The Mekong River that cuts across Bangkok was one key tourist attraction although in my past few trips to the City of Angels, i didn't make it a point to catch a glimpse of its water.
It's a different story in my April trip as i got to see the river three times; for two occasions, it was because i needed to go to a place i totally got hooked to! Want to make a guess?
Hint - the above picture.
Answer would be out in no time. Just to tease you along, this was a pier and we were queuing for a free shuttle to that "place" i mentioned earlier. I honestly didn't expect any queue as it was a lazy Monday and the "place" was said to come alive only at night.
Lazy enough for a few to take a snooze on the water ride that took no more than 15 minutes to reach its destination further down the river.
Sight along the way - despite its prosperous facade, nothing's really perfect in a metropolis and at times, the rich-poor divide can be obvious.
One place i quite regret not going in my recent trip - see that dome on the skyscraper? It's the State Tower and its rooftop bar / restaurant was featured in the movie, Hangover Part II!
Now reaching the "place". Still have no vague inkling what it is? I have in fact blogged about it back in 2014 and you may refer to here for some background information on Asiatique the Riverfront!
I am not going to say much about the history as i had covered most of it here. As it was technically still early, the objective then was to have an early dinner before shopping at the mostly open-air mall!
Passageways were wide with ample artifacts, statues etc for you to indulge in that instagram moment of sharing with your followers.
Dinner was settled at Fire & Dine restaurant; wasn't impressive although the ambience was nice for a gathering and i am thinking of its slow-grilled chicken that i didn't get to try out.
Ukuleles for sale - was thinking of buying for Jovyn and Jerald but i figured there's a risk they might not take an interest and i would have spent my money for nothing!
I mentioned earlier i had gotten hooked to Asiatique - Besides the 1,500 shops taking root in the night market, the other reason why i love it so much was that it was a lot more comfortable than Chatuchak Weekend Market even though prices of products purchased at the latter were lower.
There was a more festive vibe to the surrounding and i couldn't help feeling relaxed. Of course, visiting Asiatique is more a night activity and temperature would henceforth be not as scorching hot.
Guess there was a real tram to capture the attention of kids. This reminded me of the Smiley World Choo Choo Train at Westgate in Singapore!
Love locks for couples! To read more, click here.
Note that this would be a photo post since i had blogged about Asiatique before and i had taken over a hundred photos; with my poor grasp of the written language, i am going to spare myself the ridicule for the wrong use of vocabulary and bad grammar.
Can't remember if these were stainless steel or silver - i had the initial intention to purchase a couple for my kitchen and opted not to as i am worried it would conduct heat; resulting in a handle that's likely to scald the hand.
You get your usual shop selling passports / wallets with free name and logo thrown in; pricing at 150 baht was 50% more expensive than Chatuchak!
Alex's eyes were drawn to these more unique designs; personally, i find them a bit childish but didn't bother stopping Alex since he was paying for them!
Unique clothes hangers for the doors - i almost bought a few and had to tell myself each was about S$30 and i would have to drill them to the door myself! Given my butterfingers, i decided it's not worth the money and effort.
At one point, Bangkok was filled with shops selling essential oils and even though the demand has stabilised, i noted the popularity of another product; scented soap!
They came in all sorts of size, shapes and fragrances. Do be assured that even though a corn-shaped soap smelt of corn, a durian soap was thankfully not the pungency aroma we were well-accustomed to.
Want to make fun of your friend? Get a dildo-shaped soap at 120 baht each!
Porcelain items for the kitchen - i didn't get any bowls or plates as i had already purchased a few sets from Corelle. However, i did buy a porcelain dish that could amplify the music on my phone with a crystal crisp!
So that's the tram! Doesn't look to be operating and i am not surprised as it was a weekday and most kids were likely in school.
Carousel was operating as usual though; don't you think that the carousel is more a night thing? Its lights had an enticing allure and they complemented perfectly with loud, cheerful music playing into the night.
With ten warehouses, navigating in Asiatique might not be as confusing as the massive Chatuchak but it could still be a headache; you may want to take note of the alleys (trok) to get your bearings.
When i was much younger, i would think of having lights like the above to adorn my house and "beautify" it. People do change with experience and right now, i would just imagine the tedious work i have to put in to remove the dust if i ever bought them.
People have commented i look younger than my age; nevertheless, i think it would be hard to catch me wearing these "cute" tees!
Boxing gloves and shorts! One of the things i considered having in my own flat is a punching bag which would come in handy when i get too stressful!
Or maybe i should get one of these Tibetan singing bowls to soothe my soul in a non-abusive manner when the need arises.
Hello Kitty merchandise for the Hell Kitty fans!
Clothes for the kids - now that Jovyn and Jerald are growing so fast and that i am such a miserly uncle, i think i better scale back on buying any more clothes for them until they reach puberty. By then, i guess they would have their own opinion on the style and design.
The optimism i have was clearly reflected on the tee shirt. A few friends would comment that i should have another tagline; always on diet but still eat like a pig. :(
Akagawara - a product from Okinawa that has the ability to absorb water, dry quickly and hence, suitable for use as a coaster! I bought a few for the house and they really work!
