It’s a good a year and a half since I wrote the first part of this series and for that I feel ashamed (see it here: Thailand 2023: How We Planned Our Trip ft. Airport Stories). For the sake of my conscience and shame, I’m finally writing pieces 2 and 3!
I wrote our intended itinerary in the first part, let’s which ones we really went to in this second part.
Summary
Day 1
GMM Building
Since our flight got delayed, we only got to explore at night. The first stop was the reason why all of us are here (and probably why most tourists after 2020 are in Thailand, that’s just my theory.)
My friends and I became fans of Thai series, and the craving for pad thai and kra pao never ended.
When you enter the GMM building, you can stay at the lobby, like all fans do. You can enjoy the food stalls, you can also buy albums from the GMM Music stand on the ground floor, or you can also mingle with the other fans from all around the world.
If you wish to buy merchandises, you need to go to the reception, leave an identification card and they’ll give you a pass to the 30th floor.
They also have a photobooth on the ground floor where you can choose from different frames of your favourite artists!
Siam Paragon
Our next stop was one of the most famous malls in Bangkok – Siam Paragon! We went on June, it’s pride month and the city is filled with rainbows!
We also went to the food court to eat since we haven’t eaten anything since the Char Siu chicken in the plane.
Food courts in Thailand follow a very interesting system. You need to get a card and load it up by the reception. Whatever you load in the card, it’ll be the amount you can spend in the food courts. It makes it easier for the crew who only needs to issue receipts and swipe the card.
MBK Center
From one mall to another, we then went on a walk to the MBK center to see the overlooking view of Bangkok at night.
Day 2
Wat Arun
Now, the second day is where the proper tour starts. We woke up early to go to Wat Arun. Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn have been a place of worship since the 17th century. It houses the Emerald Buddha.
To get in, you would need to pay 100 baht, and it comes with a bottle of water. Since it is a place of worship, you should be dressed modestly. That means your chest, shoulders, and legs must be covers. They offer cloth to those who need it, too.
In order to get to Wat Pho, you have to cross the other side of the Chaor Phraya river.
On the way there, we saw an incredible artist making postcards!
Wat Pho
Wat Pho also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha which houses, you guessed it, the reclining Buddha. It dates back in the 18th century and it is the home of the traiditional Thai massage that we all know and love.
Khao San
After an entire day of walking, your Filipino tourists felt hunger and thus went to look for food. Khao San is a place we wanted to visit while in Bangkok, but we are not party people nor are we heavy drinkers so we just decided to go in the morning.
We were craving for something heavy, which is why we decided to look for Korean BBQ… in Bangkok. Like we won’t be able to find anything like that where we’re from.
Pratunam
In the evening, after taking a nap, we went to Pratunam for a quick shopping and for dinner!
Day 3
On our 3rd and 4th days, we travelled out of the capital to visit the ancient capital, Ayuttaya. This UNESCO World Heritage is home to ancient temple ruined by the Burmese-Siamese war in the 18th century.
Wat Ratchaburana
In the 15th century, Wat Ratchaburana was built by a former king in honor of his brothers who died in a duel for the throne. On the highest level of the temple, which is accessible to tourists, houses readings about the history of the temple.
Night Market
After our temple run, we took a rest and in the evening, we ventured out in the city to try some food in the night market.
The street is filled with lots of food to choose from. My pick of the night is a salad sold by a nong who says he likes Filipinos. The reason behind that still baffles us as he needed to assist a lot of people to have the time to chat.
Day 4
Wat Mahathat
The temple run continues and this day, we went to Wat Mahathat that houses the iconic “Buddha head in tree roots.” It was built in the 14th century and it used to function as a royal monastery.
One thing we noticed about the ancient temples is that all the heads of the Buddhas were cut, like precisely in a straight line. We’ve been wondering why that is. If anyone has any leads or know any good resources to read about it, it would be awesome!
Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit
Before lunch, we went to a temple in the Ayuttaya Historical park called “Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit.” Unlike the other temples, this one is restored and is visited regularly. It houses the Phra Mongkhon Bophit statue, one of the largest bronze Buddha image in the country.
I had to do merit before leaving because I picked out a bad number…
Ayuttaya Floating Market
For lunch, we road a tuktuk going to the floating market where we almost got drunk drinking samples of several fruit wines, and my friend, Ton, who’s not used to saying “no,” unknowingly bought slippers because the vendor already packed it. Lol.
Sanoh
After rest, and just before dinner we had coffee on a riverside coffee shop called Sanoh at Ayuttaya. We saw a monitor lizard just chilling on the side.
Night Market
For dinner, we went on another round of Night Market food trip!
Tonight, we dried a pack of bugs and a waffle (that somehow eludes me back home.)
Day 5
On the 5th day, we went back to Bangkok, this is the day my Catholic friends paid tribute to their religion after going to temples for several days.
Assumption Cathedral
The Cathedral has been around since the 19th century and was brought by French missionaries to the city
Iconsiam
For dinner, we ate at Iconsiam where we stayed later to watch the lights and fountain show!
Day 6
Our last day in Thailand is devoted to shopping. We went to the popular and large weekend market in Chatuchak (or JJ for short.)
We bought loads of yadoms and clothes to bring back home.
We even ran by a shop where some GMM artists (the ’91 men) went to. We bought a bunch of shirts and the owner gave us the photos <3
I also brought some books hoping to catch up on my Thai language learning.
Final and Actual Itinerary
Day 1
- GMM Grammy Building
- Ruam Sab Market
- Siam area/Siam Square/Siam Street Walking Street
- Siam Paragon
- One Siam Skywalk
Day 2
- Wat Arun
- Wat Pho
- Khaosan Road
- Pratunam
Day 3
- Ayutthaya
- Wat Ratchaburana
- Night market
Day 4
- Ayutthaya Floating Market
- Ayutthaya Elephant Palace & Royal Kraal
- Stroll along temples
- Night Market
Day 5
- Back to Bangkok
- Assumption Cathedral
- Iconsiam
Day 6
- Chatuchak Weekend Market
Thoughts
Since this our first out-of-the-country trip, we were very optimistic about the places we’re going to see. Not thinking much about how much energy is needed. Our flight getting delayed is also a bummer since we originally planned our trip our trip on an early time. All-in-all, it was such a fun experience.My friends and I are planning on going to annual overseas trips to have something to look forward to.
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