Our trip to Bangkok is coming to an end really soon. There was one more important thing to do and it's Fann's favourite; Shopping! We started our shopping trip early in the morning after breakfast. We took the free tuk-tuk from the hotel to the nearest BTS station (Saphan Khwai BTS Station).
Knowing that the Bangkok skytrains moves around the major city commercial areas, it's the best and cheapest way to travel to the malls. Also, it helps you skip the annoying city traffic too. Our first destination was the famous Mah Boon Krong (MBK). To get there, you need to travel to the station called National Stadium and it directly connects to the mall entrance.
This legendary mall is famous amongst locals and foreigners. It has eight floors packed with about 2,000 shops that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, cameras, films and DVDs.The shops in this mall are organised according to floors. You'll find entire floors dedicated to shoes and handbags, fashion and clothing, mobile phones and furniture. Also, like most of Bangkok's malls, you'll find a large food court there.

As we strolled along the mall, we saw some locals gathering around a small TV of a shop. Being very busybodies, we took a peek and noticed that they were watching the King's live telecast of His birthday celebration on TV. Only to remember that on the 5th of December was their King's birthday. It was a huge holiday for the Thai people and I'm guessing that the crowd in the malls is going to be massive.

MBK was somewhat like a beter version of Sungai Wang back in Kuala Lumpur. If you're not worried about authencity of brands, then MBK is your choice for malls. Fann bought some clothes there and I myself bought some cool things for my Coke collection.
We went to Siam Paragon mall next. This mall was closest to the BTS station called Siam. It's also just right next to the station. This mall is more of a higher class mall. Lots of rather branded shops in it. It's more of a Starhill Plaza for KL people. Here at the Paragon, we didn't get to purchase anything because most of the things there, we couldn't afford. We strolled around a little and then left the place in half an hour.
Our next stop was to the Platinum Fashion Mall. The name of the mall says it all. It's Fann's fashion heaven. I gotta warn you, this mall is filled with CLOTHES! We walked an awful distance just to get to this mall, because it's Fann's MUST GO on her shopping list.

Getting to this mall requires some stamina. The closest BTS station to Platinum is Ratchathewi Station. The walk from the station to this mall takes roughly 10-15mins by foot. So, if you're a princess who doesn't walk outside of malls, just take a cab. It's also the first time I've seen Fann so hardcorely walk this distance - just for shopping duh~
Well, Platinum is one hell of a place in terms of the amount of clothes they have and the crazy crowd. It's really crazy in there. In just 15 mins, you can see in Fann's arms how many clothes she's holding. The shops there are really tiny but there's like thousands of these tiny shops in every floor. Each of these tiny shops are tons of female shoppers. I can't believe my eyes. This clearly proves how powerful women can be when it comes to grabbing clothes.
We had our dinner at Platinum and after that, we just decided to leave the place because my feet were killing me and we have just enough bahts to take us back to the hotel and a good massage. On the way back, we saw the most extraordinary thing ever.

We saw people gathering outside by groups. We thought that there was a show. We tried to get pass the crowd in order to get to the station but we more and more people gathered. They were holding a lit yellow candle and some with flowers. They were all looking towards the direction of another small TV. It looked awkward until I noticed that they were chanting songs and the TV screen was showing the King. They were singing to the King, each and every one of them.
It was a very touching scene and we were there to experience it. All the people, young and old gathered together with candles and sang. It was a lovely moment. We tried to walk to the station but we met another gather in another mall on the way. Everywhere we looked, they were in groups with candles and they all stood together and sang. Some left the shops opened while some still dressed in their working outfits.
This really made me feel how much they respected and loved their King. You could feel the strong sense of unity they had. Makes you wonder for being a Malaysian, doesn't it? Well, no wonder everyone was in love with the Thais. Their sense of respect and patriotism is worth a say and worth a learning too. According to the staff at Mystic Place, this celebration was really huge. Why? It's because in Thai culture, they set the milestones by a cycle of 12 years. This year at 2011 was the King's 7th cycle, meaning the King was 84 years old. That's why it was a hugely celebrated birthday for the King.
I've also broken myself a record while in Bangkok. I managed to buy 20+ T-shirts in just a mere 3 hours. That is one hell of a record for a person who doesn't normally shop for clothes unless forced by Fann. After getting our well deserved massage, we headed out for supper at the street stalls near the hotel again. Just one last time for our mouth to savour those delicious street food until we're back to KL to eat those nasty black noodles.
As my trip ended, we were very glad that it all went well despite the stupid Air Asia delay. We saw beautiful places that Bangkok had and we also felt the beautiful hearts that the Thai people had too. After this trip, Bangkok has been listed as one of my most favourite destination of all.

