[Day 2] Exploring Chatuchak Weekend Market

One will never miss the wholesales weekend market at Chatuchak whenever they visit Bangkok. This weekend market has became a landmark as well as a "must-visit" place for tourists. With more than 8,000 market stalls that occupied the 35-acre area, Chatuchak attracts more than 200,000 visitors on just a typical weekend to sift through the goods that their offer.

For your information, the weekend market is open on both Saturdays and Sundays from 09:00 - 18:00, and Fridays 18:00 - 24:00.

On the Saturday morning, after our breakfast at Cuisine Unplugged, we took the skytrain (BTS) from Victory Monument to Mo Chit station which is about 15 minutes away. Upon arrived, take exit no. 1 and follow the crowd until you see rows of canvas stalls selling clothes. From there turn right and continue to follow the crowd till you see a small entrance that leads into the market (clothing section).

Alternatively, you can take the subway (MRT) to Chatuchak Park station (exit no.1) and follow the crowd till you see the small entrance that leads into the market (clothing section).

For first-timers who visit Chatuchak it might seems a bit difficult to locate the stalls that you desire or move around the alleyways and stalks. But no worries as eventually there is a main walkway which encircles the entire market where it branches off into a series of numbered alleyways called Soi 1, Soi 2, Soi 3, and so on.

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Clothing and Accessories (sections 2-6, 10-26)

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Art and Gallery (section 7)

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Plants and Gardening tools (sections 3, 4)

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Plants and Gardening tools (sections 3, 4)

If you are feeling hot and weary along your way at the weekend market, do stop by the food and beverages stalls and grab some refreshing drinks or light snacks to re-charge your before conquering another round of shopping spree.

As you can see from the photos before, Chatuchak Market has and endless selection of food and drinks on almost every soi or corner. Items like fresh cut fruits, iced refreshments, noodles, rice with roast pork, chicken rice and Thai-style fast foods and etc.

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Mango Sticky Rice

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Fresh Cut Fruits

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Spicy Noodle Dish (with different types of soup broth)

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Grilled Thai-style Drumsticks

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Noodles with over dose of fried quail eggs

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Omelette Rice Ball with Assorted Fillings

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Frozen Banana and Ice Cream

One of the stall there known as Choconana sells frozen bananas that are coated in chocolate, dipped in your choice of desire coating like almond, cashew nuts, rainbow rice then re-freeze again to harden the toppings before serving. It look pretty cool but we did not get to try it instead we grab some freshly squeeze orange juice from the stall beside it.

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Freshly Squeeze Orange Juice

[Worth Trying] If you are looking for something natural without any added sugar or artificial chemicals, this freshly squeeze Thai Orange Juice is what you don't wish to miss. It's really sweet and fragrant which taste quite differently what we get from Singapore.

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Array of thirst quench drinks

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Coconut Ice Cream

[Worth Trying] Do not miss this yummy dessert when you are in Chatuchak market which is located between Sections 1 and 2 (near the entrance of Kamphaenpetch MRT station) with a stall selling milk tea next to it.

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Coconut Ice Cream @ 30 THB (S$1.20) each

You can choose between corn and peanuts topping together with shredded pumpkin, slices of fresh coconut and coconut ice cream served in a coconut husk. After which you could also sip a small cup of their complimentary coconut juice after you have finished the ice-cream too.

Thai iced tea craftsman practicing his skill at Chatuchak

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Red Rubies (Tub Tim Krob)

Red Ruby is called "tub tim krob" in Thai and it is a famous dessert which is made using fresh water chestnut cubes that are coated with red syrup/food colouring together with Tapioca flour. After which these cooked chestnuts cubes are served with sweeten coconut milk and shaved ice.

[Chatuchak Weekend Market] Red Rubies (Tub Tim Krob) @ 30 THB (S$1.20) each

Itinerary of our Bangkok (Thailand) travelogue are as follow:-
~ [Day 1] Our Family Trip to Bangkok (BKK), Thailand
~ [Day 1] Exploring Asiatique, The Riverfront
~ Cuisine Unplugged and Executive Lounge @ Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel
~ [Day 2] Exploring Chatuchak Weekend Market
~ [Day 2] Health Land and Mahboonkrong (MBK)
~ [Day 3] Exploring Siam Ocean World
~ [Day 3] Afternoon Tea At Agalico, Bangkok
~ Day 3] Dinner Cruise On Board Chao Phraya Princess, Bangkok
~ [Day 4] Lunch At Secret Garden, Thai Cuisine And Bakery
~ [Day 5] Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi)

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[Day 1] Exploring Asiatique, The Riverfront

[Continue from previous post] Upon arrived, check-in into our hotel and etc, we decided to head out to Siam Paragon for our dinner. Traveling there by BTS was pretty fast as it was only 3 stops away from Victory Monument station which is near our hotel.

