Bangkok / Ayutthaya (May '13)

Traveled to Bangkok (曼谷) with my friend from 11 May (Sat) to 14 May (Tue) over the weekend. We also took a day trip to Ayutthaya (阿瑜陀耶) on our third day. It had been almost 5 years since I last visited Bangkok, therefore anticipated the new changes there.

Officially known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon in Thai, Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand.

Leisure trip at a glance

Country: Kingdom of Thailand
Period: 11 May to 14 May 2013
Flight timings:
11 May: TG 402, SIN-BKK, ETD 0740 ETA 0900
14 May: TG 409, BKK-SIN, ETD 1625 ETA 1940
Accommodation:
True Siam Hotel (11 to 14 May)
Tour Agent Package: SGD 456 (inclusive of hotel and return flight tickets)
Currency exchange rate: THB 100 = SGD 4.31 (May '13 period)

Singapore is ahead of Thailand by an hour (Thailand time: GMT +7 time zone). Total damage was about SGD 600 including transport, food & hotel, and excluding personal expenses.


Day One

Headed to Changi Airport early in the morning.

Thai Airways

After custom and security clearance, we boarded the flight TG 402 on time. Noticed that the seats in the Thai Airways were in random of three colors which made the plane seemed lively (left photo below). Inflight breakfast meal of mushrooms with egg was served (right photo below).


Hotel transfer from airport was part of the package, therefore we were transported to our lodging by a coach bus.

True Siam Hotel

True Siam Hotel, a 3-Star hotel, is located just 4-minutes walk from Phaya Thai BTS station on Sukhumvit Line. Standard twin-bedded room with daily breakfast was part of the tour agent package we had booked.

The hotel reception (left photo below) and its wooden sculpture painted in gold (right photo below) had the strong wooden element in Thai style.


However the room was simple and modern in design which had the homely feel (left photo below). The restaurant is located at its ground floor with the strong wooden element to match its overall theme (right photo below).


Breakfast buffet was severed in this hotel with wide selections of salad vegetables and fruits (photos below).


Following were my typical breakfast buffet choices during the stay (photos below).


Chabuton Ramen

After a quick washup at the hotel, we then took BTS from Phaya Thai to Asok station. Before exploring the new shopping mall, we proceeded to the Chabuton Ramen located at 6th floor of the Terminal 21 complex for lunch (left photo below). From its display at the entrance, the owner of this restaurant shop, Yasuji Morizumi, was a Japan TV Ramen champion in 2002 (right photo below). This set us to have some expectation on its ramen quality.


Ordered a 'Shio Chashu' ramen at THB 245 (left photo below) for myself, shared some 'gyoza' at THB 80 and a cup of hot green tea each at THB 40 (right photo below).


Taste of the ramen was quite good with thick broth but its sliced pork belly was rather thin.

Terminal 21 (Asok)

Terminal 21 was opened in October 2011, and located next to Asok BTS station by a skywalk or Sukhumvit MRT station via an underpass. The design of Terminal 21 is meant to denote the concept that each retail floor represents different touristic cities.

A fake flight information board can be found at its ground level (left photo below) and each escalator has the boarding gate look-a-like archway (right photo below).


Touristic city theme on each floor is as follows:

• Lower Ground is Caribbean
• Ground level is Rome
• Main level is Paris
• First floor is Tokyo
• Second floor is London and it is represented by a life-sized London Bus (left photo below)
• Third floor is Istanbul which is represented by sculptures of Turkish Sufi whirling (right photo below).
  
  
  
  

• Fourth floor is San Francisco (City) where the iconic Golden Gate Bridge can be seen hanging over its courtyard (left photo below)
• Fifth floor is San Francisco (Pier)
• Sixth (Top) floor is Hollywood and it is represented by an Oscar Award trophy (right photo below).
  
  
  
  

After some window-shopping, we decided to take a break at this Desserie Sweet Café located at the second floor (left photo below). Got myself a cup of Hot Latte at THB 80 (right photo below). Although limited in seating area, the coffee served in this café was good.


Yaowarat Wholesale Market

Also known as Chinatown Sam Peng, this wholesale market is a hidden gem in Bangkok. It is a long stretch of outdoor wholesale market of stalls and shops along Yaowarat Road and Sam Peng Lane. Prices are cheap especially if buying in bulk.