Made from the same material was the aroma stone set - drop a few drops of essential oils on it and the fragrance would linger for a while. For essential oils, i always prefer to burn them for a wider diffusion.
Again, i often thought of having a few cabinets full of figurines in my house. I did try when i was in my parents place and absolutely detest the time used to wipe off the dust! Some can be so small; it's easier to blow the dust off.
I am now obsessed with bigger and more practical items; my beautiful vodka collection and my heavy beloved piggies!
Trying to steer Alex from seeing the above proved to be futile - and as expected, he wanted the fishes to feed off the dead skin on his feet. Not wanting to waste my time this time round, i left him there and continued my walk in Asiatique.
Shock greeted me when i strolled past as i thought they were living persons! Too creepy to be placed at home and i wondered who will actually buy them; temples maybe?
From far, they appeared to be sex toys. On closer look, they were actually simple massage appliances suitable for home-use!
Visitors to my house often complain i need a clock and i do have one that was taken from my room in my parents' place. However, i was on a lookout in Bangkok for one that's more suitable. A pity that nothing caught my fancy.
Street buskers on the streets in between the warehouses.
Almost went for this as i thought i can frame it up on home; on second thought, i am not that narcissistic and prefer pictures of me with nice backgrounds for the photo wall i had in mind.
Felt sad for the man who was forced to wear the above tee. To me, google is everything and internet knows everything! Doomed shall be the day when we lose the world wide web.
Easily kept hammocks when the beach vacation beckons! Speaking of beach vacations, i have not had any this year and guess i should plan a trip to the neighbouring country soon for that much needed tan!
Tongue in the cheek t-shirt's designs that never seemed to go out of fashion. I did note that the number of shops selling them had dropped rather significantly compared to ten years ago.
Hungry?
Yes, i know you can get this in Singapore even though they originated from Korea (i think)! Nonetheless, i felt like having ice cream and this came in handy. Priced at 99 baht.
Frankly, i prefer our traditional cone and ice cream combination; the soft-serve ice cream was bland and the holder was a bit soft. MacDonald's vanilla ice cream in a cone tasted better.
Many other snack shops were available; hence, you can really take your pick! Damn, just noted from the above photograph that there's a best ice cream ever stall. Should have tried it and then give a separate review, for better or for worse.
Cute silky /Yoshire terrier in the shop!
Another instagrammable spot despite no telephone in the yellow telephone box. To be honest, any place can be instagrammable; it's the angle and the accessories that count in some cases.
No further caption required for the icon of Asiatique.
Some new and interesting activities for your kids right beside the ferris wheel! Please keep in mind that the prices would not be easy for your wallet! To know more, visit here.
Bicycle cafe in container boxes!
Location: Next to the ferris wheel and across from Warehouse 7. To soak in the atmosphere under the light of the ferris wheel, you may proceed to the top level of All Ride Cafe.
"I'll stop wearing black when they make a darker colour" - i love wearing black / grey and couldn't resist purchasing a few pieces from this shop!
It was warm in the warehouses but without this larger cooler, i can only imagine how much hotter the temperature would be! In Bangkok, i make it a point to carry extra tees just in case mine starts to smell of sweat!
Nice lights on the ceiling!
Calypso Bangkok was a cabaret performance showcasing ladyboys; we didn't bother as the tickets were too pricey and i am more a movie rather than performance goer.
Evil me was almost tempted to evaluate the "frankness" of the shop! Maybe this would be something i do in Singapore as it is no matter what, home ground.
Since it was a Monday, some of the shops had their shutters closed and this didn't differ from Singapore where retailers often had a day off on the first day after a hectic weekend.
Poor jack had to live in that shack?! Not that i know who Jack is even though i would feel sorry that someone had to live in a open air bar.
For all you know, maybe he was bunking in the house right behind; an old building that's likely to have its fair share of ghost stories! Want to know why it is still there? Click here.
More photographs for your viewing pleasure as i am running out of words to caption them. It doesn't help that it's already past my bedtime!
Lastly, Alex liked the cutting for these tees and i warned him not to for a reason. Could you guess what it is? Which sane mind would wear a t-shirt branded with the "heroin" word in a drug-strict country like Singapore?!
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Location
2194 Charoenkrung Rd,
WatPrayakai, Bangkoleam,
Bangkok, Thailand
Website
Asiatique Map
As above.
Asiatique Directory
As above.
Shuttle Boat Timetable
As above. Do note that one of them is chargeable.
Additional Information
Most people would be too shagged to take the free boat shuttle and then follow by public transportation. Hailing a taxi would be the preferred option and you would see numerous taxis waiting to fleece you.
No fear - just remember that there is an official taxi stand where you can pay 20 baht and they would help you find a taxi with "metered" fare! Trust me, you can spare yourself the bargaining and yet save a bit for shopping in Bangkok!
For the itinerary of my relaxing six days, five nights visit to the City of Angels, please click here.