Getting around Bangkok is easier than in more chaotic Manila owing to numerous options available: taxis, airtrains (LRT/MRT), buses, tuk-tuk (picture shown below in a typical Bangkok corner) and the unique motorcycle taxis that I mistook for regular riders zip-zapping Bangkok's traffic-infested streets. (There are motorcycle taxis here in RP called habal-habal or skylab that can seat an amazing number of people but technically illegal)Taxis are cheap but sometimes the driver will negotiate a fixed fare i.e. without a meter. The same is true with tuktuk wherein you need to negotiate first the price before agreeing.
In our four-day trip here we encountered taxi drivers moonlighting as pimps with matching colorful brochures to boot.
Ferries and boats, available at the banks of the Chao Phraya, are available for for sightseeing tours.
for starters on Thai food, cuisine here is heavily influenced both by the Chinese and Indians and are always too spicy for the typical pinoy (that doesn't include the tutubi since he developed a strong liking for hot and spicy food)
I took my friends to MK restaurant, Thailand's number one food chain, to sample Thai's version of sukiyaki or simply suki. Suki is a dish cooked right in front of you on a boiling pot with noodles, vegetables, dimsum, meat and seafood, that you order separately, are put then dipped in a special sukiyaki sauce (where I always make with lots of chili sauce for the extra bite)
Chicken with cashew nuts and lots of chilis.
a Thai delicacies store in MBK (Mah Boon Krong). You have to note that Thailand is also a shopping haven attracting hordes of liquid Filipinos addicted to shopping.
One of the sidetrips we made was dinner at Jengor's Kitchen where our Malaysian friends from one vendor/supplier treated us to a sumptuous fare of seafood satiating ourselves as if it's our last night on earth.
A memorable dinner I highly recommend is at the Baiyoke Sky hotel buffet where we treated ourselves to hearty dinner with an eclectic mix of Thai, American, Chinese and Asian food but sadly, as always, no Filipino food available. You may proceed to the viewdeck of the tower afterwards for a gorgeous view of nighttime Bangkok.
For the more adventurous, you may try fried critters, locusts, lots of creepy crawlers even scorpions on the street (some I tried in my first visit) for an exotic gastronomic adventure.
Bangkok Shopping:
lots of shopping venues in Bangkok like MBK and Suan Lum (video below)
Other things to consider:
Bangkok weather is so much like Manila's and the streets remind me of Malate and Binondo.
English is now more understood than on my first trip where we struggled to ask around at Chatuchak looking for a fruit stand (such a hilarious experience).
When going out of your hotel, have hotel staff write down on a piece of paper your destination to show to your taxi driver to avoid confusion.
Leave 500 baht unspent before going back to the airport to defray airport terminal fees (reminds me again of Manila but with thousand wats instead of churches)
Bargain with locals when buying things using broken english and a calculator to indicate the price.
Thais revere their king so much that it's illegal to criticize their king or deface posters of him. It's also illegal to possess items related to the "The King and I." The king is printed all over the Thai baht bills and coins also.
If ever I will find myself again in the Land of the Free, I would want to explore the cool north including Chiang Mai.
Related Posts on Amazing Thailand:
Bangkok Tour
Grand Palace
Ayutthaya: Old Capital of Siam
Bridge on the River Kwai
Nong Nook Tropical Garden Resort
ayos ang bangkok ah... haven't been there, siguro sana makabisita din ako balang araw... parang nakakalaway ang mga pics ng food kse maanghang, hehehe...
ReplyDeletebro, thanks for dropping by. i have captures of the unfinished bridge but didn't post them. the bridge nga pala is not in baclayon but in loboc :-)
ReplyDeletewaaaahh misskothai food. saSingapore kasi pag gusto namin kain thai food punta lang thai resto e..hmmnn parang mga pinoy taxi driver din pala mga cab driver sa thai ano?
ReplyDeleteako nakarating ng bangkok... airport lang wheeew...
ReplyDeletemarami yang habal-habal sa negros kasya ata lima or anim eh..
I've always wanted to visit Bangkok but I wonder with all the random bombings, is it safe to be there now?
ReplyDeleteI really, really wanna go there!
)):
Sounds exciting! Enjoy and be safe!
ReplyDeleteang di ko malilimutang kinain ko sa bangkok ay ang penang (some kinda beef with red curry). sobrang anghang smoke practically came out of my ears. woot!
