Hi all,

Thanks for the info on Bangkok last time. I just come back last Monday (27/10/2008).There is no protest or whatsoever.

I stayed in the White Orchid Hotel ,Chinatown ,Bangkok. The name of the road is Yaowaraj(pronounce as Yaowalat). Theres a BTS station in the Chinatown area called Wahlumpong(about 20 minutes from my hotel)

Theres food galore in Chinatown and many shopping inside Chinatown. I think it would take more than 1 days to fully explore Chinatown alone. Theres about I think dozens of shop selling birdnest and hundreds of eateries by the evening. Nearby the Chinatown area, theres like rows of shop selling handphone accessories (maybe more than 2 dozen of shops) and a Bluetooth only cost about 350 Baht. Theres even about more than 2 dozen of shops selling counterfeit DVD, VCD and CD. Massage is 200 Baht for one hour session.

I ate a bowl birdnest only for 100 Baht. The taxi from Yaowaraj to Chatuchak is only for 150 Baht and the return journey cost the same at 150Baht. It depend actually whether the taxi is on meter or not, if its on meter it would ussually cost only about 110 Baht but sometime they would negotiate first before sending the client. The BTS cost about 39 Baht per person from Chatuchak to Wahlumpong but at the Wahlumpong station you have to take another tuk tuk to Yaowaraj road for about 40 Baht. It cost almost the same.

The taxi from Yaowaraj to MBK cost only 70Baht and the return journey cost the same at 70 Baht.

In the Chinatown market especially the morning market, the Shiitake mushroom was selling very cheap. If I remember it correctly, its going as cheap as 180Baht per kg. Theres also a lot of fish maw, dried longan and pistachio. You have to be good in bargaining in order to buy those thing.

I went to Chatucak on the first day I arrive in Bangkok. I went there about 2pm. It was damn hot. I have never went to such a hot place although Malaysia is a tropical country. Theres a lot of thing to see but unfortunately I can't stand the hot conditions inside Chatuchak market. I went to the market adjacent to Chatuchak and the item sold there was like 2x more expensive than Chinatown.

There was another shopping complex located underground which you can reach when you take the BTS. All the upcoming designer showcased their design over there. I bought 10 handphone pouches at Chatuchak for only 29 Baht/each made by those upcoming designer. I have checked and it was not available in Malaysia yet. Ussually handphone pouch made of fabric in Malaysia sells for RM8 per pouch.

The second day, I went on a Chao Phraya River Cruise. They took us around the polluted river which have many temples by the riverside. Then we were bought to feed the catfish on the Chao Phraya river. The fish stay by the riverside of a temple. Those catfish is really huge. We also saw the mini floating market and the royal barge. It was a great experience.

Then they took us to Wat Arun. It was a magnificient temple even in its heyday. The resilience of the builder to build the 5 tower in the olden days with no technology. It was beautiful indeed.

The Chinatown alone took up a lot of time to explore. It was like so many times KL. On the way to Yaowaraj which is in the Chinatown district, theres like 2 dozen of shop in a row just selling handphones accessories. Bluetooth selling only for 350 Baht. Unfortunately I don't have a Bluetooth phone.

By the evening nearby the Yaowaraj road, when the shop closed it would be replaced by small street peddler selling used watch. I am not sure whether its a genuine article, but there is just like 4 dozens of them over there. Theres even the night market where another food galore repeat itself.

Chinatown in Bangkok is full of activity 24/7. I can guarantee if you went there you would have a field day.

I went to Chinatown market on the morning of 27th October 2008. My most memorable sight was 3 monks in saffron robes collecting alms from the stall owner in the market. According to one of the stall owner, the monks only come on the 1st and 15th of the Budhist calendar where all Budhist believer are encouraged to fast.

One thing I noted was the monk never beg for money when they visited the stall and instead the stall owner give them the groceries product like small packet of rice and sugar. Their bowl for alms collecting is much more bigger and they hid the bowl under their saffron robes. Whereas in Malaysia, most monks especially the white colored robes type(I don't know whether they are scammer preying on M'sian generosity) would come to the eatery place like restaurant and beg for money, in return which they give a string amulet or a budha pix.

The monk in Thailand never give anything in return and instead they offer prayer and chanting to the stallowner who gave them the alm complete with cymbal. My mom and me give the monk 20 Baht since we have nothing to offer just for fun. We prayed together with the monk when they chant, it was an eye opening experience.

I bought the MAS ticket to BKK on 31/01/2009 until 04/02/2009.

I was planning on a 5D4N trip to BKK-Pattaya. I am not sure whether I can cancelled my trip or not since latest news says theres blast at the BKK Suvarnabumi airport. Read here;

http://news.my.msn.com/topstories/article....umentid=1803656

I went there in October 2008 and everything in the capital was nice but now it look so bleak. I wonder why there is no announcement from Air Asia and MAS that they are suspending flight to BKK.

According to my tour guide most people or like majority of the people is in favor of Thaksin. Hopefully everything will return to normal asap.

Some of my colleague booked to bangkok on 16th Jan 2009, they say they can't do anything except to wait and see. I called the MAS ticketing department yesterday, their service sucks big time. I enquire about my flight for end of Jan 2009, they ask me to "hold on" and never get back to me. Its like eternity. Maybe those global sales makes them treat client badly since the thing is cheap.

I haven't book the hotel + tours + meals for the BKK-PATTAYA 5D4N package yet. I guess I too is wait and see.

Those people employed in the tourisme industry really depend their livehood on them. Like a million of them and now everything screwed up. Pity them also.

Look at the Bernama news, hundreds of M'sian stuck in Bangkok. I think they sure are feeling very scared or maybe hated Thailand for the rest of their life.

I agree with Spishl that cab is cheaper in Bangkok. Last time when I took the cab. they drive through a complex maze of building that took like 1/2 hour from Rama 9 to Yaowaraj and going through all the jams. They charge us only about RM10.

I think now its a good time to change the money before going since MYR against THB should fetch a very good value. I will be going on 31/01/2009 for 5D4N.I am thinking about taking the package that include hotel + tour + meals from kerissel which they advertise like RM500 for 5D4N. The following is their suggested intinery;

Day 1 : Arrive at Suvarnabumi
Transport for check in at hotel
Free at leisure
Dinner provided
Day 2 : Half day city tour
(The usual thing which is boat ride at Chao Phraya River with visit to Wat Arun and
Royal Barge Museum)
Proceed to Pattaya
Visit to Noong Noch Village where they have animal performance and beautiful garden
B/L/D provided
Day 3 : Boat ride to Coral Island
Water activity at own cost
B/L/D provided
Day 4 : Another visit to the Safari Zoo or something like that
Proceed back to BKK
B/L/D provided
Day 5 : Only breakfast provided
Free at leisure until the time to go to the airport

I was thinking about going to the Calypso Cabaret on Day 1. Anyone been to the show before? Is it good?
Then there is the underwater walking activity in Pattaya which I hope I can make it.
Then I was thinking about going to the Samuen Damuek, the floating market which takes about half day visit on Day 5 since my flight will only depart at 17:10pm(BKK time). According to most website, the trip is from 7:30am until 14:30pm. I am afraid I cannot make it to the airport on time.
The Damuen Saduek trip cost about RM68 per person if you get it at the local tour in Thailand. But if you book from Malaysia, the minimum cost is RM98 per person.