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We’ve never been to the Grand Palace, the Floating Market, the various Wats (temples), the Chao Praya River, and other places most people visit when they go to Bangkok… although we’ve been going to Bangkok about once or twice a year since 2003 (it’s only a 45-minute plane ride). We live in Phnom Penh, after all, and those things are similar to what you can see here. What do we do in Bangkok? Well, we do things people take for granted in Manila like… McDo! Malling in airconditioned bliss! Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino! Ride a taxi! In other words, we immerse ourselve in the urban jungle of Amazing Thailand!

I remember the first time we went to Bangkok for a vacation. We’ve been living in Phnom Penh for about nine months then. When we got out of the airport, we looked at the roads in awe, “Wow! Flyovers!” Then, we rode into the city and gaped at the sky, “Wow! Skyscrapers!” Then, we went inside the mall, “Wow! Escalators without assistants!” (Parang probinsiyano baga!)

So we went to Bangkok again last weekend for our much needed regular re-charge of city pollution, traffic, and air-conditioned malls:

• EATING!
  As I mentioned in this post, we celebrated our anniversary by eating in KFC. Where else can you find marital bliss for only 300 thai baht (more or less $7.50)?Another thing that Manilans take for granted in Manila is the…. Food Court! The Central Chidlom Department Store has a fantastic food court on the top floor called the “Food Loft.” If you remember “Streetlife,” it has the same concept with passports and different restos to choose from inside. I like this because Honey and I don’t have to argue whether to eat light or heavy, Chinese or Italian, or pasta or sushi.
• Thai restos? We have lots of those in Phnom Penh. But our friend who has lived in Bangkok for about thirteen years now brings us to the most out-of-the-way Thai restaurants which are absolutely delicious and untouristy.
• SHOPPING!
  I know I just went shopping in Toul Tompong, but I can’t possibly go to the office in Gap shirts. Unfortunately, it was deadly difficult and frustrating for me to go shopping as I currently possess this deadly combination: first, I’m fat; second, I’m poor. It would have helped my second condition (poverty) that most stores in Thailand are currently on sale, up to 70% discount even. But if you look at the boxes in the middle of the ladies’ section where they dump all the items on sale, you’d see that all the sizes are 3, 2, 1, and even 0. 0?! Who wears a size 0?! So this, together with all the frappuccinos I drank in Starbucks, definitely didn’t help my first condition (overweight). Even Honey had a difficult time looking for trousers as most of the men’s pants are size 28. I repeat, men’s pants at size 28. If you think I’m exaggerating about these small sizes, go look at Thai ladies… they are so slim with slender arms and legs and flat tummies, they make me feel so, so, so…. fat!After suffering through feelings of inadequateness, off I went to the bookstores to buy myself a copy of the South Beach Diet. Bangkok has the most wonderful bookstores. This may sound unpatriotic, but I think Kinokuniya and Bookazine have more books than Power Books and National Bookstore. It was like heaven seeing all those books (and not too expensive either) and I bought dozens. My only frustration is the magazines, most of which are translated into Thai.Bangkok also has the Chaktuchak, their weekend flea market, perhaps like Divisoria or Greenhills. I’ve been there only once before to buy essential oils when I was still making handmade soap. But I find it too big and too hot and too far. I prefer the Suanlum Night Market at Lumpini Park which is nearer, cleaner, more airy, and organized. It’s also open everyday unlike the Chaktuchak which is only open on weekends. Suanlum is where I buy reasonably-priced silk tops and luxurious pashmina shawls. Suanlum also has the most interesting streetfood market where Honey and I can gorge ourselves on streetfood and drinks with coupons worth only 200 baht (about $5) and we’d still have change.
• HOSPITAL!
  Whenever I brief newcomer Filipinos in Cambodia, one of the first things I tell them is, “Bawal magkasakit sa Cambodia.” The reasons for this are too sensitive and which I will not discuss here. Suffice it to say, Honey and I go all the way to Manila or Bangkok for our annuals.We went to the BNH (Bangkok Nursing Hospital) last weekend. When we entered the lobby, I got disoriented. I thought we were inside the lobby of a five star hotel with fountains and luxurious sofas and expensive wall panelings and shiny floors. Though, the over-all color of the place was very light, it wasn’t hospitally white either. There was an atrium in the middle with a garden and exotic palm trees. The waiting area looked like a boutique restaurant with art nouveau seats and paintings and a free coffee vending machine which provides not just regular coffee but espresso, latte, mocha, and others as well.But the most noticeable thing for me in BNH was that I never saw a single sick person. You know how when you go to St. Luke’s or Makati Med, you see all these people in hospital gowns in wheelchairs or stretchers with their dextrose attached to them? Not in BNH, not a single one. The people there looked like they were enjoying their Sunday morning in the hospital with their families.We heard that a room in BNH costs about $150. We were aghast! That was more expensive than a room at the Intercon Hotel. Do they serve buffet breakfast in that hospital? Good thing we were covered by insurance.

Other things about Thailand:

1. TAXIS. The cabs were clean and efficient. The cab drivers were honest. We didn’t have to bother our host at all as we could go around Bangkok by ourselves without a problem. You couldn’t do that in Phnom Penh. Whenever we have visitors, we always need to drive them around because of the lack of public transportation.
2. RIGHT HAND DRIVE. This is so confusing. Everyone drives at the wrong side of the road. I never know where to look when crossing the street. And I always feel that we’re going to bump the cars in front of us whenever our cab had to turn to the right corner.
3. LANGUAGE. Weird but everyone here speaks in Thai… even the kids.
4. LOVE FOR KING. The King of Thailand just celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ascencion to the throne (the longest reigning monarch at present) last June and the Thais show their love for him by wearing yellow shirts. Heck, even I love the Thai king. He’s very upright and benevolent and fatherly.

Well obviously, I love going to Thailand… even if unlike most people, it’s not for the sites and the temples and the culture, but for the malls and Starbucks. What do you expect from an urban dweller, who for the past four years, has gone to the mall for only twice a year?

Thanks to my dear friend Olga and her adorable daughter, Sam, whose hospitality and apartment Honey and I frequently abuse whenever we go to Bangkok.

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Tags: Bangkok, Thailand, Tourists, Traveling in Thailand

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