Bangkok Adventures (Part III)

We start off this entry with a picture of our cab in a jam. Throughout our stay here, there were occasions travelling on the road when we will encounter what Bangkok is also well known for – traffic jams. It wasn’t as painful as we expected. I guess, it depends on when and where you’re getting to. If you’re in a hurry ,then it’s better to take the metro and avoid the roads. Also try to avoid peak hours – lunch time and office rush hours. As for us, we took the cabs during times we needed rest and some shut eyes such as after tours.

Khao San Road Night Life

After a day’s tour of Kanchanaburi, we decided to check out Khaosan Road’s night life. So we took this chance to travel there by Tuk-Tuk…

Khaosan Road was much more vibrant at night! Loads of cute backpacking angmohs, food vendors, bars were playing loud music, shops were still open and many cheap Thai massage parlours! We couldn’t resist and coaxed Nas to join. A menu was provided to us to choose the kind of massage we preferred. I chose to get a foot massage. My feet could use some pampering after a long tour.

The massage felt really good. We didn’t hang out as late as expected as we were all exhausted from the day’s events. So we headed back to our hotel after packing back some food from a vendor rumoured to have really tasty Pad Thai.

Platinum Fashion Mall

The next day, we planned to shop. First stop, Platinum, a Fashion Mall divided into 7 stories. Basement to level 5 are shopping zones. Level 6 is a food court and level 7 is for parking.

The mall is well known for wholesale. Hence it would be much worth it to purchase items in bulk than to buy them individually to get better prices. Also, if you have no intention to buy, it would be impolite to touch their items.

I guess I over estimated my shopping capabilities. I expected to be going nuts and swimming in my bags of purchases but I ended up leaving the mall with just a few handphone covers (again). I was overwhelmed by the endless rows of clothes with almost the same kind of designs. I saw most of the shoppers dragging luggage probably stocking up for their street stalls back home or online shops. You’d like Platinum if you’re into Bugis Village fashion but I guess I’ve outgrown that phase (about time anyways).

Chao Mae Tuptim

Next, we visited a phallic shrine, the Chao Mae Tuptim located behind Swissotel Bangkok.

In Thailand, the phallus is considered to be a symbol of good luck and fertility. Individuals who find it hard to conceive will visit this shrine with figurines or phalluses as a form of offering.

I found this interesting as it shows how broad and open the Thais are spiritually as I would imagine how this would be frowned upon or hidden behind closed doors in my country. I hope the visit to Chao Mae Tuptim will bring me some luck too.

Terminal 21 Mall

Next is Terminal 21,a one floor one theme shopping mall. The concept is market streets of the world based on well-known cities. Below is a list of themes seen on different floors.

LG Floor: Caribbean

This floor theme is Caribbean Beach Town, decorated with a beach, a sea anchor and a lighthouse. It contains a Gourmet Supermarket, fast food restaurants, banks, bookshops and convenience shops.
G Floor: Rome

This floor is reserved for luxury brands and brand name boutiques. The theme is Heaven of Rome. It is decorated with marble, sculptures of Roman mythological figures and well-known paintings.
M Floor: Paris

Its Champs-Élysées Boulevard and Parisian Boutique theme, full of Thai designer boutiques and beauty shops. It is decorated with sculptures of the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower.
1st Floor: Tokyo

This floor is themed after the Nakamise-Dōri Market and Harajuku Town. It is reserved for ladies boutiques and decorated with sculptures of Sumo, Torii and Maneki Neko.
2nd Floor: London

This is decorated with iconic red telephone boxes, London’s double-decker buses, the Tower Bridge and a Union Jack. Its theme is Oxford Street of London with mini-shops of men’s wear, jeans and sporting goods.
3rd Floor: Istanbul

This floor is an Istanbul Market Town theme decorated with Istanbul style lamps. It is reserved for mini-shops of shoes, bags, jewellery, gifts and decoration products.
4th Floor: San Francisco (City)

The theme is Chinatown of San Francisco. It is decorated with sculptures of the San Francisco Trams and Golden Gate Bridge, serving for Thailand’s famous restaurants.
5th Floor: San Francisco (Pier)

This floor is reserved for international restaurants and the food court Pier 21. It is decorated with seaports and fisherman village’s, themed after Fisherman’s Wharf.
6th Floor: Hollywood

The theme is Hollywood Studio, decorated with the Hollywood Sign and an Oscar Statue. It houses eight screens of SF Cinema City, a health club Fitness First, a spa and IT Mobile products zone.

This is the most interesting mall I’ve come across! Shopping there may be a little on the expensive side compared to most of the places we’ve been in Bangkok but its definitely worth the visit.

Bangkok Adventures Terminal 21 Mall Moom-Muum Park Restaurant

We had a very late lunch at Moom-Muum Park Restaurant located on the 4th floor of Terminal 21 overseeing the metro train station. More Thai food! Can never get enough. We took time to enjoy the food before heading back to shopping and went back to our hotel to rest and pack for our check out next day. So sad! We love Bangkok so much! Tune in for the last episode of our Bangkok Adventure.

More from the Bangkok Adventures Series:

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