^ Vimanmek - you need to take a taxi, di sya kaya lakarin. Siguro 10-15mins by taxi. Warning lang sa mga taxis around the area of Grand Palace kasi kadalasan nangongontrata, tourist area kasi. Pero me matataon naman na mabait din at willing magmetro..
Transpo suggestion for Day 2: BTS to Saphan Thaksin stn (last stop before the river), walk to pier, take any boat that stops at Ta Chang stn (ito yata pinakamalapit to Grand Palace), walk to Grand Palace area (1 block na me white wall)). Deadma sa mga kakausap sa yong touts, kesyo sarado daw ang temples or whatever. Scammers yan. Di naman sila nang-aano, makulit lang. so ignore them lang. After Grand Palace, walk towards the left, go around the block to get to the entrance of W.at Po. again, ignore the "helpful strangers". From W.at Po, walk towards the left pagkalabas, head to nearest boat station (Tha Tien yata, next stop lang to ng Ta Chang), take boat to cross river to W.at Arun. After W.at Arun, cross river again then taxi to Vimanmek. From Vimanmek, take taxi to "King Power, Rangnam". If di na-gets ni driver, sabihin mo "Pullman Hotel, King Power", same compound kasi ang DF and hotel. Pag di pa din na-gets, pahatid ka na lang to your hotel or to Ratchatewi BTS. Roughly 10-15mins by taxi, depends sa traffic.
if commute from Ratchatewi BTS to DF, baba ka Victory Monument BTS (2 stops away?), use walkway to Century mall, baba escalator inside the mall, pagkababa walk towards the left (sa may gilid ng "Office" something na store, then exit to the side (after ng elevators). Me waiting shed dun for free short tuktuk ride to DF, wait ka lang few minutes. Or pwede mo lakarin, same street, lapit lang. Pagdating dun, register (bring your passport and know your flight details pauwi), then me ibibigay na paper na me barcode (and some discount vouchers). Sa baba, mostly food/souvenirs/konting clothes, me kainan din. Sa 2nd floor skincare/perfume/home scents/bags/watches. What I usually do is dun ako nagre-register sa Atrium (under the dome, near elevators), para akyat agad sa 2nd floor. Last sa baba or minsan skip ko na. If me bibilhin ka, bring your items sa cashier, pagbayad mo they scan your paper, lalabas flight details, then they'll give you the receipt na ipapakita sa pag-claim. Sa airport, madadaanan yung claim area from immigration going to boarding gate. dun nila dadalhin goods mo kung san pinakamalapit to your gate. Just show your receipt to get your goods.
Day 3 transpo - to get to Asiatique, take BTS to Saphan Thaksin then take free shuttle boat ride to Asiatique.
Day 4 - sa Samphran mo ba balak pumunta? Di ko alam how to commute e. First time namin ni hubby, we rented a car from BKK. Nung bumalik kami, naka-van kami with friends. Check out their sched ng shows para masakto mo pagpunta mo with little down time - Crocodile and Elephant shows, then you can ride an elephant for thb500 yata, separate sa entrance fee. Pwede na halfday ang Samphran. Meron din sila option if you want to avail of the buffet lunch.
Day 4 &/or 5 - To Chatuchak, take BTS to Mo Chit station. Then short walk to market. Makikita mo na to while nasa train ka. You may also just follow the crowd kasi most of them dun papunta.
Day 6 - walkathon galore. Haha! From hotel, about 10-15mins walk to Platinum. Then from Platinum, about 10mins walk to Central World (paglabas, walk to the right, turn right after Novotel, walk straight, CW on your right). Then walk to Paragon (using the elevated pedestrian walkway or Skywalk yata tawag dun), then to MBK (walk inside Paragon to Siam Center, then pedestrian walkway to cross the road; or BTS from Siam station to National Stadium station).
For baht, we usually just withdraw sa ATMs sa airport (we usually withdraw thb16k-17k, which is about the maximum limit for withdrawals in peso sa banks natin, to maximize the withdrawal fee. Based on experience, if we withdraw max limit, rates are way better, even with the withdrawal fee, compared to money changer. Or, USD na nga lang. Di ganun ka-ok rates sa airport money changers, so pwedeng papalit ka lang muna 100usd, then perhaps me better rate malapit sa hotel mo. Unless me babayaran ka na agad when you get to hotel, then papalit ka more.
Usually nga payments by CC.. pero if I remember correctly, sa Absolute Bangkok, I paid through Paypal. Me konting fee nga lang..
