Saturday, March 30, 2013

Bangkok Valentine's Weekend: Day 2

It's our 2nd day in Bangkok and we haven't been to any historical place. But then again, we'll never go wrong with shopping. So we headed to the Chatuchak weekend market. The place was extremely huge, just like Divisoria. Everything's sold in really low prices. When I say, everything, I meant it! From food, to clothes, to kitchenware, to pets! Name it and it's definitely there.

 photo IMG_7175_zps76ac5273.jpg
cute!!!
 photo DSC08634_zps65e4a08b.jpg
 photo IMG_7176_zpsf561ff1a.jpg
I really wanted to take one home...

Street food are cheap but are good, plus the Thai iced tea is to die for. Pad Thai is just a street food there, and it's really yummy. Got to taste all of those for less than 200 baht. Then we're back to shopping. We bought tops for just 100 baht, souvenirs that cost around 40-70 baht, and dresses for 200 baht. I don't wanna recall how much I've spent there, but I was so happy. What I brought home as pasalubong for my friends were accessories, tops, and spicy tamarind! Oh, I can't get enough of spicy tamarind haha!

 photo DSC08631_zpsb2f8a374.jpg
time for lunch!

 photo IMG_7171_zps9a326ee5.jpg

Thai iced tea :)

 photo IMG_7169_zpsd23f67a8.jpg
street food

Anyway, after Chatuchak, we headed to Siam Square to shop at H&M. I got a nice aztec dress for just 500 baht. We had a light dinner at the food court of Siam Paragon, then we headed back to the hotel.

 photo IMG_7181_zps330faf8c.jpg
so we're back!
 photo IMG_7180_zpsa1aadc11.jpg
Thai crepe ;)
 photo IMG_7187_zps552a3918.jpg

Oh, that Beckham TVC! :))

At the ground floor of our hotel is a massage service. We experienced 1 hour of real Thai massage! Oh my God, it's really good. I felt relaxed and energized at the same time.  

Anyway, after the massage, we fixed up and headed out. We're supposed to meet a friend somewhere, but she kinda ditched us. The worst part was, we've spent around 300 baht for 3 different cabs just to get us where we had to go. The first one was a really rude driver. He dropped us at the red light district when it's actually not where we're headed. The second one was really nice but we we're on our way to a different place with the same name, so we had to go back. When we finally arrived to the club where we're supposed to meet my friend, the place was kinda dumpy and it looked like nothing's happening there, so we just left and headed to Sukhumvit 11, where the nice clubs were at. I used the Guidepal Bangkok app to choose which club to go. So we went to Levels. It's on the 6th floor of ALoft Hotel. There were a lot of tourists, locals, and expats there; and it looked kinda upscale. No door charge, yey! But an average drink would cost around 250 baht. The drinks might be a bit pricey but they're quite strong. I was able to make my Long Island last for 2 hours but managed to be a bit tipsy LOL! So there's a reason why it's called Levels. There were different rooms in the place playing different music genres. Outside was a sky lounge with lounge music. Inside, there were a couple of tables on the sides, there's a bar and a dance floor at the center. Hiphop/RnB and Pop were being played. Then in another room, house and techno music were being played. Upstairs were the restrooms and VIP rooms.

 photo IMG_7193_zpscba77791.jpg
classy
 photo IMG_7211_zpsfdf9c943.jpg
perfect!
 photo DSC08636_zpsed02ac52.jpg
 photo DSC08639_zps8cd78a5c.jpg
Aztec dress, Snake-skin Clutch all by H&M
 photo DSC08649_zpsf060c3c5.jpg
 photo DSC08656_zpsceb7ad79.jpg
 photo DSC08654_zpsfe19e422.jpg
what a crazy photo bomber! LOL photo IMG_7218_zpsd3ceb5a9.jpg
 photo DSC08657_zpsf4b5e4ac.jpg
 photo IMG_7230_zpsd05a59b6.jpg
our dinner/breakfast haha

After a few hours at the club, we headed to Angel Diner, just beside ALoft. It's quite pricey though, but we liked the food. Our second day was definitely a cosmo day! Shopping, food tripping, and clubbing/drinking were a must every time I travel. Well, that's how a city girl like me does it! :)

Ok, here's our estimated expense for the day, considering all the misfortunes that we encountered that bloated our transportation expense (shopping not included):

