Chatuchak Weekend Market Bangkok

Posted on November 24, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok Shopping Budget: $

Average clothes prices: 200 baht

Standing proudly as the most famous of all Bangkok’s shopping markets and shopping centres, Chatuchak Weekend Market’s huge maze of stalls and shops will surprise even the most seasoned shopper with it’s huge size (man, if I had 100 baht for every time I’ve gotten lost and stranded in the clutches of Chatuchak market…). Being strictly only a horticulture market during the weekdays, Chatuchak market is only properly open as normal on the weekends.

So, what with Chatuchak market’s huge popularity with both local Thais and tourists from all over the world, I’m sure you can imagine just exactly how crowded it gets during this small window of shopping opportunity on the weekend. This is a slight drawback of Chatuchak; the market complex seems to just suck up all the tropical Bangkok heat like a giant sun trap and get’s super crammed full of shoppers jamming up the paths while taking selfies on their iPhones. Not a good combination if you have a distaste for overcrowded labyrinths of trinket shops.

Shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market

But, and it’s a big but, despite these frustrations of Chatuchak, the weekend market does sell some really cool stuff with decent prices. The atmosphere is nice and friendly, with genuine sellers that don’t pressure you or charge ‘foreigner prices’; many of the shops actually have written, set prices, unlike other Bangkok markets where you may be expected to haggle or pay whatever the seller feels like charging you at the time.

The market complex consists of a large outdoor section, set out in a kind of ring shape. This outdoor section is surrounded by a maze of sheltered indoor shops which eventually lead outside of Chatuchak market. On the outskirts of the market and within the outdoor central part, you can find some cool bars and food stalls to sit and chill out away from the crowded main street.

What to buy at Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak is a pretty good all rounder market – you can buy anything from home furnishings to knockoff sunglasses; handmade silver jewellery to colourful, bohemian accessories; and second hand, retro clothing to cute, likkle puppy dogs (yes, real puppy dogs). Everything is conveniently organised into sections to make it easy to find what you’re looking for but, if you do get lost at Chatuchak, you could easily miss a whole section of goods.

Clothes for sale at Chatuchak weekend market include a large amount of second hand items, Levi jeans, used sneakers & converse, bohemian dresses, indie design clothing, street-style caps, knock off brands (Hollister & SuperDry), sunglasses (fake RayBans) and the latest Thai fashions.

Prices at the Chatuchak Weekend Market range from 20 baht for a cheap pair of earrings, to 500 baht for an intricate, hand made pair of earrings; or 150 baht for a simple top or t-shirt, to 400 baht for a unique design dress. There are some really cool clothes designs and cute accessories for sale; men have a pretty decent selection of printed T-shirts to choose from too (not the tacky Chang beer style T-shirts you might find in other markets either).

How to get to Chatuchak Weekend Market

Both the MRT and BTS lines run directly to the market at Chatuchak: Take the BTS to the terminus station, Mo Chit, or take the MRT to Chatuchak station. The stations are absolutely crammed full of people making their way to the market on the weekends, so it’s easy to just follow the crowd of people there. However, the stations are clearly signposted for the market as well.

Once you exit either station, you’ll notice people walking into Chatuchak park – walk on into the park and follow the pathway to the left hand side until you exit again through the opposite gate. Cross the road from the park and you’ll find Chatuchak market directly in front of you – just find one of the shop arcades to enter.

*I hate to nag, but beware of pickpockets when shopping at Chatuchak – pickpockets have been known to slash open bags from behind shopper’s backs.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Local Thai Restaurant Bangkok

Posted on October 9, 2013 by koomatzu

Sabai Jai Gai Yang, also referred to as Baan Tawan Gai Yang, is an authentic, local neighbourhood restaurant to drink and dine in pure Thai style. Located in the sleek and modern district of Bangkok, Bang Na, Sabai Jai Gai Yang is a breath of fresh air where you can enjoy proper Thai food in natural Thai surroundings.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Style

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is a casual Bangkok hangout where you can simply relax and chill out in your shorts and flip flops. The laid back, family orientated, local ambience make it a a great ‘off the beaten track’ restaurant away from the hectic tourist atmospheres or contrastingly snobbish undercurrents of other Bangkok restaurants and bars.

The Restaurant

The Bangkok restaurant has both a traditional open air section and an air conditioned indoor section. In the typical Thai restaurant style, Sabai Jai Gai Yang consists of a partially sheltered tent like surround, fold-up metal seating, plastic table covers and the standard drinks trolley at the head of the table.

Despite it’s relatively small size, there is a stage at the front where local bands play Thai tunes and pop music towards the later hours of the evening. It can get a bit loud and difficult to hear each other speak during these hours, but if you’re keen to listen to some proper Thai music in Bangkok, you’ll definitely find it here. I can’t help but feel a bit stressed out listening to the crazy overpowering beats of too much authentic Thai music myself though…

Picture by www.leolaksi.wordpress.com

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is the kind of Bangkok restaurant to let loose, nothing fancy; buy a beer tower or two with friends and share taster dishes in the middle of the table, Thai style.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Menu

Sabai Jai Gai Yang have an extensive menu of both Isaan dishes and Thai food. The battered, plastic menus are thick with pages of dishes in both English and Thai. Although staff don’t speak much English at Sabai Jai Gai Yang, the menus are pretty clear with plenty of pictures to help you choose.

Isaan and Thai dishes at Sabai Jai Gai Yang are reasonably priced and start from around the 80 baht mark. For 80 baht, you can get their signature dish, half a mouthwatering grilled chicken (as in the name – gai yang) with spicy Thai dips. Admittedly it’s tasty, but it’s also a real ball ache to eat half a chicken with a fork and spoon!

