Y Wednesday, March 21, 2007Y
9:38 PM
Thailand Trip Part 1Alright, I pretty much gave up with the stupid photos-uploading stuff...Shall start posting first instead of putting up the pictures...It was a 5days, 4nights trip to Thailand and the destination was, Bangkok!!! This is not the first time that I've been to Thailand but definitely the first time that Laogong and I are travelling together, overseas!! So, was it for Laogong =P... Though, it was a short 5days trip, both Laogong and I really enjoyed ourselves fully and had plenty of fun through out...
Laogong and I went camera-hunting the last day before heading to Thailand, initially I thought of getting a disposable camera sooo Laogong and I went around searching for those at the basement floor of Jurong Point...Laogong was a lil' reluctant and sooo he decided that we're getting a digital camera instead of disposable ones...Laogong and I then went up to Courts and browsed through the varieties plus prices, after that we headed to Harvey Norman...The cameras at Harvey Norman are selling at cheaper prices than Courts, sooo Laogong and I decided to get our camera from there...We bought the Sony T50 in red (cuz I wanted RED!! =P), which came with 2 free Sony memory sticks...Laogong extended the warranty from 1 year to 3years, 2 of which is covered under Harvey Norman...*Tada ~~ A new digital camera for our trip!! =))
It was the first time, both Laogong and I try out something totally different...The air-tickets and accommodations were all booked online, we both did our respective research on Bangkok...I even bought along a Cleo notepad (written inside, all the must-visit-places!!) with me, but lost it during the trip =((...No tour for us, cuz we wanted to go free and easy!! Talk about roaming freely in a foreign country, *Giggles...
Laogong and I arrived at the budget terminal more than an hour earlier before the departure time, had our lunch at "Hans" then checked in after...The "DFS" in budget terminal is really very small as compared to terminal 1 and 2 but still, it's got all the necessities which one could possibly ask for...I did not get anything from there cuz I wanna do all my shopping in Bangkok!! *Bleahs...Laogong and I wandered around the small budget terminal before it's finally time to queue up before we board the plane...
There was quite a long queue when Laogong and I went in, silly us thought that we're not able to get the window seats but fortunately, the plane was big and not fully seated when we finally got inside...Whilst on board the plane before took off, we're told to buckle up, switch off all electronics and were taught the safety stuffs, blah, blah...Sooo, it was Goodbye!! to Singapore and Hello!! to Bangkok, we come!! =)) I'll never forget, that day was a sunny Sunday...Laogong and I unfasten our seat belts after the signal came off, we quickly took some pictures of ourselves and the fluffy clouds outside...Our enthusiasms wore off quickly, as both of us felt tired and fell asleep due to the heavy air pressure...
It was around 4pm when I woke up, the announcement by the flight captain then came on, to inform us the arrival time...Laogong woke up and tried to listen but to no avail, he's too blury...Shortly after, the air-stewardess handed us 2white cards to fill up, which is required for use when arriving at the airport for checking out...I played with the PSP for a short while, and then another announcement came on telling us to buckle up our seat belts and prepared for touch down...Had to switch off my PSP then after, I kept looking out the window, trying to get a view of the whole of Thailand...Thought of capturing the scenery but all electronics had to be switched off, sooo no choice...Laogong was still a lil' groggy after waking up, but also looked out the window after I told him to...Finally, the plane touched down at around 4.30pm (SG time) at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport...
Laogong and I waited for our turn to get our bags and then got out of the plane, both of us walked a long way before getting to the arrival gates...The airport's very new, and well kept and even had those escalators for lazy people like us to stop on and get carried to the other side...*Hees...I couldn't make out a correct pronunciation of the airport's name, Laogong took a picture of the name with his N80 and we continued walking to the arrival gates...(Just in case, you might wonder why we've took a picture of the name, it's because we'll have to go back to the same airport for our return flight, taking a picture of the name would remind us...))
(>,<) We got our passports done, white cards given and *VIOLA!! We're free and easy!! The whole airport didn't seemed big but in actual fact it is huge!!
Laogong and I decided to get a cab to our hotel, sooo both of us went looking for the taxi stands...We're both shocked at the long taxi stand queues when we found it, and in the end decided to queue at the one we thought seemed shorter...Our taxi as compared to the ones in Thailand, was a much simpler approach, you just get on the taxi and the meter runs, till you finally reach your desired destination...You pay the driver and you get off the taxi...The taxis in the Thailand (at the airport), would have people issuing you and the taxi driver a ticket each...On the ticket written, would be the driver's name and the car license plate number, in case you deem the driver's attitude bad and want to complain, the customer service hotline is also on the piece of ticket...Then the piece of ticket also goes on telling customers, that the tollway chargers are chargeable to them not the driver...blah, blah...Laogong and I didn't cared much, just got on the taxi and off we were to Baiyoke Sky Hotel...
