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Published: January 28th 2019
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Living in Chiang Maiin north Thailand is a treat. With that said, Chiang Mai is the ideal jumping off place to take a lively, jammed-pack trip to Bangkok. I was fortunate to be able to make the trip with one of my best friends and we shared a trip we'll remember forever. In looking back, the whole experience was the perfect mix of the old and the new.
Friday Night
After we finished work in Chiang Mai around 5:00 pm, we caught a plane at Chiang Mai International Airport, leaving on the 7:00 pm flight. The flight is a short 70 minutes. We were on time and landed at Donmuang Airport in Bangkok right at 8.10 pm.
Bangkok is everything that Chaing Mai is not. Even though Chaing Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand and the capital of Chiang Mai Province, its population of about 130,000 pales in comparison to Bangkok's population of 8.2 million. As Thailand's capital city, Bangkok has the hustle and bustle I miss and it's a great place to meet friends.
Though most people think of Bangkok's Chao Phraya River with all its many boats moving past the Rattanakosin royal district, the Grand Palace and
the sacred Wat Phra Kaew Temple, there are many new modern places to visit and enjoy in the city. My friend and I decided to go to the famous
Ratchada Rot Fai Night Market before having dinner with friends later in the evening. The night markets in Bangkok are a combination of the loud voices of vendors alongside the most delicious smells you can imagine.
My friend bought a sacred stone at one of the Market's vintage memorabilia shops as a little reminder of our trip. I think the Ratchada Rot Fai Night Market is a lot more authentic than some of the other night markets. There's always live music coming from the many music bars in the district. The energy of the place is upbeat. When our other three friends arrived, we all enjoyed a late night dinner of Guay Tiew Gai Mara (Chicken Noodle Soup with Bitter Melon), Enoki Mushrooms Wrapped in Bacon, Thai Grilled Pork Satay and Moo Ping (Thai-style grilled pork). Yum!
To get to the Ratchada Rot Fai Night Market, take the MRT to the Thailand Cultural Centre and take Exit 3. Walk left when you exit to the street and then you'll find it at the
next left side-street behind The Esplanade.
Saturday
We slept in a little on Saturday morning. Around 11:00 am, we visited
the Museum Siam, located at 4 Sanam Chai in the old Ministry of Commerce building. There's so much to see and appreciate here we ended up staying for four hours! This discovery museum is a really a walking tour of everything Thai, teaching residents and tourists alike about the history and national identity of the people of Thailand.
With the motto “Play + Learn = เพลิน” (which means 'joyously' in Thai), the museum is divided into different themed areas, such as Village Life, Politics and Communications, War Room, Thailand and the World, and Suvarnabhumi. We especially liked the map room and the movie about Thailand history in the museum's impressive, immersive theatre with a super-long screen.
After resting our feet for a little, at 5:00 pm we met another group of friends that now live in Bangkok at
the Cielo Sky Bar and Restaurant, which gets my vote for the best sky bar in Bangkok. Contained within the 46th floor of the Skywalk Condominium, the Cielo is one of the most popular rooftop dining venues in the City.
Its Art Deco atmosphere is
retro, refined, and fun, and its 360° panoramic view of Bangkok is absolutely amazing! Our timing could not have been better. We sat out on the balcony overlooking Bangkok as the sun was setting. The sky appeared like an artist palette, like bright pinks, and then deep reds were painted across the expanse before us.
At Cielo, I suggest their Stir-Fried Rice Noodle with Crab Meat and Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab, served with a bottle of 2014 Felton Road ‘Bannockburn’ Central Otago Chardonnay from New Zealand. As always, the food and conversation were all I hoped. We ended up relaxing, talking late in the night, and catching up on each others' lives!
Sunday
No trip to Thailand's capital is complete without going to one of the day markets in Bangkok. I like the floating markets best.
Around 10:00 am, we made out the way to
Khlong Lat Mayom. It's about twenty kilometres from the City. From Wongwian Yai (the last BTS station on the Silom Line), you'll want to take a taxi. If you really want to get a flavour for Thailand (in more ways than one), a local floating market like this one is one of the
best places to go. I like this floating market because it's less crowded and has a lot of charm. It's really the best way to experience a wide variety of ingredients and cooking techniques that Thailand has to offer.
At 6:00 pm, tired, but satisfied, we hopped on the quick flight back to Chiang Mai. I couldn't believe everything we were able to see on our weekend together and I was happy to get reconnected with some of my closest Bangkok friends.
When you want to have a great three days in Bangkok, make sure to check out these Bangkok sights.
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