It offers a unique experience for visitors of all ages. There is a specifically designed workshop for kids which is very informative.
Nacha Sa Thai Chue Shrine is a very colorful temple. We arrived a bit early so the place was very quiet, and no guide was available. I don’t recommend spending too much time here, just maybe stop to take some photos and have a look inside.
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| Nacha Sa Thai Chue Shrine |
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| Nacha Sa Thai Chue Shrine entrance |
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| Nacha Sa Thai Chue Shrine |
Once you reach Pattaya the fun begins. The city is so active and starts early from 6 PM onwards. We stayed at the ZIP hotel at Soi Diana. The rate per night is around 865 THB. I wouldn’t rate it as a 3 star but had no complaints during my stay. Heard their restaurant downstairs had a good selection of pizzas but truly who would want to try that when you have the appetizing Thai local cuisine.
If you are on a tight budget, you can even find hostel stays at cheap price or shared accommodation. A good search on booking.com will find you the results.
There is a seven eleven shop just opposite the ZIP hotel and many other shops, restaurants and plenty of bars and massage places on the hotel street even a subway.
Late evening and you can see many vendors on the streets
(Soi Diana, Soi Legnkee, Soi Pattaya 13) the list never stops. Late night bars,
street food, vendors selling fancy items, flowers, massage centers, you are
never going to be bored here.
As you enter Soi Lengkee street you can see several food vendors and restaurants which serve delicious food. The lady in the photo below is a daily vendor at this street and prepares food very hygienically. She doesn't handle food without gloves and her cart is covered so at least the food is safe from the dust and flies on the street.
Very tasty food. She doesn't speak English but all you have to do is point at the food you want along with the spices to be added. Few minutes after that she prepares the delicious food right in front of you. Very professional lady.
Jumbo river prawns are a specialty of the street vendors, but tell you what, when you see it grab it. There will be none left if you decide to try it later, literally it is completely sold out in less than an hour. There aren't many vendors selling prawns on this street and they come at different times, so you have to keep an eye out on the streets. For only 100 THB you get a decent portion of the prawns, around 7 to 8 pieces. The prices are fixed and the vendors do not agree on any bargaining.
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| Street vendor selling Jumbo steamed prawns at Pattaya |
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Street vendor at Pattaya
This vendor we met at Soi 6 Pattaya selling Satay sticks. You can get all types of meat here and he cooks them to your perfection. It is already marinated and after cooking he adds some spice powder to the meat and you can eat it off the skewer directly. Even though his food cart wasn't covered there were no flies or other inspects contaminating the food. We were not sure of what the spices were, we just picked the one that looked spicy and colorful and indeed it was tasty. You can see a lot of local Thai people frequenting these stalls. What is noticeable is that Thai people eat small portions of these street food but frequently.
This old man was selling food right in front of our hotel on Soi Diana. We were the first to order from him that evening. Again language barrier did not stop us from tasting the delicious food. Just point out whatever you like to eat. They will identify for you if the meat is chicken, pork or beef so you know for sure what you are getting. He barely took 5 minutes to prepare the delicious food.. The price of food items are not displayed, once you select the food he pulls out a calculator and shows you the price. Not any exchange of words and the sale is done. Even at stalls where the price and name of dish is displayed, its not in English, so just use an online translator.
This vendor was selling fresh cut tropical fruits near the night bazaar at Pattaya. It is very interesting to see how they cut the fruits and pack it. The knife they use to cut the fruits is not very sharp as they place the fruits inside a clear plastic bag and cut from outside without tearing the bag.
Fruits are not handled with bare hands which is also a good thing to note. Papaya, Durian, Guava and mangoes are must try. As soon as the street vendor reaches the area people reach in crowds to buy them. Its just a matter of hours before all the fruits are sold. Thai people eat a lot of fruits.
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Pattaya night Bazaar is a place where you literally get lost
shopping. Its a charm of local products and located opposite central festival Pattaya beach. This place is huge and there is nothing you cannot buy here. The entrance to the market looks small but as you step inside be prepared to be amazed by the number of shops packed inside the market. Even
though the name is night Bazaar, it’s open during day as well. Electronics,
clothes, sovereign, handicraft, packed food all come at a reasonable price and
of course bargain but don’t do to the level of embarrassment.
