T56. Bangkok Part II

Chatuchak Weekend Market

As the name suggest, this weekend market is a must if you are in Bangkok.  Since I was staying around BTS's Nana Station, I conveniently took the train from Nana Station to Mo Chit Station.  If by MRT, the station to align would be Kampheng Phet station.
This time of the year Bangkok is always hot and humid so my wife decided to wear a mask.  I wonder if her intention was to filter the smell coming from the market.

Busted!!!

Price of goods is not really that cheap maybe the sellers want to give enough room for us to haggle, so haggle we did especially for buying shirts. General rule:  start asking for 60% from the written price for any goods.  I am not really good in haggling so I leave most of this sort of things to my wife.

My favourite rustic-looking plague

Halal foods also available

The famous clock tower.

The entrance into the market is relatively small but once inside, with the many twist and turn you might end up somewhere you are not familiar.  Luckily, there is a clock tower as a landmark and if anything happen such as lost or break away from your group, just regroup at the tower which is quite near to the exit.  With all the heat and stuffiness of an enclosed place, I got confused about direction, but my wife as usual steadily found the way out.  She always have no problem figuring out direction when shopping, be it open space market or complicated complex.

People gather for a damn cheap goods.

Platinum Fashion Mall & Tuk Tuk

Based on our reading, another not to be miss mall should be Platinum Fashion.  So we took the BTS on the opposite direction towards Chit Lom station.  Platinum Fashion should be walking distance. 

Out from Chit Lom station, there is a long stretch of walking alley on top of Ratchadamri Rd and on the left a huge shopping and high end living complex called Central World. 

We saw people gathered on some part of the walking bridge and certain part of the bridge and road were closed.  There were big number of police personnel at every corner that made me worried. 

Heavy security around shopping malls.

As it turned out, there was a reenactment of the bombing event that had happened recently around Erawan area and apparently the suspects were using this part of the city as a launching place.  That answers the question of heavy security condition and the many police personnel around this place.

  In the Platinum Fashion itself, we did find some interesting shirts with quite unique design which should be suitable for souvenir.  There is halal food stalls as well on the sixth floor.

The traffic back to jam-packed.

We couldn't imagine walking the same route back to Chit Lom Station so what's our choice?  Tuk Tuk of course.
Tuk Tuk is a three-wheel motorbike that used to be main transportation means in Bangkok but with the existence of city train its usage is less popular.  But I felt I need to ride this tuk tuk before this form of transportation unique to Thailand is forever gone.

Feel the Tuk Tuk ride [30s]

Terminal  21

 Taking BTS one station after Nana is Asok Station.  This is the centre of Sukhumvit district and Terminal 21 stands out among the many malls.  Why Terminal?  The concept of the mall is following an airport terminal, thus its name.  Each level is designated based on the airport of the city around the world such as London, Tokyo, LA etc.  Not surprising to find London bus and Sumo wrestlers in these levels.

Does it look like an airport?

She still thinks of Malaysia.

Samurai.

Spot the Sumo wrestlers.

London tube.

London red bus

I have no problem with this concept but knowing this is actually a shopping mall, the goods sold not really follow the concept of the floor.  I found a Chinese restaurant in the London floor.  How come?

So, what kind of 'shopping' do we ended up with in Bangkok.  Well not really till u drop shopping but it is more city touring or just a weekend in Bangkok.

Rare t-shirts, according to my wife.

Another rare items?