Other typical cheaper dishes at the Bangkok restaurant include Pad Ka Praw (Basil stir fry) and Som Tam (Papaya salad) which cost around 120 baht. Bigger dishes such as whole steamed fish and seafood stir fries cost up to 400 baht per dish. Just bare in mind that this is an authentic Thai restaurant – the spicy Thai dishes at Sabai Jai Gai Yang are damn spicy.

Photo by www.eatingthaifood.com

How To Get To Sabai Jai Gai Yang

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is located on Bangkok’s Ekamai Road Soi 1. You can get to Ekamai via BTS to Ekamai station, then head up Soi 63 (Ekamai Road) and Soi 1 is on the left hand side opposite Health Land. Although it is only Soi 1, this is a surprisingly long and sweaty walk (10 – 15 minutes) so you may want to take a taxi from Ekamai BTS station.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is right on the corner of the main road and Soi 1 – the entrance is just around the back.

Bangkok Shoe Shopping Guide

Posted on September 27, 2013 by koomatzu

If you want to buy some specific kind of shoes in Bangkok – cheap shoes, sexy shoes, designer shoes or sports sneakers – look no further than my Bangkok shoe shopping guide.

I also have guides for clothes shopping, souvenir & gadget shopping, and a general guide on the malls and markets of Bangkok.

Where to buy cheap shoes in Bangkok

If you’re looking to buy dirt cheap shoes in Bangkok, then look no further than the stalls on the Bangkok streets. The street walks and markets in most of the busier areas of Bangkok will sell some really cheap shoes, flip flops starting at around 30 baht a pair and office shoes, ballet pumps or high heel shoes costing from 199 baht.

The busy streets of Bangkok areas such as Silom, Saphan Taksin, Victory Monument, Siam and Pratunam will have some of the best selections. Many of these super cheap shoes on the Bangkok streets aren’t particularly stylish or cool though, and comfort may be a problem as well – particularly if you have wider feet. If you just need a quick, cheap pair of shoes for a costume or interview though, these places definitely serve this purpose.

In Silom, search along the main streetwalks around Sala Deng BTS on an evening. At Saphan Taksin, check out Charoen Krung Road around the BTS and central pier area – there is a small, particularly good shop for cheap flip flops right next to the BTS station, just across the road from the songtaews. Head to Siam after around 7pm and you’ll find street stalls opposite Siam Paragon and many more up Ratchadamri Road next to Central World.

For some better quality, good value shoes in Bangkok, I highly recommend the shops Footin and Bata. You can find these shops in many of the more local Bangkok shopping complexes as well as The Mall Thapra in Talat Phlu, and the MBK at National Stadium. Bata in particular sells some comfortable, decent sports trainers for between 500 and 1000 baht while Footin sells a great range of cute, sturdy and comfortable sandals and flip flops from 199 baht per pair.

Another cheap place to try for better quality shoes in Bangkok is Siam Square. Siam Square have a variety of shoe shops selling high heels, pretty sandals and cool sneakers. You can buy colourful, handmade leather heels for 750 baht, fashionable Thai ladies shoes from 250 baht, and second hand, big brand shoes for around 200 baht a pair.

Where to buy cool high heel shoes in Bangkok

As above, for some cheaper high heel shoes in Bangkok, head yourself down to MBK or The Mall Thapra where you can buy some decent heels from Footin and Bata. For those looking for something a little more expensive, fashionable and with more of a WOW factor, the designer shops at Siam Center stock some really awesome designs.

You’ll find the bold designs of Villain SF on the first floor, Havaianas, Steve Madden and the slightly more affordable VNC on the second floor. In my opinion, Siam Center is by far the coolest place to shop in Bangkok for ladies shoes. Shoe prices vary from around 1000 baht to 20000 baht per pair, maybe less if you’re lucky enough to catch a good sale.

Where to buy cool trainers/ sneakers in Bangkok

Siam Square in central Bangkok is home to many indie boutiques and Thai fashion shops. You can find some cool, alternative sneaker/ trainers from both international and Thai brands costing anything up to 10000 baht per pair. Check out Sneaka Villa in Soi 2 Trendy Zone – you can find the stairs inside a small shop called London Brown, Sneaka Villa is just on the 2nd floor.

Also nearby Sneaka Villa is Humankind Factor on the second floor of the Lido Theatre near Soi 2, and INFRD (also on Soi 2). On the next main road, Soi 1, you can find the Outcast Store, and the king of all sneaker shops, Vii Athletic Club. As well as some really unique and awesome Thai brand sneakers, you’ll find a good range of Vans, Adidas, Nike, Converse and Reebok in most of these shops.

In particular, Bangkok’s Vii Athletic Club has a huge choice of cool, pimpin’ design sneakers for both men and women, plus a few t-shirts, hats and accessories. It sells New Balance, Supra, Vans, Converse, Adidas, Nike, Nike 6.0, Mad Foot, Victim of Vanity plus a whole second floor dedicated purely to sports shoes. This is my favourite sneaker shop in Bangkok – hands down. Sneaker prices range from 2000 baht up to nearly 10000 baht.

I’ve not visited myself, but Superrzaaap!! just on Soi 9 apparently has a decent stock of sneakers in Bangkok as well.

Humankind Factor

MBK shopping mall is another useful place to shop in Bangkok for big brand trainer and sneaker shops, with various sneaker shops scattered throughout. Keep your eyes peeled for Genesis which sells some awesome designs. For sports shoes on a budget at the MBK, Bata sells decent, basic sports trainers for less than 1000 baht.