1. Food (lunch, snacks, dinner) - ThB 1,000
2. Transportation - ThB 700
3. Massage for 2pax - ThB 300 
3. Drinks/Party - ThB 600
TOTAL: ThB 2,600 = PhP 3,625 (Php 1,813 each)

xoxo,

city girl :)

Friday, March 29, 2013

Bangkok Valentine's Weekend: Day 1

We left the hotel around lunch time. We took a cab to Terminal 21, the airport-inspired mall in downtown. We had lunch at The Terrace, a Thai restaurant. We had pad thai, tofu, tom yum. I think all of those cost us around ThB 900. Since I wasn't able to have my peso changed into baht, I just withdrew from the ATM. Luckily, there's an AEON branch (with ATM machine) in Terminal 21 that I was able to withdraw in baht without extra charges. Before doing so, I actually searched online for banks that do not charge for transactions of international cards, and so I found AEON, which I have first encountered when I was in Japan.


 photo DSC08561_zpsdf2c7bd6.jpg

 photo IMG_7083_zps840e9ee6.jpg

 photo IMG_7087_zps3bdf2e55.jpg

 photo IMG_7085_zpsbfb73b6c.jpg

 photo IMG_7084_zps6c9796f4.jpg

 photo IMG_7086_zps8c8cda6c.jpg

 photo IMG_7093_zps2d0b369a.jpg

 photo IMG_7097_zpsf8bef567.jpg
Tokyo bathroom

 photo IMG_7098_zps0b0dbee8.jpg

 photo IMG_7100_zps37b1ae92.jpg

 photo DSC07943_zpse067ed64.jpg

 photo DSC08569_zps6c790ce6.jpg


After lunch, we did a bit of shopping. We found nice coats on sale! Got mine for ThB 500! :) Then we took the Sukhumvit line from Asok to Siam. There we went around multiple malls namely, Siam Paragon Mall, Central World, Platinum Fashion Malls 1 and 2, and other nearby malls. We loved Platinum for lots of cheap yet awesome finds. There we bought a pair of flats for ThB 250 and colored pants for ThB 500. Actually, there were a lot of stuff to choose from. Had I brought a lot of money, I would've shopped clothes and resell them in Manila haha!

 photo IMG_7108_zps514a9b4d.jpg
spotted a Crossfit box! :)

 photo DSC08582_zps26ff93fe.jpg

 photo IMG_7113_zps472d0157.jpg
My name just means Royalty :)

 photo IMG_7117_zps5ac4494c.jpg

 photo IMG_7118_zpsc0424456.jpg
a day after Vday

 photo DSC08588_zps251e84a7.jpg
Siam Paragon

 photo DSC08599_zps7081329c.jpg

 photo DSC08594_zps5539b132.jpg
this is like the Thai version of grotto

 photo IMG_7123_zpsf62aae6b.jpg

 photo DSC08605_zps20b9e535.jpg
awesome shopping spot!

 photo DSC08607_zps49720094.jpg

yummy milk tea

After shopping, we headed back to the hotel where Dr. Sopon (my Thai friend) picked us up. We walked to his nearby office and toured around. There we found campaign materials 'cause apparently, he was also running for Bangkok Governor in the upcoming elections. Anyway, he took us to Central Plaza, a nearby mall, for dinner. We had a hot pot dinner at MK Restaurant. We had so much for dinner, and the best part was, it's free!:)

 photo IMG_7134_zpsc4d026dc.jpg

 photo IMG_7132_zps13a73b43.jpg  photo IMG_7165_zps855468cd.jpg

After dinner, we were off to Asiatique, hangout place by the bay. It's like their version of San Miguel by the Bay behind Mall of Asia. There were a lot of different shops (clothing, food, pets, toys, etc.), bars, and restaurants there. Plus there's a huge ferris wheel! We were there to meet with Narid, a Thai friend of mine, and her Chinese husband. They treated us to drinks at Checkmate, a restobar. The place has got a nice ambiance, plus there's a live band playing good Thai music. The singer was one of the last few contestants of "The Voice" Thailand. The place also serves sumptuous dishes. But the best part for me was we were able to try Hoagaarden Rosee for the first time! It's a cherry flavored beer and it really tasted good. I'm wondering why I couldn't find one in Manila.