One tip is not to
buy anything from the first shop you see. Walk around the market and check the
prices for the same items in different shops. You can see for some items the
price varies around 200 to 250 THB in different shops.
The vendors in this market are not all local Thai people,
you can see staff from Nepal, and Tibet as well. The place has a food
court area at the back. The restaurants there are owned by people from Malaysia but the people doing the cooking are all local Thailand. Great taste and price.
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Food stall at night Bazaar
Food preparation takes around 30 minutes and you can have a beer or mocktails as you wait. This place is so busy with people that you kill time just watching the crowd. This place serves local Thai food, Indian food and some famous dishes for other countries as well.
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Some pictures of their menu.
Dishes start from 120 onwards and maximum to 250 THB. They have a good selection of mocktails and cocktails and the famous beers of Thailand. Chang and Tiger beer. Their hot pot dish for THB 199.00 is very delicious and plenty. A must try.
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| Shops at night Bazaar |
The shops at the night bazaar are so tightly packed with items that you have to be very careful when walking between the shelves. As soon as you enter the shop the lady says if you break anything you have to pay for it. All kinds of credit and debit cards are accepted in these shops so you don't have to worry about carrying lot of cash with you. The shop owner was kind enough to throw in few freebies when we purchased for around 2000.00 THB.
A glimpse of items you can buy from the night bazaar Pattaya.
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| Opposite road of night bazaar Pattaya |
Pattaya is famous for its beaches.
Pattaya beach is only walkable distance from the night
Bazaar, which is a must see. Gets busy at night so we opted to go early in the
evening.
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| Pattaya Beach |
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| Pattaya Beach |
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| Pattaya Beach shops |
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| Pattaya Beach |
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Coconut vendor at Pattaya beach
You can find tender coconut vendors all over Pattaya and Bangkok. Very refreshing and not much costly. The vendors on the street will charge you to THB, but if you buy them inside the markets they charge you from 60 THB onwards. They keep them in ice boxes or inside refrigerators and is served chilled. A perfect choice for the humid Thai climate.
Coral Island Koh Larn, is another popular destination with clean white sand and tranquil waters. Snorkeling, Glass bottom boat tour, wind surfing, Parasailing are the top activities here.
Jomtien Beach Located just 5 kilometers from Pattaya with lot of water sport activities.
Pattaya floating market is another tourist hub and with traditional thatched huts. Food and souvenirs are available in this market. There is also a zip line and floating water ball. Water boxing and traditional Thai dancing is also a popular item here. Underwater world and Dolphin world are nearby attractions to the floating market. |
Terminal 21, about 10 mins from Pattaya Beach and 10 THB by TukTuk. Not a good place for shopping as you only find branded items there. Really skip this option unless you want to buy some branded items as there is no local ambience here. However the place is packed with tourists.
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| Terminal 21 mall |
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| Inside Terminal 21 mall |
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| Terminal 21 mall |
Instead visit the Runway Food Market on Pattaya second road. There is a full size shell of Boeing
747 inside this market. Great food and ambience, my favorite was crocodile
meat. I wouldn’t suggest buying the crocodile leather products as they are overpriced
and not sure if genuine. We did not add this spot to our checklist before reaching Thailand but we spotted by mistake on the way to Terminal 21 shopping center by TukTuk.
No one can miss this market as the Boeing is very proudly visible from the main street. Other than the food stalls there are massage centers, Fish Spa, Souvenirs, and handicraft shops. Not so much of vegetarian options except the fresh salads, mango sticky rice, mushrooms and seaweed. You wont see many locals eating here.
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Runway Market Pattaya
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Crocodile meat at Runway Market Pattaya
As soon as they open the stall and put the crocodile on the grill book your plate. They give you a token after you pay and you can return within 30 minutes to collect your plate.
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| Fried Duck at Runway Market Pattaya |
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Meat section at Runway Market Pattaya
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Deep fried insects for sale at Runway Market
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You can buy variety of seafood here all at reasonable prices. There was not much bargaining going on and the prices are displayed for each item. The market was considerably clean and waste management is well taken care of. Cleaners are present in all sections of the market and they remove waste from tables and floors very quickly. Be kind enough to tip them for their dedication and hard work.