Yoo Fish Ball

After a long walk at Yaowarat (Bangkok's Chinatown), we decided to have a tea-break at Yoo Fish Ball located on the main street of Chinatown (photos below).


Ordered a plate of fried fishballs (left photo below) and a bowl of assorted fishballs (right photo below). Total cost for these two dishes was THB 160 and taste was good especially dipping them in the spicy and sour sauce.


Lao Li Shark's Fin Restaurant (海外天)

It is one of my favorite restaurants in Bangkok since being introduced to me in 2006. Ordered a claypot of Shark's Fin that came with generous bean sprout and parsley at THB 300 (left photo below), a claypot of Fish Maw at THB 200 (right photo below), two cans of coke at THB 20 each and bowl of rice at THB 10 each. The food taste remained the same as my previous visit.


Nam Sing Bird's Nest-Shark Fin (南星鱼翅燕窝)

After our fulfilling dinner, our next destination was Bird's nest soup at 'Nam Sing' which is just at the other corner from the 'Lao Li' restaurant. Instead of having it at the restaurant, I bought a can of pre-packed Bird's nest soup at THB 300 and had it as supper in the hotel. Interestingly it came with cooked ginkgo nuts to be eaten together with the soup (left photo). There were three prices, namely at THB 300, THB 500 and THB 1,000 which was differentiated by its amount of bird's nest. The Bird's nest soup I bought was not too sweet and good for its price.

Next we took MRT train to Lumphini station as we wanted to go to Suan Lum Night Bazaar. However, we couldn't find the bazaar and realized later that the bazaar was already closed for more than a year. Disappointedly we went back to the hotel for a good rest.


Day Two

After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we then took BTS to Mo Chit station. Purpose was to explore the Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Chatuchak Weekend Market Pet Section

Been to Chatuchak several times but this was my first time to visit its Pet Section. As a visitor, I was surprised to see pets ranging dogs, rabbits, hamsters, birds, ornamental fishes (photos below) to exotic ones like tortoises, lizards and even snakes sold in this market.


Lunch at Fast Food Restaurant

After a long walk, we opted to have lunch at this KFC restaurant located inside the J.J. Mall. The restaurant was having a promotion of 'Emperor Chicken' (left photo below), so I decided to give it a try. Ordered an 'Emperor Chicken' set at THB 100 and an egg tart at THB 20 (right photo below).


Could taste the artificial seasonings on its crust. But was delighted that this restaurant still serving food in plates with knife and fork and even filling soft-drink in a tall glass cup.

We left the Chatuchak market at about 4 pm with our hands fully occupied with souvenirs.

Ochaya Tea

Before getting tickets, we saw the Ochaya Tea outlet just located at the Mo Chit BTS station (left photo below). Bought a 'Premium Milk Bubble Tea' at THB 50 (right photo below). The drink was refreshing in a hot afternoon.


Nara Thai Cuisine

After rested for a while in the hotel, we then began our next round of window-shopping. Decided to reward ourselves at the Nara Thai Cuisine located at Erawan Bangkok. This restaurant was introduced to me by my colleague back in 2007.

Ordered a Soft-shell crab, or Pu Nim Thxd in Thai, at THB 390 (left photo below), Green Curry with Chicken, or Kang Kiew Wan Chicken in Thai, at THB 220 (right photo below), Thai Pandan wrapped chicken, or Gai Hor Bai Toei in Thai, at THB 165 (bottom left photo) and a plate of rice each at THB 35 (bottom right photo). We also got Thai Ice tea and plain water.

Total cost for this meal was THB 1177 inclusive of 10% service charge and 7% Tax. Standard of the food remained good as before.


Day Three

Woke up early in the morning for our day tour 'River Cruise Ayutthaya Tour'. Booked this tour on our first day through the hotel concierge at THB 2300 per person which included sight admissions, river cruise and lunch. The tour consists mainly to three sights, Bang Pa-in Palace and historic city of Ayutthaya by Coach Bus and lastly River Cruise back to Bangkok.

We departed by river sun cruise's coach bus at about 7.30 am. The seat in this coach was clean and comfortable with strong air-condition (left photo below). As we had missed the hotel breakfast, the hotel even prepared some sandwiches and watermelon packed for us early in the morning (right photo below). We really appreciate the thoughtfulness by the hotel staff.