 photo DSC08610_zps76ee0f34.jpg

 photo DSC08612_zps3f0e98be.jpg
we kept spotting Happy Lemon in every Asian country we visit :))

 photo IMG_7141_zpsc71dff00.jpg

 photo IMG_7144_zps2550c783.jpg
historical spot

 photo DSC08627_zps70ac4aac.jpg

 photo DSC08625_zpsc5090dc2.jpg
LOLing at this :)))

 photo IMG_7146_zpsd5760d68.jpg

 photo DSC08623_zps969fe08e.jpg
new coat and new flats haha

 photo DSC08628_zps7a3a1cc9.jpg
artists

 photo DSC08629_zps5d108e1e.jpg
an artist with a unique style in his works

 photo IMG_7153_zps187294e7.jpg
This photo grabbed our attention that's why we stopped by this artist haha he was with Mario Maurer in Jandara's (movie) premiere. Anyway, while the artist was talking to us, he was actually quickly drawing us on a piece of paper. He gave it to us and he asked for donation after. Oh well, we gave him 20 baht.


We had a great time catching up with my Thai friend and her hubby. She's still so fab and pretty that I don't feel she's getting old. Just before midnight, they brought us back to the hotel with their cutie white Mini Cooper. Well they're so blessed for living a perfect life, but the best thing about them is, they're very down to earth. You know, it really pays to keep in touch. It was in 2009 when I first met them and this time was just the second. I'm so happy having met such nice foreign friends.:)

 photo IMG_7156_zpsd165b491.jpg

 photo IMG_7155_zps315b2fcb.jpg
Thai music

 photo IMG_7168_zps4483a7c4.jpg
Hoegaarden Rosee for the ladies! Cheers!

 photo IMG_7160_zpsb41cd6f7.jpg

awesome night :)

Since it's always our habit to have a central fund every trip (and I'm always the one handling the money), our summary of daily expenses would always mean that it covered 2 pax. Here's an estimate of how much we've spent:

1. Lunch - ThB 900
2. Transportation - ThB 300 (incl. toll fees - to avoid traffic)
3. Dinner - FREE
4. Snacks - Thb 200
5. Drinks - FREE
TOTAL: ThB 1,400 or PhP 1,950 (Php 975 each)

xoxo,

city girl

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Bangkok Valentine's Weekend: Day 2

It's our 2nd day in Bangkok and we haven't been to any historical place. But then again, we'll never go wrong with shopping. So we headed to the Chatuchak weekend market. The place was extremely huge, just like Divisoria. Everything's sold in really low prices. When I say, everything, I meant it! From food, to clothes, to kitchenware, to pets! Name it and it's definitely there.

 photo IMG_7175_zps76ac5273.jpg
cute!!!
 photo DSC08634_zps65e4a08b.jpg
 photo IMG_7176_zpsf561ff1a.jpg
I really wanted to take one home...

Street food are cheap but are good, plus the Thai iced tea is to die for. Pad Thai is just a street food there, and it's really yummy. Got to taste all of those for less than 200 baht. Then we're back to shopping. We bought tops for just 100 baht, souvenirs that cost around 40-70 baht, and dresses for 200 baht. I don't wanna recall how much I've spent there, but I was so happy. What I brought home as pasalubong for my friends were accessories, tops, and spicy tamarind! Oh, I can't get enough of spicy tamarind haha!

 photo DSC08631_zpsb2f8a374.jpg
time for lunch!

 photo IMG_7171_zps9a326ee5.jpg

Thai iced tea :)

 photo IMG_7169_zpsd23f67a8.jpg
street food

Anyway, after Chatuchak, we headed to Siam Square to shop at H&M. I got a nice aztec dress for just 500 baht. We had a light dinner at the food court of Siam Paragon, then we headed back to the hotel.

 photo IMG_7181_zps330faf8c.jpg
so we're back!
 photo IMG_7180_zpsa1aadc11.jpg
Thai crepe ;)
 photo IMG_7187_zps552a3918.jpg

Oh, that Beckham TVC! :))

At the ground floor of our hotel is a massage service. We experienced 1 hour of real Thai massage! Oh my God, it's really good. I felt relaxed and energized at the same time.  

