It must have been at least four years since I last travel to Bangkok. I was wondering since the pandemic; how much Bangkok has changed.
To many people here in our country, going to Bangkok is like almost making an annual pilgrimage to this wonderful city.
We are not the usual tourist that travel 10,000km to visit the city’s tourist spot. Before covid we visit this city almost once a year. So, we do not visit those typical tourist spots.
I will not bore you with my daily itinerary instead I will just list down the places that we have visited.
Flight to Bangkok
This is my first major overseas trip (and first flight) since the borders opened last year.
I have not been flying for so long that I have forgotten how the transit area look like.
CAG has put in effort to maintain T4 during the terminal shutdown during the pandemic.
Check in and passing through immigration is fast and easy. Unless you are physically impaired or you are a kid, you will need to use the automated clearance.
The flight is uneventful and we arrived 15 mins ahead of schedule.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is operating well too.
Thankfully the immigration queue is not long and we clear it in 10 mins.
Time needed to retrieve of luggage is acceptable.
We tried to book a taxi using a booking app; Airasia and Grab and found that AirAsia fare is lower.
You will need to go to the Arrival Hall (Level 4) to wait for the driver. You will need to notify which door are you at and the driver will look for you.
In general, Grab booking fare is usually 20% to 30% higher than Airasia.
Your immediate instinct is to go for Airasia right? In the end, most of our ride is done using Grab.
One thing that Grab has that Airasia don’t is reliability.
Even if you can get a Airasia driver after a super long wait, many times it will be reassigned and the GPS of the app is totally broken.
You might not use Airasia app but it is still a good tool to use for budgeting transport fare.
Unlike Grab, Airasia app does not require you to turn on GPS. You can just select Thailand and select your source and destination. Whatever fare it shows, just add 30% to it as a gauge.
The ride to the hotel is not as bad as we have anticipated. We went by the non-toll road and the traffic congestion is still tolerable.
Rembrandt Hotel
This hotel is not our first choice. We usually stay at Citadines Soi 16 but the hotel decided to do some renovation out of the blue.
After some searching and recommendations, we decided on Rembrandt Hotel in Soi 18.
If you like retro or vintage, this hotel is for you. Even the lift looks like you are in the 70s.
The furniture and the rooms corridor look old.
The room is well lit and functional. The thermostat doesn’t seem to work but you still can on/off the air conditioning.
The toilet has a bathtub with glass door. This is a big issue to us. As my wife’s mobility is not good, entering the bathtub for a shower is a challenge. She has to lift up her legs high to enter the bathtub. The door to the bathtub is also very narrow.
I would suggest that the glass door be replaced by a shower curtain.
The glass door is not keeping out the water from the bathe area. The water still flows out to the dry area making it slippery.
The glass door design might look classy in the 70s but it is not that useful.
The furniture might be old, but the room is functional and nice. At least there are no mouldy smell.
The staff of the hotel is very friendly we requested a late checkout at 6:00 PM via e-mail and their response is slow. They agreed to extend our stay to 6:00 PM for a fee of 1000 Thai Bhat.
The hotel does provide a free tuk tuk service to the mouth of soi 18 which is maybe about 100 meters away from the BTS.
You can also request the tuk tuk service to pick you up from the 7-11 located in soi 18. You will just need to contact the front service and they will send the tuk tuk to you.
Do note that the tuk tuk service is available from morning maybe 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM at night.
We have included breakfast for our stay. I must say the breakfast is quite good. They change about 5% of the food on a daily basis.
There are not many food options in the morning near to the hotel. So, if you are lazy to go out, the breakfast might be worthwhile to you.
V Siam Optical
This is the usual optical shop we go to for our spectacles and we have been going there for more than 8 years. I am not sure are they cheap but we do like their service.
In the past, they can produce a progressive spectacle in 4 working days but now they no longer can. They can mail the spectacles to you for a fee.
Zebra
Ask anyone people that is well versed in kitchenware, they should know the Zebra brand in Thailand.
Their Bangkok branch is located at Palladium Mall near to Platinum Mall.
When we are there, they have some sale going on. Some of the deals are pretty good actually.
By the way, most shops in Palladium Mall are closed. I noticed that most shops owners push their wares into the street after 5pm to sell.
Yes, there is a market just outside the mall once the sun start to set.
Vincita
I am a leisure cyclist, so I seize the opportunity to visit this shop to buy some accessories.
They do have a special product range for Brompton.
Compared to buying from their online store, you can save up to 30% when buying it direct from their shop.
The place is not that near to the city center but the construction of the Orange MRT line is going on. which there is a station near to the shop.
Tiny Wheels
Located about 10 mins taxi ride from Vincita in Ramkhamhaeng. We went there to get a bag for my bike. The vicinity of the shop is very nice, and it is located by the pond.
We have a simple meal at the nearby café and it was a lovely café. More about that later.
Zeer Rangsit and Big Camera (Emquatier)
We went to Zeer Rangsit to purchase a second-hand camera. It is listed as available on their website, but we were told it was already sold. What a wasted trip. It took us almost an hour of taxi to reach there and 1.5 hours to get back.
