Bangkok - Not the Typical Tourist

This was my second time visiting Bangkok, yet just like the previous time, I didn't do much shopping (maybe because Bangkok was the last stop of our SEA trip and I was running out of money, oops). We decided to explore the beauty of the city in other ways instead of spending our time in shopping malls and cafes. Warning for the photos spam ahead!

Transport

Angkor Holiday Direct Bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok (USD 28/person)

We took a coach to Bangkok. Booking can be done online. This time round, we didn't repeat the awful experience in Vietnam, the journey was smooth, perhaps just a bit chaotic at the custom. However, you would be fine as long as you are able to recognize your bus and your tour mates. We were picked up from our hotel at 8am (there are two departure timings available - 8am and 9am). Light breakfast and lunch were provided. The journey took around 9 to 10 hours. We were dropped at Mochit near BTS Skytrain. From there, you can choose to take a cab or BTS train to city centre or be like us, take a local public bus, which is also a cheaper option. 

Our lunch box from 7-11.

Accommodation
Hotel de Bangkok
Address: 133/48 Ratchaprarop Road, Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailan

It is a budget friendly hotel located near Pratunam Mall (about 10 to 15-min walk away, ~$40 per person per night). The hotel was quite new and it was a pleasant stay. But of course, you can always look for cheaper hotel or hotel with a better location.

Food
Samurai Pork Burger 
It has become my habit to eat the pork burger from MCD whenever I pay a visit to Thailand. I have to say that the minions on the packaging's so cute! And I find that the chili sauce in Thailand is different from Malaysia/Singapore one - it's Thai chili sauce with garlic taste!

Seafood Restaurant Near Ayutthaya
This restaurant is located not far from Ayutthaya. My local friend, Jan brought us there. Sorry that I couldn't read Thai 😂 The grilled prawns were the hit, so fresh and juicy! We love the grilled fish too, had been craving for seafood throughout the trip (seafood in Singapore is way too expensive).

After You Cafe

Address: G, Siam Paragon Shopping Center, 991 Rama I Rd, Khwaeng Pathum Wan, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand.

Opening Hours: 10am to 10.30pm

The only cafe that we went to during our time in Bangkok. After You has a lot of branches in Thailand and Siam Paragon is only one of them, but it is also the nearest to the place we stayed. The cafe is famous for its Shibuya Honey Toast. Hmm... the taste of Ferrero Toast was not bad, but the mango honey toast from Dazzling Cafe still tops my list (highly recommend if you happen to visit Taiwan, cheaper and tastier there compared to Singapore).

The irresistible Fererro Toast. A bit too sweet for me.

Street Food
Any visit to Bangkok would not be complete without tasting its street food. Literally good food can be spotted everywhere.

One of the signature Thai dish - Pad Thai.

Attractions
Ayutthaya
Transport from Bangkok to Ayutthaya
1. Train - One of the easiest way. Take from Hualamphong Station in Bangkok’s city centre. The journey will take about 2 hours.

2. Bus - Buses to Ayutthaya leave from Mo Chit station twice hourly and the ride takes around 1.5 hours. This is also the cheapest option (~50 baht) but travelling to Mo Chit station itself can get time-consuming.

3. Minivan - It departs from Victory Monument. We actually took this to Ayuttaya and my friend picked us up from there. I find that it was more comfortable than bus and the ticket price of 100 baht was reasonable as well.

Victory Monument. 

4. Taxi - If you want to skip all the troubles and are willing to splurge, then taxi is your choice. The most expensive mode of transportation but you can always try to negotiate the price with the driver.

The colourful taxis in Bangkok.

As the ancient capital of Kingdom of Siam, Ayutthaya is such a stunning place that is definitely worth exploring. To travel around Ayutthaya, you can choose to cycle or hire a tuk tuk driver (what other tourists usually do) but the weather could be torturing. We were grateful to have my Thai friend, Jan to drive us around. There are a lot of temples to explore and you can choose a few more unique one to visit if you have limited time. Take note that there will be a small amount of entry fee for the temples. Maybe due to the fact that it's not as well-known among tourists and located quite far from the city, this place was surprisingly less crowded than we had thought. It's easy to get good photos without photobomb behind. You can also do your own version of temple run or tomb raider. Let the photos below speak - why do you need to visit this place?

I totally blended into the background.

Wat Mahathat.

The living place of the monks. Monks are highly respected in Thailand.

Grand Palace
Opening hours: 8.30am to 3.30pm daily
Entrance ticket: 500 baht

This place is so crowded, which again proves that it is one of the best attractions in Bangkok, and I have to agree with that. rom exterior to interior decorations, every corner of each building showcases the deep culture of Thai. Keep in mind that strict dress code applies (no shorts or tank tops or bare feet) or else you will have to rent proper clothes from the booth at the entrance. Trust me, you will not want to join the long queue under the bright sun. F

Hello Garuda ~

Wat Pho - Temple of Reclining Buddha
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm daily
Entrance ticket: 100 baht

Another must-visit place for the first-timers in Bnagkok. The Buddha is impressively huge. You can buy a bowl of coins at the entrance of the hall which you can drop in the 108 bronze bowls which line the length of the walls, in order to gain some good luck. We took a 10-min ride of tuk tuk to reach here from the Palace.

Erawan Shrine or Four Faced Buddha

A lot of devotees come here to pray, believing the great power of the Buddha. As a typical tourist, I also paid a visit to this iconic tourist attraction.

Lastly, just want to talk about the hair dye we bought from night market. I could have chosen a brighter colour instead of purple. The verdict was it did stain our hair, but the colour was only visible under the sun. The colour came off quite easily, only lasted about few days. But it's ok since it was really cheap.

It wasn't easy to say goodbye to Bangkok and end our 2-week trip in SEA which covered Vietnam, Siem Reap and Bangkok! I am not sure if I can still be this crazy in the future and embark on another trip like this. Really enjoyed every single moment of the trip and had tonnes of fun! 

Jan and me. <3