BANGKOK, Thailand (Thread 8)

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ sis, nung first time namin sa Samphran, we rented a car kasi dalawa lang kami ni hubby. Halfday rental lang kinuha namin. Then kami na nagbayad ng entrance fee and buffet lunch. Kasama na sa entrance fee yung crocodile and elephant shows.

Nung bumalik kami with friends last year, nagpa-arrange na kami sa tour agency - 8pax kasi kami, me kasama pang 1 senior. Comfy kami in one van tapos me tour guide. In one day: railway market + floating market + Elephant Village +  Samphran zoo (dun na din nag-buffet lunch). Sundo was 7am, nakabalik kami Bangkok around 5pm or 6pm yata yun. Ang rate we got was thb13600 total, all-inclusive na (entrance fee, long-tail boat, buffet lunch). Except lang elephant ride fee, since hindi naman lahat sumakay. Absolute Bangkok yung name ng agency.

[glacy_rein]

hi mga sis. we're bound for bangkok this sept 3-7 pero 4-6 lang yung mainstay.. as of now ito ang itinerary

DAY 01 Arrive in Bangkok. Meet and transfer to hotel.   
DAY 02 Bangkok half day city temple tour
- Bemchamabophit, a temple    compound of profound beauty and religious importance. Better known to foreigners as the Marble Temple.
- Indrawiharn, Buddha image that reaches to the sky at 32 meters tall.   
-Jewelry factory and the leather factory where the    quality products are for exporting.
-Shopping areas such as MBK, Central World, Pratunam    and back to the hotel on guest own arrangement.       
DAY 03 After hotel breakfast, enjoy free time on own leisure.
DAY 04/05 After hotel breakfast, enjoy free time on own leisure until transfer to airport.

blank pa ang day 3 and 4 help mga sis sa pwede i-add and must see. 3pax lang kame, pressured ako sa mom ko. haha! pinilit ko lang kasi at naiwan ako sa hongkong namen last july dahil di lumabas passport ko.. yung ma-eenjoy ng mom ko and friend nya. hehe! ofcourse me too. first time namen sa bangkok e..

saka san yung authentic bilihan ng gold? isa yun sa gustong bilhin ng mom ko...

TIA!

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ sis, kasama na ba sa temples nyo ang Grand Palace (and Emerald Buddha), W.at Po (reclining buddha), etc? If hindi pa, you can do that for half-day. Magkakalapit naman sila.

For daytrips outside Bangkok, you can consider:
* Bang Pa-in and Ayutthaya
* River Kwai
* Pattaya
* railroad market + floating market + elephant ride (sa Elephant Village) + Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo

If you have spare time pa, you can spend about 1-1.5hrs sa Jim Thompson House (museum). Or malling and photoop sa Terminal 21 mall (aliw ang design ng restrooms nila, hehe.. iba-ibang theme kasi per floor), tsaka mura sa Pier 21 foodcourt. Then sa gabi, you can have dinner sa Asiatique - me restos and me food court naman dun.

[glacy_rein]

^Sis eto W.at Bemchamabophit, W.at Indrawiharn isa ba dyan yung sinasabe mo sis? how can go kaya to the places? whats the mode of transpo na easiest ditto??

yan ba sis yung may nagmamasahe na elephant? haha! saka ride?? tama ba dito sa thailand un??

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ nope sis. Iba yung Marble Temple. Ang medyo malapit-lapit sa Marble e Vimanmek Mansion. Ok din and Vimanmek, teak mansion sya - entrance fee is kasama na sa Grand Palace ticket. Pwedeng itaxi to. Yung Indra Viharn, malapit yata to sa river (2005 or 2006 ko pa yata to napuntahan, at once lang), so pwedeng isabay after Grand Palace (and Emerald Buddha, isang complex lang kasi to), W.at Po, tsaka W.at Arun. DIY ba kayo? 

If DIY, you can do: Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha > walk to W.at Po > walk to boat pier and ride boat to cross to W.at Arun > ride boat to Indra Viharn > taxi to Marble > taxi to Vimanmek. Lunch nyo, either before or after W.at Po. Although personally, I find nothing special sa Marble Temple, mas gusto ko pa Vimanmek Mansion. Except for Grand Palace complex and Vimanmek, maliliit na lang yung iba, so 30mins for each of the other places e enough na (maybe an hour for W.at Po), depende na lang sa pace nyo. Yung Indra Viharn, yung gold standing buddha lang yung ok picturan dito, if tama pagkaalala ko.

Di ko pa na-try yung magpamasahe sa elephant, hehe.. ride, meron sa Elephant Village medyo malapit sa Damnoen Saduak floating market, meron din sa Samphran Zoo. Sa Samphran yung me show na nagfofootball, naghahand-stand ang mga elephants, hehe..

[glacy_rein]

^Nagtravel agency kame sis para sa sundo and hatid from airport tas yan nga may half day city tour then wala na DIY na..

sis [textspeak!] bilihan ng gold may alam ka? for sure yang kasama sa tour e parang sa Jackie Chan store ng HK.. right?

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ I haven't known Bangkok for gold e.. yung usual na pinagdadalhan na gem factory is so-so for me.. there are nice jewelry  pieces, but parang di ako kampante sa quality. And MIL said, mas mura pa daw sa Binondo ang gold.

