Hi Kevin
As promised, I'm writing you a mini guide to Bangkok for Kevin. Well, I said mini but it's actually a very longggg post.
Contents
- The name
- Places to visit: Parks, Coffee shops,
- Art gallery
- Food
- Fruit
- Weather
- Song rec
- Thai Phrases
Start with the name: Bangkok
Thai people call the city “Krungthep”, o. กรุงเทพ in Thai alphabet, which doesn’t sound anything like Bangkok, and Bangkok is the old name we use back in hundred years ago. The city holds the world record for the longest name of a place, because the full real name is actually 'Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit ..!' 🤭 - the meaning is something like ‘the city that was created by angels’.
How to get around Bangkok:
Subway: Most famous places to visit in town are accessible to MRT (subway) or BTS (Skytrain), the two are operated by different companies so you have to buy tickets separately.
Taxi: Taxi fare starts at 35 Thai baht, but beware of scammers! Always ask them to turn on the meter counting machine!
Grab: If you don’t trust taxis, I suggest you download the application Grab, this is the Thai version of uber, and it’s very easy to use. They also have a translation mode so you can communicate with drivers.
Parks:
In case you can’t sleep or wake up too early, I recommend you some parks to visit for your early morning walk. Well I don’t know which hotel you will be staying, but I guess it’s in town so here are some of them.
Lumpini park
⏰: Open daily 5.00 am - 9.00 pm
🚇: Lumpini MRT (subway) Station or Silom MRT (subway) Station are all within a five minute walk of the park, which has many entrances, or by taxi or Grab.
🚶: Lumpini park is one of the largest parks in Bangkok. You can walk around, watch the sunrise, or talk to animals.
⚠️: There’re lots of water lizards that look like a tiny version of a crocodile. i know you'll find them cute but Don’t get near them! They'll bite ! And in the Thai context, these boys are the symbol of bad things or unlucky events. We use its name as curse words ;-; poor them 🦎
Benjakitti Park
⏰: Open daily 5.00 am - 9.00 pm
🚇: 10 minute walk from Sukhumvit MRT (subway) Station or Asoke BTS (subway) Station, or by taxi, or Grab.
🚶: The park’s centerpiece is a relatively large lake (for Bangkok at least) surrounded on all sides by well-groomed flower bushes and trees. Go for a cruise on a pedal-powered swan boat, or just enjoy the photogenic reflections of surrounding skyscrapers.
Coffee and Breakfast: ☕
Always start your day with coffee! In case hotel's coffee and breakfast don't suit your taste or it's too early for them to serve, here are some places you'll like
Tim Hortons
Yes we have Tim Hortons here! And unlike Vancouver, as you’ve mentioned before, Tim Hortons here sells Iced Americano!
They also have lots of branches that you can visit or buy from. The biggest one I guess is at Samyan Mitrtown (Samyan MRT Station) or if you come from the park I mentioned above, the nearest is at All Season Place (Lumpini MRT station). Or you can order it from the Grab application as well. (it’s called Grab food, similar to Uber eats)
Starbucks
Every mall has Starbucks with Iced Americano. Or you can also order via the Grab Food application. No need to say more. Starbucks does maintain their standard worldwide.
Breakfast Story:
Pancakes, waffles, American Breakfast, eggs, and more
Boost Juice Bar:
Juice and Smoothies for your daily immune system and energy boost
Art Gallery
I’m kinda disappointed of my city for not having any good art galleries in town ;-;. I actually visited them for the past month just so I can tell you about it but sadly, nothing worth visiting so far. Anyways, here are some places I’ve been to, in case you have spare time (but you don’t lol)
Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) - link: https://en.bacc.or.th/events/exhibitions/1/
But what makes me more hooked than the art displayed here is there is an ice cream shop that sells Durian ice cream that you’ve mentioned before! The place is called IceDEA and its durian ice cream just looks like Durian.
River City Bangkok - link :https://rivercitybangkok.com/
There're some interesting exhibitions during your time!
Authentic Thai Food
As you may have already known some famous Thai food like Tom Yum Kung or Pad thai, I recommend you something less common but still famous: Kang Kiew Wan or translated as Green Curry. The dish is based on coconut milk and fresh green chillies, the color comes out creamy mild green, and it's less spicy than other Thai curry.
