Photo By: Elin Chow
I have visited Bangkok last year, months before my trip to Pattaya and Koh Samui. However, I am not excited to write about it because it was quite a dull and boring trip. To be honest, I could not fall in love with Bangkok even though I have visited the city many times. But this was actually the first time my husband visited the city and sad to say, he did not like Bangkok very much too.
I have visited Bangkok last year, months before my trip to Pattaya and Koh Samui. However, I am not excited to write about it because it was quite a dull and boring trip. To be honest, I could not fall in love with Bangkok even though I have visited the city many times. But this was actually the first time my husband visited the city and sad to say, he did not like Bangkok very much too.
Arriving at Don Mueang airport, we bought some bread from the Family Mart before booking a Grab car to our hotel.
Accommodation
Official Website: Citrus Sukhumvit 11 by Compass Hospitality
Accommodation
Official Website: Citrus Sukhumvit 11 by Compass Hospitality
During our 4 days 3 nights in Bangkok, we stayed at Citrus Sukhumvit 11 by Compass Hospitality Hotel. Offering 132 rooms and 4 suites, the 4-star boutique hotel is located about 10 minutes walk away from Nana BTS Station, close to the nightlife scene of Soi 11. There are plenty of pubs, bars, restaurants and convenience stores surrounding the hotel, which makes it not suitable for families with young children.
We have difficulty finding the hotel because it is located on a quiet side street, away from the hustle and bustle. The road leading to the hotel is narrow without a footpath. Thus, we have to walk on the side of the road, which is dangerous because there is quite a lot of traffic and we have to constantly look out for oncoming vehicles.
We have difficulty finding the hotel because it is located on a quiet side street, away from the hustle and bustle. The road leading to the hotel is narrow without a footpath. Thus, we have to walk on the side of the road, which is dangerous because there is quite a lot of traffic and we have to constantly look out for oncoming vehicles.
Measuring 24 sqm, the comfy room was pretty spacious and much bigger than what we expected, especially for the price we paid. The room features a super comfortable king-sized bed, a working desk, a large built in wardrobe and an attached bathroom.
Complimentary in-room Wifi is available to keep you connected, as well as a 32 inch LCD TV with international channels. However, I find the TV screen too small for serious watching.
Other in room amenities also include coffee and tea making facilities and a well-stocked mini bar. The hotel also provides two complimentary bottled water on daily basis.
The bathroom was pretty spacious, with the shower area separated by a glass screen. Basic toiletries are provided in the bathroom.
Free international buffet breakfast is served at 6.30 am to 10.30 am daily at a little cafe known as Munch at the ground floor. The menu was pretty basic and tends to get repetitive, But still, they were good enough to fill our stomach.
The hotel offers free shuttle service to and from Nana BTS Station on a fixed schedule. But we only used the shuttle service once because we prefer to use a Grab car to get around.
Ratchada Train Market
Ratchada Train Market
After a 2 hours rest, we decided to visit Ratchada Train Market to grab some dinner. Open Thursday to Sunday from 5 pm to 1 am, Ratchada Train Market is one of the most well-known weekend night market in Bangkok. It is located just a few minutes walk away from Thailand Cultural Center MRT Underground Station, right behind Esplanade Shopping Mall. Simply follow the large crowds if you have no idea how to get there.
In this market, you will find plenty of bars, fashionable clothing, bags and accessories, vintage stuffs, toys, souvenirs as well as Thai street food and snacks. Even though most of the stalls are repetitive, you will practically still find everything you need here.
I was really excited about visiting the night market after researching it, but it was a huge disappointment. The entire market was crazily crowded even though we visited quite early at around 6.30 pm. Every narrow street in the market was packed with dozens of Chinese tourist groups and most of them were just pushing, shoving and shouting around.
Although the market was well-organized, it was difficult and very frustrating to move through the crowds and look at each of the stall properly because there were barely any space to stop and shop. But I do find the market a little too commercialized and prices are not very cheap too.
Although the market was well-organized, it was difficult and very frustrating to move through the crowds and look at each of the stall properly because there were barely any space to stop and shop. But I do find the market a little too commercialized and prices are not very cheap too.