Ah, tour agency pala kayo. I just find it kinda surprising na yung kasama sa temples tour nyo e yung medyo smaller temples.. anyway, you can do Grand Palace & Emerald Buddha + W.at Po + W.at Arun + Vimanmek in one of your free days. DIY lang to.

For the other days, you can choose to go on a day trip out of Bangkok. You can check out the day trip rates sa Bangkok.com ; if you prefer private tour, you can inquire with Absolute Bangkok na tour agency, they can customize your tour or if me specific kang gustong puntahan in one day. 

[a_recruitment]

hi sisses!

may nakapag-try na bang mag-stay sa patumwan house? any feedback?
im' looking kasi for a place na malapit sa bts and may room na good for 4 pax na  baka may mga ma-suggest pa kayo  thanks!

[Purple_Power]

anyone tried an elephant encounter/ adventure?

Sa Ayutthaya ako nag elephant ride, mahal nga lang saka medyo bitin. Tapos hihingan ka pa ng tip nung nag guide sayo. Pero in my case hindi ko nga ginawa tinakasan ko lang.  I mean ang mahal mahal na nga nung ride itself tapos hinihingan pa niya ako ng 100 baht. Hindi naman kasi requirement talaga ang bigyan sila ng tip eh. Although ang sulit lang rito is at least mataas naman yung elephant I mean full grown.

[Scubadoobidoo]

patpong dapat 70% off tawad dun. Sobrang mahal sa patpong compared to other parts of bkk its because most caucasians flock there because of the girly bars kaya stuff their are way more expensive compared to pratunam and other shopping areas. Thats what our thai tour guide told us 

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ true. Pag sa Patpong area, tawad ka 70-80% off sa simula..pag nag-nego, at least 60% off na price pwede na patusin. Super overpriced dun.

[kenoy]

Sa Ayutthaya ako nag elephant ride, mahal nga lang saka medyo bitin. Tapos hihingan ka pa ng tip nung nag guide sayo. Pero in my case hindi ko nga ginawa tinakasan ko lang.  I mean ang mahal mahal na nga nung ride itself tapos hinihingan pa niya ako ng 100 baht. Hindi naman kasi requirement talaga ang bigyan sila ng tip eh. Although ang sulit lang rito is at least mataas naman yung elephant I mean full grown.

sis balak ko kasing mag DIY sa ayutthaya, how do we go about dun sa elephan ride? ang fear ko kasi baka kailangan ibook ng advance or something. thanks!

[Scubadoobidoo]

I dont think you need to book in advance. At least we did not and bareback ang elephant ride namin...much more fun. Its like a rollercoaster ride going down to the river riding bareback on an elephant 

[gorgeousmama]

Both bkk and Cambodia e me elephant ride, di ko lang ma recall
How much is the damaged. Coz i had fun watching nag mini show for free
 like the trainor  told the elephant to say thank you dun sa nagbigay ng corn
And nag vow siya sabay wagging his trumpet and making noise, nakakatuwa,
Pagbalik ko next year mag elephant ride ako hehe
Ang na recall ko buy ka ng fud for 500 baht for feeding then pede ka magpa pic
Di ko alam if included na sa 500 baht yung ride , sa Ayutthaya ito.

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ sis, I think kasama na ang ride jan sa thb500 na naaalala mo. Kasi sa Elephant Village, nasa thb500-600 din, if tama pagkaalala ko. Same price i think sa ride sa Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo. Yung feeding, usually thb20 for isang bugkos na few pieces of banana or sugar cane. Thb100 yata if one basket.

[kenoy]

san banda ba yung elephants sa ayutthaya? diba from victory monumentmay minivans then ibababa ka sa sakayan ng tuktuk for the tour.
san yung elephants? hahaha clueless talaga, sorry :p

[gorgeousmama]

^ sis, I think kasama na ang ride jan sa thb500 na naaalala mo. Kasi sa Elephant Village, nasa thb500-600 din, if tama pagkaalala ko. Same price i think sa ride sa Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo. Yung feeding, usually thb20 for isang bugkos na few pieces of banana or sugar cane. Thb100 yata if one basket.

Ganun ba sis, nakita ko kasi nakapatong sa basket na me mga corn and veggies yung 500 baht eh
didnt bother to ask coz medyo time pressured na  kami kasi

 me malapit na temple dun na we have to visit kya di na kami ngtanong and ng stay picture pic na lang

[janesjane]

mga sis, san maganda magstay sa bangkok yung affordable and accessible? and pahingin na rin ako ng 3days itinerary.

thank you

[janesjane]

bukas ba chatuchak market pag sunday? what time? ano mas ok dalhin thb or usd? thank you

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ Chatuchak is a weekend market, so open ng Saturday and Sunday. I think some stalls open as early as 6am (tho I personally haven't been there ng ganun kaaga kasi I'm not really a morning person, hehe).

As for money, if you already have THB then good, you can bring that. Otherwise, USD is also ok. Just be reminded of the maximum amount na di kelangan ideclare sa Customs, which is 10k of any currency. Beyond that, you are supposed to declare. Personally, we usually just bring our tira-tirang THB from previous trips, USD for emergencies, then we withdraw THB from ATM pagdating namin sa airport dun. But that's just us.