Plan to stay at least 3 to 4 days in Pattaya, this is not
enough to enjoy the city but still you get to have a glimpse of the main
activities. We booked a Pattaya Full-Day 3 Tropical Island tour (Snorkeling Cruise with Buffet) through Viator and did not regret the trip. What an awesome
experience from start to end. These guys really know how to keep you
entertained. Monkey island was the only downside of this tour. Snorkeling,
fishing, water sliding, boating etc. are included in the tour package. Buffet
onboard is exceptional. They start the trip at 8 Am and finish by 6 Pm.
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Tropical island tour by Viator
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| Viator trip photos |
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| Viator 3 island trip photos |
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The view from the boat is amazing
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Tiger Park which is about 25 minutes from Pattaya beach is
another tourist destination. Entrance fee is on the higher side and the tickets
to see the tigers close or touch them, is not at all worth the price. Feels
like the tigers are exhausted or sedated. I wouldn’t rate this as a great activity and a waste of money. The tour around the park on an open vehicle
was somewhat OK.
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| The ride inside the Tiger Park |
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| Interacting with tigers |
Underwater world is another place which is again 30 mins
from Pattaya city. You have to pay 500THB to enter the place. It is worth the
money. Kids will have a great time. I don’t recommend buying any souvenirs from
the shop inside. You can get the same stuff from Pattaya night market.
Take a walk beneath the water as variety of fish glide overhead including sharks and giant sting rays and other marine creatures found in Thai waters. There are three zones in underwater world which are Coral Reef, Giants of Siam and the Ocean. The aquarium is open daily and fully covered and excellent to opt for a visit during any rainy day.
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| Beautiful fishes at underwater world |
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| Live fish feeding at underwater world |
In addition to the fishes they have a small Zoo section with small pythons, lizards, spiders etc.
Pattaya water park is a great place to spend on a hot day. The water slides, whirlpool and wading pool plus the private beach access will keep you entertained for a whole day.
While in Pattaya take the opportunity to see the Tiffany's Cabaret show performed by transgenders in dazzling costumes perform to good selection of songs and guaranteed to entertain your evening.
Also checkout the globally famous Alcazar cabaret show which earns the reputation of being the best transvestite cabaret show in Thailand
There are several other attractions to see in Pattaya if you
plan to stay more days. Visit this site to see more information https://www.thrillophilia.com/places-to-visit-in-pattaya
Don’t miss to visit the café Amazon outlets in Thailand. Great
coffee for tasting and you can bring back home as well. Reasonable price.
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| Several Cafe Amazon outlets in Thailand |
We limited our planned tours to two days and spend entire
two days exploring the city and local life on our own. On the fourth day we booked
taxi to Bangkok. There is a beautiful restaurant just outside the city on the
way to Bangkok (Chao Pin). The food here is amazing.
On the highway and before reaching Bangkok tell your cab
driver to stop at motorway 7 highway rest area. This place is huge and has several
outlets selling fresh food, packed food, sweets and many more. You can stop for
a break and do some shopping.
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| Shops at highway rest area - Pattaya to Bangkok |
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| Highway stop on the way to Bangkok |
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| Shops at the highway stop |
Bangkok activities.
There is no set menu for Bangkok activities, even if you
stay for a few days, a week or a month, you will still have places left to see
and things to try. A five-day trip can take you to the main attractions and
activities including the nightlife.
Research well on the area you wish to stay in first. Being
with family and kids we wanted to get away from the busy city life so our hotel
was almost 30 minutes away from the main area. Quiet but convenient. The BTS
station was very close so getting around was not an issue. If you want to see
the real night life, try staying near the Khao San road or Sukhumvit Soi 11 & 23 area.
Do not buy a Rabbit card unless you are sure to use the BTS
rail a lot. If you make less than 3 trips a day just buy the tickets from the
counter.
While the best time to visit Thailand is the dry season from November to April, up to mid July is also good. The peak dry season comes with its downside as well with high rates for flights and accommodation, crowded beaches While Bangkok weather is fairly pleasant throughout the year early June to November is generally the wet season. If you happen to land in the rainy season you still have lot of activity to do on rainy days like sewing classes, cooking classes, food and vegetable carving classes, boxing etc.
