Day 9, Thailand

THE DATE: April 29, 2012

THE TRIP 

09:30-10:10          Shopping in Thailand is not complete without visiting Chatuchak market. It’s only open on weekends so I made sure that we have at least one weekend in Bangkok. It’s a bus ride away from Thara House, we know because we asked 🙂 You have a choice between an aircon or a non-aircon bus. We decided to take whatever comes first. It was near empty when we boarded it but after several stops, the bus became crowded. Transportation: 13 THB each

10:10-18:10        Because we want to maximize our day in the market, we had our brunch there. When we got off the bus, a row of food stalls welcomed us. I think they were offering noodles. The food stalls are outside the market though. Inside, some stalls are still closed and we have to walk for a few minutes to look for a stall that offers rice meals. You may have noticed by now that Divimom prefers rice over noodles. I think there were only a few food stalls inside, most are food carts. I suggest that you look for them and remember where they’re located. Because after a day of shopping, all you want to do is sit and enjoy a cold beverage.

As the day was hot and humid, Divimom also indulged in some frozen soda pops. She was actually curious on what the lady was selling and decided to buy some. I, on the other hand, don’t drink (or eat, in this case) soda, by choice. A resolution I made almost three years ago, and has surprisingly stuck with until today. I wish the lady had fruit juice options.

We didn’t really have a list of what to buy. And for two women surrounded by hundreds of stalls, this is dangerous! There is always a possibility to overspend because the items are cheap. In situations like this, we are seldom not in control because we abide by two rules: either we buy it because it’s cheap or because we really REALLY want it. Most stalls are selling the same items, so if you want to save money, you can explore the market first and ask different vendors to see who can give you the lowest price. This saves you money and you get to see other stalls at the same time. However, if you want to save time and energy, you can buy the item at once. Don’t forget to haggle 🙂

While going thru the aisles, we spotted a box full of random clothes. I think some of the clothes were damaged that’s why the vendor was selling them at 50 BHT a piece. We bought 4 cute clothes after searching the pile. Being patient has its rewards. But there are also instances where we should have bought an item at once. I was looking for a “donut” hair bun accessory and when we finally found it, it was 100 BHT for 3 pieces. I think we haggled for 100 BHT for 4 pieces but the vendor refused so we figured we’ll look for another stall. At that time, we haven’t explored the market. Unfortunately, we didn’t find another stall and already forgot where we saw the hair accessory.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures because of stories online of pickpockets in Chatuchak.

18:10-19:16          Going home, we took a bus with the same number. We figured it will make a stop where we boarded the bus in the morning. It took us 40 minutes to realize how wrong we were when we noticed we were the only passengers left and the bus made a complete stop at a roadside terminal. The conductor, realizing we were tourists (and lost), told us to get on the bus in front as it will leave soon and make a stop along Phra Artit Road. The conductor of the other bus was kind enough not to charge us. Transportation: 13 THB each

We were supposed to book a tour for the next two days. Originally, I was thinking of Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi tours. But Divimom wanted to go somewhere she can swim. Either she’s had enough of the temples or she just wanted to cool down. We asked several travel agencies along Rambuttri and Phranakorn roads. We decided not to avail any tour and just continue shopping for the next two days. To reiterate, we did NOT go on any tour hence I am not in the position to recommend any travel agency. The calling cards below and the rates are merely for your information.

THE EXPENSES

For consistency’s sake, 1 USD is 30 THB and 1 USD is 43 PHP.