Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok

Hubby and I took a quick trip to Bangkok last March and spent most of the time doing what else, shopping! If you know my husband, he's really allergic to going to bazaars or anywhere crowded. Case in point, I've been bugging him to drive me to Divisoria for years, and he just won't do it! But for some reason, he was really game this time around to check out the Chatuchak Weekend Market. We've both been here a few years ago (not together), so I was really excited to go back and experience it with him.

My new clothes from Bangkok

Here are some of my shopping loot from my trip to Bangkok last month. I'm just going to post my favorite buys since the others are just basics and if I post all, naku baka ilang pages tong post na to haha! ;p

I believe my style is evolving from being super trendy to more classic. Especially since I'm a mom, so I want to wear easy fitting and comfortable clothes, that still look elegant and appropriate for my age (nothing too sexy or tight please ;p). Before, most of the stuff I'd buy were prints and patterns in really loud and bright colors. I still like prints and colors but I'm now leaning more towards classic cuts and pieces that I know I can wear again and again.

This dress is probably my favorite buy  from the entire trip! I love the style, the color, the flowers, everything!

I also bought a couple more of these type of dresses which can go from casual to a more dressy occasion. I find that I also tend to gravitate towards the color beige or nude these days. :)

Of course, I couldn't resist buying white, classic tops (including the timeless polo) that I can wear practically everyday...

Well, I still couldn't resist a little print in my life! Here's a dress I got for only 200 baht or around P300! ;p

I also love stripes and the cut of this shirt makes it such a classic piece..

Denim is so hot right now and I couldn't resist buying these sleeveless polos for just P200 each! Love the studded details on the pockets and collar too!

I was supposed to give this shirt to my sister but decided to keep it for myself after hehe! I just love shirts that are longer in the back so I can wear them with leggings without exposing my butt lol. And I love the ants design (even the kids love it too!) ;p

Here are the stuff I bought from H&M. I love the color and details on this dress, like the tie-back and neckline...

This shirt is something I can see myself overusing. And it's so soft and comfortable to wear too!

I've been looking for the perfect pair of white jeans and I finally found them! On sale at 200 baht or about P300!

I mostly bought clothes, but I also got some necklaces like the ones below...

Can't wait to wear all these new stuff! But I also have to do some major closet clean-up soon! ;p

Food Trippin' in Bangkok

To be honest, I'm not an adventurous type of eater at all. I'm happy with my usual favorites like fried chicken, any type of breakfast food (bacon, spam, eggs, etc.), steak, pizza, pasta... So it's really sometimes such a struggle for me to find something I like to eat whenever we travel. Friends jokingly call me the "boring eater" since they can always predict what I'll order when we go out (mostly chicken). Hubby, on the other hand, will try anything and everything! The more exotic the better. We did spend quite a lot of time eating on this trip and we revisited our usual favorites and tried some new restaurants as well.

One of our go to places to eat in Bangkok is the food court at CentralWorld Mall. I usually order hainanese chicken and fried rice, then hubby always gets his favorite oyster omelet.

can you guess which ones are mine? ;p

classic Thai dessert - mango with sticky rice

we also love the supermarket at CentralWorld!

We had quite a hard time choosing where to eat in Terminal 21 since there were a lot of choices. After checking out the food court and all the restos, we decided to eat here in MIX since we saw it was one of Thailand's Best Restaurants last year.

The food was good and I really liked the presentation (especially the rice!). But I honestly felt more busog when we ate at the food court hehe! Our total bill was about 500 baht.

One tradition we have whenever we're at Bangkok is to have dessert at Swensen's. Good thing they opened it here in Manila na din, but somehow it's just more yummy when we eat it abroad hehe! We ordered the chocolate lava and it was to die for!!!

I'm drooling just looking at this pic... YUMMMMM...

the best!

Hubby loves milk tea so he tried this Horlicks flavored one, which he couldn't stop raving about...

It's funny because after eating so much food from the country you're in, don't you suddenly find yourself craving for some fast food? And that's exactly what happened to us lol! Yey for some good ol' McDonald's!

We had dinner again in CentralWorld and finally settled on Mango Tree. Funny since we've never eaten in any of their branches in Manila, so talagang sa Bangkok pa namin na try! At least authentic diba? ;p

spring rolls

beef with basil

and.. Southern fried chicken for me! hahaha!

On our last day, I was really craving for McDo again, so we had breakfast here. Hubby also tried their new McBubble drink which was pretty good according to him. :)

Luckily, I don't think we gained weight since we kept walking the whole time! ;p

Terminal 21 Mall in Bangkok

One of the main things we planned to do when we went to Bangkok last month was go to Terminal 21, a mall we had never been to before in our previous trips. What got me interested to explore this mall was the fact that it had a "travel/airport" theme, with each floor representing a different country.

we took the train and went down at ASOK station, which has a direct access to the mall

According to Bangkok.com, the nine floors at Terminal 21 house some 600 shops, a Cineplex, supermarket and a food court with all kinds of mouthwatering Thai and international fare. 

The basement level (LG) has a Caribbean theme and is where you will find the Gourmet Market, take-away food outlets, market-style food vendors as well as banks and bookstores. 

The ground floor brings you to Rome, with all kinds of international and local fashion labels such as Kipling, Fox, CC:OO, Nike, Jaspal, Adidas, Levi’s, and more.

Paris on M floor takes you to the Champs-Élysées, where more fashion brands await your discovery. The 1st to 3rd floors are home to smaller shops by local independent labels. 

Women’s fashion is found on the 1st floor (Tokyo).

