Feels great to be back at the airport again in less than 2 weeks’ time from my last trip. Definitely feels excited to fly again.

This is another relaxation and rejuvenation trip. I can also take this opportunity to revisit some of the familiar places that I used to frequent whenever I am in Bangkok (hopefully they are still around and not fall prey to Covid). So, I am really looking forward to it.

Thankfully, effective 1 Jul 2022, the need to apply for the Thailand Pass before entering the Land of Smiles is no longer required. In addition to that, mask wearing is also not mandatory for both outdoor and indoor settings. Yay! That certainly makes life easier. One less thing to contend with. 👍

Experiencing the newly revamped Krisflyer Gold Lounge in Terminal 3. Much more spacious and comes with attached restroom and bath facility now.

Enjoying a simple and nice brunch prior to boarding.

The Land of Smiles……here I come……🏃‍♂️💨💨💨

Feels good to be back here again at Suvarnabhumi Airport after more than 2 years hiatus. 😀

After baggage collection, proceeded to B2 for the Airport Rail to Sukhumvit. There is no change on how to get to downtown Bangkok from airport. You may refer to my previous blog on how to use the public transportation saving on time and money. Literally hassle free. 👍

Upon reaching Makkasan Station (5 stops from airport station), you just need to take the skywalk to Phetchaburi MRT Station.

This is the sheltered skywalk linking both stations.

From Phetchaburi Station, it will be just 1 stop to Sukhumvit Station. Super convenient.

My overall feel and experience of The Land of Smiles, how should I put it? 🤔

The airport is busy but not overly busy as in the past. The train is packed with commuters but not sardine-packed as before. Definitely a good time now to visit.

Instead of staying over at my usual Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit, I decided to stay over at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit for this trip after coming across negative reviews on the former hotel on booking.com. Decided to be better safe than sorry.

Loved the big and spacious room which is crucial for me since I will be there for 7 nights. Strictly no compromise on that. 😉

The guest relation service is tip-top without a doubt especially being a Marriot Bonvoy Elite Gold Member. 😊

Complimentary welcome drinks for Elite Gold Member at the Hotel Zest Bar & Terrace.

Cheers to good health!

This hotel is conveniently located beside Terminal 21.

Shopping in Terminal 21 allows you to feel as though you are travelling the world in downtown Bangkok.

Different levels feature different country theme. Interesting concept.

This trip focus primarily on catching up on food, cafe hopping, foot reflexology and some shopping activities.

Pier 21 is one such place, located on Level 5 of Terminal 21, their local food court where you can get to enjoy cheap and good quality food.

A must visit place whenever I am in Bangkok.

There are a lot of similar food court that you can find other than Pier 21. Gourmet Eats is one of such.

Similar to our rojak. Goes extremely well with the concocted rojak sauce.

Finally had a chance to try the original Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice (THB 70) here too. Rice is fragrant but chicken meat is not as tender as back home. Overall, still good and acceptable. Another one of those been there done that kind of activity. 🙂

Another used to frequent joint in the past, Auntie Anne’s. It has been years since I last had Auntie Anne’s so thought of having it for old time sake. Prices are definitely much affordable here compared to back home.

Always enjoyed their Pretzel Dog and Lemonade. They seem to have the best Lemonade in my words.

Similarly, chanced upon The Pizza Company which is also one of those food that I had in the early years of my Bangkok trip.

Comes with ham, smoked sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, pineapple & pizza sauce.

We order the same items as we would normally have. Quality is still as good as before. Glad to be able to reminisce the good old days again.

In Bangkok, you will come across many small street lanes and there are many street side food cart peddlers where you get to find food gems too.

One such food cart peddler selling noodles.

Never judge a noodle by its plain looks. This is awesomely tasty and soup is super flavourful too. A great breakfast treat for sure. 👍👍👍

Another good breakfast option will be Rung Rueang Pork Noodles located about 5 mins walk from EM Quartier, 10/3 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110.

This is a popular Thai-style pork noodles with tom yum and comes with dry versions with Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Also known as Thai Bak Chor Mee. 😀 Their minced pork and soup is super power & flavourful.

