Ancient City

I always fascinate with books or films that relate to time travelling or time machine type deal. Actually, I just finished a series of time travelling movie such as ‘the Time machine’, ‘time traveler’s wife’ and a 1994 Thai series called ‘Tha wi pob’ that, again, is about traveling through time.

Maybe one day mankind will be able to solve the puzzle and time travel will be possible. Moving between different points in time will become reality so we might need to start saving up for travelling to the future or back into the past…

But the technology is a long way off and I am quite certain that I won’t see it happens in this lifetime. So... I need something or somewhere that will allow me to travel through time – fortunately we do have such a place in Thailand.

Ancient City allows us to travel back in time to experience Thailand a hundred year back. Ancient city is located only an hour away from Bangkok and is easily assessable by major roads.
Once there, you have choices between biking, driving a golf cart or your own car to get around Ancient City. Walking is out of the picture as Ancient city takes up 320 acres of land! We chose biking – a fun and inexpensive way to wander around plus it’s a good exercise!

Ancient City has many reconstructed historical places from throughout Thailand, so just a visit to Ancient city is comparable to a journey to all important places in the country. There are also traditional Thai houses and Thai floating village that certainly strike your fantasy of travelling back in time.

Ancient City opens every day from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The admission fee is 350 baht (10USD) per person. A visit to the Ancient City usually takes up a whole day so make sure to arrive early and explore!

Leaf-reading, anyone??

Thai people are superstitious.

Yes! We believe in destiny and reincarnation.

Fortune-telling is part of Thai history and culture. We often consult our future with fortune-teller, asking our life away in many different aspects of life. The top must-ask questions are about love, money, work/study, family and health.

Many of us would like to know what the future has in store for us, and I am no exception!
When my life comes to a turning point – when I’m standing in that life intersection and don’t know what direction I should go - apart from families and friends fortune-teller is a person that I’ll go visit.

My friend introduced me to Bim – a fortune teller a few years back. Unlike other fortune-tellers Bim doesn’t read palms or use the astrology books, but she predicts a customer’s future from a leaf that the customer has hand-picked earlier.

A year ago, I visited Bim with a leaf that I picked from a tree nearby. She greeted me with a smile and asked me to sit down before her. She took my leaf, placed it on my palms, closed her eyes and after a minute or two she read my future aloud. Looking back to the experience, I have to admit that most of the predictions she told me surely become reality.

So, if you happen to be in Tha-chang area (near the grand palace), make a visit and have your future read. Maybe the questions that you can never figure out might eventually be answered!
Hours of operation: Mon-Fri 7pm-9pm Sat-Sun 3pm-9pm

Bangkok Shopping Paradise

Bangkok has it all when it comes to shopping. Whatever it is you’re looking for – you’ll find it in Bangkok. Shopping malls, shopping plaza and flea markets are everywhere in Bangkok. Open-air or air-conditioned-alike, they offer all sorts of products from stylish clothes to trendy jewelry.

Out of all the places that I go shop, my favorite place is Klongsan Plaza. Klongsan always knocks me off my feet and completely blows my money on a mere consumption…

Klongsan Plaza is located near Millenium Hilton. Overlooking the Chaophraya River, Klongsan is filled budget stylish clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products and etc. Shoes are standardly-priced at 199 baht (6USD), clothes are around 150-250 baht and one order of ‘pad-thai’ would cost you about 35baht (1USD).

One of the shops that you cannot miss at Klongsan is Thai dessert called bua-loi-kai-waan (บัวลอยไข่หวาน) or Rice Balls with Poached Eggs in Coconut Milk. Every time that my mom finds out that I’ll go shop at Klongsan, all that she wants me to get for her is 2 orders of Bua-loi-Kai-waan.

Klongsan can be reached by boat where you can get off at Klongsan Pier and also by buses number 6, 84, 89, 105, 111, 173.
Klongsan opens for us crazy shoppers at around midday and closes at 9pm.

Bangkok Healthland and Spa

Everyone needs a sanctuary, a get-away place that allows us to escape from the tiresome of daily life. My sanctuary is spa, a place where I can let my mind, body and spirit lose and completely indulge in a mere relaxation.