Bang Pa-in Palace

Also known as the Summer Palace, the Bang Pa-in is a palace complex formerly used by the Thai kings. First constructed in 1632, the complex soon fell into disuse and overgrown with vegetation in the early 19th century until restoration started in mid-19th century. Most of the present buildings were constructed between 1872 and 1889 by King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V). The Bang Pa-in palace is located 60-km north of Bangkok along the banks of Chaopraya River.

A number of impressive buildings can be found in the Palace complex, built in very different architectural styles, some in classical Thai, some Chinese and some European design. The large landscaped grounds are very well maintained, the neo classical style European buildings give Bang Pa-In Summer Palace a little of a "Versailles-like" atmosphere.

Ho Hem Monthian Thewarat

Also known as 'Shrine for the King of Golden Palace', it is a small stone structure in the form of a Khmer-style Prasat built by King Chulalongkorn in 1880 (left photo below).

Doll Bridge

Western architecture is represented in the Doll Bridge, where sculptured statues of Greek deities and goddesses stand along the bridge (right photo below).

Aisawan Dhiphya-Asana Pavilion

Also known as 'Divine Seat of Personal Freedom' and perhaps the only truly authentically Thai-style building in the palace (left photo below). It is a beautifully ornate pavilion sitting on a platform in the middle of the lake. A bronze statue standing in the middle of the pavilion represents King Chualalongkorn.

Ho Withhun Thasana

Also known as 'Tower of the Sages Lookout', it is an observatory built by King Chualalongkorn in 1881 as a lookout tower to view the surrounding countryside (right photo below).

Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun

Also known as 'Royal Residence of Heavenly Light', it is a Chinese-style two-storey mansion built by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce as a gift to King Chualalongkorn in 1889 (left photo below). The ground floor contains a Chinese-style throne (right photo below) while its upper storey houses an alter enshrining the nameplates of King Mongkut and King Chualalongkorn with their respective queens.

Phra Thinang Uthayan Phumisathian Residential Hall

Also known as 'Garden of the Secured Land', it was built in 1877 and was King Chualalongkorn's favorite residence. The original wooden building looked like a Swiss chalet but was destroyed completely by a fire in 1938. The present building was rebuilt at the end of the 20th century (photos below).

Sakhonprapas Gate

It is an ornamentally decorated water gate that was built over the lake (left photo below).

Royal Memorials

There are two marble obelisks standing side by side built by King Chualalongkorn. One is in honor of Princess Saovabhark, a consort of the king, who died along with three of their children in 1887 (right photo below). The other memorial commemorates a tragedy that took place in 1880 that claimed the lives of the king's first wife and their infant daughter.

Thai traditional Topiary

The Thai traditional of Topiary, or mai dut in Thai, dates back hundreds of years drawing on influences from the Chinese and Japanese landscaping. On display in the palace were the elephants (left photo below), peacocks, deer (right photo below) and cockerels on the neatly cut lawns.

Historic city of Ayutthaya

The city of Ayutthaya was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1351 and became the second Siamese capital after Suknothai. The city was captured by the Burmese in 1569 and lost many of its valuable and artistic objects. Ayutthaya was the capital of the country until its destruction by the Burmese army in 1767. Its remains, characterized by the prang (reliquary towers) and gigantic monasteries, give an idea of its past splendor.

The historic city of Ayutthaya has been listed as World Heritage Site in 1991 by UNESCO.

Due to the limited time of the tour, we could only visit three of the temples in Ayutthaya.

Wat Mahathat

Also known as the Temple of the Great Relic, Wat Mahathat is a Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya. Wat Mahathat was one of the most important monasteries of the Ayutthaya kingdom, not only because it was the religious center and enshrined relics of the Buddha, but also because of its proximity to the Grand Palace.

The central tower, or prang, stand on an elevated platform at the center of the temple. Only the large base remains and the upper part of the prang has collapsed (left photo below). The central prang is surrounded by four smaller ones at the corners of the platform (right photo below), in turn surrounded by galleries enclosing a courtyard.


Countless images of the Buddha line the gallery (photos below).