The driver was a good one, drove very fast!! *Lols...Laogong kept looking at the speed meter when the driver drove, the driver actually sped up to more than 140km/hr!! Guess you wouldn't be able to survive at all, if it's this speed in SG huh? *Lols...Anyway, the taxis in Thailand are sooo akin to sport cars, sooo colorful and fast in speed...Laogong and I kinda enjoyed the ride though it's bumpy... It was around 6plus when we arrived at Baiyoke Sky Hotel...Both Laogong and I wasted no time at all, quickly took the lift to the lobby area and checked in, we're given 2key cards and our room was on the 48th floor...We went to our room, put down our bags and went out again...
As it was a Sunday, we decided to rush down to Chatuchap in a taxi again cuz it's only opened on weekends... Chatuchap was vast!!!!! The traffic was a disaster, people and cars vying for spaces to walk and go through...Laogong and I took a quick walk around and concentrated on finding the pets area, cuz I've been told by Angie that, the lil' ones there are very adorable!! I just had to see them for myself...Along the way, I kept looking at the stuffs, clothes and etc. selling...All sooo enticing!!!! Really made me kinda felt like grabbing the stuffs I want and run away but never do so la...*Bleahs...
Laogong and I sort of blended into the Thai society, nobody looked different from us...The Thai people looked almost the same like us, be it their complexions and skin tone...Most of them are very handsome and pretty too, we could spot no one wearing glasses nor having any skin problems cuz I guess they all have prefect eyesight (or maybe they all wore contact lens) and got super smooth baby skin...
Alright, Laogong and I got a lil' impatient after seeing quite of number of people carrying a cute pup in their arms...We both hurry our steps and finally got to the pets area, for walking like more than 20minutes...The whole place was full of pets, lesser on the outside stalls but tons of them inside the market...Laogong and I happened to find 2damn cute chihuahuas, really thought of buying one of them back!!!!! Laogong asked for the price and I converted the price to SG $, the price??? An amazing low price of $150bucks for a damn small and cute pup!!!!!! Seeing them really melts one's hearts!!!!! I lingered around the two itsy bitsy adorable pups for some time then Laogong asked me to walk further down with him, to see if there are more...Left quite reluctantly then did saw a few more pups but not as attractive as the ones I fancied, sooo Laogong and I decided to go back to the person selling the cutesy pies...
To our dismay, the person disappeared la!!!!!! It was only for like a split minute or sooo, we turned back and the person "poof" disappeared with the pups!!! *Pouts (-.-") Sobs, sobs...No more pups...I blamed Laogong for going further, letting the pups disappear with the seller...We had every intention to buy the cute pup!!!!!! Although, I know smuggling it back, is illegal la...*Lols... Laogong and I went inside the market and began searching for the seller but to no avail at last...The chihuahua was really very CUTE!!!!! Sooo tiny, I bet it could fit into a big drinking mug lor!!!!
Ping smsed me at that time, I told her about it and even she told me to buy it...*Shrugs... Seller gone, pup also gone...Really a disappointment to Laogong and me...Laogong tried to stop me from thinking about it and told me that even if we had bought it, chances of bringing it back is a zero...Rather let it be with the seller or be sold to another person living in Thailand than having to abandon it, if we couldn't manage to bring it back...
Sooo, we left the pets area sadly and shopped around the other parts of Chatuchap until it was their closing time...We got out and went to take the Skytrain (BTS) to Siam station...
Laogong and I went to Siam Paragon and have our dinner at the foodcourt in the basement, the foodcourt's ambience and cleanliness is really good...Bet you wouldn't wanna eat in the local SG foodcourts if you've been here...You have to buy a stored-valued card from the counters before you could go into the foodcourt and order your food, you can opt from the different values like 500baht of 1000baht...No need to pay first but rather you eat first then pay before leaving...The food was delicious and of good standard, they even serve the food to you...Laogong and I felt like eating at a restaurant with it's given standard of service and ambience...
After our dinner, we decided to walk back to the hotel...It was some distance away from Siam Paragon but reachable...Laogong and I took around 20minutes or sooo to reach the hotel, but didn't went up the moment we reached but went to take a look at the night market which is just opposite the hotel...We finally headed back around 11plus to rest and prepare for the second day...