Bangkok Thailand: The Shopping Paradise

Tweet  

I’ve never thought about how blessed and lucky I am every time I am given the chance to travel and explore the beauty and culture of other countries. Actually, traveling is my best antidote for stress and occasional depression. Yes, you read it right. Just last month (September), despite tons of paper works and multiple tasks on my shoulder, I grabbed the chance to pause and breathe for a while. Another YOLO experience. Actually I had already been to the coastal area of Phuket Thailand in October 2011 during the Virgo Cruise Ship vacation sponsored by the City Government for its department heads. So thankful for the early Christmas gift of our very generous Santa Claus.  However, since we were on a cruise, there was only a very limited time to go around Thailand. So our hopes of lurking around Bangkok were quite impossible to realize because of the distance to Thailand’s main tourist attractions and shopping destinations.

Today, Thailand is considered as one of the best tourist destinations all over the world due to its favorable tourist climate. It’s been my hope and dream to return to this country, particularly to Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city.  Finally, I made it once again! Maybe it’s the result of my persistent hopes and desire to go back to Thailand. As quoted from the book, “The Secret,” by Rhonda Byrne: “Everything is possible, nothing is impossible. There are no limits. Whatever you can dream of can be yours, when you use, ‘The Secret.’ It is based on the law of attraction and claims that positive thinking can create life-changing results such as increase in wealth, health, and happiness.” Positive thinking drove me to go back to Bangkok, and I was so amazed with the available fashion craze- from clothing, bags, foods, garments and even house decors too, from high-end items to cheapest finds. For a person like me who is so thrifty and into cheapest finds, this place is a haven. Let’s start the bargain hunting!

Chatuchak or Jatujak Weekend Market-is the largest market in Thailand and the world’s largest weekend market. Most stalls are only open on Saturdays and Sundays. It is literally closed during weekdays, as we tried to go back on Monday morning to assist one of our companions who happened to be out of our group when we explored the chatuchak market. Our experience to taste Thailand’s delicious coconut ice cream happened here in this market.

Pratunam Market-Is one of Bangkok’s major markets and is Thailand’s largest clothing market. The name Pratunam means “Water gate”. You can buy clothes in bulk order for a cheaper price. The bigger bulk of clothes you buy, the bigger the discounts. I was able to buy here my coach bag in replica. However, I rarely used it, maybe i am still comfortable to use authentic one.

Floating Market-Is routinely crowded with hundreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying agricultural products and local food, which are mostly brought from their own nearby orchards. Therefore, it is a very attractive place for tourists to see this old style and traditional way of selling and buying goods. Here, I find most items are quite expensive, unlike in Chatuchak Market. So we just looked around and ate Thailand’s famous sticky rice in mango.

SIAM Paragon Mall- Is a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the biggest shopping centres in Asia. This is where signature brands and authentic fashion finds are located. My fashion home base! lol..There are lots of sumptuous meals offered in this mall.

The Grand Palace-Is a complex building at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. For quite some time since 1782, the palace had been the official residence of the Kings of Siam. But since 1925 the king, the royal family and the government have no longer permanently settled at the place, and have moved to other residences. The place is a “must visit” for those who will come to Thailand for a tour. The place is so amazing.

The Elephant Ride- Always part of the traveler’s “must do” list is elephant trekking, though some people are against using elephants this way saying the animals are not treated well. Elephants are an important part of Thai culture and their way of life. They are a traditional symbol of royal power. My experience here is just as happy and as positive as is seen in the pictures!