Even though we did not enjoy our experience here, it is still a fantastic place to check out and try many delicious Thai street food and snacks. So make sure you visit on an empty stomach!
BBQ Seafood
BBQ Seafood
There are a lot of BBQ seafood stalls at this night market and you will find almost everyone is eating this Pla Pao, or Salted Coated Grill Fish. We really wanted to try this out. But it took us a while to get a table at one of the BBQ seafood stalls because there were just too many tourists.
Most of the stalls offer a number of seafood set, consisting of fish, prawns, crabs, lobsters and mussels. We ordered the set that comes with the Salted Coated Grilled Fish, Grilled Tiger Prawns, some rice vermicelli and leafy green vegetables and Thai lime juice based green chill sauce
The fish is coated with salt, stuffed with herbs and grilled over charcoal fire. The salt crust keeps the meat firm and juicy. We also love the prawns, but unfortunately, they were not very fresh.
Roti Gluay
Most of the stalls offer a number of seafood set, consisting of fish, prawns, crabs, lobsters and mussels. We ordered the set that comes with the Salted Coated Grilled Fish, Grilled Tiger Prawns, some rice vermicelli and leafy green vegetables and Thai lime juice based green chill sauce
The fish is coated with salt, stuffed with herbs and grilled over charcoal fire. The salt crust keeps the meat firm and juicy. We also love the prawns, but unfortunately, they were not very fresh.
Roti Gluay
I always wanted to try Roti Gluay or Fried Banana Pancake because it is one of the popular Thai street food. Basically it is just pan-fried bread, stuffed with egg and banana slices and usually topped with condensed milk. If you do not like condensed milk, you can also choose to top it honey, nutella chocolate, coconut or just sugar.
Made to order and served hot from the hot pan, it is light and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is sweet but very oily since it is fried with a generous amount of butter. Definitely not a healthy snack to eat.
Watermelon Slushie
Made to order and served hot from the hot pan, it is light and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is sweet but very oily since it is fried with a generous amount of butter. Definitely not a healthy snack to eat.
Watermelon Slushie
I bought this because I think that it will look nice in photo, and it is popular among the Chinese tourists. The drink is made by blending watermelon flesh, sugar syrup and ice. It is served in a hollow watermelon and topped with balls of watermelon flesh cut out with an ice-cream scoop.
But unfortunately, it does not taste as nice as it looks. Well, I know that Thais love their food sweet but this was really too sweet and taste artificial with all the sugar syrup added. Seriously, I would not buy this at all if I knew that sugar syrup is added. I ended up throwing half of it away because I just could not finish it.
Mango Sticky Rice
But unfortunately, it does not taste as nice as it looks. Well, I know that Thais love their food sweet but this was really too sweet and taste artificial with all the sugar syrup added. Seriously, I would not buy this at all if I knew that sugar syrup is added. I ended up throwing half of it away because I just could not finish it.
Mango Sticky Rice
Of course, Mango Sticky Rice is a must eat for us whenever we visit Thailand! I believe you can never go wrong with this traditional Thai treat.
Khanom Bueang
Khanom Bueang
Khanom Bueang is another popular Thai street food that looks like tacos. The thin, crispy, soft crepes comes in either sweet or salty toppings, They are usually first topped with coconut cream before adding shredded coconut, strips of fried egg yolks or shrimps depending whether you like it sweet or salty.
After filling our stomach, we went to 7-eleven to grab some snacks and drinks before we headed back to our hotel.
Siladon Spa
Official Website: Siladon Spa
After filling our stomach, we went to 7-eleven to grab some snacks and drinks before we headed back to our hotel.
Siladon Spa
Official Website: Siladon Spa
The next day, we visited Siladon Spa, which is always our favorite place in Thailand to go for a massage. Prior to our visit, we have booked their 2 hours "Buy 1 Free 1" Siladon Refresh Spa Package at 2,700 baht for 2 persons. The package includes a full body scrub and aroma oil massage.
I have already recommend this spa center many times, so I will not go into details in this post again. You can read more about our experience in my Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket post.
Terminal 21
I have already recommend this spa center many times, so I will not go into details in this post again. You can read more about our experience in my Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket post.