After the meal, we deiced to visit Asiatique The Riverfront which is Bangkok's first large scale riverside night bazaar that filled with boutiques, eateries and etc.

Occupying around half of Siam Paragon ground floor, the Food Hall is right above the Siam Ocean World and it is divided into three different food zones such as: Food Hall Food Court, Food Hall Gallery and Food Hall Take Home.

With an array of Thai and foreign dishes, we were all eager to try out some of their local street food to satisfy our hungry tummy.

Pad Thai 120THB (SG$4.90)

Banh Coun (shrimp) 70THB (SG$2.80)

Beef Pho Noodles 75THB (SG$3.00)

Rice Topped With Omelette and Seafood Tom Yum 100THB (SG$4.00)

We bought a few dishes to share among ourselves and it was my first time having Bánh Cuốn (Vietnamese steamed rice roll) and I love it especially for it's smooth and paper thin rice wrapper that enclosed the yummy shrimp fillings and herbs. Beside that, their Pad Thai was good too but the Seafood Tom Yum was rather not up to our liking.

[Must Try] Mango Sticky Rice is one of the common Thai dessert which could be found easily in any food center, restaurants, supermarkets and etc. The price of this dessert range from 80THB (SG$3.20) to 300THB (SG$12.00) depending on where you get it from. So for dessert, mum bought my favourite Mango Sticky Rice from one of the dessert stalls there known as Mrs Amra. The mango was sweet and juice and it goes well with the flavorsome sticky rice which makes us crave for it even till date.

After dinner we were ready to go Asiatique and the easiest way was to take the BTS from Siam to Saphan Thaksin Station. Upon exit the gantry walk toward left to Exit 2 to board the free shuttle boat service at Sathorn Pier.

As you can see from the above photo, Shuttle Boat services are available from 4.00pm - 11.15pm with departure of every 15 minutes interval.

Free Shuttle Boat to and from Sathorn Pier to Asiatique

Asiatique The Riverfront is a Bangkok's first large scale open-air mall with river views that combining shopping, dining, sightseeing, activities and events under one roof. And since we went there after dinner, we focus more on those small boutiques rather than food.

Asiatique is split into four categories so that it would be easier to locate the items without too much hassle. With such layout, there are over 1,000 small boutiques in the four warehouses selling souvenirs, handicrafts, jewellery and clothing from fashionable Thai brands to affordable stores which offers merchandise similar to those in places like Chatuchak and MBK too.

One of the major attraction at Asiatique is this 60-metre high Sky Wheel near the banks of the Chao Phraya River. With a fee of 200 THB (SG$8.00) all visitors would be able to go on board the Ferris Wheel and experience breathtaking views from height.

ASIATIQUE THE RIVERFRONT
2194 Charoenkrung Road
Wat Phaya Krai, Bang Kho Laem
Bangkok, Thailand

Opening Hours:
17:00 - Midnight

To Get There:
Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin (closed for construction) Get to Sathorn Pier and board the free shuttle boat to Astatique Pier and the last boat runs until 23:00. Or visit their official website here for more details.

Itinerary of our Bangkok (Thailand) travelogue are as follow:-
~ [Day 1] Our Family Trip to Bangkok (BKK), Thailand
~ [Day 1] Exploring Asiatique, The Riverfront
~ Cuisine Unplugged and Executive Lounge @ Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel
~ [Day 2] Exploring Chatuchak Weekend Market
~ [Day 2] Health Land and Mahboonkrong (MBK)
~ [Day 3] Exploring Siam Ocean World
~ [Day 3] Afternoon Tea At Agalico, Bangkok
~ Day 3] Dinner Cruise On Board Chao Phraya Princess, Bangkok
~ [Day 4] Lunch At Secret Garden, Thai Cuisine And Bakery
~ [Day 5] Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi)

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[Day 1] Our Family Trip to Bangkok (BKK), Thailand

Sorry for this super "late" Bangkok (BKK) trip writeup which I have drag more than 6 months since December 2012 till now. And for friends and readers who have follow me on my Instagram or Facebook Page, you would probably know that we just had just returned from our awesome Taiwan trip last week. So in order to pen down as many memories as possible on our travel experiences for future reference, I need to first clear our BKK backlogs before I could start sharing something on our recent trip on Taiwan.

After 5 years (our 1st trip to Bangkok was in December 2007) finally we managed to make our 2nd visit back to Land of Smiles, Bangkok. We were all very excited to set foot back to familiar places like MBK, Chatuchak, Siam Ocean World as well as exploring new places and eateries recommended by my brother who frequent Bangkok.

Getting ready to board our flight  to Bangkok and it was a great experience traveling with Thai Airways again.

Our flight takes off on time without much delay.