Anyway, after the massage, we fixed up and headed out. We're supposed to meet a friend somewhere, but she kinda ditched us. The worst part was, we've spent around 300 baht for 3 different cabs just to get us where we had to go. The first one was a really rude driver. He dropped us at the red light district when it's actually not where we're headed. The second one was really nice but we we're on our way to a different place with the same name, so we had to go back. When we finally arrived to the club where we're supposed to meet my friend, the place was kinda dumpy and it looked like nothing's happening there, so we just left and headed to Sukhumvit 11, where the nice clubs were at. I used the Guidepal Bangkok app to choose which club to go. So we went to Levels. It's on the 6th floor of ALoft Hotel. There were a lot of tourists, locals, and expats there; and it looked kinda upscale. No door charge, yey! But an average drink would cost around 250 baht. The drinks might be a bit pricey but they're quite strong. I was able to make my Long Island last for 2 hours but managed to be a bit tipsy LOL! So there's a reason why it's called Levels. There were different rooms in the place playing different music genres. Outside was a sky lounge with lounge music. Inside, there were a couple of tables on the sides, there's a bar and a dance floor at the center. Hiphop/RnB and Pop were being played. Then in another room, house and techno music were being played. Upstairs were the restrooms and VIP rooms.

 photo IMG_7193_zpscba77791.jpg
classy
 photo IMG_7211_zpsfdf9c943.jpg
perfect!
 photo DSC08636_zpsed02ac52.jpg
 photo DSC08639_zps8cd78a5c.jpg
Aztec dress, Snake-skin Clutch all by H&M
 photo DSC08649_zpsf060c3c5.jpg
 photo DSC08656_zpsceb7ad79.jpg
 photo DSC08654_zpsfe19e422.jpg
what a crazy photo bomber! LOL photo IMG_7218_zpsd3ceb5a9.jpg
 photo DSC08657_zpsf4b5e4ac.jpg
 photo IMG_7230_zpsd05a59b6.jpg
our dinner/breakfast haha

After a few hours at the club, we headed to Angel Diner, just beside ALoft. It's quite pricey though, but we liked the food. Our second day was definitely a cosmo day! Shopping, food tripping, and clubbing/drinking were a must every time I travel. Well, that's how a city girl like me does it! :)

Ok, here's our estimated expense for the day, considering all the misfortunes that we encountered that bloated our transportation expense (shopping not included):

1. Food (lunch, snacks, dinner) - ThB 1,000
2. Transportation - ThB 700
3. Massage for 2pax - ThB 300 
3. Drinks/Party - ThB 600
TOTAL: ThB 2,600 = PhP 3,625 (Php 1,813 each)

xoxo,

city girl :)

Friday, March 29, 2013

Bangkok Valentine's Weekend: Day 1

We left the hotel around lunch time. We took a cab to Terminal 21, the airport-inspired mall in downtown. We had lunch at The Terrace, a Thai restaurant. We had pad thai, tofu, tom yum. I think all of those cost us around ThB 900. Since I wasn't able to have my peso changed into baht, I just withdrew from the ATM. Luckily, there's an AEON branch (with ATM machine) in Terminal 21 that I was able to withdraw in baht without extra charges. Before doing so, I actually searched online for banks that do not charge for transactions of international cards, and so I found AEON, which I have first encountered when I was in Japan.


 photo DSC08561_zpsdf2c7bd6.jpg

 photo IMG_7083_zps840e9ee6.jpg

 photo IMG_7087_zps3bdf2e55.jpg

 photo IMG_7085_zpsbfb73b6c.jpg

 photo IMG_7084_zps6c9796f4.jpg

 photo IMG_7086_zps8c8cda6c.jpg

 photo IMG_7093_zps2d0b369a.jpg

 photo IMG_7097_zpsf8bef567.jpg
Tokyo bathroom

 photo IMG_7098_zps0b0dbee8.jpg

 photo IMG_7100_zps37b1ae92.jpg

 photo DSC07943_zpse067ed64.jpg

 photo DSC08569_zps6c790ce6.jpg


After lunch, we did a bit of shopping. We found nice coats on sale! Got mine for ThB 500! :) Then we took the Sukhumvit line from Asok to Siam. There we went around multiple malls namely, Siam Paragon Mall, Central World, Platinum Fashion Malls 1 and 2, and other nearby malls. We loved Platinum for lots of cheap yet awesome finds. There we bought a pair of flats for ThB 250 and colored pants for ThB 500. Actually, there were a lot of stuff to choose from. Had I brought a lot of money, I would've shopped clothes and resell them in Manila haha!