For those who don’t mind the concept of second hand shoes, there are few markets with large sections dedicated to used trainers such as Converse, Vans and Nike. Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok has a particularly huge section selling second hand sneakers, or you might like to try the Train Market and street stalls of Siam (try around the Pratunam area where the river meets the Ratchadamri Road – Petchaburi road intersection). Again, Siam Square has a few small shops scattered around that sell small selections of cool, second hand sneakers.

How To Order Thai Street Food

Posted on May 24, 2013 by koomatzu

Thai Street food

The language can be a bit of a barrier when ordering street food in Thailand – there are not usually english menus and the sellers speak little english if any. It’s not a problem though, a lot of them can still speak very basic english to help you out. Street food in Thailand is so cheap and tasty that I highly recommend giving it a try – especially if you love to try real, authentic food.

I have given some useful phrases for ordering Thai street food below, but when attempting to speak Thai, make sure to add krap for men, or ka for women, on the end of sentences to make it more polite.

‘Issan style’ tray restaurants

Occasionally you may come across street food stalls in Thailand that have their food already made and laid out in a selection of trays. They usually sell curry and sauce dishes to go with plain rice. It’s often easier to judge if you will like Thai street food by seeing it first anyway. The best way to order Thai food at the tray places is to just point, it’s pretty easy. You could also say the Thai phrases…

an ni – this one an nan – that one
You could also say ao – I’d like: ao an ni krap/ka – I’d like this one please

Tray Style! Foods a bit cold, but hey I’m still alive

They will simply dish your chosen Thai meal onto a plate and you will pay upfront, usually around 30 baht ($1). They also have polystyrene boxes for takeaway if it looks a little cramped for you to sit down.

gin tii nii – To eat in sai glawng/ sai toong – To take away (box/ bag)
tan nii – To eat in glap baan – To take away (lit. back home)

The first Thai phrase that street food vendors will often ask you is tan nii rue glap baan, or tan nii rue sai glawng – are you eating in or taking away?

laew… (duay) – and… (as well) kai – egg
moo – pork gai – chicken

Cook on the spot

Sometimes you might come across a Thai street vendor cooking at a small, mobile trolley with a glass cabinet full of different ingredients. These vendors prepare dishes in front of you – usually noodle soup dishes or som tam (papaya salad).

They can be the most awkward places to order Thai street food because they often don’t have english menus, or anything written anywhere for that matter, and don’t have anything you can get away with just pointing to. These are probably the healthiest places to eat though (glass noodles are the healthiest option, being made of mung beans: woonsen) and food costs from 25 baht a serving. Some useful Thai phrases for when you don’t know what the hell the street vendor is selling are:

ao neung tuuay/jahn – I’d like one bowl/ plate
arai aroi tiisut – What is most delicious?
mee maynoo mai – Do you have a menu?
mee maynoo arai – What food do you have?
mee maynoo nehnam arai – What dish do you recommend?
Ao – I’ll have it
Arai gor dai – Whatever will do
Baep nai gor dai – Which ever will do
Moo – Pork   Gai – Chicken
Bah mee – Egg noodle   Sen nai – What kind of noodle
(Sen) lek – Small (noodle) (Sen) yai – Big (noodle)
Pet – Spicy   Mai pet – Not spicy

Take a seat, and they will bring your food to you when it’s ready. At these places, you can help yourself to drinks from the fridge. When you have finished, they will add up the total from your table, you can just grab their attention with your money out and they’ll get the idea. Or a casual gep dtang ka/krap (Can I get the bill please)

Thai Street Meat

Some of the tastiest and most popular street meat in Thailand is Moo ping, also known as Moo yang – grilled pork. These are sticks of pork grilled with a barbeque sauce marinade and usually cost 10 baht a stick. There are also street vendors which sell various meatballs and cubes on skewers – reconstituted types of meat served in a plastic bag with chilli sauce. You can sometimes get sticky rice (pronounced ‘Cow Neo’) to compliment it.

Other Thai street food vendors sell deepfried chicken and sausages – again you can buy this with sticky rice and chilli sauce. A piece of chicken will typically cost around 20 baht depending on the size and type. With these guys you can just point and nod but it’s always better to speak Thai. With the skewers, you can just pick out the ones you want and put them in a pile to the side and they’ll heat them up for you.

Ao neun/sawng/sam mai krap/ka – I’d like one/two/three skewers please
Ao neung/sawng/sam chin krap/ka – I’d like one/two/three pieces please
ao cow neo duay krap/ka– Can I have sticky rice too
ao cow neo neung toong duay krap/ka – can I have one bag of sticky rice too

Fruit men

Another kind of street vendor to look out for are the fruit men. I love Fruit men. These guys wheel around a glass cabinet full of mangoes, pineapples, melon and sometimes rose apples and other fruits. Then, like a freakin ninja, they’ll chop your chosen fruit up for you and whack it in a carrier bag.

You can have a bag of sugar to go with it – a kind of salty tasting, sweet sugar. A little too much sweetness for my liking. An ordinary sized bag of fruit costs 10 baht.

Sa-ba-rot – pineapple Daeng-mo – melon Ma-muang – Mango
Ao (sa-ba-rot) neung/song chin krap/ka – I’d like one/two pieces of (pineapple)
Ao (ma-muang) neung/song luuk krap/ka – I’d like one/two whole (mangoes)

You use the word chin when asking for a piece of fruit or food, and luuk for any whole, round food item such as a whole mango or a steamed bun

I think she likes me

Mall canteens

Mall canteens, usually on the top floor of all the malls and department stores, should not be forgotten as an authentic, cheap source of food in Thailand. If you’re on a budget, they are useful as most meals only cost around 30 – 50 baht and they have practically every meal you can possibly order in Thailand under one roof. The canteen at the top of Terminal 21 in Bangkok is particularly good.

