Immediately after Tina and I decided to spend our Hari Raya 2012 holiday last August in Bangkok, I wasted no time and asked some friends who recently have been to the Land of Smiles for recommendations and suggestions on what to do, where to go and how to maximize our 4D3N vacation. I communicated to them via where else but facebook. While on my other social network, twitter, I tried my luck in tweeting no less than the current United States Ambassador to Thailand, Madame Kristie Kenney. Fortunately, I got a prompt reply from the gracious ambassador. 
We first saw her upclose at a Haagen-Dazs event in Manila in 2009 (see blog post HERE). Then, we casually met US Ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney in Starbucks Coffee at Greenbelt 3, one Sunday afternoon of 2010. She was then the United States Ambassador to the Philippines and apparently a Manny Pacquiao fan (see her red T-shirt on the photo).
Although I considered heeding Madame Kristie Kenney’s suggestion to go to Asiatique, time and budget restricted us to do so. That newest place in Bangkok remains one of the reasons to revisit the city again. Despite we didn’t experience Asiatique, we absolutely enjoyed malls in Bangkok!
Other than going to Chatuchak Weekend Market, the Grand Palace, Wat Pho or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, we went to a few malls we fell love with! We checked out Siam Paragon, Central World, and Platinum Mall via taxi cabs and BTS train rides.
First stop : Siam Paragon!
Siam Paragon was endorsed by our friend, Dyan as the posh mall in Bangkok. True enough, it houses the most upscale brands and slick shops you can imagine. However, we were not intimidated. We felt relaxed actually, despite we just came from the hot and huge Bangkok weekend market, Chatuchak (look at Tina in the next photo, she even got those sando shopping bag from Chatuchak!)
I adore this dessert restaurant’s fedora hat drop lamps! Beautiful!!!
We thought the installation of a couple of fish tanks in the middle of the food court of Siam Paragon a wonderful idea. It gave me a chance to introduce to Gabby those cichlids while he was savoring his Burger King.
After dining in the food court and having ice cream at Swensen’s, we trooped to the basement of Siam Paragon to see Siam Ocean World. While I was busy capturing Gabby’s antics on photos, Tina headed to the counter to inquire on the admission rates. We settled on taking photos of Gabby as my wife found out that the Siam Ocean World prices were steep; I didn’t bother to ask.
Next mall : Central World. We love it more than Siam Paragon. It has the vibe of Glorietta Mall back home which is one of our favorites.
In Central World, we ate dinner at Din Tai Fung, snacks at Buddhi Belly and Bake A Wish, late lunch at Pasta de Waraku. Gabby’s happiest to find Toys R Us in Central World. We went to Central World 3x in our 4D3N stay in Bangkok. Told you we love Central World! It’s so accessible too via BTS!
One of the highlights of our visit to Central World Mall was when we spotted a live-candy-making demonstration by candy chefs in a shop called Made in Candy. It was entertaining unexpectedly! What’s best, the “show” was free!
It’s our second trip to Bangkok and we’ll certainly go back to this Thai city! We love her to bits! ;)
This Blog’s Bangkok 2012 Series includes :
- Our Bangkok Hotel : Mystic Place Rooms in Bangkok
- Our Sunday at the Grand Palace
- Chatuchak Weekend Market : Shop! Eat!
- Travel Cheaply and Cross Borders from Penang-Hat Yai-Bangkok-Penang via Bus
- Our FOOD PORN in Bangkok
- Wat Pho : Temple of Golden Reclining Buddha
- Dimsum Lunch Buffet at Heichinrou, Amari Watergate Hotel
How nice of Madame Ambassador to actually reply to tweets. I also love the malls in Bangkok! Good thing it has become quite accessible thanks to budget airlines.
I have high respect to public servants and celebrities who reply to common tao like me. Their responses to casual or important messages show how they value their followers.
there’s a lot of reasons to go revisit bangkok. we can’t wait to go back.