Bangkok became one of the favorite destinations for travelers. Cost of life that fairly cheap, shopping paradise, street food everywhere, rich cultural heritage and the energy of this city itself. Previously, I wrote some information about the foods that you should try when visiting Bangkok, you can see it here! Now, I want to share about the some places that I visited in Bangkok. LEGGO!

WAT PHO

Wat Pho is a Buddhist Temple Complex and one of the largest in Bangkok. This place is famous for the Golden Buddha, an enormous Reclining Buddha statue. Many tourists curious about the grandeur of this statue. To get into the room, guests are required to open their shoes and wear trousers. They provide some fabrics as well if you wearing a short. The entrance fee for this Buddhist Temple complex is 100 Bath.

Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 - 17:00 (Massage available until 18:00) 
Location: Maharat Road. Close to the river (about a half mile south of the Grand Palace), Old City (Rattanakosin) 
Price Range: The entrance fee is 100 baht

THE GRAND PALACE
The Grand Palace became a mandatory visit if you have a vacation in Bangkok. This palace has a very spacious complex area and was built at 1782. Now, the Grand Palace is still used for constitutional events and also acts as a museum as well as tourist attractions for travelers. The entrance fee to this palace is 500 Bath. The fee includes access to Wat Phra Kaeo, The Royal Thai Decorations & Coins Pavilion and Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, and Vimanmek Mansion Museum.

Opening Hours: Daily 08:30 - 15:30 
Location: Na Phra Lan Road, Old City (Rattanakosin) 
Price Range: Tickets sold from 8:30 - 15:30 and cost 500 baht! One ticket includes entry to Vimanmek Palace and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.





ROT FAI SRINAKARIN NIGHT MARKET
Well this one is a hangout place for Bangkok's youngsters. Rot Fai Srinakarin Night Market is the second largest in Bangkok. Ranging from foods, a wide variety of accessories and fashion items, to the vintage items can all be founded here. The foods is all so tempting, especially the seafood! When you enter more to the center of this market, many buildings are decorated with vintage concept. At that time, unfortunately a big rain poured down, so we decided to take shelter in an ice cream store. And we found a really delicious ice cream with yakult and Hokkaido milk flavor.

Opening Hours: 17:00 - midnight (Thurs-Sun) 
Location: Srinakarin Road Soi 51 (behind Seacon Square) 
BTS: On Nut (closest station but still requires a taxi journey)

Stores with Vintage Decorations

CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET
Who doesn't know Chatuchak Weekend Market? The market only opens on weekend and really famous in Bangkok. Bangkok means Chatuchak and Chatuchak means Bangkok. Chatuchak Weekend Market is the largest market throughout Thailand. There are about 8.000 stalls here. This weekend market also sells anything from street foods, cafes, restaurants, accessories, clothes, souvenirs and you can even find plants or flowers here. Each category has its own area. I think one day is not enough to explore this large market.

Opening Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 09:00 - 18:00, and Fridays 18:00 - 24:00. Plant sections are also open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 07:00 - 18:00. 

Damnoen Saduak Floating market is actually not in Bangkok. It should be about 2 to 2.5 hours from Bangkok to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market by car. The distance is almost the same like Jakarta to Bandung. Actually, this floating market kind of disappointing for me. In addition to touring and boat rental prices that fairly expensive, this floating market is also deserted. It really different from what I imagine of a floating market. 

By Bus: There are public buses leaving from the Southern Bus Terminal every 40 minutes from 06.00 hrs. onwards. Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi about 109 kilometres south of Bangkok or approximately 2 hours drive. Fare is around Baht 50 one way. The most suitable time to be at the floating market is from 08.00-10.00 hrs.

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Aside for its cultural and shopping experience, Bangkok is also popular with their foods! There are varieties of foods that you should definitely try. And the happiest thing is they got so much cheap price for foods.  On this post, I will give you information and review about foods that I ate at Bangkok. So, here it is! Oh, and check my other culinary experience at Seoul and Busan :)

1. Fish Soup with Rice

Fish soup is a common food at Bangkok and you can find it easily anywhere. As its name, they serve rice with fish stock soup in a bowl. It has fish fillets, some mushrooms, carrots, and sprinkles it with celery. The soup was really fresh and had a clean feeling for your body. This fish soup taste mild and healthy for me. Adding some chili soy sauce would be perfect. I ate this soup near victory monument; I don’t really remember the name of the restaurant. That time, we were just hungry and decided to eat whatever food that attracts us. The one that I remember is it was a small and friendly restaurant. They didn’t even have English on their menu. So yes, I ordered by looking on the menu’s photos. 

2. Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of the most popular foods at Bangkok and it is known internationally. It is basically a stir fry rice noodle. They use so many ingredients to cook this amazing dish such as chicken fillets, eggs, tofu, shrimp, bean sprouts, garlic chives, radishes and many more. Sometimes it also can contain other seafood ingredients like crab or squid. Then, Pad Thai will be served with chopped roasted peanuts. It has a little bit fresh sour taste from tamarind pulp. The one that I ate was Chicken Pad Thai and they sprinkled it with some dried prawn. I found this dish in one of many food stalls at Rod Fai Train Market. Same as fish soup, Pad Thai is also a very well known local dish from Thailand and you will find it easily anywhere at Bangkok. 

3. Salt Coated Grilled Fish

Pratunam (in front of Platinum Fashion Mall) is one of the famous street food and local restaurant area. You can find so many foods here. I went there and saw so many stalls along the way grilling on some kind of fish. They grilled it on the street while asking people to buy. It turned out to be a salt coated grilled fish. Then I bought it to filling my curiosity. I have to say that this dish was not my favorite. The fish was kind of smelly and so fishy. I thought it will be salty and savory but it just plain. However, for those who are grilled fish lovers you should try this. Maybe I was not on my luck that day.

4. Banana Pancake 

You know that we always have room for a dessert! Still at Pratunam area, there is one common sweet dish that called banana pancake. It is different from a usual pancake that we eat when breakfast. This dish actually similar with Martabak Telur however topped with banana. They will whisk some eggs then fried in butter while adding bananas. On top of that, they sprinkled some sugar and condensed milk. The taste is sweet because of caramelized bananas. I think it would be good to be eaten with a glass of hot coffee.

5. Coconut Ice Cream 

Coconut Ice Cream is a very well-known and famous dessert from Bangkok. As its name, they serve some ice cream inside a coconut bowl. Then, they will add the coconut meat itself and some jellies; last they will sprinkle it with some peanuts. This dessert really matches with Bangkok’s hot weather. It was sweet and refreshing. Coconut Ice cream can easily found at weekend or local market. There are also some mobile stalls that sell this sweet dish.

6. Mango Sticky Rice