Bangkok has many Spas, offering various types of massages and therapies. Among them, fish, diamond and gold spa are currently the trendiest spas in town.

The one that I often visit is Health land and Spa. Health land and Spa is a complete spa service center with branches all throughout Bangkok. The price is reasonable – with the atmosphere that is comparable to that of high-end spas found in luxury hotels.

I especially love aromatherapy body massage and Thai herbal compress therapy. You can also request for a private room for two if you’d like –a true escape to heaven!



For more spa menu - check out http://www.healthlandspa.com/

Bangkok Red!

A lot of people ask me about the political turmoil that is going on in Bangkok now.....so I would like to dedicate this blog post to update you with the current situation in Bangkok

The red-shirt protesters who have taken the streets of Bangkok for about 5 days now are demanding the government's resignation. They went on a strange ritual and took their campaign to a bizaar level - collecting blood from the protesters and splash it all over the front gate of the Thai government house and the Prime minister's residence --> To me that is a health hazardous act and it shows that the red-shirt leaders are running out of trick to overthrow the goverment ;p

Local people still go out and play but obviously not where the protesters are rallying. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has put together a list of areas and map that people should avoid:

AREAS TO BE AVOIDED ADVICE FROM THE TOURIST POLICE, SUB-DIVISION 1

Tourists are advised to avoid the following roads:
- Ratchadamnoen Avenue (consisting of Ratchadamnoen Nai, Ratchadamnoen Klang and Ratchadamnoen Nok)
- Vibhavadi Rangsit Road
- Rama 9 Road
- Samsen Road
- Victory Monument
- Rama IV
- Silom Road
- Rajdamri Road

There are so many things to do and so many places to go in Bangkok so if you avoid those risky areas listed above - everything should be fine.

It is also noteworthly to mention that foreigners have not been targeted in the on-going political conflict, but we are all advised to be vigilant, particularly in those areas where crowds may gather. The Royal Thai Government will continue to step up measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all people in Thailand.

5 tips for successful shopping in Bangkok

Shopping is one essential activity in Bangkok that no one could miss!! Today I have some useful tips to share with you when shopping in Bangkok. Hopefully, these tips will help you pay less and enhance your delightful shopping experience.


#1 How to bargain:


You can bargain almost at every shopping place in Bangkok – except for the big department stores, supermarkets and large retail stores. Smaller-scale shops allow, or even expect, you to bargain! Flea markets in touristy places like Kaosan Road or Silom Road have their goods marked-up pretty high and you can sometimes haggle it down half price. The word of advice when it comes to bargain is SMILE!


When a seller offers you the first price, smile and offer your price that is lower than what you expect to pay. If the seller still doesn’t show any sign of giving up, offer another price (with a smile). If the seller still resist, pretend to walk out of the store – turn around and offer a slightly higher price. By this point, the seller should come up with a price that is satisfactory for both parties. This trick works well for local and my friends from abroad.

#2 Shop around

Common sense in shopping is to shop around if you want the cheapest price possible. There are stores that sell the same or identical merchandise in most of Bangkok’s shopping places. Make sure to walk around, asking and comparing prices. When you find a store that offers you the lowest first price, then you can go ahead and initiate your bargain skills!

#3 Be street smart

Picking-pocketing is expected in busy markets such as Jatujak weekend market and Sampheng market. Watch out for your personal belongings and have your bags in front of you at all time. I love to go to these busy markets myself because I can get quality products for less. Just be alert of your surroundings and you’ll be fine!

#4 Thai shopping phrases

It might be difficult to speak Thai because it’s such a tonal language. However, if you at least try to speak some of these phrases when shopping – you’ll win some hearts and might even get some extra Baht off just because you try!

Hello – Sawaddee
This is pretty – Suay dee na
How much – Tao rai?
Can I have a discount? - Lod dai mai?
No thanks, I’m not interested – Mai aow
Thank you very much - Kob Khun maak
You are very kind – Khun jai dee maak
**Add ‘Ka’ to the end of each sentence for politeness if you’re female and ‘Krub’ if you’re male.