Thai Airways Economy Class in-flight facilities comes with larger screens and touch-control commands for passengers to choose between many of the latest multi-lingual hit movies, classic oldies and popular TV programmes. There are also news, travel destination and information channels plus interactive games and kids cartoons too.

*Note: USB Port is also available for charging purposes. 

[Thai Airlines In-Flight Menu] Honestly, the Kid's Menu from Thai Airways do look and taste good as compared to some other airlines which we had travel on-board before. Also from the photo above you could see the varieties of item given which consists of Main Course, beverages, snacks, fruit and etc.

[Thai Airways In-Flight Menu] The Adult menu was more towards Asian palate with choice of either Stir-fry Seafood Noodles or Asian-style Black Bean Fish with Rice and Vegetables. Although I am not in any favour for in-flight food but surprisingly most of all their dishes still taste quite decent.

[Thai Airways In-Flight Menu] Asian-Style Black Bean Fish With Rice and Vegetables

Window Seats View

My kid is always fascinated with window seats so that he could enjoy the beautiful scenery high up from the plane through the windows.

View of sunset from our seats before landing.

Love the experience to debark from the aircraft  runway and board the Passenger Bus which ferry us from the aircraft to the airport terminal.

[Stay Connect] In order to stay connect with your family or love ones back home, you could get one of this Thailand local mobile SIM card known as "Happy Instant SIM" which is part of the “Happy” Prepaid SIM brand by Dtac. It comes with user-friendly English instructions, packaging and other beneficial services customized for both foreign leisure and business travelers whom visiting Thailand.

SIM card can be purchased from Airport upon arrival at the service counter or any of their mobile outlets at major shopping malls such as MBK also known as Mahboonkrong. Happy Instant SIM bundles are available shown below:-

- 49 Baht for 1 day Unlimited EDGE/GPRS
- 249 Baht (SG$10.15) for 7 days Unlimited EDGE/GPRS
- 999 Baht for 30 days Unlimited EDGE/GPRS

While for Roaming Charges, please call Dtac Care at 1678 to activate international service.

Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok International Airport), we took the Phaya Thai Express Train service located at basement level of the airport to our hotel which is located near Phaya Thai BTS station. The whole journey took about 20 minutes and it cost THB 90 (SG$ 3.70) for single trip ticket and THB 150 (SG$6.10) for round trip ticket.

[Travel Companion] Traveling around Bangkok would be a breeze with one of this BTS (Bangkok Mass Transit System) top-up card. You can enjoy your own luxury time exploring Bangkok city with the convenience of tap and go and these top-up cards can be easily purchased at any of their train station.

At Phaya Thai Station, we transferred another train to Victory Monument BTS Station (one stop) which is beside Century Movie Plaza (near Victory Monument BTS Station).

From the back entrance of Century Movie Plaza, we took the complimentary Tutu Shuttle service by King Power to Pullman Hotel.

During our four nights at Pullman King Power Hotel, we are staying in one of their 30 suites which located on upper floor view with private living room. Special facilities for suite guests includes, pillow menu, spacious lounge access, iPod docking station, Nespresso machine, in-room fitness and 15% and 20% Discount Card for shopping at King Power Duty Free Mall and etc.

Since my brother is one of their regular guests, they even prepared some welcome fruits and sweet snacks as a complimentary items.

[Suite Room] Living Room Facilities and Snack Bar

[Suite Room] View and facilities in the bathroom

[Suite Room] Get ready for bubble bath time

[Suite Room] Executive Suite with 1 king-size bed

King Power Pullman Bangkok is 30-minute drive away from Suvarnabhumi Airpor and it's located in central Bangkok with 6 fashionable bars and restaurants as well an infinity pool that overlook a botanical garden and exquisite spa. There are 366 rooms ranging from Superior, Deluxe, Executive and Suites which offer their signature Pullman bed and free WiFi service throughout the hotel for you to select from.

PULLMAN BANGKOK KING POWER
8/2 Rangnam Road, Thanon-Phayathai
Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 THAILAND
Telephone: +66 (0) 2680 9999     Fax: +66 (0) 2680 9998

Website: www.pullmanbangkokkingpower.com/‎
Email: hotel@pullmanbangkokkingpower.com

Itinerary of our Bangkok (Thailand) travelogue are as follow:-
~ [Day 1] Our Family Trip to Bangkok (BKK), Thailand
~ [Day 1] Exploring Asiatique, The Riverfront
~ Cuisine Unplugged and Executive Lounge @ Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel
~ [Day 2] Exploring Chatuchak Weekend Market
~ [Day 2] Health Land and Mahboonkrong (MBK)
~ [Day 3] Exploring Siam Ocean World
~ [Day 3] Afternoon Tea At Agalico, Bangkok
~ Day 3] Dinner Cruise On Board Chao Phraya Princess, Bangkok
~ [Day 4] Lunch At Secret Garden, Thai Cuisine And Bakery
~ [Day 5] Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi)

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