Head up to the coupon kiosk, hand over 100 baht and then they will give you a card, use the card to pay at whichever food kiosk you fancy, take the card back to the kiosk and the person will give you back the balance. Easy.

You can just point to the pictures or a lot of the staff speak basic english anyway. Or, you can just say ‘tii +number krap/ka‘ to specify which number meal you want. (See the Thai numbers below)

1 neung 4 See 7 Jet
2 sawng 5 Hah 8 Bpaet
3 Saam 6 Hok 9 Gao

Eating cheap in Thailand

As food is one of my biggest weaknesses and ends up burning the biggest hole in my pocket of all living in Thailand, I figured it was the most controllable of my outgoings and so I made it my mission for the last month to eat on as small a budget as possible. Without starving myself to death however and whilst eating reasonably healthily.

Anyway, I managed to squeeze my budget down to 120 baht a day simply by eating mainly Thai street food. In fact, I’ve managed to live in Thailand off of just 15000 baht a month lately. Thats about £330 or $500 – 5000 baht for my rent and 10000 on everything else.

So there you have it – it is indeed very possible to live in Thailand Bangkok on only 15000 baht a month. But eat lots of street food.

Still not satisfied? Eager to learn more useful phrases for ordering Thai food? Curious to know more about Thai street food? You might be interested in the Eating Thai Food Guide below – 100 pages of Thai food tastiness…

Buy the Eating Thai Food Guide eBook for only $7

Sathorn Saint View Serviced Apartments, Bangkok

Posted on March 15, 2013 by koomatzu

Sathorn Saint View is both a long stay apartment complex as well as a short stay hotel in Bangkok. If you’re looking for some cheaper budget accommodation in a convenient location, then Sathorn Saint View can be a good choice of apartment to rent in Bangkok. Including the more expensive rooms, all apartments in Sathorn Saint View are open plan studios with no kitchen, just a fridge (and microwave in the better apartments). Rooms are relatively cheap and vary from between 5000 (£100 or $150) and 12000 (£250 or $400) baht per month or from 600 baht per day.

The Area Around Sathorn Saint View

Sathorn Saint View is in Sathorn, just a 5 or 10 minute walk to the Surasak BTS sky train station. Just four stops away for 25 baht on the skytrain is the Siam interchange, the hotspot of Bangkok. Alternatively, about a 20 minute walk from the apartments is the central pier, where you can catch a ferry from about 10 baht which will take you to the old district of Bangkok where Khaosan Road and all the main areas for sightseeing are. Also within easy distance, there’s Silom Road which has plenty of choice of restaurants and shops, just about a 15 minute walk away.

A review of Sathorn Saint View serviced apartments

With this convenient location and low price in mind, you can’t have everything for nothing in life.

The downside of Sathorn Saint View:

Some of the staff are quite nice but a lot of them aren’t particularly helpful and just aren’t particularly enthusiastic or welcoming for some people’s tastes.
The professional images on the hotel website are very deceiving. The gym is somewhat ill-equipped in comparison to the these images. Personally, I’ve completely written off the gym. It comprises of a rusty old, dirty weights bench, 3 treadmills and an even rustier pull down cable bar machine. And maybe the odd dead cockroach. It’s real grubby… and to top it off, not only is it located in a boiling hot, green house stylee room on the rooftop but it’s got no aircon either. It’s pretty unbearable during midday in Bangkok. The swimming pool seems okay but it’s just a bit on the small side.
The cleaners don’t really do their jobs so well and the dirt can really accumulate after a while. They also tend to skive off on the roof and perv on any of the female guests either sunbathing or using the gym.
Directly outside the building, there are some dodgy alleys you need to walk through to get to the main road. Being a lady, I felt a bit nervous on my own after dark.. Maybe a more seasoned traveller might scoff at this and survive just fine.. but for those of a more nervous disposition such as myself, you might want to bear this in mind. Bag snatchings and crime can be a more common occurrence in the sois around here and this is particularly bad for tourists who are bigger targets and more at risk of falling victim to this.
The internet can be frustratingly slow. If you need internet for anything important, then bare this in mind. It was a big problem for us. There doesn’t seem to be a limit on the internet usage so even though you have to pay 750 baht per month for wifi in your apartment, you may still be sharing it with somebody downloading ten movies a night.
The food in the restaurant is rather greasy. The sandwiches are the only thing on the menu that I could eat. I am not a fussy person at all, but let’s just say eating here has put me off fried rice for life. Every time I think of that greasy meal I feel nauseous…

On a more positive note though!

There is a a really cool looking temple and grave yard behind the apartments – it’s nice to hear the chants from the nearby mosque and the birds singing throughout the day. It’s a peaceful area compared to staying on a main road.
The more expensive apartments are also quite nicely furnished, with a nice lobby area downstairs and a roof top garden.
There is an awesome little restaurant directly next door which is lovely and cosy, and on top of this you can buy a really tasty meal from about 40 baht to eat in or take away.
In terms of location and size, Sathorn Saint View is decent value for money for long stay residents being within easy walking distance of the BTS.
You do not need to sign a long contract. You can pay monthly to stay there and just give two weeks notice when you wish to leave.