Dry version of the minced pork & fish egg noodle. Definitely one of the best bak chor mee that I have had. 👍👍👍 Bon appetit…

Tom yum soup version of the mixed pork and fish. The tom yum is not overly spicy and sourish that you can imagine. Still power is all I can say.

One other place to consider will be a local food joint along the road right beside Phrom Phong BTS Station.

You can get to sample a selection of their local street snacks here too.

Or to enjoy a plate of local chicken rice which is also one of their eat must street food.

Their chilli sauce is just so good and best part the plate of rice comes with a chicken blood cube too. Rare to come by.

Another favourite local street snack. The chilli sauce spice is damn good with the fried items.

Also, the Thai Crispy Taco with fillings. They have both the sweet & savoury version depending on your preference.

Located near Victory Monument BTS Station where you will find traditional Thai Boat noodle in this boat noodle alley.

There are various stalls that you can hop around in search of your favourite stall.

Decided to try out Ruathong Noodle since all stalls looks so good and legit to me.

A good starter to have. It’s crisply delicious.

Aftermath of the sampler at Ruathong Noodle.

Moving on to the next stall, Pranakorn Noodle and continue with my noodle sampling.

Another accomplishment. The verdict? The food quality is more or less the same without much distinction and all sampler bowl costs THB 16 each. In conclusion, you may just pop in to any stall and you will still be guaranteed of a good meal. 😊

Uniquely interesting breakfast at McDonald’s at Big C Super Centre.

The dough is fluffily soft and tasty. Though I am not a big fan of McDonald but I wouldn’t mind trying something that is not found back home. 😊

Having a jolly good feasting time at ICONSIAM open space indoor dining with an extensive range of street snack stalls.

It’s so crispily, crunchily, deliciously good.

Tastes like boat noodle and similar to our pig’s organ soup.

Similar to our kway chap a.k.a. Thai 卤肉饭.

Succulently tasty. This is heavenly.

Assortment of kueh kueh.

Last but not least, colourful dumplings, coconut strip with coconut milk. Sinfully good. 😋😋😋

The pistachio bar at The Baker is super good. The cake texture is soft on the inside coupled with the pistachio flavoured white chocolate coating. Beyond words literally. Sweet tooth lover, this is for you! 💪

Chilling out at Coffee Beans By Dao at Central Embassy. An up-market café comparable to TWG.

One of their signature item, the white chocolates are damn good. Something unique.

This is another power drink. Really good is all I can say.

Equally good with strong coffee aroma.

Came across Victoria by Cocotte at EM Quartier and did a pit stop for recharging. A nice place to chill over cuppa.

Mellow green tea – Jasmine Premier Rose & Lavender. Truly refreshing drink.

Sit back, relax and chill at % Arabica at ICONSIAM. I love this outlet; huge, clean and spacious. In fact % Arabica ICONSIAM is the flagship store in Thailand and also the biggest store in South East Asia.

See the 360-degree view of this store and be smitten & mesmerized.

Leans on the sweeter side of coffee spectrum compared to Kyoto Latte.

Great pastries they served. Interestingly, I did not get a chance to try % Arabica back home. The first time I tried is here in Bangkok. 😀 It’s very affordable at almost half the price! 😱

Relaxing and watching the world goes by at Paul at the Emporium.

Thai ceylon tea with fresh lime.

Elderflower, green apple and soda. Both drinks are refreshingly good too.

White Flower Factory at Siam Square One is another agenda on my to-do list for dessert.

A star cake to order. Words just can’t describe and do justice. You will need to experience it for yourself.

For those who know me well enough, you should know why this drink. 🤫

Catching up on Greyhound Café, located on Level 4 of Central Shopping Mall which is one of the intended visit for this trip. 😊

Original French onion soup with French bread and melted cheese served with toasted garlic brioche. Though good but felt it lack on the beefy broth flavour. Else it will be perfect.

Mixed mushrooms and tofu with spicy North Eastern style waterfall dressing served with sticky rice. This dish certainly has its kick on spice just like having Som Tum.