The cooking classes are quite fun and informative. It introduces you to the world of Thai flavors and ingredients. You get to cook and eat your own Thai dish and learn about flavorful recipes that you can share with friends and family back home. The chefs here are very knowledgeable and teach you the traditional cooking methods along with beautifully presenting your dishes. They guide you through the various steps in creating a complete and tasty Thai meal, appetizer, salad, curry and even dessert . Cooking classes cost around 35 to 40 dollars and several options available on Viator. You get free cook books and recipe cards on this tour.
Try to experience the magic of Bangkok by night on a Tuk-Tuk tour. Starts from dollar 70 up. A great sight of illuminated temples and skyscrapers against the night sky. The Tuk-Tuk drivers very well know their way around and the tour normally includes the historical locations, several local markets, China Town and restaurants that serve tasty local food for a duration of 4 hours. Considering the buzzling crazy traffic in Bangkok, Tuk-Tuk is a good option to get around at peak hours.
Traditional Thai food and drinks are famous and a must try while you are in Bangkok. Thai culture is structured around meal times whether at home or outside. The vibrant dishes combine salt, sweet, spicy, sour and tangy flavors.
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Fried rice with Egg and Seafood
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Tom Yam Seafood Soup
 | Rice with egg and spicy beef for THB 220
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Iconic Thai dishes like Pad Thai (stir Fried noodle) Som Tam (fresh green papaya salad) Fermented dried pork and rice, pork salads, Sai Ua (sausage stuffed with aromatic herbs and spices) Spicy Kua Kling dish which goes best with Yaa Dong (Thai rum with soda)
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Grand palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Phra, are a must to see
places for tourists in Bangkok so we didn’t want to miss it. Temple of reclining Buddha, Wat Pho has a gigantic golden Buddha statue and is the largest in Thailand (46 meters long and 15 meters tall) The reclining Buddha represents the Buddha during his final illness. The 95 pagodas in this shrine is another beauty to admire.
Grand Palace takes
around 2 to 3 hours to see and prepare to go early as there is a lot of walking
to do. There are several tour packages that take you to the top major monuments for around 70 dollars per person and lasts 5 to 6 hours. Highly recommended to take the tour from Viator with a guide. You can opt for either morning or evening tour and since it is arranged in small group it offers a more personal experience. The fees include all entrance tickets and transfers.
Dress code: When visiting temples ensure you are suitably dressed. Long pants which go down to the ankle and should not be tight and revealing or torn. Tops with sleeves and must not be see-through.
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| Grand Palace |
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Grand palace so elegant view
Grand Palace covers a vast area of around 218000 square meters. Beautiful architecture you can see in the heart of the city. Self guided audio tour is available at the entrance and you can return before you exit. This place is interesting for those who like history and architecture.
Small children are not likely to enjoy this visit. Its very hard to take a good photo without a tourist in it as the place is heavily crowded. There is free clothing available inside but mind you the queues are so long that its better you come with appropriate clothing. |
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| Beautiful view of the palace |
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Paintings inside the palace
There are over 2 kilometers of murals inside the Grand Palace on 178 panels depicting a story from the holy scripture. Follow the mural panels in a clockwise direction to understand the story. |
The pamphlets provided in different language would have been useful if they had a map of the ground. Without a guide its quite hard to find your way around inside and have to ask the security personnel or staff for assistance. Navigating through the crowds in the humidity and heat is a problem visiting this place. There are no shades.
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| Emerald Buddha - cant take photos from inside the shrine. |
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The city was full of celebrations for the Kings Birthday in July
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Never take a local TukTuk to reach the grand palace. Hire a
professional cab (use the Grab application) and ask them to take you to the
main entrance where the tickets are sold. TukTuk drivers take you on the other
side of Grand Palace where there are scammers who try to fool you saying the
Grand Palace is closed today due to the King visiting etc. Don’t fall for it. They
will give you other cheap options for a river cruise and other stuff but be
prepared to be scammed if you proceed with them.
Your clothes should be decent and not revealing and Knee
below to be covered to enter the Grand Palace. If you are denied entry due to
your clothes, be prepared to buy elephant pants at a crazy price. So please
research well.
