well-behaved! You can easily get a group of dogs to pose for you!
Because shortly after, I walked past two Michelin restaurants; Lay Lao and Ongtong Khaosoi! The Ari area seemed quite happening; sadly, not many hotels within close walking distance from the BTS station.
Rambutans from the van! According to Google Translate, it's three kilograms for 100 baht (about S$4). That's so affordable and I regretted not getting them. On second thought, I doubt I can finish three kilograms all by myself since Alex wouldn't indulge too much.
Street of Ari.
Alex decided to buy a packet of crunchy toasted bread with raisins from a bakery near the Ari BTS station. It was not bad but I prefer the buttery ones from PunBun.
There must have been some high demand in Ari!
Back at Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri; a foggy / hazy day. I am unsure if it is pollution or weather related but all I care about was whether there would be rain as it would make travelling out so inconvenient.
I was arguing with Alex that The Royal Bangkok Sports Club next to Ratchadamri BTS station is for horse racing and he said the turf was more for golfing! Turned out he was right even though horse racing do take place occasionally (e.g. twice in January 2023).
The JS Private Residences next to Hotel Muse. Did a check on Google and it turned out to be owned by a rich Thai family. Imagine the whole family taking up one skyscraper as a residence; similar to the Ambani family in India.
Going out again after a nice shower.
Yes, the fans had grown in strength.
Setting sun was breaking through the clouds.
Commercial establishments with eye catching signage! The Yuzu Ramen offered more than just ramen; I took a look at Google and aside from sushi, there's an omakase option! Eye dropping prices for the omakase though; it can go up to 15,000 baht!
Is this a 3D billboard like the ones in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur?
Apparently, there's one in Singapore too, at the Selegie area.
Charging station for GWM car brand. Want to know what GWM stand for? It means Great Wall Motor and originates from China. According to Wikipedia, GWM is "the third largest Chinese plug-in electric vehicle manufacturer in the Chinese market, with 4% of market share".
This Novotel is so near the BTS station.
Maybe can consider if the price isn't too high.
The same 'carnival' we chanced upon on Day Four.
No time to mill around as we decided to have our last authentic Thai massage, right here in Thailand! Didn't take us long to search and had a great head and shoulder massage at Lek Authentic Massage; which has about 16 branches in Bangkok!
Costing only 45 baht (less than S$2), the price is more than 50% off Singapore's Auntie's Anne; stingy me has never actually bought this in Singapore. Sharing the price list as above for your reference.
BTS train tracks and the famous Erawan shrine. I bet the Erawan shrine wouldn't be as empty now since July 2022 (month of my visit) was just the beginning of borders' relaxation. From the photos I see nowadays, Bangkok is getting crowded with tourists!
Oh... so this overhead pedestrian bridge is known as R-Walk; the R is short for Ratchaprasong and there are eight shrines for you to explore! One particular one I am interested to check out would be the penis shrine said to be in between Chit Lom and Pleonchit BTS stations.
Always a necessity to stopover at Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri for last minute shopping! This is also when paranoia set in and I couldn't decide if I have had bought enough food souvenirs for family and friends back in Singapore.
The Anjeri brand facial masks! I first fell in love with this brand (previously known as Ray) after getting a box in Krabi. Got three boxes this time.
Strolling back to to Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri.
Just the day before, I was commenting to Alex that the traditional Buddhist practice of freeing captive birds seemed to have stopped at Erawan shrine but it turned out to have reduced in scale only. There used to be a lot more vendors and I am hoping devotees can help to stop this practice entirely as the continuous demand would result in a constant supply.
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