Sawadeekha Bangkok

Bangkok is a place that majority of the people have been to, especially if you’re in South East Asia. However, for those of you who haven’t, here’s a sneak peak on my travel experience in bangkok!

My friend and I took a flight to Bangkok for 3 days. The flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. We got lucky on the day as our hand carry luggage bags got checked in for free because the flight was pretty full. When you board the flight, the flight attendant will hand you a form that you need to fill up and submit at the immigration in Bangkok Airport. If you’re planning ahead for your day, do budget spending about an hour to queue for the immigration.

Once done and dusted, we waited for their public bus A3 which cost 50THB per person that brought us to Pratunam. I don’t know what exactly it is but I’m quite fond with their public buses. You will feel very comfortable in it.

We stayed in Eastin Makkasan Hotel, Pratunam. Now, this was a bit costly but I’m a vegetarian and I was very afraid I won’t be able to find food, so my cousin suggested this hotel as they provide Indian breakfast buffet. It’s a 4 star hotel and we got a good deal booking it via Agoda. For 2 nights, with a queen bed room, we paid RM483 including tax. Once we reached there, since it was our lucky day, we got upgraded to a deluxe room! We really have no idea to this significance but our floor was called the Play Room😜

Bangkok is all about shopping and eating and massages. Those are the things you’re expected to do redundantly. From our hotel, we got really very easy access to Indian food, Thai food, Thai street food and also fats food. We also had easy access to Pratunam Mall, Platinum Mall, Big C and Indra Shopping Centre. The night market outside Platinum Mall is amazing. You can get all sorts of things at a reasonably cheap price.

Wherever there are shrines, there will be gorgeous Thai girls dancing to a tradition song. We thought it may be a festival going on, but apparently this happened at almost every shrine we passed by.

From where we put up, the BTS train was also within walking distance but we did not explore the trains there.

We enjoyed their tuk tuk and motorbike rides. It felt like low wheel roller coaster rides. However their drivers were not very professional or considerate I would say. They would take you to wherever you ask them to even if they don’t know the place and then just dump you wherever they feel they should. We got that happened twice with us.

Their signature Tom yum is delicious everywhere you go to. We tried one in Bombay Palace (apparently there are just too many Indian shops in bangkok) and another one in Pe Aor Seafood.

On our second day, after Pe Aor seafood, we asked the motorbike riders if they could take us to Asiatique. They said yes. They dropped us at Palladium Mall, Pratunam and said Asiatique is nearby here. We asked the security guard on how to proceed to Asiatique from where we were dropped and he asked us to continue going straight. We did. And we kept on walking straight until I felt it wasn’t right anymore. We stopped by to ask some riders if we were going the right way, and they said Asiatique is 5km away and that would cost each of us 150THB. Feeling cheated, we continued walking until we found a tuk tuk rider and he explained more logically on how we had gotten cheated earlier as Asiatique is nowhere nearby where we were dropped. He suggested we take a boat ride to sightsee instead and dropped us in Chinatown. When we saw the price which cost us 2000THB each, we politely walked away from there. We asked the tuk tuk guy to bring us back to Pratunam but he came up with 101 excuses not to. We then realised that they were all teamed up and because we refused to take their package, this was what we got in return. We walked in Chinatown until we found a public boat that FINALLY brought us to Asiatique for 60THB. Phew!

Asiatique is a beautiful place. There are lots of stores which sells all sorts of souvenirs and clothes and tonnes of food choices. There is also a ferries wheel that let’s you see the whole of Bangkok for 450THB. It is a romantic place to date too or just be with your friends and take lots of beautiful picturesque photos.

And oh, we got our massage done at Dariya Massage Parlour, Pratunam. They are excellent and friendly and of course leaves your body light and energetic by the end of the massages. A Thai massage only cost us 200THB.

Lesson learnt, things may go out of the way we plan sometimes, but it always happens for the best reason.

Traveling on its own is a beautiful and memorable experience that adds a difference to your lives. So that was much about Bangkok, Thailand, sawadeekha!

Dear Goodbye

Facebook would have shown our friendship memory of 5 years today, but that did not happen.

