Herman and I went to Bangkok last weekend with some friends from Maybank. I left the office early Friday night to catch our flight out of Singapore. By 12:45pm (Singapore time) we have already checked in our hotel and dumped our things and went out to get a look at the night market. But to our disappointment most of the stores are already closing, even the food stalls. So we went back to our hotel rooms tired and hungry. Herman, however, checked if he could get some room service; surprised that the hotel meals aren't that expensive, he ordered his tom yam soup and stir fried shrimp.
Breakfast buffet wasn't that bad either, and so our "amazing race" tour began. Going to Bangkok is like going home to Manila; walking down one street in Bangkok could make you feel like you're in Sta. Mesa; traffic may be terrible and is comparable what we have in Metro Manila. Tourists were warned of possible pickpockets in crowded areas, but if you've lived in Manila, it was no herculean task. We went to their temples and saw the buddas; while I was busy taking pictures, Herman was making himself busy by checking all the food sold in the stalls.
Everything is quite cheap; we took the cab to go around the city and fares normally rage between 60 to 80 baht, which is around 3 to 4 singapore $. I love the food! Thais and Filipinos almost have the same taste in food, although they like their food with a lot more chili. Shopping, shopping, shopping. Bangkok is the best place for a good bargain; but better train yourself in haggling.
Our expedition was so much fun; from buying an over-priced ice cream from a street vendor, taking a cab to a place the driver doesn't know, to haggling too low that the vendor told us to go home. After two hectic days, we're back in Singapore by Sunday 11:30pm. We want to do it again... We'll definitely do it again.