Sathorn Saint View has so much potential, it just seems a bit neglected. For apartments to live long term in Bangkok, you can find cheaper and better value for money if you don’t mind staying further from the centre. However it is not a bad price really when considering the convenience and closeness to the BTS and Silom. If you don’t mind basically living in a hotel room then it’s a good bargain. However, if staying in Bangkok on holiday, I think that there are much better value for money hotels in Sathorn. The charming youth hostel, Saphai Pae down the road looks better value. Or Eastin Grand, complete with it’s own walkway to the sky train station! How I envied those tourists…

Money In Thailand

Posted on March 4, 2013 by koomatzu

Cost of living in Thailand

How much the cost of living in Thailand will be for anybody depends on the things in life that are most important to that individual person. For example, I spend the majority of my money in Thailand on sports and exercise, and then on the extra food to supplement this. I live in the centre of Bangkok and I don’t eat street food for every meal, I treat myself more than a couple of times a week to some variation of good food in a cafe or restaurant. I like to spend money in Thailand travelling, exploring and I also like to buy clothes, but on top of this, for some reason I feel drawn like a magnet whenever I go in a Boots or Watsons, I just want to spend my money on everything. What is it with women and pharmacies anyway?

Beer isn’t that cheap in bars and pubs; just as an idea, the cost of a beer in Thailand such as Chang and Singha is around 100 baht a pint (£2 or $3), but you can also buy a bottle of Thai whisky like Sangsom for about 290 baht (£6 or $9); just half of one of these will easily do for me. Beers like Guinness or Hoegaarden will cost from around 250 baht a pint (£5 0r $7).

Anyway this month, my cost of living in Bangkok totalled 24000 baht (£530 or $800). I also made 5000 baht (£100 or $150) from extra work, I didn’t earn much money from work at all this month – I worked about 3 days altogether… my movie career in Thailand seems to be dying a slow death after it has only just begun. Sad times.

Anyway, from what I’ve googled and seen online, a great deal of people seem to say you can’t live on this low amount of money in Thailand, especially Bangkok, but I guess I have proof otherwise. Although I eat out a lot and spend more money in Thailand than I really need to, I just don’t think anyone could live much cheaper than this anyway; everybody has their vices in life. To have an even lower cost of living in Thailand, you would have to live frugally and not have much of a life I think. But of course the cost of living is much cheaper outside of Bangkok.

*Update: Please note that I have since managed reduce my cost of living in Bangkok to around 18000 baht per month (£400 or $600) simply by not going shopping and by eating mostly street food. You can read more about eating on a budget here.

Cost of food in Thailand for one month: 7900 baht (£175 or $260)

Most days for lunch I will eat Thai street food, either to takeaway or sit in, at 30 – 35 baht ($1) for a meal. It’s actually pretty good too. On evenings, mainly out of convenience and laziness, I will often eat at our apartment restaurant or the restaurant next door for around 50 – 90 baht per meal. A couple of times a week or more, we tend to cave and spend money at more expensive, maybe western style restaurants for up to 350 baht (£8 or $12) each.

Most days I will also spend money on extra snacks such as chopped fruit bags, meat sticks, dumplings, steamed buns, fried chicken, soy milk and the odd bubble milk tea; all of which cost from 10 baht per serving. 1150 baht of my spendings this month was used at 7 11s and Top supermarkets mainly on toilet roll, cereal, milk and bread. Cereal is a luxury in Thailand, one box can cost up to 300 baht… Furthermore, water in Thailand is pretty much negligible as you can buy it purified from Reverse Osmosis machines for 1 baht per litre.

Bubble milk drinks from a street vendor

Cost of transport in Thailand for one month: 2738 baht (£60 or $90)

I spend money on the Bangkok BTS sky train on a daily basis. 900 baht (£20 or $30) of this total was spent on the MRT subway, the ferry and topping up my BTS carrot card. I spent 600 baht on taxis, mainly to get to work in Bangkok in the unsociable, early hours of the morning or basically whenever other times the BTS is closed at night. Getting around Bangkok city in a taxi shouldn’t cost any more than 200 baht a journey – taxis in Bangkok for me usually average around 100 baht per ride. A typical journey on the BTS can cost between 15 baht and 50 baht per journey depending on the distance (the MRT underground is also very similar in price). The ferry usually only costs 15 baht. I spent another 900 baht on a 460 km return train and bus journey when making a trip up north. The remaining 300 baht went on two days of moped rental (after splitting between the two of us).

Cost of rent & bills in Thailand for one month: 5500 baht, split between two (£120 or $180)

We pay 10,000 baht for a 40 sqm studio apartment which is situated 10 minutes walking distance from a BTS station in Bangkok. If you live alone, you can find a basic, smaller studio apartment from 4000 baht; for a couple you can find slightly bigger apartments from 8000 baht. It will obviously cost more money the closer you live to the centre or subway/ skytrain in Bangkok. You can find more information in my article renting in Bangkok.

Cost of clothing in Thailand for one month: 4000 baht (£90 or $130)

With this money, I practically bought about 8 new outfits from Platinum Mall and Siam for 1050 baht, at Boots and Watsons I spent about 900 baht (what the hell I spent that on other than sun cream I do not remember! Shameful), 200 baht on phone topup and 1300 baht on a ukulele. Anyway, for more information on average costs of clothing and souvenirs in Thailand you can check the prices here.

Total spent on recreation in Thailand for one month: 3400 baht (£75 or $115)

This includes 600 baht spent on booze, 2000 baht on hotels and 750 baht on a cycle tour (you can see more details on this by clicking here)

Cost of gyms and fitness classes in Thailand for one month: 1000 baht (£20 or $30)

This covers two pole dance classes costing 500 baht per class. I am also a member of a gym in Bangkok but paid for this upfront for 6 months. Technically, this would work out to cost about 2000 baht per month as well.

