Step 10 : Day 2 : Bangkok

Day 2 : Grand Palace, Wat Po, Wat Arun and Suanlum Night Bazaar

War...so nice to travel alone. No need to rush and wake up at anytime we liked. The feeling was quite good...peace and relaxing. We woke up at around 9.30am. Around 10am, we went down for breakfast. No breakfast included in our hotel package, so need to walk around for food.

Saw this foodstall at the Soi Rambutri, 5 minutes walk from the hotel. Interesting, got western and local menu.

We ordered friedrice and ...

...and the Pad Thai again. The spices, sauce and the dry shrimps...all are self-service. Added as much as we liked...yummy.

After the breakfast...we tried our luck to get a room @ Lamphu House. Once stepped at the entrance...already saw a board written "Full House" at the counter. Anyway, we still insisted to ask but still a negative answer we received. Since we still got time for another destination... we make another decision; wait for other visitors check-out. Not more than 30minutes we got the room!!! But no air-cond room...only 500Baht per night. But for next day we given a big room with air-cond. Since we heard a lot of good recommendation on Lamphu House...we went for it.

Once we transfered or luggages from Rambutri Village Inn to Lamphu House...we headed to Khoason Road to look for Mama Travel and Tour Agency for the Floating Market tour package. We paid 300 Baht each person for the tour.

Then we took the Tuk-Tuk again to the Grand Palace. We paid 60 baht for the fare to Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. To enter the Grand Palace, one must have to wear proper dress code and shoes. No sleeveless shirt and short pants are allowed. Open from 8.30am to 3.30pm daily.

At the entrance...

Nice scenery view all the way to the palace...

The entry fees had just increased to 350 Baht which included admission to Wat Phra Kaeo Museum, The Royal Thai Decorations & Coins Pavilion in the same compound and to Vimanmek Mansion Museum on Ratchawithi Road. Map in few langauges is available so that you won't get lost.

Shops at both side on the way to the Grand Palace after the ticket booth.

We were @ the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Monarch’s personal place of worship and royal temple.


Shooting with my new Nikon baby.

Here is the outcome of my DSLR photography skills. Hehehe...still at the beginner stage, were using the auto mode.

The upper terrace are found with 4 main monuments; Phra Siratana Chedi, Phra Mondop, Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn (The Royal Pantheon) and a miniature Angkor Wat.

There are so many building and the names are very hard to remember...


At one side of the palace, saw some worker were doing the maintenance work.

Another side of the palace, Chakri Maha Prasat.

Saw these beautiful trees beside the Wat Phara Kaeo Museum.

Stomach started make sound...time for lunch. So we outed from the palace to find stalls for food. Hawker food were everywhere once you stepped out from the palace. Don't worry so much about diarrhea or you will miss out so many good food for very cheap price. We just ate what ever we liked.

Our main dishes for lunch:


Next destination was Wat Pho; the temple of the Reclining Buddha. Must visit since it is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok. Just a walking distance from the Grand Palace.
Along the way to Wat Pho...the street was like a morning market selling various items; slippers, antique, food, flowers etc.

A bunch of roses was selling just 30 Baht or around RM3. OMG!!!

Reach Wat Po the home of the famous Reclining Buddha. Enterance fee: 50Baht per person.

Changed 20 Baht of coins for donation.

Statues @ Wat Po...

The final temple visit of the day was Wat Arun; Temple of the Dawn. Time almost 5.30pm when we outed from Wat Po. Wat Arun which opened @ 7.30pm was going to close at 5.30pm. We thought that we were not able to go inside the temple but stay outside of the temple until sunset to capture the night scene as what we had planned.

From Wat Po, we walked to the jetty. Saw many Tuk-Tuk lying infront of the Jetty.

The temple is across the Chao Phraya River, so you need to take the boat. Only 3 Baht per person per way.

The boat was coming to fetch us. It was not more than 5 minutes ride.

By the time we reached...the main door already closed.

Unexpectedly we already at the steep stairs of Wat Arun. So lucky!!! How come???

At the exit door, it still opened to let the visitors leave the temple. We saw a group of "Ang Mo" which were late like us begging to the guards to let them go inside just photographing...we just followed from behind...hehehe.

Anyway, 1 thing I didn't like was this Thai dancer display for photographying. At first we thought it was the temple facilities...but once we stepped up and already took our photo, a lady came to collect 40 Baht and showing the small 40Baht signboard at the foot of the display. Just don't like the way she doing this business...

it seems like she setting the bait and hiding somewhere to wait for the "BIG" fish. Same thing happened after 30minutes for another visitors. Hahaha...

Sky from bright turned dark before 8pm. Managed to get some good shots of the temple at night. Left the temple after 8pm and headed to another destination for dinner, the Suanlum Night Bazaar.

Again we took Tuk-Tuk to the night market. Fare only 80Baht which required us to take the petrol vaucher for the driver at a local TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand ). If not the driver asked for 150Baht to go there.

Dinner time...

After dinner...shopping time.

Took Tuk-Tuk again back to the Lamphu House. Fare 100 Baht. Around 30 minutes from Suanlum to reach the hotel. So tired...next day going to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and need to wake up early or miss the tour.