MBK shopping mall (Ma Boon Khrong Center) which is around 500 meters from Siam Paragon is a must visit. They have plenty of shops to cater all budgets. You will be amazed by the
stuff you can buy from here. Keep in mind that the items sold here are both original and counterfeit and bargain well.
Do not for any reason buy from the first few shops you see at
the entrance. Walk further inside and check the prices in different shops. I bought
a small Nokia phone from the first shop near to the Japanese shop and found out
it was 450 THB cheaper in the shops inside.
You can easily spend 5 to 6
hours here shopping on the 8 floors. There are good restaurants at the top floor. Also a venue for Muay Thai boxing fight night on first and last Wednesdays of the month. Its free entrance for locals and visitors so do not miss the chance. Fights are between skilled Thai and international fighters.
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| MBK Mall guide |
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| Jewelry shop inside MBK Mall |
If you are into visiting temples, this will take several
days of your trip, so limit to the iconic temples. Good research on the net will
get you the information.
Asiatique is a place worth seeing. But avoid shopping.
Several things to do here, river cruise with dinner, Ferris wheel. The mystery
mansion near the Ferris wheel is not worth the entry fee and good to see from outside.
The restaurants inside the mall serve tasty food but are overpriced.
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| Asiatique |
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| Ferris wheel at Asiatique |
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Chao Phraya River view from Ferris wheel
There are several Chao Phraya river dinner cruises ranging from 1300 THB to 2750 THB and the luxurious ones. These cruises go for 2 to 3 hours and often have live music and dancing along with a delicious dinner buffet spread. Mixed reviews are commented for different cruises so carefully choose the right one. |
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| View from Ferris wheel Asiatique |
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| Mystery Mansion at Asiatique - |
The Ferris Wheel gives you a wonderful view from the top, but to see a birds eye view of Bangkok try the following locations.
Mahanakhon Skywalk
Enjoy the view from the highest observation deck. 315 meters high and amazing views from the 78th floor of the building. The transparent glass bottom section and sky ride virtual reality experience is well worth the experience.
Other places for amazing views are the Golden Mount (Wat Saket) and sky beach. Also try out the dining experience at Baiyoke sky tower with several restaurants and bars.
We combined Asiatique and China Town visit in one evening
visit. If you are visiting China Town in the rainy season, you may not enjoy
the streets. The displayed food is tempting to eat but there are too many flies
and mosquitoes. And be prepared to face heavy traffic.
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| China town |
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| Food Display at China town |
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| Lobsters at China Town |
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| Crowded at China Town besides the rain |
The Mae Klong Railway Market is another tourist destination. A lively market stretching along railway tracks. Food markets on either side of the railway tracks and the vendors moving the
goods and folding shop awnings when train approaches. The trains, however, go very slow and you must
stay behind the marked lines. Admission to the market is free and it is open from 6 Am to 6 Pm. There are several nick names like "risky market, "umbrella pulldown market".
You can either book a half day tour of this market through agents or explore on your own. I suggest exploring at your own pace as the tour packages are often in groups and they rush you through the entire trip. Getting to the market from the city is not hard. Here is an interesting trip itinerary from your Bangkok hotel to the market.
If your hotel is in central Bangkok a cheap taxi ride will get you Wongwan Yai station. From there take the train to Maha Chai which leaves every hour from here and the journey also takes an hour and costs you around 10 THB. The ride takes you through the suburbs of Bangkok and you will be amazed to find out that the scenic greenery exists close to the city life.
Once you arrive in Maha Chai, the final station, get off the train and follow the crowd to the vibrant marketplace which is open from the early hours until evening. Explore this market for the lovely seafood and other Thai traditional stuff. Walk five minutes from here and you reach the pier where you can purchase a ticket for cheap price to get you across to Ban Laem, Takes only few minutes on the ferry.
Final leg of this journey from Ban Laem station to Mae Klong. Once disembarked the ferry, it takes 10 minutes to get to Ban Laem station and from there another 50 minutes ride to Mae Klong station. At this time the train will enter the Mae Klong station through the market which is an amazing experience. You could always take a taxi from your hotel and back to Bangkok but for a different experience take the above trip.