After so many posts about our trip to Bangkok, let's take a break from the trip and let me introduce you all to the cool place that has been taking good care of Fann & I while we're in Bangkok. The hotel (or Bed & Breakfast) is called Mystic Place Curious Rooms, Bangkok. It's not something you would rate a 5 star hotel for, but it's worth a mention and a good brag. Mystic Place is one of the best places to stay. It's unique in it's own way and just for the girls, it's so freaking near the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
It's what modern people call, an artsy fartsy boutique hotel. It has 36 rooms specially designed with beautiful and exotic themes that you can choose from. It's best for couples who loves nice designs and are fed up with conventional hotel luxury. Well, because the hotel is a recycle of old apartments, each and every room is carefully designed based on the structure of the old apartment. For example, one of the rooms we stayed, had the old stairs sealed up and what's remained has been converted into a shower. It's quite crazy but I love the idea.
It was great that they had their facebook constantly updated about the flood situtation in Bangkok. The flood had struck Chatuchak Market before we went there and we were quite worried that it would affect our trip. Fortunately, the flood resided and Chatuchak was back to business. Mystic Place was very lucky as it was not affected by the flood although the water was getting near. We were happy to hear that everything was fine and nothing affected our trip at all, except for the flight delay.
And what makes them the BEST, is that they have one of the friendliest and most helpful staff I have ever met in the world. Every morning when we wake up, they would warmly greet us and serve us with very homey breakfast. When we ask them for directions and if they aren't familiar, they'd be so lovely as to help us check online and made sure we got the precise information. They'd also help us confirm our table with the cruise company we had booked earlier on. Also, if you needed a chat, they'd always be there to talk to you. They really know how to make you feel like home.

For every night you stay here, you get free breakfast the next day. It's nothing fancy but it's something good to fill your tummy and gets you ready to continue your big adventure in the mysterious city of Bangkok. BTW, I love the french toast that they made. So, don't forget to try them. Also, remember to wake up earlier as breakfast starts at 7am. Don't worry about your sleepy eyes, because the breakfast cafe is decorated in vibrant and beautiful colours that will keep you awake and feel energetic.
The entire hotel is filled with many colours, and it really amazes me. Especially the corridor outside our room. I'm sure this hotel has spent a reasonable amount of effort to have designers design the entire hotel from wall colours to decorations and from building restructure to finding the best staff.

For the rooms, they are indeed the unique selling point of all. 36 rooms with individual themes and the best part is, if you stay more than 3 days with them, you get to change to one more room for free. So, that's what we did. We just couldn't get enough of the rooms. I'm sorry I only shot one of the rooms because I was too occupied with my schedule there and never intended to write about it in my blog until I realized how special this hotel meant to me and my trip. We stayed in Rooms #211 and #409. Both these rooms were special but I prefered the #409 more because of my fond of colours. What's special about this room, is that there's this wall full of post it notes. This is where you can leave a message when you stay here.
409 is a rather quite unique room of it's own. Besides having so many colours and a feature wall to play with, it has this little mystery inside too. If you wanna know what I mean, don't hesitate and try this room out. For those techno saavy kids out there, don't worry. There's free Wi-Fi within their hotel compound.
Furthermore, many of us love to come toThailand to experience one thing they are famous for, their massage service. Getting your massage is one of the must do things when you come to Bangkok. Fortunately for Mystic Place, they have their own massage parlour, just right in their compound. Their massage services includes Traditional Thai Full Body Massage, Leg Massage, Shoulder Massage and many many more. For the 5 days I stayed in Bangkok, I had gotten my massage for 3 days. The final one was just right before I left for the airport. I just couldn't get enough of it. Getting an hour massage here is only about THB200-300. The price is very reasonable and they really do a great job. If you have the time, try everything on the menu. It's rather addictive.


Food is not a worry when you stay here. There's plenty of food eveywhere you turn. Once out of the Mystic Place gate, street food is scattered everywhere in this area. There's pork chops, wantan noodles, pork satay, coffee & toast, kuey tiaw soup, and more just to name a few. It's literally just a few steps away. Also, 7-11s are just walking distance away. The Thai people tend to love having supper at late hours, just like us Malaysians. So, this means that you don't have to worry if you're getting hungry at odd hours.
I'm definitely gonna tell you this was my favourite. After staying in K.L for 6 years, I had never eaten a decent bowl of wantan noodles (please suggest me one that is nice). Never have I thought that I have finally found the one true BEST wantan noodle which is in Bangkok. I am truly in love with this particular wantan noodles. Call it the baa mee giao nam moo daeng or Egg Noodle Soup with Wantans. You can order either dry or soup. Fann & I loved the dried noodles and it comes with the best pork bone soup. It tastes simply heavenly. Makes me drool when I think about it.
Now, traveling to your destinations are pretty easy when you're staying at Mystic Place. You have three options to travel from here. 1 is the Hotel's free tuk tuk service, 2 is the old school taxi  and 3 is the BTS (Bangkok Skytrain). So, as you all know, getting to your favourite Chatuchak Weekend Market is the easiest, just hop on the hotel's free tuk tuk service and they'll get you there in approximately 5 mins.

