Erawan Shrine
The port of call for many tourists, religious and non religious people alike. This place is always packed with an enthusiastic crowd. From personal experience, DO NOT buy anything from the peddlers located just OUTSIDE the premises of the shrine. Without saying too much, let's just say I got hounded and harassed, felt obliged to buy overpriced goods from them and ended up feeling threatened if I didn't do so. If you're not convinced, feel free to try it at your own risk. You can choose to buy sets of incense, flowers and gold leaves of different value from inside the temple. Having read negative comments from selected tourists, I must say you are subjecting yourself to a combined high level of heat from the sun, the crowd and the incense. It is extremely smoky, clearly from the incense. You will feel terribly uncomfortable because there's really nothing much else to do except people watch. But it's an eye-opener for people who are interested to take in a bit of the culture and checking out how amazing this shrine is and the reverence the visitors from all over the world exude.
Lavana
What I love about this place is that it feels so calm and serene when you step in. Also, you can make bookings on their website and they are pretty good with the responses. The thing is, the massage is not that bad, definitely above average but it's not memorable. Having said that, I find myself going back on the first day of every trip because booking it is so easy. This time around, my massage was at max, so-so. This is going to be a reminder for myself to try other places for my next trip.
Healthland
I discovered this place last year and it has become a must-go for me. In fact, I chose my hotel based on the location of this Healthland. Booking it in advance is always challenging as you will need to call. My fluency in Thai stops at haggling at the markets. In addition, some treatments on the menu requires deposit which you have to pay at the branch physically. No electronic payments yet but I do hope they take bookings by emails.
We went twice during this trip and during both times, I chose Aromatherapy Body Massage. By local standards, at 850 baht, it's definitely on the expensive side. If you ask a Thai, they wouldn't pay more than 350 baht for it. Then again, you do get 2 hours of Thai massage for 500 baht here so I reckon it's the oil that's costing me my arm.
We went on Day 02 in the afternoon. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. We decided we'll tip those masseurs generously. Every little detail were meticulously looked after and it felt like such a luxurious affair. We were determined to go back the next day. Afterall, Healthland is just right opposite our hotel.
Day 03, we took the last appointment of the day. Looking back, it was a BIG MISTAKE. The massage was passable but like Lavana, it wasn't memorable. It was half-baked, done half-hearted. The masseurs were clearly uninterested and it didn't give us any encouragement to book a last massage before the plane takes us home the next day. The next time I'm going to Healthland, I'm going in the afternoon.
Healthland has several branches but by far, this is my favourite.
55/5 Sukhumvit 21 Rd. (Asoke),
Khlongtoeinuea, Wattana,
Bangkok 10110
Khlongtoeinuea, Wattana,
Bangkok 10110
Som Tam Nua
It's not uncommon to spot a queue during peak hours so I like to come here during odd meal times since I'm usually hunting down food in between intense shopping activities. Meal times were long forgotten. Food is generally above average but there's one dish I will go back for. If you're in Siam Square, head to Soi 5. The small streets can be confusing but there's there huge round sign with the number at the beginning of the street. That should help hunting down this place.
The Grilled Pork Neck is to die for! Many raved about the Fried Chicken Wings. Well, the chicken wings are well marinated, crispy and absolutely delicious. But the Pork Neck is just out of this world. Please order a beer and a few plates of the pork neck and I can ensure you will spend the next hour a satisfied diner and even if you die the next minute, life is worth living for. I went back the last day with the intention to smuggle some home but as God wants be to be a better person, I was told the heavenly item was sold out. Absolutely nada!
Since we were there, we just ordered the fried fish. I have never had such crispy fried fish but the inside is still so sweet and moist. I almost hated the staff for missing my order during my last visit.
Ironically, the som tam (papaya salad) was not to my liking. It was wayyy too spicy and sour but I blame my own inability to take super spicy foods. Oh but trust me, just a couple of plates of pork neck is sufficient to please me.
Many reviews spoke about the glutinous rice but it was nothing special, not to mention it gives me a bad tummy. Not about the hygiene but just the glutinous rice even if Mom were to cook it, my body reacts the same way. I'd go for the steamed rice in a heartbeat.
Mae Waree
The best Mango Sticky Rice of my lifetime. It's on Soi55 near Thong Lor BTS station. I I remember correctly, get off Exit 3 and at the turn of the corner, it's right there with a big red signboard, completely in Thai. You can recognise it by the display of fruits, mainly mango, right outside the shop. It was so tasty, I forgot how much it cost me. The coconut milk was fresh and not too thick. The rice is slightly savoury and totally brings out
We were supposed to spend an evening along Soi55 and I grossly underestimated the length of Soi 55. The original intention was to have dinner at Niyom Pochana, dessert at Mae Waree and spend the night partying away at Iron Fairies. Due to some hiccups, we had to miss our dinner at Niyom Pochana but I insisted on passing by Mae Waree before heading to Iron Fairies. The best decision of this trip but I'm about to regret what happens after. I thought since it's on the same street, I should just walk. After 30 minutes of walking, we succumbed and flagged down a cab. We were going in circles and finally gave up. I stopped at some Irish pub and checked with a farang, only to discover Iron Fairies is closed for renovation. We board another cab to head to another spot where my colleague is at but 5 seconds into the trip, the girls spotted the place like 3 shop fronts away. Totally hilarious. And nope, wouldn't recommend Wine Republic at all but interesting selection of fruit beers though.
ARGal's local friend from her secondary school days brought us there. Before I go on and on about how charming that guy is (coupled with a wicked sense of humour), he's married.
Stuck in a corner of the 3rd floor of CentralWorld, sits this branch of a massive chain. I never liked chains. While many love MK, I didn't like it at all. Now, Laem Chareon is entirely different. The quality of food was AMAZING. I don't really know what some of those dishes are called but the memorable dishes are Tom Yam Goong, Thai styled Otah, pickled crab. This is one place I know I'll be back for the food.
It was definitely a good deal for the location it is on. It's on Soi 21 of Sukhumvit, walking distance to the MRT and BTS stations. Located right opposite Healthland, it is just where I want to be. However, that area is located around drains that smell like sewage. It is alright when you're inside the hotel but when you step out, especially in the sweltering heat, the smell just isn't funny.
The hotel is really dark. The elevator is dark with some funny running lights that changes colours but still, it's completely dark. I stayed on the top floor, it's always hot. The ac took some time to cool down. The girls stayed on the 2nd floor and their floor was so cold. It was just really inconsistent. Half the lights in my already dark room wasn't working and I could only pack my luggage during the day when the daylight helps me see what I'm actually bringing along with me.
The ac doesn't seem to work very well. Don't get me wrong. It got really cold at night but no matter whether I turn the fan speed to high, med or low, it's always blasting high.
The vanity space in the bathroom was incredibly small
I love Bangkok and I want to return soon. I never knew I could spend that many days in Bangkok but now I think I can actually live there and bring up my kids the simple way.
