Bangkok Part 2: Places to visit (away from main tourist areas!)

In view of the recent incidents which happened at main tourist areas: Siam, Chidlom, National Stadium, Asoke and Saphan Taksin BTS, I decided to introduce/remind of the places which can make your stay in Bangkok still a marvelous one. Some food and shopping at places where there are more locals. I might have a Bangkok Part 3 to feature some of the food that I better-liked =)

1) Pratunam area 

Platinum Fashion Mall

Shopping. Cheaper, clean and comfortable mall that is gigantic. My mantra here is: buy now or never find the same shop again. Because there are really so many shops that it can get confusing.

Food wise, clean food court but nothing much to rave about, except that it is a good pit-stop after all that shopping. If you must try something, maybe go for the kway chap because their kway is rolled up unlike what we have in Singapore. Broth is towards the sweeter side. 

Small episode at one of the shops in platinum mall. While i was deciding on which designs to buy, i kept hearing the shopkeeper says 'kon jeen, kon jeen' (chinese, chinese) to another shopkeeper, and they continued kon jeening while leaving me alone to choose. I decided to clear the air and spoke to them in basic Thai about the shirts and that I'm not kon jeen, I'm from Singapore, and they were more eager to serve me. So I guess, if you go into a shop and hear the shopkeepers saying kon jeen kon jeen, it's best to walk away. 

Pratunam Market

Apart from the Sainampaeng orange juice that you totally can't miss, there are some street food vendors at the end of the market facing platinum mall. Usual offerings. 

However, I find that shopping for female clothes here can be cheaper than at platinum mall. 

Baiyoke Fashion Gallery

Entrance to this area is located at the start of pratunam market, either opposite Baiyoke Suite, or you can enter from opposite Indra Square. The stalls' prices are consistent with what you will find at pratunam market and platinum mall. 

For best deals, visit on Sundays. The scale of the shopping area is bigger and you can find several stalls offering decent t-shirts for as cheap as 40 baht and singlets at 3 for 100 baht. Over my two weekends at BKK, Sundays proved to be the best day to bag steals at this place.

Fried pork on stick with garlic taste. Depending on stalls, it could be a hit or miss. 

Baiyoke Sky

There is the morning and night market outside Baiyoke Sky daily, and the morning market typically clears around 9am on weekdays and can last till almost noon on weekends. the night market starts about 6pm till late. 

The stalls have different offerings in the day and night, but day-to-day, you will see the same vendors.

Phetchaburi Road (pronounced as phet-buri)

Phetburi road is a food street omg! No matter whether it's in the morning or night, it's just overflowing with food! My favourite spot for street food fix indefinitely.

Anyway, there is this really fresh and tasty fried chicken (Gai Tod) stall that opens in the morning till noon i think. It is always ready for business whenever I passed by at 8 plus in the morning. I love the taste of their batter which comes at a right thickness. Moreover, it is one of the cleanest stall that I've seen for Gai Tod. They have a cling wrap covering their food.

I don't know how to describe its exact location but it is located perpendicular to the A U Moneyexchange Co., Ltd. as pictured below.

At night you will see few stalls selling barbequed lemongrass fish. I like the first stall along that street that sells lemongrass fish (there is just this one street that runs perpendicular to phetburi road and the first stall is an uncle selling lemongrass fish). And of course there's more fried chicken further down that street.

Some of my favourite street eats here. First is the 5 baht conical thing. This is available in the morning and as good as it can get. You can choose from either the white glutinous rice or black glutinous rice version. It is layered with sweet, smooth mung beans and roasted in a banana leave. Fragrant with not too overpowering sweetness and layered texture. Definitely a light but great morning dessert to wake up your taste bud for the day! Best five baht spent!

You will also be able to find charcoal toasted bread in the morning market. Toasted over charcoal, the slices of bread are drenched in margarine and served with a generous sprinkle of sugar and condensed milk. 15-20 baht per serving of 3-4 slices of toast. It is like the morning variation of the condensed milk prata which comes out after noon. 

Another street eat that I found pretty interesting was the cup of fish otah on the right below. It comes wrapped in a cup, and is usually served with a bowl of steamed white rice. It was a pleasant surprise when I opened the banana leave that it was wrapped in. The tender fish otah had a balanced spicy taste and was on a bed of vegetables. Suffice for a meal with a bowl of rice.

I also love the sour mango that is crispy and fresh. Mangoes are called ma muang, and each packet rarely costs more than 20 baht. Another of my favourite is sweet corn with shredded coconut. So much food to eat but so little space in my stomach. The fruit stall, as well as sweet corn stalls usually come out after noon.

Phetchaburi (Phetburi) Soi 19

Other than the soi 19 wonton noodles and braised pork trotter rice that is a huge hit with Singaporeans and Malaysians, there are also a good amount of street food vendors right from the morning, around 7am.

Sab Sab wanton noodles (special: with crab meat) 

Roast banana that have a texture like kueh

I found this Cha Yen stall just about 10-20m further into the soi from Sab Sab that serves irresistable Thai milk tea with steamed fresh milk. The steamed milk accented the thai milk tea excellently with that tinge of milk fragrance and dairy sweetness. 

