Exploring Bangkok - Part 2

The past few days in Bangkok have been a lot of fun. We wrapped up our class on Friday afternoon and after a short break, Thomas and I headed to the shop of the famous Indian tailors, Victor and Jesse. Because I'm such a great daughter, I offered to pick up some more dress shirts for my dad. So I stopped by the shop to order them and pick out the fabrics. And a mere 24 hours later, 8 dress shirts were delivered to my hotel. This was the same shop where I purchased a few shirts for my dad last year. He was so impressed with them, that he wanted more. Afterwards, we found an Italian restaurant where we enjoyed steak! Again, we left we had to take full advantage of the beef in Thailand, since it is essentially non-existent in India. After dinner, we checked out some of the vendors lining Sukhumvit Street, stopping. We finally made our way back to the hotel and made plans for the following day.

On Saturday, I headed to the main Jim Thompson store to pick up a few things. Jim Thompson was an American business who is credited with bringing Thai silk to international attention. Although he mysteriously disappeared many years ago, his brand is still huge here and there are several stores through Bangkok, Thailand and around Asia. The last time I was in Bangkok, I visited the Jim Thompson House, but I spent the bulk of my time in the gift shop. I was obsessed with all of the silk merchandise there and I also managed to visit shops in Phuket and the Bangkok airport! This time I kept the shopping for myself to a minimum and instead bought several presents for folks back home.

In the afternoon, I met up with Thomas at the hotel and we headed to the Grand Palace. After taking the requisite photos and visiting the Emerald Buddha, we made our way to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. This was definitely the highlight of the trip for me and something I missed out on the last time I visited Bangkok. The market itself was huge (30 acres) and you can find almost anything there – toys, clothing, ceramics, pets, underwear, household appliances. Of course, I limited my shopping to clothing. I left with an armload of bags and had acquired several shirts and skirts, another bathing suit, and even a pair of silk shoes. Mission Accomplished.

Worn out from a day of shopping in the sun, I retreated to my room for a few hours. In the evening, Thomas and I had dinner at the hotel. Again, he enjoyed the mixed grilled, another specialty you can’t find in India. We wanted to go for a few drinks, but had no idea where to go. At the front desk, Thomas asked for recommendations on where “young people” would go out. The receptionists laughed and responded, “I don’t know. I’m not young.” Thomas then asked where someone in their late 20s would go and she responded, “That’s not young!” So apparently we are not young. In the end, she recommended a bar in an area called Radio City Avenue (RCA). We never actually found the bar she recommended, but the street was lined with bars and clubs. We wandered into one at the end of the street with a live band. To our surprise, the band was quite good and we enjoyed their music, along with a few Singha beers, before calling it a night.

Sunday was the best day of the whole trip. After breakfast, I treated myself to a pedicure, which my feet desperately needed. Then I decided to brave the sweltering November heat and hit the pool. I have no idea what the temperature was, but I do know the night before, it was 91 degrees at 6pm. So, I’m sure it was well above that and I couldn’t believe it was November. This is winter in Thailand. I only lasted for about an hour at the pool, but found it thoroughly enjoyable. Soon after, I packed up my belongings (there were many more of them know) and had a sandwich at the pool bar, before I had to meet Thomas for our ride to the airport.

And thanks to duty-free shops, my shopping expedition in Bangkok wasn’t over yet! Actually, I only picked up some alcohol for friends back in Delhi and called it quits. But all in all, the 5 days in Bangkok was quite nice and gave me a refreshing break from life in India. I’m definitely excited to go back, but I am not looking forward to the constant car horns, the frequent stares and the repeated attempts to offer me something I don’t want.