Visiting the market when the trains pass is the best experience. Around 6 trains per day through the market at different times (8.30,9 Am, 11 Am, 11.30 Am, 2.30 & 3.30 Pm)
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| Mae Klong Railway Station |
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The train moves very slowly and as you can see tourists stand on the railway tracks to take photos and the driver stops the train at several locations throughout the market. A warning bell and announcement is heard few minutes before the train approaches.
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| You can see how close they are to the stalls |
Once you enter the market and about 100 meters there
is a shop on the right side that sells fresh tender coconuts, this is a good place
to refresh yourself and you can sit inside until the train arrives, if you buy
the coconuts. The vendor will also give you some information on the market.
If you cannot stand the smell of raw fish and meat, remember
to wear a good face mask or even take a fresh lemon with you to sniff so that you don't feel nauseating . Once the
train leaves and vendors restore the tents the smell of raw cut fish and meat
is not that pleasing.
I think the humid weather and the closed area makes the smell worse. You can buy the spice mixture for most Thai food and soups from this market at a cheap price, one packet costs you around 100 THB only. The spice mix is readily prepared for you to just add to the meat or seafood of your choice. From this market you can buy Thailand souvenirs for cheap price than other markets and bargaining is allowed.
The best part about this market is that you can buy several items
at a low price.
Combine the railway market tour, Damnoen Saduak floating
market tour with the crocodile show, monkey show and elephant safari in one
trip. This will take half a day to complete. A combo ticket for the floating
market and elephant safari is around 3000 THB per person. We felt this was expensive even though they added free crocodile show and monkey and a stop at a temple. These sort of overcharging makes people think that its a tourist trap. I would rate this 3 out of 5 and 2000 THB per person.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is not exactly in Bangkok, around 120 kilometers by taxi and two and a half hours to get there. You can also take a bus from Bangkok southern terminal which takes around the same time. Vans are often crowded and have multiple stops so be prepared for it. Start early in the day from Bangkok to explore the floating market.
The floating markets were famous during the old days when waterways were the main trade route. The closer floating markets to Bangkok are Taling Chan and Bang Nam Pheung located 15 and 75 kilometers from Bangkok. Taling Chan market which is frequented by locals is smaller compared to the rest.
Do not
be tempted to shop from the floating markets as items are overpriced. Your boat
driver will purposefully stop at both banks where there are stalls. Vendors on
boats will approach you with freshly cut tropical fruits and cooked food which are also priced higher than the markets outside. Juicy king prawns Pad Thai, oyster omelets, dried shrimp and papaya salad (Som Tam) are worth trying.
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| Mango sticky rice at floating market |
Wear loose fitting clothes as getting in and out of the boat and for the Elephant safari, it will be comfortable. You can get splashed with water on the floating market trip as the driver will really go fast on some areas where there is less traffic.
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Several stalls on the floating market
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The narrow canals are lined with plenty of stalls and wooden houses. The water is dirty so keep your hands off the water.
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| Paintings for sale at the floating market |
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| you can taste coconut sugar extract here for free. The jaggery made from coconut juice is very sweet and tasty. This is added to a lot of Thai food and even added to several fresh juices. |
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| You can buy silk to handicrafts and many other stuff here including jewelry. Most of the shops have the same stuff. |
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A display of porcelain and ladies outfit |
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| Another boat passing us |
As you go on the river keep an eye on the green banks along the way and you can spot big monitor lizards and even small pythons that lie on the bank warming up in the sun. We saw few lizards and a snake but couldn't take photos as the boat was moving very fast.
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| Many items on boat for selling |
Don't be tempted to buy stuff from here unless you have spotted unique items that are not available in the flea markets. For sure you can buy the items from local markets much cheaper.
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| At the pier |
Some of the boats run on diesel engine and the air gets smoky and smell of fuel when you pass them. The ride is also bumpy. Take this tour only for an experience and not for a shopping spree. Read the reviews available on websites before you book this trip.
Elephant safari is OK, but it was sad to see the elephants
in poor health conditions and they hardly have any rest. It is a bit scary when
they go inside the river. Towards the end of the elephant safari the person
will push you to buy souvenirs that are made of elephant teeth, I doubt if it
is original, and they cost between 200 to 300 THB. The ride on top of the elephant is not that comfortable.