Must drink Cha Yen from this stall

Oh yes, there is a post office on soi 19. Just look for the red building running parallel to Sab Sab. 

Outside Shibuya 19/Glow Hotel

In the evening, the pavement outside Shibuya 19 converts into a "food street" that houses two separate seafood restaurant. Hong Ji and one other. I read some good reviews about Hong Ji's Seafood Pad Thai and decided to give it a go. At 180 baht, it is nothing to shout about. Kinda disappointed though. Expected more since Hong Ji is a seafood restaurant. But the prawn in the Pad Thai was really nothing much. Full stop.

However, there is a 24 hour McDonald's at Shibuya 19 for your convenience. Apart from pork burgers, it also serves pork porridge for breakfast.

Palladium night market

Just like an extension to the Pratunam Night Market, things sold here are similar. It is less crowded to shop here and some things can go slightly cheaper than Pratunam. However, there are more customised items stalls here than anywhere else. Like customised diary, hp casing, keychain, bags and pouches, door plates etc.

2) Bobae Market and Bobae Tower

Just few stops away by the express boat at Pratunam pier, you can easily reach Bobae area for some cheap shopping. More localised experience. boat ticket less than 20 baht.

Found a stall selling sausages rolled up in thin waffle. It was delicious. 10 baht. No idea where else to find it, but if you happen to see it, don't miss it. The waffle adds a sweet crunch to the slightly salted sausage. Found this stall near the exit of the pier.

Apparels are really cheap at Bobae market. But of course not the most fashionable kind. Relatively less tourists in this area. Down side is that English has limited functionality here.

After some walk at Bobae market, it would be wise to go into the Bobae Tower for aircon shopping. Don't be mistaken, aircon but still cheap shopping! 

Even saw singlets going for 20 baht. Saw the same singlets at Pratunam market at 3 for 100 baht and already thought that was dirt cheap.

3) Tha Prachan

Tha Prachan (Prachan Pier) is well known for its Buddhist amulet market and you will see monks and buddhists engaging in religion-related trades there like amulet casing stalls etc. 

However, being more than that, it is also a place where locals visit for local delicacies, street food. It is a street food haven because it offers a good variety of street food apart from the usual ones that we see. Come to this place for its offering of food and culture. There is no exact address, just tell the driver Tha Prachan. Or easier, take the Chao Phraya Express Boat.

Kanom dueng

Tapioca pork (savoury)

4) Around City Hall (near the giant swing)

Just beside the city hall, near to the giant swing (same stretch as mont nom sot) is this coffee shop that I can't read its name. Read reviews that its roasted duck rice is pretty good but i went there for dim sum. decent and cheap. think it was 20 baht per plate.

5) The best of boat noodle

There are two boat noodles stall that are more popular and I find the best of boat noodle quite good. Near Victory Monument BTS.

6) On Nut night market

Easily located is this night market at On Nut BTS station. If you like beer garden concept al fresco dining, soak in the local atmosphere here! Beer and food can't go wrong.

7) Sukhumvit Soi 38

Food galour! Another easily accessible food street lined with food stalls along both sides of the street. Come in the evening and find tasty and cheap food here. Try the award-winning Pad Thai that can't be missed. It is located near the famous Soi 38 wanton noodles!

8) Silom Soi 20

Khao neow dam sang kaya! khao neow dam sang kaya! highlight of soi 20 is the steamed black glutinous rice with coconut custard. having tried the khao neow dam sang kaya at several places, i find the one at silom soi 20 the best. this stall is located nearest to the main road, near the religious CD store on its left. Served on a banana leaf, the black glutinous rice was nicely steamed, soft but still have a chewy yet sticky texture, served with a dollop of coconut custard that is sweet but not too sweet. no cloying sweetness, topped with coconut milk that gives it a savoury, tinge of saltiness ending. This, in my opinion can be hailed as Asian salted caramel dessert =)

And of course, silom soi 20 still remains as one of the best spots in Bangkok to go for street fare! Amazing variety!

9) Phetchaburi (Phetburi) Soi 5

Another spot hailed for its offer of food fare, one place that can't be missed is P'Aor! Go for their creamy tom yum noodles.

10) Artbox night market

Alright, artbox needs no further introduction, but do note that it is no longer going to be at Makkasan BTS. Do search online on where they are moving to next. I didn't quite like this place as it was superduper crowded. there was frequent blackout too, adding to my safety concerns.

11) Gateway Ekkamai

A new shopping mall at Ekkamai BTS, Gateway Ekkamai is a Japanese-theme mall that have a huge variety of Jap food. it also houses the snowtown where one can pay an admission fee to access the restaurants inside the snowtown, beside the snow-play ring. do note that for admission into the snow-play ring to play, one will have to pay an additional sum.

Some really appetising restaurants here. there is even the maidreamin cafe from Japan where diners can dine in the comfort of being served by a waitress dressed as a butler/maid, to live that princess dream of yours to be served like one =)