A Weekend In Bangkok (The Longest Entry Yet?)

Time away is always good. It helps you think about things that you wouldn't need to deal with on a day-to-day basis. There are new challenges and new experiences. Even right from the time you step into the airport, you feel like you are free. (Perhaps I really need to get away.) (Well, we have been planning this since the KL outing back in August.)

We were not early. The plane was set to fly at 710am, and as the usual reporting protocol required a 2 hour check-in period, we were supposed to be hauling luggage onto to the bag conveyor at bloody 5am. In the words of my fellow travellers, "Siao ah". We got to Terminal 1 in batches, from 6am to 625am. It was slightly nerve-racking awaiting seat allocation. Our tardiness got us the best seats in the house, right at the back. Someone commented that these were the safest seats based on the highly reliable TV drama LOST. Oh dear.

On board we were bored. Budget travel doesn't usually allow for TV. We conversed because we were too awake to sleep. As the pretty ladies in black and orange came around with their magic cart of aerial gastronomic delights, I bought $3 Jetstar poker cards and we played chor-tai-ti. Bangkok came around relatively quick and soon the pain in my ears affirmed the quick rate of descent. Ow and swallow. Ow.

Suvarnabhumi Airport is grey, too grey for the visual palate. I think in the hurry to open they compromised on the cladding and facades on the many concrete pillars. Some say post-modern minimalism, I say boring and depressing. Thank goodness for the gilded statues of Khmer folklore that dot the way out, adding much needed colour in splashes of red, green and gold. While at one of the two long queues at immigration, Lah Moh pushed the envelope of Siamese hospitality. She stood in front of a closed line where an immigration officer was chitchatting with a fellow official. At the sight of our dear Lah Moh, she removed the Closed sign and gestured the Lah Moh forward for processing. Unheard of! Only Lah Moh could pull this off. She has a thing about getting her way. It's in her blood.

We took a public taxi to the hotel. TIP ONE - don't get conned by taxi touts who wanna whisk to the city for 1400THB. We rode on a large 7-seater taxi to Sukhumvit for 700THB including highway toll charges. It was a smooth journey along an epic highway under overcast skies till we got stuck in the classic Friday morning jam. Apparently this is normal for a Friday, according to our taxi driver. He spoke in smatterings of English and I tried to extend the conversation where possible. He looked and behaved ex-military, accentuated by the crewcut and a stoic demeanour. Thank you Solot Duangmak of Big Taxi Thailand Service +66-084-696-2590. (He gave me his card when we parted company in the hope of further business when it came to departure from Bangkok).

TIP TWO - Stay at the Majestic Grande hotel. Rated 5 stars on asiarooms.com and rooms at SGD139 a night, it was a steal. It's at Sukhumvit Soi 2, a little after JW Marriot (apparently all the taxi drivers know JW) between the best of the Siam and Sukhumvit districts. The only sucky bit is that it is next to a major highway and in between two BTS stations. A little walking to Ploenchit or Nana stations solves the latter, closed curtains or a blind eye turned solves the former, if you are picky.

The late arrival caused by the jam threw our plans asunder. We dumped bags and ran out the hotel door to Central to buy bras. Not for the men of course. But first to nourish and energise for the kilometers of walking in airconditioned malls. We ate at Food Loft and by golly, isn't this the fanciest food court ever? It was like a Marche in New York, framed by wood beams, dark walls, water elements and light from the outside. A pretty setting for the consumption of pretty food. We bought rice and noodles and rolls and soup and pizza. Topping the food foray were sesame tang yuen in piquant ginger soup. We dared each other to gulp the fiery ginger liquid. It was a kick to the palate and a wake call for the sinuses.

Then the aimless walking began. Purposeless for two reasons - we weren't going to join the girls in the undergarment exploits and we didn't really have anything in mind to buy. So we roamed like fully-fed zombies and grew tired. We sat at various locations. I took a rest in the loo too. It was comfortable. At a pre-arranged time, we met at Greyhound Cafe. TIP THREE - Go to any Greyhound Cafe in Bangkok and you'll be treated to great coffee and tea, divine desserts and lovely food. Try the banafee and salad rollups. Prices are reasonable, the food delectable. There are outlets at Central and Siam Paragon. Nice, real nice.

We were next at MBK, a Singaporean favourite. Clean, noisy and full of food and things to buy. A few of us searched for jeans to buy and others gave their feet a rub-a-dub-dub. Our purveyors of denim, ladies from the middle row on level 6, were however nowhere to be seen. There was a young boy and a tailor man but no, we had to find our fabled seamstresses out! We failed, and settled on a shop on the side. Run by 2 ladies, we thought..hmmm..could it be them? Anyway, it didn't matter. We became models and tried on pair after pair, changing in a corner in a space no bigger than 50cm by 50cm, behind a thin cloth that separated modesty from embarrassment. I bought a length-adjusted dark-blue pair for 650THB. (#06-34).