ReplyDelete=)
Have you tried eating in 'Cabbages and condoms" Great food, it's somewhere in Sukhumvit.
ReplyDeleteAlso in sukhumvit, there is this pricey indian/malaysian resto "Mrs. Balbirs" good food but a tad too pricey 700 baht! Ouch !
I love BKK, it's like manila less the noise :)
lino,
ReplyDeletetry to visit at least once. you'll love it.
oggie, o nga nasa loboc nga. when I was in bohol kasi dati wla pa yun. only heard about it
melai,
meron naman thai resto na dito. there's Oody's na in SM malls. One of those i recommend to you, and frugal, is Som's on reposo in Makati and another near Kalayaan. There is (or was) a thai canteen near UP but don't know if it's still there.
kneeko, skylab in negros, dami nga dun :)
kyels, seems you're terrorized by the terrorists here :(
it's generally safe to be there. just stay safe anywhere you go.
eric, o ano gusto na travel sa asia? you don't like travelling, eh? :)
carlotta, penang is malaysian food maybe, there also used to be a restaurant named Penang at Podium but i think it's no longer there. For now I occasionally visit an Indonesian resto and Banana leaf for Asian fusion cuisine :)
senorito ako<- sukhumvit is touristy place. I avoid touristy place like hell since i prefer to eat like locals do. to blend in :)
Sarap naman ng travel na yan! Basta within the year maglilibot din ako dyan! Hhehehe
ReplyDeleteYung chicken with cashew nuts na spicy, I love that! Parang meron yata nyan sa Mr. Choi yata yun or another resto nakainan ko :)
wow this is so good! mukhang mag-enjoy ako sa bangkok nito :) thanks for sharing tito :)
ReplyDeleteGreat pics .. and all that scrumptious food :) I have been to Bangkok only and I dig Thai food a lot. THere's lots of Thai food here in Toronto, some of them fusion types - blend of Thai and the west. The lemon grass and hot pepper taste is what makes it quite distinctive :)
ReplyDeleteparang manila din noh??.. hmmm... sarap naman mga yan.. :) thanks pala sa visit....
ReplyDeleteI love Bangkok. Somehow, it reminds me of Manila. When we want to go somewhere urban, we go to Bangkok from Phnom Penh. Chiang Mai is also nice... almost like Baguio. Parang pareho din yung hilltribes nila. Hey, MK has a branch in Cambodia na... masubukan nga. :)
ReplyDeletei have been to bangkok countless of times. bangkok does not stop to fascinate me, the food, the shops, and how i have seen it improve and grow the past 10 years. i am always amaze at how their traffic has improved.
ReplyDeletemy only question is--why do they not take effort to learn to speak english? and they can still manage, though.
Oh, gosh! grabe naman yung chicken with lots of chili! Makakain pa ba yan?
ReplyDeleteI'm not fond of spicy foods, so I think I'll be having a problem if ever i get to visit Bangkok. Magbaon na lang siguro ako ng de lata.. hehehe.
sasha,
ReplyDeletefavorite iko sa mr choi yung steamed fish nila in oyster/garlic sauce
jhenny, go around.lakwatsa
bw, i love lemon grass. common sya sa vietnamese cuisine din
rhodyl, thanks for returning the visit
toe, sana nga mag-open din MK dito hehe mura lang sya
sexy mom, yes they try to learn english. the second there marked an improvement of my first trip. They also broadcast english learning shows on tv
rhodora, you can request naman for less spicy versions if you like
I'm super excited to visit Bangkok later this year!! I will of course, make your blog a reference! Hihi.. Thanks! :) Will link you up!
ReplyDeletefor solo traveler in Bangkok, how much kaya expenses? hehehe. :D
ReplyDeleteAh your food photos look absolutely beautiful. We now have two Thai restaurants here in Cagayan de Oro but the one I've tried doesn't have such a varied food selection. I've really been harking to try more original Thai dishes with all the spice!
ReplyDeleteGreat post...Thanks for sharing the backpacking tips for Bangkok...I never visited it...Your pics are awesome...But the pics of foods are really good..
ReplyDeletehey there Tutubi. :)
ReplyDeletei'm booked for a 5 days stay in Bangkok. This will be my first international trip and i'm going there alone. Got no hotel reservation prior to my trip. Can you please help me? Is it ok if i'll just look for hostels there upon my arrival? I mean, budget hostels. :) do you have suggestions where to stay? :))))) your reply will be of great help!! :)) thanks. :)