This is actually a long overdue post on my trip to Thailand almost 2 years ago with my family. I've been wanting to blog about this but lack of time and writer's block kept me from doing so. Kung maka-writer's block naman, akala mo writer talaga. Feeling!hahaha Anyway, I'm glad that finally I can share with you now the ten things I'll remember about Thailand.
1.) Suvarnabhumi Airport
For me, travel officially starts the moment I've arrived at the airport. I just love the atmosphere, the energy, the sense of transition and adventure that this place generates. I love it even more when it has modern structures, state of the art facilities and good services just like in Suvarnabhumi.
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| Suvarnabhumi |
2.) Tuk-Tuk
Tuk-Tuk is a ubiquitous transportation in Thailand that's very popular for the tourist due to its novelty value. My travel buddies and I, often took the Tuk Tuk to go around because it was cheap, fast and accessible. Of course, this was just based on our experience but you can choose to ride the taxi or a train system called BTS as options.
Our tuk-tuk experience was generally good except for one not-so-good incident with a tuk-tuk driver. Most of them were really nice, warm and tourist-friendly. Some were able to communicate in English and able to give us tips on what places to visit and how to navigate around the city. Driver na, Tour guide pa!
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| Different types of tuk-tuk |
Our tuk-tuk experience was generally good except for one not-so-good incident with a tuk-tuk driver. Most of them were really nice, warm and tourist-friendly. Some were able to communicate in English and able to give us tips on what places to visit and how to navigate around the city. Driver na, Tour guide pa!
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| Long lost twins?hehe My cousin with the tuk-tuk driver (guy in blue) |
3.) Street Food
In my opinion, my travel is not complete without experiencing the cuisine of the place that I'm exploring. That's why we really made sure to include a "food trip" in our itinerary. In Thailand, the best way to experience its cuisine is through the street food. Street food carts/stalls were not difficult to locate in Bangkok because they were practically everywhere! It's like there's an infinite supply of street food. However, due to lack of time we only got to try the street food stalls in Khao San Road, Victoria Monument and Jomtien beach in Pattaya.
If you plan to visit Thailand soon, I highly recommend that you try these wide varieties of authentic, affordable and flavorful Thai dishes that you'll come across in the streets.
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| Yummy Thai dishes like Phad Thai , Khao Ka Mu and Bakmi |
4.) Weekend Market in Bangkok
I heard stories of some tourists who frequently travels to Bangkok just to shop at the popular weekend market called "Chatuchak" or "Jatujak". When I set foot there, I've found that it was in fact a shopping haven. The market is so huge and sell different kinds of goods.
Another good thing about Chatuchak, the goods are sold at low prices and some were on SALE! Just come prepared for the non-stop walking though.
5.) Boat ride in Chao Phraya river
Aside from the BTS, a good choice of transport mode to avoid the traffic jam is the Chao Phraya express boat. It operates in the Chao Phraya river, the principal river in Thailand. I'm glad that we discovered this because we had a chance to see Bangkok in a different perspective.
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| A boat in Chao Phraya River |
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| View of Bangkok from Chao Phraya River |
6.) Sunset in Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, a seaside resort 2 hours away from Bangkok. Since Phuket wasn't part of our itinerary, we opted to visit a nearby beach instead. The beach was not as grand as Phuket's but it was a sandy beach good enough for rest and relaxation. There were ample of water activities, leisure and entertainment in this area too.
However, it was the sunset in Pattaya that struck me the most. It was my first "sunset captured moment" abroad, which makes it really special.
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| Pattaya Beach |
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" When I admire the wonder of the sunset, my soul expands iniworship of the creator" - Mahatma Gandhi
7.) Scenic spots in Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya is an ancient city in Thailand, where ancient ruins, historical sites and palaces can be seen. Our travel to Ayutthaya was such a breeze because it was only 1.5 hours ride from Bangkok. The moment we arrived, different package tours were offered to us. As much as we want the DIY kind of travel, we opted to go with the package tour since we only had limited time in our hands. There were many different kinds of tour packages to choose from but we picked the one, which best suited our type (adventure/travel), time and budget. One tip I can share in choosing the right tour package is to ask the locals for the best places and activities in Ayutthaya. They were more than willing to share their advice. The following were some of the scenic spots included in the package tour:
Ayutthaya is an ancient city in Thailand, where ancient ruins, historical sites and palaces can be seen. Our travel to Ayutthaya was such a breeze because it was only 1.5 hours ride from Bangkok. The moment we arrived, different package tours were offered to us. As much as we want the DIY kind of travel, we opted to go with the package tour since we only had limited time in our hands. There were many different kinds of tour packages to choose from but we picked the one, which best suited our type (adventure/travel), time and budget. One tip I can share in choosing the right tour package is to ask the locals for the best places and activities in Ayutthaya. They were more than willing to share their advice. The following were some of the scenic spots included in the package tour:
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| The head of the Sandstone buddha in tree roots |
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| Reclining Buddha |
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| Wat Mahathat |
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| Wat Chai Wattanaram |
Ayutthaya is such an interesting city to explore because of its rich history and culture. It was such an experience to witness the beauty of this very fine city.
8.) Culture
Travel for me is not just to explore the scenic spots but also to immerse oneself in the culture of the place. In the few days I stayed in Thailand, I learned some of their beliefs and cultures, which the Thais still preserve and practice up to the present times. One of the things I learned was the Thai's traditional greeting called the "Wai".
Most of Thailand's tourist attractions are of cultural significance and highly respected by the locals as well as the tourists due to their religious values. In fact, when we visited the Grand Palace, there are certain customs and etiquette that we had to respect such as wearing "polite dress" and taking shoes off before entering the buildings and palaces.
Most of Thailand's tourist attractions are of cultural significance and highly respected by the locals as well as the tourists due to their religious values. In fact, when we visited the Grand Palace, there are certain customs and etiquette that we had to respect such as wearing "polite dress" and taking shoes off before entering the buildings and palaces.
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| Shoes not allowed |
9.) Thai people
I traveled to other countries but what made Thailand stand out is its people. Thai people, most of them, are hospitable and warm to the tourists. They were accommodating, friendly, and helpful. When we approached them on the streets, they talked to us and guided us with the directions. Even other travelers, at least those who we got to talk to then, agreed that Thais are generally nice people. They reminded me so much of the people in my home country, which made Thailand one of my favorite nations.
10.) Thai Baht and the Coconut Ice Cream
In every travel, it's not just the adventure that's worth remembering but also the misadventure. I had one unfortunate incident in Thailand that I'll never forget. It's a long story but to make it short, I bought a cup of coconut ice cream for 1000 baht when it was supposed to cost only for 10 baht!
I failed to double check the baht I handed over to the vendor, when I realized my mistake it was already too late! I know, it was really a boo boo moment. Oh well, I just had to charged it to experience and to learned from it. As they say, don't cry over spilled milk, in this case, over over-priced ice cream!hahaha
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These are just ten things but there's actually more to this place left to be explored and discovered. Khob khun ka Thailand for the wonderful experience. I hope in the future I'll be able to go back to this beautiful and culturally fascinating place.