In the end we went to Big Camera to buy a brand-new unit.
As I have spent more than THB2000 in a certified VAT Refund shop, I can claim back a certain amount of money at the airport. Please remember to bring your passport when purchasing the product as the staff need your passport details to fil up the VAT Refund form.
Do give extra 45 minutes for the entire VAT refund process. You have to show your goods when applying for VAT refund before check-in.
After passing through immigration and custom, you will need to queue up again for your refund which can be quite time consuming.
Chinatown (Sampeng Market)
To me, this is the mother of all markets.
It is actually a wholesale center and you usually buy in bulk. Do not get scared off by the word “bulk”. It does not mean you have to buy 500 or 1000 pieces. Depending on item, bulk may mean 3 pieces or 50 pieces.
We bought foldable umbrella and the bulk quantity is 3 at THB55 per piece and if you only buy 1 unit, it will be THB155. We bought some furry toys and the bulk is 12 units for THB240.
So if you need to buy lots of gifts for kids, this is the place to go.
Some of the shops I know have closed down which upsets me. The pandemic really has taken some business out.
Tip – Be there early like 830am on a weekday. Weekend will be crazy there.
Food
Food Court in Rama IV (Big C)
This is the first meal we have in Bangkok. The food court is really simple and it is located in a more local area and not some tourist spot.
In Bangkok food court, you usually have to put a food card and put in some money. You will pay the food using the card.
Once you are done with all your food, you can return to the counter and ask for a refund of the remaining balance.
Ebisu Sushi
This shop is located at Ekkamai area. I would suggest you take a taxi there.
The shop is very small and dark. However it has character and the decorations are pretty nice.
The food serve is delicious.
We are their first customer of the day and they gave us free soup and mashed potatoes.
The picture do not do justice as I have bad photography skills and the area we are at is dark.
There are other restaurants too. It is like a mini congregation of Japanese restaurants.
Brook
This café is located just beside Tiny Wheels. It is not a posh cafe.
The environment is nice and cosy. It is located beside a pond and their bakery is located in the next building.
The noodles they sell is actually from another store and it is really tasty. Really one of the best (I am a food noob so I am easily satisfied.
Food Court in Emquatier
I am not that really impress by this food court. It does not have a Thai feel but I understand that this mall seems to cater more for tourist. So an international mix of food choices is appropriate.
The food is average at best but the mango dessert from another stall is awesome.
On Nut
I went there to do some grocery shopping. There is a night food market and the smell of food is awesome.
I would recommend doing your supermarket shopping at those supermarkets that is visited by the locals more.
They are less crowded and you can feel the local vibe here.
The Big C is Ratchaprasong is crazy with tourist.
Traffic
This is one thing that I doubt it will change. The traffic just keeps getting worse. Prepare to spend time in traffic if you decided to take a taxi.
In Bangkok, if you have 4 people, taking a taxi might be cheaper or the same price as taking the train. The train might cost a bit more but it will bring you to your destination faster. So it is your choice.
Taxi
Bangkok taxi drivers is at the same level as their Malaysia counterparts now.
I have flagged down numerous taxis and all of them refuse to run the meter. It is so different compared to 10 years ago.
One of the taxi drivers is smarter. He said he will not use the meter but he will charge me whatever the Grab app says.
I am fine with it as I need a transport to bring me to my destination as soon as possible.
There are actually taxis everywhere in Bangkok and they are readily available. However such attitude of taxi drivers really upset me.
Even if you can get a Grab, it will take a while to reach you due to the traffic in the city.
Money Exchange
I noticed this during my visit. There is a popular money exchange called SuperRich. It has branches across several BTS station.
I have compared the exchange rate of my country’s currency. What they offer for anything below SGD$1000, it is similar to other Money Exchange. I have compared with Siam Exchange and ProExchange, their rates are comparable to SuperRich.
The difference is when you try to change >SGD$999. The rate jumped quite a bit. So if you are committed to contribute to the Thai economy by spending SGD$1000, then SuperRich is a good choice.
Cannabis
Thailand has legalise the sale of cannabis. Be very careful of what you eat. Some food may have cannabis ingredients.
If your government has zero tolerance for drug consumption, ask before you order.
In our country, you are dead if you are caught consuming drugs even it is done overseas. You are super dead if you are caught bringing drugs.
Please keep your views about drug penalty to yourself. I am not here to discuss it.
Exiting Bangkok
The Thai tourism do not want you to leave with any Thai Bhat. It is well known that Bangkok airport food is incredibly expensive.
Two simple Burger King meal cost me THB1000. It is 66% of the VAT Refund money I received.
Well, just accept it.
Conclusion
I enjoyed my trip. Bangkok will always have a special place in our heart.
The only thing that upset me is the behaviour of the taxi drivers. They are giving Bangkok a bad name. I hope the Government can do something about it.
Still hope to come back again soon!
Some random pictures from my trip.
Chickee Duck's Musing 