Important Tip: Don't forget to bring along your hotel card, so that you can easily find your way home by either taxi or tuk tuk, because the hotel's tuk tuk only sends you there but doesn't send you back.
 

The BTS can travel to most of Bangkok's commercial areas especially the shopping malls but unable to get to the Grand Palace and some temples. So, you know when to use this. Traveling back from the BTS is also very simple. Just remember your station, called Saphan Kwai Station and walk down towards the opposite direction of wherethe tuk-tuk left you and take a metered cab and you'll get to Mystic Place in just about 3 mins.

Last but not least, how to get to and fro the airport. Well, for me we had booked the shuttle service that was provided by Mystic Place themselves. The fee was THB900 and they would have someone pick you up from the airport. Although considered expensive, I rather have this service when I'm there because I don't like the hassle of telling the taxi driver where my hotel was especially in a country that I'm lost in translation. Another good thing about getting the shuttle service is that, you know you are paying for the best service and their transport is very very comfortable. We got the chance to ride in their big sized taxi fitted for 6. Their driver was very friendly as well, this made us worried less about transportation and we could relax on our way to the hotel.
Now, getting to the airport is very easy as well. Before leaving, you can ask the hotel staff what time you should leave from the hotel. After checking out, the staff will help you to grab a taxi and you will be on your way to the airport. The cost for the taxi varies but the meter is estimated to be around THB225 if you take the highway (please note that you have to pay for the highway tol yourself, which is about THB80), so just prepare yourself with roughly about THB500.

We were very glad that we stayed at this hotel. Despite it's further distance to the city centre, we got what we paid for, which was the great service and the comfortable stay. As said, we really felt like home and nothing else beats that. I would come back to this hotel the next time I visit Bangkok. Lastly, I would like to thank all the wonderful staff at Mystic Place for taking good care of us and letting us know that this curious place is where I can call my second home.

I have recommended a few of my friends who is visiting Bangkok to Mystic Place, and I'm doing it again right here in my blog. So, check out their website by clicking here. You can also email them (info@mysticplacebkk.com) if you have any queries, they will reply you promptly and you just sit back and relax. I would rate this hotel a 4.7 out of 5.0.

Our next destination is the Dusit Park, located at the Dusit district. This is a serene area of Bangkok and the political centre of Thailand. There are a few major tourist spots in this area, including Chitralada Palace, Dusit Zoo, King Rama V Equestrian Monument, Vimanmek Mansion and more. It's connected to the Rattanakosin Island by the Ratchadamnoen road (literally 'Royal way for traveling'). So while you're in the cab heading there, you'll see a lot of Thai traditional monuments, nicely decorated lamp posts and also, you will pass by the United Nations building as well.

Our main goal for the afternoon was to see the famous Vimanmek Mansion. It's located inside the compouds of the Dusit Park. Vimanmek Mansion, famously know for being the world's largest golden teakwood mansion with its elaborate architectural style reflecting a western influence. Do remember to bring along your Grand Palace ticket, to get to visit the mansion for free. Also, do remember they have a similar strict dress code as the Grand Palace as well.
However, we weren't allowed bring in our cameras and even our bags. Upon walking towards the Mansion, you will be lead to a building where all the lockers are. You will be instructed to leave all your belongings except your wallet in the locker until you have finished visiting the mansion. But all is not lost, you will still be able to take pictures of the beautiful exterior of the mansion.
Inside the mansion, you will see the luxury items of the King and you can imagine what the King's lifestyle was like during that era. Items like royal paintings, type writers, beautifully crafted closets, carpets, furniture, antique vases and more were there just to name a few. The mansion is extremely huge and it has about 72 rooms which we wouldn't be able to visit all of them. It was built in 1900 but the King stayed there only for five years. In 1932, Vimanmek Palace was used only as a storage place of the Bureau of the Royal Household.
After visiting the mansion, we took a stroll along the huge Dusit Park. The landscape in the park was very well kept and maintained. There were some odd decorations in the Park, like canons and even Chinese designs as well. We also passed by a few museums along the way. There were the 2 buildings that houses the photography galleries of the current Thai King, King Rama IX. Then we reached another structure. This structure was an ornate building with beautifully carved floral motifs on panels adorning the gables and eaves.
This structure is called the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall. The building is filled with elaborated designs and plush carpeting. During the Dusit days, it is where foreign dignitaries used to come to pay homage to King Rama V, but it is now filled with exhibits of Thai handicraft. 