For more information on the cost of living and money in Thailand, you can check out more on my expenses here: Month 1 and Month 2

Best Shopping In Bangkok

Posted on February 12, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok Markets

There are so many different shopping malls and markets to visit in Bangkok, it can be quite overwhelming to decide where to go for the best shopping in Bangkok for you – particularly if your time in Bangkok is limited. People have different styles, tastes and different shopping budgets too. So take a look at my guide to the best shopping in Bangkok – it’s even in order of price range with the cheapest markets for shopping in Bangkok starting first!

If you have a tight budget and are looking for some super cheap shopping in Bangkok, welcome to part one of my Best Shopping in Bangkok guide. If you’d prefer to skip the cheaper Bangkok markets, check out part two for the shopping malls in Bangkok.

Siam street shopping in Bangkok

Whenever I need to buy something specific in Bangkok and don’t have much time, I always go shopping in the streets of Siam along the road from Central World to Big C. Along Siam, you can find most things from knockoff Hollister joggers for 120 baht, hotpant shorts (FYI great for pole dancing!) 100 baht and vests at 30 baht each.

It’s all cheap and basic Bangkok shopping and I love it. It’s great for easy shopping in Bangkok – one simple stretch of road and a diversity of stalls. Just make sure you head to Siam for shopping in the evening as there are many more stalls to choose from by this time.

+ Tip: Where to buy cheap office clothes for an interview in Bangkok? For the best shopping in Bangkok for office clothing and suits, make sure to head down to the Super K Outlet – a Korean discounted fashion outlet. Super K Outlet frequently has on sales of up to 90% discounts, so you can buy some nice office skirts and jackets etc reduced from as much as 1995 baht down to as little as 100 baht. Not to mention all the scarves, hats and sunglasses they sell at Super K Outlet.

Super K Outlet has been my saviour on many an occasion when I have needed emergency smart clothes in Bangkok that I don’t want to spend all my money on. You can’t miss it – It’s directly opposite Central World on Petchaburi Road complete with Korean pop music blaring and pulsating out from it. (Update – Super K Outlet in Bangkok may have closed down now)

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Shopping on a budget, shopping for office clothing in the Super K Outlet.

Average price range at Siam: Low, from 30 – 150 baht

How to get to Siam: Either take the BTS to Siam and you’ll find a shopping market on the opposite side of the road to Siam Paragon. Or take the BTS to Chit lom and then head past Gaysorn towards Central World . You can’t miss it, the streets towards Pratunam and the streets opposite Paragon at Siam Square become alive with Bangkok street stalls. Most of the Siam markets won’t open until in the evening after rush hour.

Pratunam Market Bangkok

Pratunam is huge area of outdoor and indoor indie wholesale Bangkok market stalls and in my opinion it is makes the best shopping in Bangkok for the biggest bargains of all. Pratunam market is where most Bangkok market stall owners buy all their products in bulk. Obviously you will get a better discount in Pratunam market if you buy more than one item from a shop but it’s still pretty cheap, and due to the sheer size of it, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for if you’re after something specific.

Pratunam market in Bangkok is MASSIVE. You can find many plain and simple items of clothing in Pratunam (reminding me a little of what you might buy in the budget shopping ranges like New Look) such as cardigans, leggings, harem trousers and vest tops… and you can also buy many colourful shirts, printed t-shirts and brightly patterned dresses. Most of this costing less than 200 baht per item.

However, Pratunam is primarily a wholesale market and not so much intended for individual shopping or shoppers just gaily and aimlessly mincing around in their own world. Because of this, it can give one the feeling of just.. well, being in the way. The shopping corridors on the inside of Pratunam market tend to be absolutely tiny and crammed full of busy sellers, people hurriedly pushing through with huge trolleys and even the odd motorbike squeezing their way through.

It’s a pretty crazy Bangkok shopping experience, and similarly on the outside, you are constantly trying not to get run over by the heavy traffic while shopping and browsing through the tiny and tightly packed together shops. Because of this stressful and heavily crowded atmosphere, I find I am unable to shop for long in Pratunam market… Personally it’s too big for me and my mousey brain gets confused – I just find shopping in Pratunam market to be frustrating and the clothing not really worth it.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Bargain shopping, buying in bulk

Average price range at Pratunam market: Low 100 – 250 baht

How to get to Pratunam Market: Located up Petchaburi Road Bangkok, opposite from Platinum Fashion mall (See below) and around Baiyoke tower area.

Platinum Fashion Shopping Mall Bangkok

Platinum Fashion Shopping Mall has some cool shops, with some different styles to your standard Bangkok fashions. There is something to be found at Platinum Fashion Mall to suit everyone’s tastes, from hippy chic pants to rock chick t-shirts to glamorous dresses – Check the second floor of Platinum Fashion Mall in particular for some more individual styles.

Platinum Fashion is great for shopping wholesale in bulk, so it’s best if you have a friend or two to come with. I would recommend avoiding haggling at Platinum Fashion Mall if you are only buying one or a couple of items as this is a wholesale market so they are unlikely to reciprocate. The prices at Platinum Fashion Mall are decent – on average around 250 baht for a top. Maybe not as cheap as some of the clothes you might buy from the other Bangkok markets, but worth every baht in quality and design.

Another big bonus about shopping at the Platinum Fashion Mall is that it’s quite compact and not too overwhelming. It’s smaller than a lot of the other Bangkok shopping malls but still big enough and diverse enough to find what you need.

