Thailand

Thailand is a great nation and the only country in Southeast Asia that was never colonized by any external powers. Situated between Myanmar and Laos, Thailand is popular for its rich culture and enticing gastronomy. My office buddies and I booked a flight on January via Zest Air to avail the airline’s annual promo.

Thailand

Here’s my 6 days and 5 nights itinerary for your reference:

Day 1

Our flight to Bangkok was scheduled around 3 pm at Clark Airport. On my previous blog entry, I mentioned not to travel from Clark Airport again. Personally, I will pay additional cash just to avoid the hassle of travelling almost an hour (without traffic) to Clark. But since I’m travelling with my office buddies, I had to adjust and follow the unanimous decision. Travelling to Bangkok takes around 4 hours, so I suggest you bring snacks or eat a heavy meal before your flight.

Orio and Myself at Clark's Departure Area

We arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport around 6 pm (7 pm Manila time). From the arrival hall (Level 2), we took an escalator down to Level 1 where the ticket counter to Pattaya is located. We took the 389 Airport Pattaya Bus and travelled almost an hour to Central Pattaya Intersection. We had two options to get to our hotel, ride either a taxi or the famous Songthaew.

Suvarnabhumi Airport Arrival Area

Pattaya Station at Suvarnabhumi Airport

We arrived at Siam Guest House around 9 pm. The guest house is a few meters away from Pattaya Beach and surrounded with restaurants and establishments. The staff do not speak and understand English very well so we had to be creative in order to converse with them.

Before going to bed, we strolled the streets of Pattaya and noticed numerous buffet restaurants, street markets, and massage centers all over the place.  It was almost midnight but the entire place was still alive and congested.

Pattaya Avenue

Day 2

There were only a handful of restaurants open during daybreak that offer American breakfast. We didn’t quite enjoy our early meal but it’s better than nothing.

Breakfast at Pattaya

Our tour guide arrived at 9 am. We rode a Songthaew which brought us to Pattaya Bay where our Coral Island Tour starts.  From the Pattaya Bay, we travelled to Koh Larn Island almost 30 minutes on a speed boat. Koh Larn Island is truly a paradise. The sands were purely white and the water was crystal clear. The place was jam-packed with tourists, mostly from European countries.

Pattaya Bay

Koh Larn Beach

During our lunch, we were served with fresh steamed crabs, fried prawns, grilled fish, veggies, and mango salad. After our luscious meal, we headed back and enjoyed the beach the entire afternoon.

Koh Larn White Sand

Back in Pattaya, we spent the night eating at one of the buffet restaurants and enjoying some cocktail drinks at a mobile bar close to our hotel.

Mobile Bar at Pattaya

Dinner Buffet

Day 3

From our hotel, we took a Songthaew to Sanctuary of Truth. The temple is an all-wood building with sculptures based on traditional Buddhist and Hindu motifs. The place also offers amusing activities such as wood carving demonstration, elephant trekking around the temple, and a lot more. We headed back before lunchtime and  checked out from our hotel. Prior to our trip, we booked our transport back to Bangkok via Bell Travel Service.

Sanctuary of Truth

Wood Carving

Sanctuary of Truth Interior

Elephant Ride

We arrived at the capital around 3 pm. Bangkok is a crowded and polluted city. Transportation is not a huge problem since there are cabs, Tuk-tuk (Thailand’s famous tryke), and MTR available. Most cabs do not use a taximeter particularly for tourists. So I recommend you plan ahead before going to Bangkok and take MTR as much as possible to avoid stress.

Kat at MTR Station

We checked in at Nice Palace Hotel located in Saphan Khwai. The hotel is a bit old but our rooms were huge. We didn’t stay long at the hotel and strolled along the streets of Bangkok. The city has street markets and shopping malls all over the place.

Day 4

From our hotel, we took our first Tuk-tuk ride to Chatuchak Market, which is open during weekends only. The market, which is very popular in Thailand, sells all kinds of products from clothes to souvenirs. We went there before lunchtime and the market was already packed with both locals and tourists. I personally enjoyed the place and bought a lot of items (pasalubong) for my friends and love ones.

First Tuk-tuk Ride

On Our Way to Chatuchak Market

After lunch, we headed to Taling Chan’s Floating Market. On our way to the market, one of the locals informed us that it was not the perfect time to go there. So we changed the plan and explored the park outside the Grand Palace. We were all tired and perspiring after a few walks at the park so we went to the nearest shopping mall in the area to eat and relax.

Waiting for Our Bus to Taling Chan's Floating Market

MBK Mall

Day 5

The government of Thailand has preserved its heritage over the years. As a matter of fact, there are several tourist attractions in the country that showcase the rich culture of Thailand. We visited one of the country’s pride, Ayutthaya, a province that is 2 hours away from Bangkok and located in the valley of the Chao Phraya River.

Ayutthaya

Our plan was to take a 3^rd class train from Hua Lamphong Station to Ayutthaya. Unfortunately, we missed the train and realized that the next train will arrive after 2 hours. We arranged a tour package with the travel agency located at the second floor of Hua Lamphong Station to avoid the long wait.

We arrived at Ayutthaya Historical Park around 10 am.  Attractions are meters apart so our decision to get a service was perfect. But there are bicycle rental stations all over Ayutthaya for tourists who want to tour the place.

Wat Mahatat

Ayutthaya Historical Park

Reclining Buddha

We had our lunch at the Floating Market and tried Thailand’s popular Tom Yum Soup. We also ordered grilled squids, oysters omelet, and fried rice. It was one of the best meals we had in Thailand.

We headed back to Bangkok before sunset and visited Siam Paragon Mall, one of capital’s famous shopping malls.

Lunch at Floating Market

Coffee Time at Siam Paragon Mall

Day 6

We woke up early to prepare for our Grand Palace visit in Old City. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Thailand. The fastest way to reach the place from our location was to take a boat ride from Tha Chang pier.

Boat Ride at Tha Chang Pier

The palace is surrounded with street markets and restaurants. Be cautious with some locals who will approach and advise you that the palace is closed. This is a modus operandi for tourists to try their tour services. In addition, visitors must adhere to the the palace strict dress code. Sleeveless shirts or blouses are not allowed. Tight or see-through blouses are not permitted, even if a jacket is worn over them. Visitors may not wear shorts of any kind and skirts must cover the knees. Tight-fitting trousers or leggings are not allowed, and trousers must be full length to cover the ankles.

Vendors Around the Grand Palace

The entire complex consists of the Outer Court, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Middle Court, Inner Court, Defensive Walls, and Museum of the Emerald Buddha Temple.

Guard of the Palace

Golden Structures

Emerald Buddha Temple

Grand Palace

This is a must-visit attraction when you travel to Bangkok, a paradise in the heart of the city.

Day 7

We explored the Bangkok streets during our last day. We went to some street markets and shopping malls, and bought additional items (pasalubong) for our love ones.

My Friends, Local Dancers, and Myself

Before heading back to Manila, we had a sumptuous dinner cruise via Chao Phraya Princess Cruise. It was the best way to end our Thailand trip.

Chao Phraya Princess Cruise

Dinner Time

Wat Arun at Night