Terminal 21
After a spa session, we booked a Grab car to Terminal 21 for lunch. Terminal 21 is a famous shopping destination that is located just steps away from Asok BTS Station.
Have a Zeed
Have a Zeed
We wanted to eat at a popular modern Thai-Esarn restaurant called Have a Zeed after reading all the positive review online. The restaurant was located on the on the 4th floor of the shopping mall. I read that the restaurant usually have a long queue but I guess we were lucky because we did not really wait too long to get a seat.
The menu has pictures and both English and Chinese translations, so it is very tourist friendly. There are many local Thais people eating at the restaurant as well.
Grilled Pork Neck
The menu has pictures and both English and Chinese translations, so it is very tourist friendly. There are many local Thais people eating at the restaurant as well.
Grilled Pork Neck
Grilled Pork Neck seems to be one of their popular dish and it does not disappoint. The pork neck is such an amazing cut of meat made up of the right amount of lean meat and juicy fat. Thus, I would not recommended this for people who hate fatty meat. But for someone who love fatty pork meat like me, you have to try this out.
The fatty meat is spiced with Thai herbs, grilled and then sliced to thin pieces. Each piece was so sinfully delicious!
Papaya Salad with Dried Shrimp and Peanuts
The fatty meat is spiced with Thai herbs, grilled and then sliced to thin pieces. Each piece was so sinfully delicious!
Papaya Salad with Dried Shrimp and Peanuts
I never like Thai Mango Salad or Papaya Salad. We ordered this dish because my husband wanted to try it out. According to him, this was really spicy but flavorful.
Deep Fried Chicken Wings
Deep Fried Chicken Wings
Nothing can go wrong with fried chicken wings! There are nothing special about it. Just fried chicken wings.
Tom Yum Seafood
Tom Yum Seafood
Of course, Tom Yum Soup is a must eat when you visit Thailand! But we did not really like how this one taste. It was spicy sweet rather than spicy sour. However, the seafood were fresh.
Cha Tra Mue
Cha Tra Mue
I have been wanting to try out Cha Tra Mue Thai Milk Tea since many people are raving about it. Cha Tra Mue is a well-known tea brand in Thailand. Seeing that there is a branch at Terminal 21, I have to buy a cup to try.
We ordered a cup of Oolong Milk Tea to share. As expected, it was too sweet for my liking even thought I already requested it to be less sweet. However, I love the aroma and taste of the tea. It will be nice if they can reduced the sweetness more.
After lunch, we decided to explore Terminal 21, which will make you feel as though you are travelling to various countries through the world. There are a lot of Instagram worthy spots inside the shopping mall as each level is themed based on different travel destinations such as Japan, London, Paris, Istanbul and etc. Even the washrooms on each level are themed as well!
BKK Seafood Buffet
BKK Seafood Buffet
For dinner, we ate at a semi open air street food styled restaurant called BKK Seafood Buffet that we just happened to chance upon while searching for a seafood place to eat online. The restaurant is located next to Ratchathewi BTS Station.
Operated by a Chinese from Mainland China, the restaurant offers all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet for 799 Baht per person. This is where you can stuff yourself with unlimited amount of seafood. But take note that there is a time limit of 2 hours, which was actually more than enough time for us.
The seafood spread includes prawns, crabs, scallops, mussels, salmon fish, squid, clams and more. But the main highlight is that you actually catch some live fresh prawns yourself right from the pool located in the middle of the restaurant. The restaurant will provide you with a bucket with water and ice for you to put your freshly caught prawns in and you are free to catch as many prawns as you want. No restriction as long as you can finish everything on your plate.
Once you get your catch, you can grill them over a charcoal grill right away. The prawns were so fresh and delicious. But unfortunately, most of the other seafood were not very fresh.
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel. You will notice that we will always go back to our hotel right after dinner even though it was still quite early. That was because we have no idea what to do or where to go after dark. We were not interested in shopping or partying, so we usually ended up spending the rest of the night chilling in our room.
Siam Paragon
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel. You will notice that we will always go back to our hotel right after dinner even though it was still quite early. That was because we have no idea what to do or where to go after dark. We were not interested in shopping or partying, so we usually ended up spending the rest of the night chilling in our room.