Another dish that might suit your grandpa tastebuds lol is Miang kham.
Miang kham mostly consists of raw fresh “Chaplu’ leaves that are filled with roasted coconut shavings and the following main ingredients chopped or cut into small pieces, such as ginger, garlic, lime, nuts, and dried shrimp. I’m really quite sure you’ll like this though I don’t know where you can have it if it’s not in a very authentic Thai restaurant.
Local Fruit
As you've mentioned you'd like to do a live eating tropical fruit, now it's the sign for you to start it.
Durian! It's almost the end of their season, so if you like to try, it's better be now. Always ask the sell for not too hard and not to soft texture so you get the perfect taste of them. There're lots of its breeds but may favourite is Monthong, literally means “golden pillow” in Thai. It's the largest of other thai durain breeds.
⚠️: Do not drink alcohol drink before or after durian ! It's toxic against each other and could cause fatal symptoms. Well a sip won't kill but please don't risk anything here, you still need to be the boyz for us 😭
Lamyai (Longans)
Sweet and juicy.
Ngor (rambutan)
The outside might look hideous but the inside is just soft, juicy, and sweet.
Papaya:
Last time you're here (I think it's KCON Bangkok) you mentioned that you like papaya the most.
Weather:
It's rainy season so it rains a LOT and as I checked, the tour date here will have thunderstorms for both days 😭 what we can expect is that the weather would be not that hot as Thailand always be. Still, the sleeveless, shorts, slippers, and cropped top agenda are still available ~~~ feel free to wear them here~ and it's very humid too, just wear something light~
Song recommendation:
Lean (or พิง read as 'Ping') by Nont Thanon
Apple Music : Lean - Nont Thanon
Link to English lyrics - https://youtu.be/92nsaqgwmN0
Sleep Now (or นอนได้แล้ว read as 'Non dai laew') by The Toys - I like this song, and the lyrics kinda suit you because it says it's time to sleep now 😂 Would you sing this? The boyz singing the toys song lol
Apple Music : Sleep now
Music Video: https://youtu.be/Cxoptfa3AmQ
Greetings:
I've seen you post Are you ready? in many languages. I know you've learned that from your friends but do you happen to have any Thai friends? I could be one tho 😂. Here are some phrases you can speak or copy paste me in your twitter posts.
"เดอะบี พร้อมมั้ย พร้อมมั้ย ตื่นเต้น ตื่นเต้น", read as "The B~ Prommai Prommai Teun-tten Teun-tten", literally mean are you ready? Are you ready? I'm excited, I'm excited. These phrases are mostly use in cheering songs like in school sports day or before any activities at school.
"ที่รัก", "Tee rak", is used to call loved ones, like darling in English
"ดีใจที่ได้เจอคุณ" "Dee jai tee dai jer khun" - I'm glad I meet you.
"เดอะบี สุดปัง!", "The B, Sood Bbang!" , - The Bs, you're the best ( but in very sassy way 😂) (yes it's bbang 빵 like when we call younghoon)
"ขอเสียงหน่อย", "Kor siang noi !" , MAKE SOME NOISE! If you shout this during your 'im about to play' part in Maverick, I'll scream the loudest! 📢
Note:
- Tattoos are not controversial here, so you can just let it be, no need 🩹 🥺
- When posting anything, please don't put the yellow heart emoji together with Thai flag 😭 well the symbol is not offensive in itslef but the group of dictat0rship supporters here use them to identify themselves in social medias and it just hurts my eyes to see 😂
- Traffic here is the worst! Prepare your time for going anywhere
- Most Thai understand some English, so please talk a lot. I love hearing you talk 💕
- Thai gov just made free weeds 🍃 legal. So when it's free, it means all free, like 🙃. And it's new and people still don't have enough knowledge about this so they just put it in anything you don't want it to be, like some food! Chain restaurants and hotels foods are reliable but if you somehow want to try local food, always ask the seller do you put weeds? Here it's called 'Gun cha', like Gun 🔫 and 차 🚗. !! This is important because as far as I know Korean law is very strict with this substance, so it's better to be careful. Do not eat brownies or cookies from unknown source, ever!
And just enjoy staying here ❤️ I love you and can't wait to see you!
Love
🌛 J.
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