Though, the only downside about Platinum Fashion Mall is that the shop owners don’t allow you to try clothes on. Even if you wanted to try a shirt on over your vest for example – not allowed. This means you can end up wasting money on clothes that end up looking better on the hanger but rubbish when you get home and try it on.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Low budget, alternative and different styles

Average price range at Platinum Fashion Mall: Low 150 – 300 baht

How to get to Platinum Fashion Mall: Get off at BTS Chit Lom, follow signposts for Central World, turn and walk down the road at Central World so that Gaysorn is on the opposite side of the road to you and Central World on your right. Keep walking straight for about 5 – 10 minutes minutes – Platinum Fashion Mall is just past Baskin Robbins on your left.

Chatuchak Weekend Market Bangkok

Of all the Bangkok markets, in my opinion Chatuchak market makes for the best shopping in Bangkok and is by far one of the biggest markets, full of both tourists and Thais alike. One of the big bonuses of Chatuchak market is that it is a pleasant Bangkok shopping experience due to the market stall owners and shop assistants being a little more mellow and fair. What I mean when I say this is that the whole atmosphere is friendlier and they don’t desperately pounce on you or pester you like at some other Bangkok markets.

On top of that, many of the stalls have marked prices charging the same for both foreigners and Thais. For all those out there who detest haggling in Bangkok as much as I do, then Chatuchak market is the ultimate Bangkok market shopping experience! Even just as a day out to browse the arts and crafts, hard and soft furnishings, or gawk at the cute puppies, Chatuchak market is great fun!

The clothes, jewellery and bags at Chatuchak market are very diverse in style as and you can buy handmade jewellery from 30 baht or as little as 100 baht for a cute dress when some places have sales on. You can find any style of clothing from the brightly coloured, cheap summery dresses (typical of all the tourist markets) to simple, popular Thai fashions to very cool, unique clothing from indie designers.

For men, there are a good selection of T-shirts with many different designs up to size XL. There are also whole sections dedicated to denim wear, second hand clothing and converse shoes. Especially great for those with a taste for shopping bohemian and alternative styles.

Chatuchak market can get very busy though, even in the BTS station it can be quite a challenge to even make it to the market! Not only this, but it is absolutely huge. This may be a plus for some people but it’s easy to get lost and confused with where you’ve covered so far. Just make sure you go on the weekend – in the week Chatuchak market turns into an agricultural plant market.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Sightseeing and shopping for ethnic, bohemian stlyes of clothing and house wares

Average price range at Chatuchak market: Low 150 – 250 baht

How to get to Chatuchak Market: Follow the crowds from BTS Mo Chit Station

Khaosan Road Market Bangkok

If you’re struggling to find clothes in Bangkok to suite your tastes amongst the ultra girly, ribbon adorned Thai fashion, Khaosan road is your place. It definitely caters more for the Westerners shopping tastes… Khaosan Road has loads of hippy style clothing and alternative jewellery…

It’s all relatively cheap but nothing is priced so there is of course a chance of overpaying unless you are an expert haggler… shopping is still usually fairly priced at Khaosan Road though, even if you are ripped off a little bit… just see my Bangkok shopping price guide for tips anyway. Some of the goods along Khaosan Road can be a little cheap in the way of materials and quality, but if you look hard enough you can still find some better quality items; leather cuffs, flowery cotton dresses, handmade earrings etc.

Khaosan Road

It can get a tad manic so if you’re not a fan of the typical tourist-trap vibed places then this may not be the best shopping in Bangkok for you. Khaosan Road is perfect for shopping in the evening and having a few drinks in the bars along the way though otherwise! Be sure to check out the road adjacent to Khaosan Road, Rambuttri Road, which is a little more mellow and nicer on the eyes.

Best shopping in bangkok for: T-shirts, bohemian styles, dresses and clothing for Western tastes

Price range at Khaosan Road: Low 150 – 300 baht

How to get to Khaosan Road: Ferry to Pra Arthit pier from Saphan Taksin

Rambuttri Road, next to Khaosan

Train market Bangkok

Update: As of May 2013, Rod Fai Market has been demolished to make way for the new Bangkok BTS route. But the new Rod Fai Market has now relocated – You can read more about the new train market in Bangkok here.

The Train market, or Talad Rod Fai as it is sometimes called, is located very near to ~~Jatujak market~~ and, similarly to Chatuchak market, is also only open on the weekends, but only in the evenings. The Train market is a cool and quirky place to hang out in Bangkok – you can chill out in one of the small bars opened up from the back of Volkswagen camper, or you can browse the old antique displays and trinkets for sale.

In keeping with the antique and vintage theme of the Bangkok market, the clothing is also mostly vintage in style as well. You can also find many stalls selling cheap, second hand converse trainers and other sneakers quite cheaply. Randomly, I also found an underwear stall here, where they sell some good underwear sets for 150 baht. Overall, the train market has a real nice, laid back vibe to it – a pleasant environment for shopping in Bangkok and listening to some good music.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Vintage clothing and retro knick knacks, or just chilling out and drinking a beer

Average price range at the Train Market: Low 150 – 250 baht

How to get to the Bangkok Train Market: ~~From MRT Kamphaeng Phet station, walk about five minutes in the opposite direction of Jatujak market (after 5pm Saturday and Sunday). It is on the right side of the road.~~

Patpong Night Market Bangkok

My opinion on shopping in Bangkok Patpong Market – Avoid it. Patpong Night Market can be a bit of a tourist trap, you do not see Thai people shopping at Patpong Market. In my opinion, Patpong Market sells the same clothing and souvenirs as most of the other markets, only they seem to target Westerners and so inflate their prices big time.