Siam Paragon
The next day, we booked a Grab car to Siam Paragon around noon. Located just a short walk away via an elevated walk way from Siam BTS Station, Siam Paragon is one of the largest shopping mall in Bangkok.
After You
The reason why we came here was to eat at After You Dessert Cafe. This is a must eat place for me whenever I visit Bangkok.
We ordered their signature Shibuya Honey Toast to share, which was more than enough for us because it was so filling. The warm thick toast is drenched with melted butter and honey and served with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. Every bite of it was so sinful but well-worth the calories intake.
The reason why we visited Chinatown was to have our dinner at T&K Seafood. T&K Seafood is probably one of the most popular seafood restaurant in Chinatown. How do I know that? It is because almost every travel forums and blogs that I have read are all recommending or putting this restaurant in the must-try list.
T&K specialized in seafood and since we were craving for seafood, we decided to try this restaurant out. We were actually expecting a tourist trap, but it was not. The prices were surprisingly very affordable and food portions were large. However, we were still disappointed with the quality of the food.
The restaurant was empty because we arrived quite early at 6 pm. The place will get packed with tourists around evening time and waiting time can be long. You might want to consider visiting early if you hate waiting.
However, I would not recommend this restaurant not only because the food were not up to standard, but the cleanliness and hygiene were also very bad. The food were prepared and cooked in a small alleyway, right in front of the restaurant. Entering into the restaurant, we were seated in a cramped corner near the entrance, so it was not very comfortable. Broken tiles, old furniture, dirty floor and walls. But the biggest turn off was all the tiny cockroaches scurrying around the restaurant. And I can swear that you can find them in almost every corner in the restaurant - on the chairs, tables and floor. There is certainly no way we can enjoy our meal like that.
Other than that, the menu is quite large with all kinds of seafood. There are pictures and both Chinese and English translations on it, so it is still pretty tourist friendly.
Prawns Fried Rice
We ordered a plate of prawns fried rice to share, but this was a little disappointing. It was bland and lack of aroma from the eggs and prawns.
Steamed Squid in Spicy Garlic & Lemon Soup
For drinks, I ordered a Pink Lemonade and my husband ordered an Earl Grey Lychee Tea. Again, the drink were too sweet. By the way. we only realized that the cafe actually provides free tea and water after we placed our order. If we knew that, we would not order any drinks at all.
After filling our stomach, we walked around and explored the shopping mall. Nothing really interesting, so we decided to walk to MBK Center to take a look since it is located just 10 minutes walk away from Siam Paragon.
If you do not want to walk, you can also take the train from Siam Station to National Stadium Station. MBK Center is located just 5 minutes walk away from National Stadium Station. At MBK Center, we were just walking around aimlessly, trying to pass the time as we were not interested in shopping at all.
Chinatown
It was around 5 pm when we decided to head over to Yaowarat Road or Chinatown for dinner. WTo get to Chinatown, we took the train from National Stadium Station to Hua Lamphong MRT Station. However. the train does not stop at Chinatown. From Hua Lamphong MRT Station, we have to walk 20 minutes under the scorching hot sun to get to Chinatown.
It is easier to take a Grab car or taxi to Chinatown than the public transport. But please note that the traffic can be horrible around the area after 6.00 pm when the road turns into a night market.
T&K Seafood
After filling our stomach, we walked around and explored the shopping mall. Nothing really interesting, so we decided to walk to MBK Center to take a look since it is located just 10 minutes walk away from Siam Paragon.
If you do not want to walk, you can also take the train from Siam Station to National Stadium Station. MBK Center is located just 5 minutes walk away from National Stadium Station. At MBK Center, we were just walking around aimlessly, trying to pass the time as we were not interested in shopping at all.
Chinatown
It was around 5 pm when we decided to head over to Yaowarat Road or Chinatown for dinner. WTo get to Chinatown, we took the train from National Stadium Station to Hua Lamphong MRT Station. However. the train does not stop at Chinatown. From Hua Lamphong MRT Station, we have to walk 20 minutes under the scorching hot sun to get to Chinatown.