 photo IMG_7108_zps514a9b4d.jpg
spotted a Crossfit box! :)

 photo DSC08582_zps26ff93fe.jpg

 photo IMG_7113_zps472d0157.jpg
My name just means Royalty :)

 photo IMG_7117_zps5ac4494c.jpg

 photo IMG_7118_zpsc0424456.jpg
a day after Vday

 photo DSC08588_zps251e84a7.jpg
Siam Paragon

 photo DSC08599_zps7081329c.jpg

 photo DSC08594_zps5539b132.jpg
this is like the Thai version of grotto

 photo IMG_7123_zpsf62aae6b.jpg

 photo DSC08605_zps20b9e535.jpg
awesome shopping spot!

 photo DSC08607_zps49720094.jpg

yummy milk tea

After shopping, we headed back to the hotel where Dr. Sopon (my Thai friend) picked us up. We walked to his nearby office and toured around. There we found campaign materials 'cause apparently, he was also running for Bangkok Governor in the upcoming elections. Anyway, he took us to Central Plaza, a nearby mall, for dinner. We had a hot pot dinner at MK Restaurant. We had so much for dinner, and the best part was, it's free!:)

 photo IMG_7134_zpsc4d026dc.jpg

 photo IMG_7132_zps13a73b43.jpg  photo IMG_7165_zps855468cd.jpg

After dinner, we were off to Asiatique, hangout place by the bay. It's like their version of San Miguel by the Bay behind Mall of Asia. There were a lot of different shops (clothing, food, pets, toys, etc.), bars, and restaurants there. Plus there's a huge ferris wheel! We were there to meet with Narid, a Thai friend of mine, and her Chinese husband. They treated us to drinks at Checkmate, a restobar. The place has got a nice ambiance, plus there's a live band playing good Thai music. The singer was one of the last few contestants of "The Voice" Thailand. The place also serves sumptuous dishes. But the best part for me was we were able to try Hoagaarden Rosee for the first time! It's a cherry flavored beer and it really tasted good. I'm wondering why I couldn't find one in Manila.

 photo DSC08610_zps76ee0f34.jpg

 photo DSC08612_zps3f0e98be.jpg
we kept spotting Happy Lemon in every Asian country we visit :))

 photo IMG_7141_zpsc71dff00.jpg

 photo IMG_7144_zps2550c783.jpg
historical spot

 photo DSC08627_zps70ac4aac.jpg

 photo DSC08625_zpsc5090dc2.jpg
LOLing at this :)))

 photo IMG_7146_zpsd5760d68.jpg

 photo DSC08623_zps969fe08e.jpg
new coat and new flats haha

 photo DSC08628_zps7a3a1cc9.jpg
artists

 photo DSC08629_zps5d108e1e.jpg
an artist with a unique style in his works

 photo IMG_7153_zps187294e7.jpg
This photo grabbed our attention that's why we stopped by this artist haha he was with Mario Maurer in Jandara's (movie) premiere. Anyway, while the artist was talking to us, he was actually quickly drawing us on a piece of paper. He gave it to us and he asked for donation after. Oh well, we gave him 20 baht.


We had a great time catching up with my Thai friend and her hubby. She's still so fab and pretty that I don't feel she's getting old. Just before midnight, they brought us back to the hotel with their cutie white Mini Cooper. Well they're so blessed for living a perfect life, but the best thing about them is, they're very down to earth. You know, it really pays to keep in touch. It was in 2009 when I first met them and this time was just the second. I'm so happy having met such nice foreign friends.:)

 photo IMG_7156_zpsd165b491.jpg

 photo IMG_7155_zps315b2fcb.jpg
Thai music

 photo IMG_7168_zps4483a7c4.jpg
Hoegaarden Rosee for the ladies! Cheers!

 photo IMG_7160_zpsb41cd6f7.jpg

awesome night :)

Since it's always our habit to have a central fund every trip (and I'm always the one handling the money), our summary of daily expenses would always mean that it covered 2 pax. Here's an estimate of how much we've spent:

1. Lunch - ThB 900
2. Transportation - ThB 300 (incl. toll fees - to avoid traffic)
3. Dinner - FREE
4. Snacks - Thb 200
5. Drinks - FREE
TOTAL: ThB 1,400 or PhP 1,950 (Php 975 each)

xoxo,

city girl