Heard of Propaganda? It's a store that sells creatively designed things. T-shirts, mugs, coasters, clocks, notebooks, bags. We spent more than 30mins there and I couldn't buy a thing. Too mesmerized and too confused. I had to come back later. We scooted over to Siam Discovery Center for dinner, a deserved Japanese feast at Fuji. We couldn't find the restaurant for a good 20mins. Carolina ran off to Information to ask a witch for directions. Yes, a witch. They were all dolled up for Halloween - this one had the pointy hat, dark makeup and black garb. And she pointed us the right way. The good witch of Siam. At Fuji, we ordered many things and ate them. Yums, at about S$25 per person. TIP FOUR do Fuji.

Siam Square is great place to get lost. It's full of small shops that sell mostly clothes, bags and shoes. Yes women rejoice. The men tag along and hold bags and roam at Boots Pharmacy. There is a Dunkin Donuts and an A&W that serves root beer (sometimes flat as Carolina found out) in cold, heavy frosted mugs. Ah, traditional tastes for the old fogeys.

The next day, we Jatujak-ed. Up on the train to Mo Chit and into the madness of zinc-roofed rows of little shops that promised wonders galore, of prices unheard of, of reasonable quality, of quirky finds and unfulfilled ambitions. We walked together and apart in small bunches, moving in and out of shops. The overcast sky thankfully held back the merciless rays that would have baked us alive. It was MH's first time in Jatujak, and Bangkok for that matter, and I wanted him to have the full, dirty experience. He had to see the fish, pets and fried grasshoppers. We somehow ended up at JJ Mall, a shopping center reminiscent of ones in Melaka, for very sweet caffeinated drinks and airconditioning. We ventured back into the weekend market and made it out alive a hour later. Taxi, thank god for taxis. To the hotel, sir! Godspeed. For shower and toilet.

Everyone I know who travels to Bangkok ends up having at least one session of massage. Why? Because it's cheap! Carolina took us back up the Sukhumvit line to terminal station On Nut for a rub-down at Pimmalai. In a nice, big wooden house, I enjoyed a 2hour traditional manipulation at the hands of a well-versed albeit small Thai woman. Aaaaaah. Though I came out as wobbly as tofu, it could have been a little more aggressive. Harder. Post massage dinner was at Spring. Atas dining for the young and trendy (most of us were in shorts). Recommended by Nana, we were in for a treat. Located at Soi 49, we arrived to the sight of folks seated on cushions on the soft grass in front of this glass-fronted bungalow. Happening lah, the patrons of Summer, the seasonal accompaniment of the restaurant. We sat and eyed the menu. The food was not cheap but the ambience and quality made up for a unique experience.

The night was not yet over. We had to do Suan Lum, a night bazaar with a giant football field-sized makan and performance area. Seriously, people sang as customers chowed down and chugged Chang. We roamed the stalls once again, unsure whether our legs would hold out. This is the bit where I confess a regret. I did not buy a book - Tin Tin in Thailand. Apparently he visits Patpong in this one. Ahem. They guy wanted 300THB, I foolishly declined a lower offer of 270THB and walked away. I still keep thinking about my comic loss. Apparently this regretful act of self control is now known as "doing a Gurmit". Hmpf.

Day 3 was end game day. We loaded up on the carbo at breakfast and checked out. With the flight in the evening, we ventured out once more to resolve any outstanding shopping deficiencies. I went to Propaganda and MBK. We met at Siam Square later for lunch. TIP FIVE have a wonderful Thai meal at Inter, a lovely eatery just opposite the Boots Pharmacy. The shrimp paste fried rice, tom yum soup, fish cake, fried pork, water mimosa and Thai ice tea are killer. Once again, piranha mode. The afternoon was more walking with a final sit down at Greyhound cafe at the spanking new Siam Paragon. The latter reminds me of KLCC, huge and stylishly imposing. Big brands names everywhere, obscured by the Halloween decor and bloody (not an insult) zombies roaming the open spaces. Cafe au lait, si'l vous plait.

As the sun came down, we rushed off to the hotel to get our bags, a quick wee wee, into negotiated-price taxis and we arrived at where we started our Siamese odyssey 56hours earlier. We thought we were early for good seats on the plane but alas it was not to be. Goodness. Two dotted across with a lineup right on row 30. Goodness. I slept till the Mr Window Seat woke me up to go to the loo.

The drama continued at Changi. Cheryl and Jin had their luggage go astray! Shopping lost! All those bras, bags and shoes! Oh calamity! We took it good humour and strangely had a ball of a time discussing the situation. I envisioned a Thai baggage handler trying on a bra. Before the joke goes any further, their bags were located at Suvarnabhumi and shipped over the next day. Haha. TIP SIX always get travel insurance. We did prata next to commemorate our return.

Good trip. Look forward to more international mayhem in the future. Thanks to Jin, Cheryl, Jay, Nana, Carolina and MH for a good time.

The madness is reiterated in 579 images at my Flickr.