It is easier to take a Grab car or taxi to Chinatown than the public transport. But please note that the traffic can be horrible around the area after 6.00 pm when the road turns into a night market.
T&K Seafood
The reason why we visited Chinatown was to have our dinner at T&K Seafood. T&K Seafood is probably one of the most popular seafood restaurant in Chinatown. How do I know that? It is because almost every travel forums and blogs that I have read are all recommending or putting this restaurant in the must-try list.
T&K specialized in seafood and since we were craving for seafood, we decided to try this restaurant out. We were actually expecting a tourist trap, but it was not. The prices were surprisingly very affordable and food portions were large. However, we were still disappointed with the quality of the food.
The restaurant was empty because we arrived quite early at 6 pm. The place will get packed with tourists around evening time and waiting time can be long. You might want to consider visiting early if you hate waiting.
However, I would not recommend this restaurant not only because the food were not up to standard, but the cleanliness and hygiene were also very bad. The food were prepared and cooked in a small alleyway, right in front of the restaurant. Entering into the restaurant, we were seated in a cramped corner near the entrance, so it was not very comfortable. Broken tiles, old furniture, dirty floor and walls. But the biggest turn off was all the tiny cockroaches scurrying around the restaurant. And I can swear that you can find them in almost every corner in the restaurant - on the chairs, tables and floor. There is certainly no way we can enjoy our meal like that.
Other than that, the menu is quite large with all kinds of seafood. There are pictures and both Chinese and English translations on it, so it is still pretty tourist friendly.
Prawns Fried Rice
Steamed Squid in Spicy Garlic & Lemon Soup
The steamed squids were a little overcooked and the soup was very sour and spicy even though it does not look like it. We struggled so much to finish everything because we simply do not want to waste any food.
Seafood Lemon Grass Soup (Tom Yum Soup)
We ordered Tom Yum Soup to try. This one is without milk and it was my first time trying a white Tom Yum soup than the usual red one. But sadly, we did not like it. In fact, this was a dish that we really regretted ordering. The soup was extremely sour and we could not finish it at all.
Stir-Fried Sea Clam with Chill Sauce
Seafood Lemon Grass Soup (Tom Yum Soup)
Stir-Fried Sea Clam with Chill Sauce
I was looking forward to this dish but it turns out to be another disappointment. It was sweet when it was supposed to be spicy.
Stir-Fry Morning Glory
Stir-Fry Morning Glory
I think this is probably the only dish we enjoyed eating even though there was nothing spectacular about it too.
We ordered a total of 4 dishes and we paid less than 1,000 baht for everything. As I have already mentioned, the food was extremely disappointing. Of course, the service was also very basic. Overall, I think the restaurant is overhyped and seriously not worth specially making a trip to Chinatown for. By the way, we did not see any locals eating at the restaurant too.
After dinner, we traced our footstep back to Hua Lamphong MRT Station and took the train back to our hotel. We were not interested in exploring the area because it was so chaotic. Our last night in Bangkok was spent chilling out on the bed in our room with the TV and snacks and drinks that we got from the 7-eleven.
So, this was how we spent our 4 days 3 nights in Bangkok. Nothing particularly interesting or special. I would probably not visit Bangkok again, well at least, in the short 2 to 3 years because there are so many other interesting destinations to go in Thailand.
We ordered a total of 4 dishes and we paid less than 1,000 baht for everything. As I have already mentioned, the food was extremely disappointing. Of course, the service was also very basic. Overall, I think the restaurant is overhyped and seriously not worth specially making a trip to Chinatown for. By the way, we did not see any locals eating at the restaurant too.
After dinner, we traced our footstep back to Hua Lamphong MRT Station and took the train back to our hotel. We were not interested in exploring the area because it was so chaotic. Our last night in Bangkok was spent chilling out on the bed in our room with the TV and snacks and drinks that we got from the 7-eleven.
So, this was how we spent our 4 days 3 nights in Bangkok. Nothing particularly interesting or special. I would probably not visit Bangkok again, well at least, in the short 2 to 3 years because there are so many other interesting destinations to go in Thailand.
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