The men’s section is on the 2nd floor (London). They also have lots of nice picture taking spots like the ones below.

The 3rd floor (Istanbul) is for gifts, jewellery, fashion accessories, toys, beauty products and home décor. With an eclectic collection of shops, this floor has a look and feel of a Middle Eastern zouk but with a modern twist.

Now to the main highlight, San Francisco on the 4th and 5th floors, where you will find more than 50 restaurants and cafés. Both restaurant chains and independent outlets are represented here, among them Pepper Lunch, MK, Chabuton, Dory Seafood Bistro, Secret Recipe, Tohkai Yakiniku, Tony Roma’s, Fuji, Ootoya, The Canton House, Baanying Café and Swensen’s. If you like a food court experience, head up to Pier 21 on the 5th floor. 

the Golden Gate Bridge, my favorite display in the entire mall

PULL!

love this wall in front of a Thai Restaurant named Reflections

where to eat, where to eat? so many choices at the food court...

To complete the lifestyle experience, Terminal 21 also has an eight-screen cineplex on the 6th floor operated by SF Cinema City. Two of these eight cinemas have digital 3D screens.

I wasn't really planning on shopping here since of course it was expensive compared to the tiangges and Platinum Mall. But then, I was surprised to find out that there was an H&M store here and they were on SALE! Winner! ;p

We had a nice time exploring this mall. Even if you don't plan on shopping, just the overall ambiance and displays per floor is enough to keep you occupied. And of course, lots of food choices! Hopefully we can come back again sometime soon. :)

even their bathrooms have themes!

Terminal 21

Opening Hours: 10:00-22:00
Location: Sukhumvit Road (between Soi 19 and 21)
MRT: Sukhumvit
BTS: Asok (direct access via Skywalk)

Bustling Bangkok

Last month, I went with hubby to Bangkok during a 3-day work related trip. I've been to Bangkok twice before (and both times when I was pregnant! so technically, Miley and Sabe have been there too ;p) and have already done all the touristy things like the city tour, temples, floating market, dinner cruise, etc. So this time, I just wanted to spend some quality time with hubby and of course, to shop til I drop hehe! And besides, tagging along on business trips are always the best since we just paid for my airplane fare. Free na un hotel then may per diem pa si hubby hehe!

We were booked at the Arnoma Hotel, which was excellent location wise. It was right across CentralWorld Mall and beside Big C Supercenter, which was a grocery and department store. It was also a few minutes walk from Platinum Mall, the best shopping place ever! And it was also walking distance to the train station.

right across the hotel, CentralWorld, one of our favorite malls in BKK

of course, hindi pwede palampasin ang picture in their mall photobooth ;p

Hubby and I split up during the afternoon and I immediately went to Platinum Mall, which is my favorite place to shop here. During my first time in BKK, I swear, my sister and I practically spent the entire trip here. I've been to markets like Pratunam and Chatuchak, but it's Platinum I keep coming back to. I like the fact that it's aircon and clean and I just find the clothes and accessories so much better. It can get overwhelming though since it's 6 floors of pure shopping paradise (most of the floors are dedicated to ladies wear, but there's a floor for the guys and kids too ;p). Sorry I don't have photos of the inside since bawal to take pics, although I think that's the last thing you'll think of once you go through the entrance lol! Take note, their prices are usually final (you get discount though if you buy wholesale, which is 2 pieces or more), you can't fit the clothes, and no return / no exchange.

my happy place!

Even though I did quite a bit of damage to our pocket money here, I think I was much smarter and controlled this time compared to previous trips. Before, I wouldn't even think twice about buying something as long as it was cheap, even though I didn't like it so much or it didn't fit properly. Plus, since the price drops significantly if you buy at least 2 pieces, I'd always get 2 or more of something para lang may discount. This time, I made sure I was really going to wear it before I bought it. And I wasn't afraid of spending a little more if I knew it was a classic piece and of good quality. I'm happy to say I love everything I bought and they all fit perfectly (whew!).

The nice view while walking from Platinum back to our hotel (sa kabilang side kasi puro traffic and squatters ang view)

The next day, hubby and I checked out Terminal 21, a mall we had never been to before. We took the train and good thing hubby knows his way around or I'll probably get lost by myself. I'll blog about the mall separately since it has quite an interesting concept. Anyway, we spent a good couple of hours here since aside from exploring the place, there was also an H&M store which was on SALE! What was funny is that it was hubby who ended up shopping so much here! Nung una, kunwari titingin lang daw, then before I knew it, ang dami nang hawak na hanger! I bought just 3 items (a dress, a top, and pants), while hubby practically bought an entire wardrobe! May suit pa ha! Pero it was all good, I love it when he gets excited shopping for clothes. ;p Besides, according to him, he only shops when he's with me naks!

ready to do some serious walking

the Bangkok Skywalk (their pedestrian walkway)

BTS

next stop: Terminal 21

rain, rain go away

look who's shopping now!

We were supposed to go to Asiatique after, a night bazaar by the river where you have to take a boat. But since it looked like it was going to rain, and the fact that we were so tired and tamad already, we just went back to the hotel to rest and have dinner at CentralWorld.

trying on the stuff we bought hehe!

The next day was mostly spent in Platinum again and then just eating and chilling out while waiting for our flight later that afternoon.

Sawadee Kha

at the airport, with the only cultural picture I have from this trip

It was a short and sweet vacation, but in my opinion, just the right amount of time if shopping is the only thing on your itinerary. Another day more and ubos na talaga ang pera namin hihi! Anyway, goodbye Bangkok and see you again soon! :)