#5 Where to shop

Now you have basic shopping know-how and ready to apply these tricks to the real world!
Some of my personal recommended places to shop are as follows:
Jatujak Weekend Market, Sumpheng Market, Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Platinum Shopping center, MBK Shopping center, Pak Klong Talat (flower market) and Major Ratchoyothin Flea Market.

Next post, I will write about my favorite shopping heaven of all time!

Siam Ocean World

Who would have guessed that underneath the glamorous upscale shopping mall hides the 10,000-square-metre world-class aquarium?

Siam Paragon is the newest and chicest shopping destination in downtown Bangkok that everyone, local and tourists alike, talk about. Situated underneath the shopping complex is Siam Ocean world, an aquarium with impressive underwater tunnel housing more than 30,000 maritime creatures including sharks, stingrays, giant spider crabs and octopus. The aquarium is Thailand’s first and Southeast Asia’s biggest aquatic education and entertainment centre.
The journey at Siam Ocean world will take you through 7 different zones: Weird and Wonderful, Deep Reef, Living Ocean, Rainforest, Rocky Shore, Open Ocean, and Sea Jellies.

My favorite has to be the sea jellies zone where you can relax on a comfortable couch in a dim-lighted room, watching the glowing jellyfish gliding around the tank while soothing music in the background serenades you to sleep! I seriously did took a five-minute nap in this zone and I would have slept in a lot longer if there wasn’t someone else waiting to be seated.

Another fun activity at Siam ocean world is a bottom-glass boat ride. A 25-minute-ride will let you explore the aquarium from a whole different point of view. You can also take a plunge into the oceanarium where you’ll encounter with sharks and other creatures of the deep sea. Floating above the 2.8 million liter oceanarium or dive in it will surely unleash the adventurous side in you.
Siam Ocean world is located on the lower levels of Siam Paragon shopping center and opens to visitors daily from 9am-10pm. Ticket costs 450 baht for adults and 280 baht for children.

Check out my Bottom-Glass Boat Ride!

Ampawa Floating Market

Since the Tourism Authority of Thailand has promoted ‘Nostalgia Tourism’ for domestic tourists, floating markets are becoming more and more popular as they used to be a major part of Thai life.

Nostalgia Tourism refers to a tourism that brings us back to the past. Outdated destinations remarket themselves by adding new aspects to the old favorite to keep the original charm and create new excitement.

Ampawa floating market is extremely famous among local Thai people. Located only 37 miles south of Bangkok, Ampawa market opens only on weekends (Fri-Sun) from 2PM to 9PM. Both sides of the canals lined with houses, shops and restaurants. Boats pull up near the stairs leading down to the water, letting tourists buy and eat their food fresh from the vendors.

Food at Ampawa floating market is extraordinary, ranging in variety from seafood to Thai desserts. Some creative dishes can also be found here such as mango ice cream with sweet sauce topping or guava ice cream with pickled plum topping.

At sunset, a fleet of tourist boats travel upstream to witness Ampawa’s hidden treasure - firefly. Firefly watching is considered to be the highlight evening activity of Ampawa floating market. Many home stays are open to tourists to spend the night at the market and get a glimpse of the typical Thai lifestyle.

When in Bangkok - ride like a Bangkokian!

Bangkok is legendary for its traffic – with tremendous number of cars on the roads, bumper-to-bumper traffic in rush hours – it is no surprise that Bangkokians need their transportation alternatives to travel around town.


CARS - I still need my car to go to places. Mostly I drive to malls, restaurants and places with sufficient and reliable parking spaces. Like many big cities out there in the world – parking space is difficult to come by. Most of the time we really do need to race for the precious parking spots – finding one is like hitting a jackpot!!


Driving in Bangkok needs skills, tactics and concentration as you have bikes, motorcycles, buses, taxis and sometimes elephants on the road – but I don’t mind driving, I become familiar with the system that I feel complete comfortable with the arts of Bangkok driving. However, trouble with parking is something that I can’t bear – so I find my favorite alternatives.


BTS and MRT. The newest forms of transportation in Thailand’s capital which I personally fall in love with its punctuality, comfort and commercials shown on BTS TV.