Deep fried marinated mini chicken wings in fish sauce. The star of the intended trip. It is a must order item. Strictly no compromise! Swear by the heart! I liked the fact that they serve using half of the mid-joint wing which makes it easy to eat.

What a better way to bring to the end of a satisfying meal. 😋

Quick bite at Taco Bell at Mercury Ville @ Chidlom. I have been recommended to try and here I am. 😊

Trying out the new naked chicken taco. Instead of the usual hard or soft taco, it uses chicken patty made in the shape of taco and wrapped with diced tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise sauce.

Both the taco and crispy chicken is good especially with the provided hot & fire sauce.

Snack break at Teraoka Gyoza at Siam Paragon.

All-in-One tasting platter of their 5 best selling gyozas; Chicken, Prawn, Seafood, Spicy Kurobuta & Vegan Mushroom. If you notice, it is depicted on the plate too.

Having a yuzu-licious time at Yuzu House at centralwOrld.

I loved this place, everything is all about yuzu. 😀

A visit would also not be complete without having a dessert at After You. One of those must do activity type. 😀

Their toast is always so good. Never fails.

Dessert time at Mango of Yenly Yours. Mad about mangoes.

It is a must to pay homage to Laem Charoen Seafood located on Level 4 at Siam Paragon or Level 7 at EM Quartier whenever I am in Bangkok.

Their unique signature dish cooked with fish sauce until crisp and golden. Simple yet full of flavour. A must order dish without fail! The main purpose of coming here (at least for me). 

Seafoodilicious meal. 👍👍👍😋😋😋

Savouring yet another great seafood meal at Bann Ying, centralwOrld.

Value for money; the fish is as fresh as it can get, you get chunks of crab meat with the omelette, succulent prawn meat & tenderly soft beef brisket. Awesomely satisfying.

It is almost like a standard ritual to have lunch at Man Fu Yuan Kitchen at EM Quartier each time I visit Bangkok. 😊

Generous serving of thick cut fish maw with sliced bamboo shoots.

This is my all-time favourite dish.

As fresh as it can get. Food quality here is always guaranteed.

Enjoying a nice tonkatsu meal at Katsukura Kyoto located inside Rose Dining on Level 4 ICONSIAM.

Natural prawn cutlet,pork tenderloin cutlet, eel & shrimp steamed savoury custard. Oh mine, the prawn cutlet is huge in size and importantly tender and succulent.

Burdock, carrot, field pea, squash and Shitake mushrooms. This is uniquely delicious. Light-eaters will love it.

Yuzu-licious refreshingly.

Slurping up a bowl of ramen at Iroha Ramen on the Japan food avenue at centralwOrld.

White Ajitama Shrimp Ramen – uses dried shrimp powder and shrimp shell in soup to bring out the flavour. おいしいです.

2nd stomach at work with a nice warabi mochi at the Japan food avenue.

I have come across this joint, Yum Saap many times whenever I am in Bangkok but did not think of trying the food. This time round, I chanced upon it again at Siam Square One and have decided to give it a try.

I am glad I tried, the food is just so good, tasty and delicious. Yum yum…now I know why it is called Yum Saap. 🤭

Shopping time……there are many many major shopping malls around downtown Bangkok which I will step through for this trip. Shopaholics are bound to be spoilt for choices. I guaranteed. 😉

Visited the newest shopping mall in the heart of Bangkok, The Market Bangkok located right beside Big C Super Centre located at Ratchaprasong-Pratunam area. This is a casual trendy mall offering fashion boutiques, restaurants & cafés and houses the flagship Don Don Donki in Thailand. All the shop floors seem vacated at the time of visit. Not too sure if it has not fully opened or they became a victim of Covid. 🤔

Central Embassy, where you find almost all high end designer label where you can shop to your hearts content.

A large shopping mall operated by the Central Group. It is also linked to Central Chidlom via Level 2.

centralwOrld, another big shopping plaza and complex that houses abundance options for restaurants go-ers leaving you spoilt for choice.

