Let's Talk Food and Etc.: Myanmar / Thailand Trip Recap (15)

Day 17 to 20 - Yangon - Bangkok - Macau

Our host took us to the delicious mohinga place one last time before dropping us at the airport. We boarded our plane to Bangkok with no further incident.

open at 5am and sold out by 8am

delish!

it is only an hour flight from Yangon to Bangkok

love the fields!

I have been to Bangkok so many times over the years it's more of a relaxing trip for me rather than another intense sightseeing trip. We stayed at Conrad Bangkok using my accumulated hotel points - at 35,000 points per night, this is a great deal! Conrad is a fantastic hotel, located in Phloen Chit, it's just 2 stations away from Siam. Since I still have my status, we were upgraded to the executive floor and we definitely took advantage of my Hilton Honors benefits this time... hahaha!!! (For a brief moment, I missed my traveling job...)

the welcoming elephant
should have asked if I could take it home

view from our room

always love anything that's complimentary

plastic elephant to bathe with me

complimentary fruits

executive lounge
*perks of my old job - probably the only thing I missed other than my fantastic co-workers*

complimentary afternoon tea

view from the lounge

Instead of detailing what we did, I am just going to highlights some of my favorites since my stay in Bangkok this time is very relaxed...

Siam Paragon / Siam Center / Siam Discovery Center

Located right next to the Siam BTS station, this is where you will find most high-end brands and chic products. The Siam Ocean World is also located within Siam Paragon and there is an Authorized Apple Service Provider at the Siam Discovery Center for those who are interested. I enjoyed the supermarket and food court in Siam Paragon, higher quality compared to Big C in my opinion (but more expensive). I love the store LoFT in Siam Discovery Center.

I finally found Catrice outside of Europe!

loved the scent! much cheaper to buy in Thailand

Erawan Shrine ("Four-Face" Buddha)

Probably one of the most famous landmark in Bangkok. It's actually a Hindu shrine. I do make it a point to pay my respects every time I visit Bangkok. There are a lot of stores selling offerings to the Buddha but I recommend buying the offering from the store inside the shrine limits. A small offering is 200 baht (~USD6) and like most Asian temples, you go clockwise.

Erawan Shrine

Big C / Central World / Platinum

Big C is one of the chained supermarkets in Bangkok. It's a great place to pick up souvenir (snacks) for yourself and friends at a reasonable price.

Central World is a mall with mid-range brands (e.g. ZARA, Forever XII, etc.) (Note: The last time (December 2009) I visited Bangkok, they had a beer garden going on just outside Central World - I think it is an annual thing from mid-November to January only.)

*old photos from 2009*

Platinum mainly sells street fashion at a student friendly price. You will also find some knockoffs.

Along the streets of Big C, Central World and Platinum, you will also find hawkers selling their wares from snacks, fruits, drinks, clothes and accessories. Also, the best foreign exchange place I know of is the Super Rich just a street behind Big C. The rate is always better than anywhere else I go, everytime.

Super Rich - best ForEx rate in Bangkok, every time!

Chaktuchak Market

Known as one of the biggest weekend markets in the world, it's one of my favorite places in the world. In addition to a great bargain, you never know what you will find! (You will always get lost but it's okay... because getting lost is part of the fun...) Another thing that makes Chaktuchak so unique is that you can observe tourists from across the globe and the way they shop. My only advise here is if you saw something you loved and the price is right, buy it then... don't think twice since it could be gone the next second and / or you might not be able to find your way back once you left the store...

During this particular trip, we observed this Caucasian couple admiring the shops and the guy basically took off his shirt and tried every t-shirt he fancies on the spot... without caring he was covered in sweat and he is showing his drippy belly on an otherwise well-toned body. We can tell he loved the deal he got but apparently he didn't buy every shirt he tried (ewww... for the next guy) We were just smiling to ourselves and discussing how he loved shopping more than his mate and how we should request for brand new items or wash anything we buy... while he was trying out the t-shirts at store A, his girlfriend already moved on to store B, C and D... she then reported back to him what she thinks he might like and he moved on like an eagle seeing his prey... conclusion: they make a great team :)