BTS skytrain(Bangkok Mass Transit System)has been in service since 1999, where MRT underground train (Mass Rail Transit) has begun its operation in 2004. Both BTS and MRT provide safe, convenient and environmental-friendly way to get around Bangkok. The trains run daily from 6am to 12midnight with the fares that are based on the distance traveled.

River Express Boats
With many klong or waterways, Bangkok offers one of the most fun boat rides that are not affected by the road congestion. The river express boats service along the Chao phraya River, the main river in Bangkok, with 33 stops in total. The boat trip is very cheap and a lot quicker than equivalent journey by road.

Buses run throughout Bangkok with extreme bargain price. Buses range from regular bus to air-conditioned bus. Taking a bus is my favorite way to get around but the fact that it has to stop frequently, taking a bus when you’re in a rush is definitely not a way to go!!

Motorcycle taxi. What a great way to get from point A to point B in Bangkok through road traffic with a bit of challenge and excitement! You can find motorcycles service at every corner of the streets. You can easily spot them by their bright-colored vests. Motorcycles service offer not only a ride for people but for packages as well – next time you need a fast delivering service in Bangkok traffic don’t forget to use motorcycle service at the next street corner.

Tuktuk is a motorized rickshaw offering the same service as taxi. The name of tuktuk comes from the sound of the engine. Tuktuk is famous for tourists or local Thais who want a faster journey in heavy Bangkok traffic as tuktuk can easily zigzag its way through. Tuktuk is not necessary the cheapest way of getting around town as you need to bargain for your own fare. I hardly get on one now because TukTuk becomes harder to bargain and the open-ended structure of Tuktuk exposing passengers to Bangkok pollution and it offers no protection in case of accident, so it’s not something that I want to take if I need to travel a long distance. The art of riding a tuktuk is to bargain hard and hang on tight!

Taxi is another favorite transportation of mine. Bangkok is full of taxis ranging in all spectrum of colors (my personal favorite is pink!!). Finding a taxi in Bangkok is not a difficult task either - just stand anywhere along the road – put your arm out and Voila! A taxi should be at your service! The flagfall rate starts at 35 baht or around 1USD. Tipping for the driver is not a practice in Thailand, though rounding up the fare is more of a common manner.

Bangkok from local perspective...

Many people have mixed feelings when they learn that I’m from Bangkok – a cosmopolitan and contrasting city. A dazzling, charming and addictive metropolis that many fall in love with, while many have found it too crowded, smelly and intense.

To me, Bangkok has its shine and darkness, filled with sparkling temples and steamy night clubs. I love my Bangkok, nevertheless. Despite the road congestion and pollution problems - characteristics that are shared by most of the big cities around the world, I enjoy the amazing food scenes that we have, I love watching the affluent glow of skyscrapers at night and take pleasure in a relaxing Thai massage and a ride of tuk tuk - everything is delightful and familiar in a place I call ‘home’.

Let me tell you about Bangkok – well….first of all we don’t even call it Bangkok. Bangkok is the name of our former capital city but it seems that the world hasn’t caught up with the idea yet….227 years later. Bangkok, among Thai people, is known as Krung-Thep-Maha-Nakorn which has a direct translation as the city of angels.

But that's not all to the name. Do you know that the full name of Bangkok is the longest place name in the world!! Consiting of 12 words - 65 syllables - 167 letters! No place else on earth has ever had a longer name!

The full name of Krung-thep is:
Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

Given the length of the full name, there’s no doubt why it is never used. Krung-Thep-Maha-Nakorn or Krung-Thep is then more common in everyday use.

Ask any Thai to recite the name for you and you’ll see that most of us can still recite the full name –thanks to Asanee-Watson, a popular Thai musical band with their smart move putting the lengthy name into a famous melody.

Some basic information of Krung-thep:
Founded: 1782
Population: roughly 6 million registered residents
Area: 605.7 sq mi
Average temperature: 82 Degree Fahrenheit

So that is my Bangkok! From now on, we’ll delve into the life of Bangkok – exploring fun and exciting activities and events the city has to offer.