Huai Khwang Night Market

Huai Khwang Night Market is located at the corner of Ratchada road and Pracharat Bamphen road, a short distance walk from the Huai Khwang MRT station. The market covers more than 2km stretch of road starting from Pracha Songkro road.

Huai Khwang Market is open 24 hours to serve the local community. Drawn by cheap housing  and lower cost of living, many university students and mid-low incomer workers are living in this area.  You can buy grocery ranging from fresh fruits, vegetables, medicines, meats, seafood, or have a meal at anytime. But for a tourist, the best time to visit is at night especially if you are still energetic at late night.  Huai Khwang night market is not the place to buy souvenirs or clothing but is definitely a great place if you wanted a taste of the local Thais night life.

Amphawa Floating Market

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is the most popular floating market in Thailand.  I visited the market back in 2004 and fell in love with it. No further introduction is needed since the tourist can easily pick up a daily tour package to  Damnoen Saduak floating from any local tour agency.  

The  floating market which I would like to introduce  is the Amphawa Floating Market.   This authentic floating market is gaining popularity among the frequent visitor to Bangkok over the last couple of years.

Amphawa floating market is located within 10 kilometres of the famous Damnoen Saduak. Unlike tourist infested Damnoen Saduak, visitors at Amphawa are mostly local.  Unlike Damnoen Saduak which is a morning market, Amphawa only pick up its momentum in the weekend afternoon.  Since it is less known to the foreign tourists and only caters for the weekend crowd, there are only a few tour agents operating a tour to Amphawa. For season traveler, an option is hopping onto a mini van in the vicinity of Victory Monument that goes to Amphawa on a fixed interval.

The Amphawa canal is lined with store fronts that sell an eclectic mix of old-fashioned toys, artsy postcards, cutesy clothing and souvenirs. while nearer to the water, canal-side seating patrons order, receive and consume the delicious Thai food from the floating hawkers.

Since the market is only open during the weekends, there are not many tour agents offering a package tour to Amphawa. You may pick up a tour package from the following agents :

Canary Travel ( http://canarytravelthailand.com/ ) operates in Khaosan road
Yusabay ( http://yusabaybkk.pixnet.net/blog ) Mandarin speaking agent located in Thonglor.

Bangkok Local Life 3 - Khlong Thom Market

There are many night markets in Bangkok.  A few of them are mainly cater for the tourists, such as Silom ( Patpong ) night market and Asiatique . For night markets which are cater for the local, stalls are being set up along the streets as such as Ratchadaphisek, Pratunam, Victory Monument, etc.  And some of these local night markets may not open daily and are not easily accessible via BTS/MRT.

One of the well known local markets among the seasoned tourists is Huai Khwang night market. Huai Khwang night market with hundreds of stalls sprouting along the street is fun to visit but there is nothing unusual.  I accidentally pumped into a unique night market while on my way back to the hotel in Chinatown from Khaosan road during a late evening.

Khlong Thom Market, also known as 'Flash/Torchlight Market' or Tarad Fai Chai in Thai ( due to the fact that shoppers need a torch to view the goods ) was the bazzar that I visited in 2014.

This night market covers quite a large areas stretching all the way from Luang, Worachak, Yommarat and Charoenkrung roads. The roadside stalls  have everything from spare car parts, DVDs /CDs, electronic devices, musical instrument, clothing items to toys. This market is best known for its secondhand goods and is open on Saturday evening only.

I started my tour from Shanghai Mansion ( in Yaowarat  ) . Although it was late night ( close to 11pm ), the stretch is still quite crowded and jam-packed with motley vendor stalls and displays.  Truly it is a Flash/Torchlight Market as most of the streets were dimly lit and I can hardly identity the items sold by the vendors without a torch.

I didn’t find item that arouse my interest, but indeed it is a unique experience to join the locals shopping and dinning in the “dark”.  It was quite exciting by wandering around Bangkok old city at late hours due to safety issue. So, I would say, it is only recommend to adventurous traveler who want to see another aspect of Bangkok local night life.

Pampered Stay - Stylish Hotel with a Difference

What is the mindset of a tourist when it comes to choosing a hotel?
Well, most of the time, it is ties down to the budget, location and “comfort”.
For budget traveller, comfort is equivalent to clean and tidiness; for people with a handsome budget to spend, it is always the hotel rating star that matters.   Be it for business or leisure trip, after a long day of business appointments or sight seeing/shopping spree , everyone sure would like to escape back to the hotel and unwind in their hotel room.

For me, a comfortable hotel make me feel at ease once I stepped into the hotel lobby and I can totally relax in the guest room for hours; better still,  be pampered by the services. 

I had stayed in more than 40x hotels in Bangkok over the past ten years, ranging for motel to 5 star accommodation; and there are two hotels  that fit into my “comfort” bills.  Namely So Sofitel and Hotel Muse. 