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| The crocodile show |
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Feeding elephants
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Safari world + Marine Park tickets cost you 750.00 THB and are
worth the money. The Bird Show · Elephant Show · Orangutan Show · Sea Lion Show
will keep you entertained. The jungle cruise tickets cost extra but not at all
worth the visit as you won’t see any live animals, only manmade structures, so don’t
waste money on this trip.
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| All real birds |
Animal safari is a great experience, you can see most wild
animals in their natural habitat very close. Almost one hour tour and worth the
visit and money.
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| Orangutans show |
The Orangutans show goes for about 40 minutes and a very funny one. |
| Elephant show at the safari park |
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| Elephants painting |
Its quite interesting to see the elephants painting on a canvas. wonder how they train these creatures.
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| Photos from the jungle safari tour |
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| You can see these animals pretty close enough |
Do not miss the chance of visiting the historic city of Ayutthaya.
Every local takes pride in describing to you about this old capital of Thailand.
The ruins of the old city is a historical park now. It’s about one-and-a-half-hour
drive from Bangkok.
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| At Ayutthaya |
All that remains are just ruins of a marvelous city and very sad to watch. You can feel the sorrow in the air.
The city was destroyed when Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in year 1767 with the invading armies blamed for cutting off the heads and arms of many of the Buddha images.
There is a market that you must visit. So many stuff you
can buy from here at low prices and negotiable. A katana sword that we saw in
Ayutthaya was 800 THB cheaper than what we saw in Bangkok.
The pickled fruits and vegetables you find here are very
tasty. So many to choose from. You don't need to refrigerate them and lasts several months. They offer free tasting of the items you want. Food is very hygienically handled and the market itself is very clean. Not much crowded here so you can take time to walk around and buy stuff.
You can find a variety of food items and other stuff in this wonderful market. This is definitely worth a visit.
A trip to Bangkok is never complete without a visit to Chatuchak Weekend Market which is the largest
market in Thailand. Hundreds of shops selling variety of items at low prices.
Plan to go there early as it opens because once you have finished shopping inside
and reach the stalls outside the temperature will be very hot.
There is a new mall opposite the market which also has several stalls and food court. After visiting the market you can enter the mall to cool off with a good foot massage.
There are several foot massage shops inside this market and charge
you only 150 THB for half hour massage. Very relaxing and a must try.
Absolutely amazing market. So many items you can buy for a low price. There are thousands of shops in this market.
There are plenty of restaurants in this market with amazing food menu. It is very difficult to choose as all of them are equally tasty.
Thai food is worldly regarded as the one of the finest. You can never get tired of the Thai food. So many choices and very tasty. A must try Thai food are Yellow Curry (Kaeng Lueang), Tom Yum Goong (Hot and sour prawns soup), Pad Thai (Stir fry noodles), Red Curry, Green Curry, Khao Pad (Thai style fried rice) Green papaya salad.
Thailand also have several Chinese and Japanese eateries you can find in the malls and street. We were amazed to find Sushi in the century mall next to On Nut station at a very low price. The display of sushi was mesmerizing.
The mall also had a food section at the ground floor selling so many varieties and also fresh spices.
As you step outside the Century Mall there are so many food stalls selling different Thai fresh food. These come around 90 to 120 THB and is cooked right in front of you.
The Papaya salad we had from this vendor along with the Grilled Chicken tasted so good.
Fried fish and Satay sticks
We had to use an online translator to understand the menu. Amazing taste though.
Visit the flower market as well when you are there. You can
find several plants and flowers for sale including rare ones. The market is huge,
and they display arrangements of flowers which are so beautiful. You really must
spend one whole day at the Chatuchak Weekend Market and flower market. We did most of our shopping from this market.
Our 8 days in Thailand was amazing but felt very short.
Some recommendations for places to stay as part of research before travelling to Thailand
ZIP hotel Pattaya - Night life only a few steps from the hotel including restaurants and bars. However you wont hear any sound inside the room. Very friendly staff, large rooms, proper housekeeping. Food served in hotel is also good.
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