It’s so irony that two people who could talk for hours everyday suddenly decided to keep a distance.

A distance because of a misunderstanding.

It is so cliche that you became self absorbed when you were accused of things you thought you didn’t do but you did, and you had nowhere to run and hide so you pointed finger to me. You threw all the blame on me.

I wonder if you remember the times we had together when we forgot the rest of the world. Or you only remember the person you fell for and forgot the rest of us?

It was never easy walking away from you, but I walked through the shattered glasses anyways. I bled each second away from you anyways. I tasted the devastating tears anyways.

I waited for Facebook to remind our 5 years friendship anniversary, because at the back of my mind, you still resided. A playback of hundred and one ways things could have been different existed.

Sigh. It will never come. Because the day you chose to face your back to me, I chose to walk away right in front of you, for the rest of my life.

The hundred and one different ways of how things could have been between us remains as an imagination, because maybe that was all you were, just an imagination of my bliss.

Photo credits: Pinterest

Hello Hatyai, Thailand.

Recently, a bunch of 7 adventurous people decided to take a toll on Hatyai, Thailand ; one of the most visited state in the world. 

Ticket from Kl Sentral, taking ETS back and forth including hotel accommodation costed RM199 per person. The ETS is really clean, beautiful and looks super new. The seats were comfortable and we had like a canteen offering a couple of popular dishes in the train from Padang Besar to KL. The ETS brought us to Padang Besar, from which we caught another train to Hatyai after surpassing the immigration. The train ticket from Padang Besar to Hatyai costed RM10 per person. The journey from KL sentral to Padang Besar was 5 hours whereas thereafter it was about half an hour to Hatyai terminal. 

Upon arriving in Hatyai, we took a tuktuk to our hotel. This ride costed us 30thb per person. Just in case you’re wondering the conversion rate, at the point of our travel, just divide the Baht by 8 to get the value in RM. This ride was for about an hour. 

The tuktuk ride had been roller coaster like for us. We used the tuktuk for all 3 days in the stroke of heat, breeze of wind and splash of rain. It was fun, real fun. 

We booked our hotel in P.S. Resort. The room was very decent for the price. Spacious, air conditioned and equipped with heater.

We were drenched out on the first day with the long hours in the train. There was this mall called Big C within walking distance from our hotel. Big C was of utmost use to us from getting daily needs and emergency food supplies and even the clothes there were not too bad in price. 

Day 2: 

We wanted to sightsee the town of Songkhla and do lots of shopping thereafter. We had lunch in one of the popular Halal seafood restaurant by Samila Beach. Trust me, the food was fingerlicking good. The portion was enormous and the price was very cheap. It was a very nice atmosphere there, with romantic old English songs playing lightly in the background and letting the wind of the beach to lock you in its breeze. 

Unfortunately it rained and we could not enjoy the beach tour. As all of us wanted a massage badly, we shot to the town of Hatyai again. This may sound a bit crazy, traveling all the way to songkhla and hitting back to Hatyai, but it was because we were spontaneous and did not have specific places to go. We also had communication problem with the driver as he spoke very little English. 

Lee Garden Plaza is exactly like Bukit Bintang. I did foot and shoulder massage for 250thb and pedicure for 100thb 😱. If I were to be working here, this routine is mandatory every week for me. It’s so damn cheap! We then went around walking outside the mall and got all eyes for the clothes. I had a budget to purchase clothes below 300thb. I shopped till I dropped definitely and would collect more money just to shop here again. 

That night was a crazy fun filled night. We bought lots of beer and wine from Big C and chilled in the hotel room. 

Day 3:

We could not do much on this day as we had to rush to Padang Besar to catch the ETS to Kl Sentral at 6pm. After checking out, we just rented the tuktuk for 1000thb overall from our hotel all the way to Padang Besar. From there we had our lunch, walked around a little bit and boarded the ETS back home. 

It was a first time for me to travel with most of them in this bunch and I did not feel like I am meeting them for the first time at all. It was my first trip to Thailand and in fact the last time I went out of Malaysia was in 2008. 