Fann personally adored this magnificant structure. The high profiled designs and detailed crafted pillars leave this place as one of the most beautiful among the Dusit Park monuments. The ceilings itself was already a great portrayal of how admirable the Thai architects were during those days.
After the throne hall, we headed to another beautiful structure, called the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. This beautiful and majestic marble building was the former reception hall within Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It now serves as a museum and is from time to time employed for certain state occasions.
The Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall was constructed in the Italian Renaissance and Neo Classic style of architecture. The exterior is decorated with marble from Carrara, Italy. This magnificant building has a large dome in the centre surrounded by six smaller domes. The most fascinating of all, the domes and walls are covered with paintings by Professor Galileo Chini and Carlo Riguli depicting the history of the Chakri Dynasty, from the first to the sixth reign. I couldn't get enough of this building. I couldn't get my hands of my camera's trigger. It stands out amongst all of the buildings in the Dusit Park.
As we left the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall, we walked towards a huge statue which is situated right in the centre of the road. This was called the King Rama V Equestrian Monument. It is a huge monument of King Rama V riding on a horse facing the centre of Bangkok. One fascinating thing we saw while we were there, the drivers upon nearing the statue, they would push their palms together and give blessings to the King. It was a remarkable sight and YES while they were driving.
Talking about the King, have you wondered where the current King resides? I'll give you a hint here. There are a few Mercedes-Benz & BMWs with sirens on their top.
After a long walk along the Dusit Park and the hot weather of Bangkok, we quickly grabbed a cab and had it take us to some place to eat. We landed ourselves at the Giant Swing. It is a religious structure located in front of Wat Suthat temple. The Giant Swing was used for a ceremony that the Thai people used to have. However, due to some several fatal accidents, it was discontinued. This structure was damanged due to lightning strikes and it was rennovated and moved to it's current location to make way for a plant.

After taking some shots of the Giant Swing, we headed to a little small adventure I had planned initally. I've prepared a map of this place. This district is called Sao Ching Cha. Oddly, this place is filled with lots of delicious food and desserts. Among all the food we can find here, I only wanted to try the two things famous here. Which is the Mango Sticky Rice and the Coconut Snowflake.
With my food map in my hands, we navigated ourselves to the Mango Sticky Rice shop called Kao Neoo Korpanich. It was located at the Thanon Tanow Road. The family has been making sticky rice with mango at the same location since 1932 (75 years), and even today their menu consists of the same specialty. But, after so much research and high hopes, until we found out that it was closed on that day. It was because the next day was the King's birthday and we didn't get to try it. It was so sad. We moaned so loud when we reached it's closed doors.

Nevertheless, with loads of frustration, we tried to find our way to the famous Coconut Snowflake shop called Nattaporn Ice Cream. It is located at the corners of a shoplot at Thanon Phraeng Phuton. This shop has been making ice cream for almost 60 years. As we reached the shop, we were confused. The shop looked rather dark with no chairs or tables for us to sit. All we saw was that a lady mopping the floor. I walked towards the aunty and asked if it was the ice cream shop? The lady answered yes but also told me they were closed for the day. I looked at Fann and she looked back at me with her huge eyes. We felt so depressed and sad. All the way form Malaysia with research, we couldn't eat both of the things we were looking for.
Suddenly, the aunty came out to us and told me that she would make each of us a bowl of ice cream. We were so happy! As the aunty made us ice cream, she told us to enjoy but had to take it away to eat. We paid her and thanked her as we took our ice cream to the nearby park and enjoyed it. It was DELICIOUS!
Last but not least, this is a small tip for all tourist. If you happen to see these weird looking signs at the restaurant or eating places, you would be sure that these are quality food. It is actually the Shell Shuan Shim, Thailand's Quality Logo. Similar to the Michelin stars awarded to restaurants in France, Shell Shuan Shim is awarded if a restaurant or company produces excellent tasting products. The literal translation on the sign is "Welcome to Taste".
We were so happy and felt very satisfied. After the ice cream and a short visit to the nearest 7 Eleven, we headed back to the hotel by cab. It was really a tiring but satisfying photography trip from the Grand Palace to the Dusit Park to the Giant Swing and then lastly the Ice Cream by the aunty with the big heart! :D