These hotels gave me a feel of privacy, intimacy and luxury right after I stepped into the main lobby. Upon arrival, guests are greeted by the friendly and helpful staffs , followed with a unique welcome drink that casts a remarkable first impression.  Once I resided to the room, I were further impressed with its décor and fell in love with its elegantly designed bathroom, featuring free-standing French roll-top bathtub and washing basins.

So Sofitel is categorized as luxury hotel designed by Christian Lacroix by Accor group. It has a fresh and hip décor theme. The rooms are available in Metal, Wood and Earth elements; whereas the Water element is only available in suite ( I yet to try ).  And Earth element is my preferred choice. Facing the lumpini park, the hotel offers a spectacular open city view.

Hotel Muse Bangkok is categorized under the MGallery – a selection of exceptional and memorable hotels by Accor group.  The hotel interior design and décor exudes an interplay of classic European signatures juxtaposed against ornate Asian motifs. The guest room is opulent in design, coupled with its award winning restaurants and roof top bar, this Bangkok Boutique Hotel is unique among its peers. Ranked number one in my Bangkok hotel choice for its style and value for money ( less than $300 per night )

These are the hotels that I would highly recommended for people who like to experience a difference and be pampered with the hotel services.  Don’t get me wrong, I can’t afford to stay in these hotels throughout my trips in Bangkok.  What I did is just to spend my last day of my trip in these hotels ; refreshing myself before  going home..  

And I would like to promote the concept of “hotel hopping” by switching hotel stay daily on the conditions that a)  one has to travelling light, and b) knowing how to outsmart the city traffic while hopping.  By  moving and staying in a different neighborhood, one is  able to enrich the tour experience and get to love or hate the city. Oh! I Love Bangkok !

Thai Snacks Haven - The Old Siam Plaza

Tired of shopping in MBK, Saim Paragon and central world plaza? Take a switch by visiting a shopping mall built in the earlier day of Bangkok  -  The Old Siam Plaza. Old Siam Plaza is one of those places the local youngster just consider old and outdated, but this is the mall that give you a glimpse on its past with its old style movie theater, shops and Art Deco building.

Ranked by lonelyplanet at a modest #310 of 792 things to do in Thailand, the Old siam plaza can never be the hot tourist spot.  However, if you are a sentimental person who likes oldies or someone who love desserts, this is likely the place for you.  

The Old Siam Plaza is a 3 storeys building with two domed atriums split between fashion items on one side and traditional Thai snacks on the other. The snacks atrium is where you can find all sorts of traditional snacks and sweets skillfully prepared right in front of you.  And there are more snacks stalls in Old Siam Plaza  than  Or Tor Kor Market ( Famous fresh food market next to Chatuchak Weekend Market).  A true traditional Thai snack haven that desserts lover can't missed! 

The plaza is located on the end of Yaowarat Road, intersection between Phahuratm road and Triphet road; approximately 1.3km away from the China town central.

Take a look at my photos : Aroi Mah!

Bangkok Tour – Travel Guide

A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place, designed for the use of visitors or tourists". There are many guide books on Bangkok; ranging from Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveler to the less unknown DK Eyewitness Travel.  And many more Chinese publications that provides the latest establishment of Bangkok entertainment hot spots.



And you can also access the travel information through Internet. However, it is quite impossible to find online the tourist maps that offer a comprehensive walking route free of charge.

Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok, first published in 1974 may be the most popular Bangkok travel guide that provides detailed maps that inspired the tourist get off the beaten paths.  I did use the map to explore the Sampeng Lanes and various markets  in China Town during my tour to Bangkok in the earlier days. 


However, my personal favorite guide book is “A Walking Tour Bangkok” by Bryne Bracken.  
For sure this is not a popular travel guide and it is not available in most of the book store since the guide does not provide information on Bangkok entertainment hot spots.  Instead, this is a book for tourists who like to discover the Bangkok cultural and architectural  diversity. 

Many who visited Bangkok may not be aware of the diversity of architecture during the tour. By going through the walking route recommended by Dr Bracken, you can discover Bangkok like you have never seen it before. Following are the list for walk routes and I am sure such  routes which even a frequent traveller to Bangkok may not even consider before :

1) A walk from the national stadium to Baiyoke Tower II
2) A walk from Khlong San Sap to Lumphini park
3) A walk from Sukhothai hotel to Silom Village
4) A walk from Bangrak market ( next to Shangri La hotel ) to Khlong Padund Krung Kasem
5) A walk from Hua Lamphong Railway to Pak Khong market ( Flower market )
6) A walk from Wat Pho to Khlong Lord
7) A walk from Giant Swing to Phra Athit road
8) A walk from Wat Indrawihan to Wat Benjamabophit

Well, I had covered all these routes over my past trips to Bangkok; and it always took me 4 to 5x time more to explore the area than the guide’s indicated approximate walking time. The extra time was spent by taking a break to immerse into the local communities or admiring the architectural and neighborhood beauty.







And I hope to cover in my blog on other walking routes that are off the beaten tourist paths , which  I had made in Bangkok over the last ten years.