The most iconic image of Ayutthaya is the Buddha head entwined within the roots of a Banyan tree (photos below). Nobody knows for certain how but one theory suggests that the tree simply grew around the Buddha head during the period when the temple lay abandoned and overgrown.

Wat Na Phramen

Wat Na Phramen is a small temple in Ayutthaya that played a pivotal role in the history of the place. The King of Ayutthaya signed a peace treaty with the Burmese at this temple but after a few years the Burmese attached Ayutthaya and set up canons to fire on the palace of the King. The Burmese King while firing the canon wounded himself as the canon blew up and the Burmese left the temple out of superstition.

The octagonal columns of the temple are topped with lotus cups while the windows are high narrow slits to let the air inside (left photo below). The columns inside the temple are painted red with gold decorations while the coffered ceiling is decorated in red and gold. The principal Buddha image in Wat Na Phramen is Vishnu, seated in the 'subduing Mara' position, and wears royal attire (middle photo below). In a separate small assembly hall next to the temple is another unique seated Buddha image of Phra Kantharat with feet resting on lotus pad and was carved in green stone (right photo below).

Wat Lokaya Sutharam

Also known as Temple of the Earth, Wat Lokaya Sutharam is located close to the Royal Palace and probably an important temple in Ayutthaya. Apart from the central prang standing at 33-meters tall which is in fairly good condition, little more than the base of the main buildings remains today.

Highlight of the temple is its 42-meters long and 8-meters high Reclining Buddha (left photo below). Draped around the image is an orange cloth and the Buddha's head is supported by the right hand resting on lotus buds (right photo below).

River Cruise along Chao Phraya River

At about 13.30 pm we boarded the River Sun Cruise which departs from Wat Chong Lom Pier along Chao Phraya River to Bangkok. Passengers can choose to go to the upper deck to have fresh tropical air or stayed in air-conditioned passenger room.

Buffet Lunch

International buffet including wide selections of Thai and European cuisines, together with desserts and fruits, were served (photos below).
Following were my choices during the cruise (photos below).
It was relaxing sitting in an air-conditioned room watching the sceneries on both sides of the river (left photo below). Soon after lunch, tea or coffee was served together with some biscuits (right photo below).

Sceneries along Chao Phraya River

First prominent building we saw along the river was the Singha Beer Brewery (left photo below). Daily life of inhabitants that dwell along the river could be seen (right photo below).
Besides modern concrete houses, there were quite a number of stilt houses built along the Chao Phraya River (photos below).
The white-walled fort of Vichai Prasit built in 1688 was another sight spotted (left photo below). The fort is at now part of the Royal Thai Navy's headquarters so access is restricted but visitors can only get a good view of this structure from a river boat.

Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn, is another prominent sight along the river (right photo below). The central prang, at a height of 86-meters, is encrusted with colorful porcelain.
The Grand Palace was the last sight we saw before disembarking from the cruise (photos below). The palace complex has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782.

We reached Bangkok pier at about 4 pm.

Dinner

After shopping at Ratchadamri area, we decided to have dinner at Fuji Restaurant. Ordered a Beef steak set at THB 220 (left photo below) and a hot green tea at THB 27 (right photo below). Food was tasty as before. Do note that the total cost in this restaurant was included with 10% service charge.



Day Four

After breakfast at the hotel, we then make use of the remaining few hours in Bangkok to visit the shopping malls.

Happened to pass-by the Oishi kiosk at the Siam BTS station (left photo below). Thus bought some sandwiches and drinks at THB 78 from this kiosk for the journey to airport (right photo below). Our simple early lunch was fulfilling.


Suvarnabhumi Airport

Took the shuttle bus from the hotel to the airport which was part of the package paid. After custom clearance, we felt hungry again at the transit area. Thus had late lunch in the Kin Ramen restaurant at about 3 pm (left photo below). Ordered a beef ramen at THB 270 (right photo below).
Taste was average but felt expensive given it was just a simple bowl of ramen. Like airports in most cities, price will be higher compared to the price of the same item at downtown area. This is something that I need to be mindful of in my next trip.

Thai Airways

Boarded flight TG 409 on time. Inflight dinner of rice with braised chicken was first served (left photo below) and followed by a soft-drink (right photo below).
The flight landed on Singapore at about 1940 hours. With this, it ended my 4-days trip.