Next up will be Gaysorn Village, a building complex which includes Gaysorn Tower, an office tower block and Amarin Plaza shopping centre.

Amazed by the measuring tape decoration inside Gaysorn Village.

One other largest shopping mall, Siam Paragon which all tourists to Bangkok is bound to visit for sure. Ever since the pandemic started, there are changes and somehow this place seems to be more vibrant and happening than before.

On the other hand, Siam Centre is now much quieter with some empty shop units sighted coupled with the closure of the Food Junction on Level 2 that used to be a crowd puller. 😔

Hop on next to the adjacent Siam Discovery, a stylish multi-level retail with trendy boutiques, for more shopping.

In the vicinity there is Siam Square One, an urban, open-air shopping complex with International fashion brand and varieties of restaurants for your dining pleasure.

A visit will not be complete without paying a stop over at ICONSIAM, situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and is also one of the largest shopping malls in Asia.

It is highly recommended to take the free shuttle boat ride so as to get the feel of grand arrival in style.

Simply take the BTS and alight at Saphan Taksin Station.

From there, follow the directional signage to the pier to board the free shuttle boat.

Board the boat, enjoy the scenery as it set sail and make your grand arrival presence felt. 😊

MBK Centre used to be a happening place in the past but now seems to be undergoing revamp as the upper levels are mostly empty. The food court pricing on Level 5 has also increased a fair bit compared to the past. On a positive note, the lower levels shops have been upgraded and is now more atas and brightly litted. Probably things will improve further in time to come. 🤞

Platinum Fashion Mall, Thailand’s largest wholesale shopping destination where you derive the fashion ideas from. A good time to visit and shop as the mall is not so crowded compared to pre-Covid days.

You can get a real bargain for look-alike designer labels if you would like to own one but do not wish to pay through your nose. You name it, you have it. 🤣 Impressive?

Victory Mall, a local cozy shopping paradise with individual retail shops & restaurants and a nice food court too.

A place to consider if you happen to run out of shopping ideas. 😉

Not forgetting EM Quartier, another shopping mall that I like to pop by whenever I am in Bangkok as well.

Happen to come across Team Wang Design Pop Up stall at EM Quartier.

Fans of Jackson Wang will know what’s going on here. 😉

Thereafter, you may cross over to Emporium and continue to shop till you drop! 😲

Last but not least, another important stop-over point will be none other than Big C Super Centre for your one-stop shop grocery shopping.

This is where you stock-up (扫货) all your favourite items like instant mama noodles, their local tidbits, (for me importantly) all the various sauces & condiments for my cooking needs, etc. Can’t leave Bangkok without making a visit here even if it means a detour. 😲

Holy Moly! This Starbucks outlet in centralwOrld on Level 1 is by far the biggest ever that I have come across. It’s so cozy chilling out here and definitely a great place for WFH get-away.

In Bangkok, you can easily find a foot massage joint near where you are. 😉

If you were to ask which joint is recommended, I would say any joint would do for a simple reason (similar logic) just like you will never go wrong with ramen in Japan. 😀

For me, I would always look for a joint that provides a massage chair that can fully recline and price between THB 200 to THB 300 per hour. That’s my no-brainer guideline.

I would love at least one foot massage a day whenever possible. A perk for my feet. (Happy feet makes a happy man!) Must always take good care of it as it will carry you a long way. 😊

Time always flies whenever I am having a good time. Some may comment that 8D 7N is sure a long trip just to Bangkok only. While for me, I hope it could be longer, so that I could have more time and stroll through the places that I have long not visited. Overall, it has been a good & fun week out and enjoying my fair share of fooding, café chilling and shopping.

Enjoying a light meal at Thai Royal Orchid Lounge prior to boarding. The lounge is spacious and cozy. Great for relaxation.

Reasonably satisfactory spread of items offered.

While walking towards the departure gate, caught hold of the newly renovated Miracle Lounge so couldn’t resist but to check it out as well. Looks really classy now. 👍

Equally good selection of food items offered as well.

Till my next trip coming up next month! Bye Bangkok and time for home coming.