To simply sum it, Awesome, Best, Memorable 💛

Till we meet again, sawadeekha 🙏 

A Little Real In Something Unreal

Isn’t it irony when some people give a grand entrance into your life and make your subconscious mind interpret and store the fact that they are always there when you are in need of someone?

This fact then drives you to be a little more attached to them than you would normally do. At such a vulnerable state, you tend to like each and everything they portray to you. No, this is not love.

This is just having someone who fills the emptiness in your blank space. Just then, Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ concretes your assumption as the song plays in your mind.

You spend more than usual time texting them. You make space to be out with them and allow them to dive in to the little secrets of your life. “Nah, I’m just letting out to someone who is willing to listen”.

You flirt a little as you think you have been alone so far and a little naughtiness will not drown you to anywhere you do not wish to belong. Then, comes that feeling where you are dumbfounded as you stare into his eyes. You do not want to stop but at the same time you do not know where this is going.” So, will it end right after I walk out this door?” You let yourself to be more optimistic and wash down that thought.

Apparently, everything sails like there’s no waves in the sea. Then a voice whispers “Are you in love?”

You get startled and deny all the voices. You cannot be. He has made it clear he wants no strings attached. Then, you begin to truce with the voice and sit with it asking “Then, what does all this mean?” The voice turns dormant. Silence.

You do not want to make this friendship complicated but you cannot look at him like you don’t feel a thing. You decide to close your eyes and let loose. As you open your eyes, you find him staring deep into yours and you put up that smile you have always had.

Like nothing ever happened.

The Lost Love

I saw his glimpse for the first time in our most famous tuition centre in town. I saw him again in the same chemistry class we used to attend. He was very quiet and a topper. He was not heroically good looking but well, I have a thing for smart geniuses so he definitely caught my attention.

I loved his name a lot. It was a name that I had always wanted my boyfriend to have. We met again for Add Maths tuition classes. This time, he started speaking to me. He was the smartest guy in the entire town. Whenever he asked me questions, I would feel so proud of myself. Then again, I sensed he was purposely asking questions just to make conversations with me.

I cannot remember how I got his number but we started texting. I would text him and get a reply only few days later. Whenever I pass by his house, I look far inside although I know I won’t be able to see him or have the courage to step down and call him out.

School ended and both of us pursued our dreams in different colleges. One day he called me out.

We met in the one and only happening mall in town. I could see that he was making effort. A very gentleman like effort. I never felt anything towards him. I didn’t even  call it a date. I definitely was attracted to him but perhaps not thoroughly.

Obviously, he was doing very well in university. A topper again, and as always so humble. Even though we were just getting close, he trusted me like he had always known me. He cleared out some issues he was doubtful about and he took my words blindly. Of course, I was telling the truth.

He dropped me home and that’s about the day. No hugs, no kisses nothing. Not that I was expecting, but I was glad he did not as well.

Then, he asked me out again. This time to a beach.

I couldn’t. I had a picture of a guy I wanted to be with and despite how much I liked his character, the bitter truth was that I could not wake up to him every morning. I know I was so stupid to think so far ahead, but I did not want to give him fake promises. I did not want to date him only to dump him.

One day, he confessed how much he loved me in a text. He was far away, from his family and me. It was late night and I told him I’ll talk about this the next morning. He wanted to know then and there. I said I’m sorry but I didn’t want to get into a relationship just yet.

I could feel his disappointment, I don’t know how, I don’t know why. I wasn’t happy with my decision either. I could barely sleep that night. Maybe I needed time to be with him.

The next day, I saw a gazillion of people posting words of condolence on his Facebook page. My heart beat fast. I was gob smacked. I prayed so hard he’s alright. I called everyone I knew who were mutual friends to him and after listening to the nth person, I inhaled the news deeply that he met with an accident and did not survive.

He was no one to me, and it’s been 5 years since, but till this very second I regret. I wished I had said yes.

I met many men after him but he set a benchmark way too high for anyone. He taught me and made me realize that love sees no looks, no money, no physical attachment. Love sees the chemistry we have anda the purest of love one can give and receive.

Till date, I feel in debt to you, I feel you each time I go to the beach, I miss you.