Nothing has a price tag and you are expected to haggle when shopping at Patpong market, which to me is a bad sign unless you are an expert haggler. I asked the price of a crappy looking pair of rope thong sandals at Patpong Market – just because I needed a cheap temporary pair. The sales woman said ‘1000 baht’. She then followed me with her calculator asking how much I wanted to pay to which I was not interested in the slightest!

I found these shoes elsewhere for 250 baht while shopping at Asiatique a week later. The only positive about shopping at Patpong market, is that they have a supply of larger sized clothing to fit westerners, in case you are having trouble finding clothes in Bangkok to fit.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Plus sizes and souvenirs

Average price range at Patpong Market: Low, 150 – 1000 baht

How to get Patpong Night Market: Can be seen from BTS Saladaeng station

Asiatique Bangkok

Asiatique is similar to Chatuchak market in Bangkok but not as big. Maybe if you feel a little overwhelmed by Chatuchak, Asiatique would be a good substitute for market shopping in Bangkok. Also, if you are more interested in mixing your Bangkok shopping up with some fine dining and pretty, night time lights – this is your market!

Asiatique is great just for a visit and even just window shopping in Bangkok – There is plenty of clothing, trinkets and soft furnishings to choose from (very similar to some of the shopping in Chatuchak market). If you like Asiatique, also try K-Village which is very similar and pleasant to explore and dine.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: An evening out… or just to buy some pretty accessories or dresses

Average price range at Asiatique: Low 200 – 350 baht (The restaurants are more expensive though)

How to get to Asiatique: Catch the free ferry anytime from 6pm which departs from the central pier in Saphan Taksin

Siam square Bangkok

Siam square is made up of a maze of arcades; small individual shops cluttered along the walkways both indoors and outdoors. I think one of the things I appreciate about shopping in Siam Square the most, is the diversity in style, quality and prices… Whereas in the usual Bangkok markets, you typically have a massive repetition of the same clothes and bags in all the different stalls; and then at the completely opposite spectrum of things, you have the fancy shopping malls selling ridiculously overpriced designer fashions.

Plenty loads of individual boutique shops to be found in Siam Square

At Siam Square you can still find, for example, an affordable pair of shoes for 299 baht, but you can also find yourself some very good quality shoes from 800 baht upwards. You can still get a t-shirt for 200 baht, or, in contrast, you can find yourself a fashionable evening dress for 800 baht or more. Similarly, there is a nice range of jewellery and accessories from handmade necklaces and stone pendants, to alternative leather cuffs and sparkly feather earrings.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Interesting and reasonably priced jewellery and accessories, alternative skater shops

Average price range at Siam Square: Varies – low to medium: 200 baht to 1000 baht

How to get to Siam Square: Located directly across the road from Siam Paragon at BTS station Siam.

Outside shops around Siam Square

Best shopping in Bangkok. Check my Thailand price guide for the ultimate Bangkok shopping experience. Or, check my other guides on where to buy cheap shoes, clothes and gadgets in Bangkok.

Apartments In Bangkok

Posted on December 15, 2012 by koomatzu

Renting apartments in Bangkok can be very affordable and extremely good value. Although slightly more expensive than others, there are many apartments in Bangkok around that will allow monthly contracts for those who are maybe unable to sign a contract for a whole 6 months or year. And likewise, there are many hotels that will encourage long stay visitors and offer some decent discounts for monthly stays. It can actually cost as little as 2500 baht a month to rent an apartment in Bangkok – that roughly works out to $80, or £50.

Renting an apartment in Bangkok on a budget

I can’t personally vouch for the quality of the types of apartment in Bangkok which start at 2500 baht and to be honest, I can assume that one should use common sense and be prepared for some very basic accommodation at best. If you really are a carefree and unperturbed individual who doesn’t mind roughing it, then I’m sure that’s fine. It’s just a place to sleep after all. I tip my hat to you.

It’s the kind of price most of the working class locals will pay for rent in Bangkok and is actually quite the norm I believe. But for this price, these cheaper apartments in Bangkok are usually very small bed sits. I’m sure there are plenty of clean, cockroach free apartments in Bangkok to choose from though!

For those willing to pay a little bit more rent in Bangkok, serviced apartments can be quite a good option. Serviced apartments in bangkok arrange bills, cleaning and sometimes laundry for you too, however they do tend to charge about double for your water and electricity bills. You can find some decent serviced apartments in Bangkok which start from 8000 baht per month ($250). Some good value serviced apartments in Bangkok are:

http://www.nonsiresidence.com/

http://sathornsaintview.com/index.php – Review of Sathorn Saint View

http://bosstower.com/contact.html

Renting an apartment in Bangkok with money to burn

If you can afford to spend maybe 15000 or 20000 baht/month on rent, you will have absolutely no problem in finding plenty of luxury studios and bedroom apartments for rent in Bangkok. And of course for more than this, you can find some magnificent apartments in Bangkok in excellent locations.

For both budget and luxury apartments in Bangkok, please take a look at any of these sites. I myself have found them to be very useful; they have a huge range of short stay and long stay apartments to rent in Bangkok.

http://en.9apartment.com

http://www.tee-pak.com/en/index.html

http://www.companyvauban.com

http://www.bigmangoproperties.com

http://www.bangkokcondofinder.com

www.ddproperty.com

Renting an apartment in Bangkok. For more information on areas, apartments and where to live in Bangkok, click here.