【大男孩去旅行】曼谷自由行的二三事 Few things about Bangkok
2013年9月曼谷自由行Bangkok retreat Sep 2013同年7月才因為出差到過曼谷一趟，沒想過這麼快就要再去一次。這次因為跟未婚妻一起，遊覽的景點雖然是有點重覆，但曼谷就是那麼可愛，每次來到都能發現新事物，這篇博文就會分享在曼谷看見的二三事。It is my send trip to Bangkok in 2013. Last time I was in a company meeting. This time I go with my fiancée. So I pretty much repeat the agenda one more time. But it is Bangkok, you will always find something new.
綠油油的曼谷A green city東南亞國家的樹木長得特別綠，就算是高度發展的曼谷市區也不例外。因為工作，我去過不少東南亞的國家，就林木而言，我最愛新加波，他們把樹木跟城市合二為一，成為一個獨特的地貌。曼谷的樹也很多很綠，遊客可能會因為大型購物商場們，但它們默默的為我們提供保護，我們有感受到嗎？South East Asia cities are always green. Though I like Singapore the most for its unique forest city landscape, Bangkok is not bad at all for a highly visited tourist destination. Trees sit side by side with mega malls, just waiting us to give them a little bit more attention.
泰國手機上網AIS電話卡Go online by AIS mobile sim上次使用的是dtac Happy Sim卡，299泰銖，包含7天無限上網及99泰銖通話費，唯速度一般，所以這次又嘗試另一家叫AIS的電訊商。同一樣7天的無限上網及相同的通話費，但AIS標明首1GB的流量才是3G速度，其後就會限速，我只去4天，1GB足夠整個行程，所以問題不大。經過4天實地試用後，我覺得速度比Happy Sim快。AIS的sim卡於iPhone上是隨插即用的，但在Android手機就要自行設定APN資訊，櫃檯服務員會幫你，但如果您好像我一樣，首先是用iPhone上網，然後想把卡換到Android手機，您只需要打開手機網絡設定的頁面，找出APN選項，APN name隨便填個名稱，APN一欄就填入"internet"，把其他欄目留空，您的Android手機就應該可以上網了。I used dtac happy 3G tourist sim card in my last visit. It comes with a 7 days uunlimited access to 3G data and a 299 baht value of voice service. In order to find out which service provider is better I tried another service provider called AIS this time. All the same as dtac except it mention clearly only first 1GB of cellular data will enjoy 3G speed and after that speed limit will apply. My feeling after 4 days of use it is slightly faster then dtac but not a lot. The sim card works in iPhone aautomatically. No setting is needed. For Android user, set up the VPN yourself and fill in "internet" in the VPN field and it will work.
Mercure Bangkok Siam酒店的天台樂園我們選擇了Mercure Bangkok Siam作為這次旅程的基地，比鄰National Stadium BTS鐵路站，MBK商場及Siam Discovery商場，基本上去Siam附近的地方都可以走路前往。酒店乾淨實惠，設施齊備。走上29樓的天台游泳池或頂層的健身房，便能飽覽曼谷城市景色，游泳池及健身房都是晚上8點關閉，購物到6點左右來看個日落magic moment，確實為賞心樂事。千萬不要忘記品嚐酒店對出馬路邊的小販美食，榴蓮，芒果糯米飯，香蕉班戟，任君選擇。We stayed at Mercure Bangkok Siam hotel which is right next to National stadium BTS station. It is also a few minutes away from MBK and Siam Discovery Shopping Center. You will find all you need here and the price is reasonable. There is also a pool and a gym room on the roof top. Go to enjoy sunset and magic moment after a long day shopping will be delightful. Don't forget the street food just outside the hotel entrance. I highly recommend mango sticky rice, banana pancake and of course durian!
曼谷榴蓮，處處留香Heaven of durian eater來曼谷怎樣可能不吃榴蓮？曼谷有很多小販售賣打包好的榴蓮，通常他們會把拆下的榴蓮皮放在旁邊，記住要求拿一塊榴蓮皮，食完榴蓮後用榴蓮皮內側充當杯子倒點水，用來漱口及洗手，就能清除榴蓮的香味，唔信？下次試試吧！Durian is a tropical fruit, regarded as king of fruit in Asia. They sell pre-pack durian on street. Remember to ask for a slice of skin when you buy it. Fill it with some water and clean your mouth and hands. It will eliminate the smell of durian.
千奇百趣，曼谷Saphan Taksin BTS站在曼谷坐過船遊過河的朋友，肯定對Saphan Taksin BTS站不會陌生，它就是BTS換乘船的地方，去大皇宮，Wat Arun黎明寺及Asiatique的必經之地。如果您離開的時候都是選擇以BTS回到市區，您就會發現這是一個很有趣的車站。車站建於highway旁邊，只有一個月台，列車會從左右兩個方向前來，所以要先看清楚列車前往哪一個方向，月台地面有清楚列明，不要急於上車啊。另外，Taksin是泰國以前的一個皇帝，這個字於泰文不是發"T"音而是發"D"音的，發"T"音的話，就會變成前總理他信的名稱了。If you need to visit places nearby Chao Praya like Wat Arun, Grand Palace and Asiatique, it is better to commute by boat. Saphan Taksin is where you can interchange BTS to boat and a weird BTS station. There is only 1 track but you can go to 2 opposite directions from here. All you have to do is to see which way the train come from. Then you can tell where it is going to by reading the signage on the platform. Listen to station announcement will work too. Taksin is the name of old King of Thailand.
進擊的曼谷大皇宮Attack of Titan?若果說進擊的巨人是今年香港最火紅的漫畫應該不算過份，原來巨人早早就出現在曼谷的神話故事裡面，這一幕很面善吧？Attack of titans is a very popular comic book series and its origin is not in Japan but in Thailand? Look at this wall painting does it sound familiar to you?
色彩斑斕Colorful曼谷是個多顏色的城市，最特別是粉紅色的的士，很艷的。另外他們很喜歡黃色，因為是象徵泰皇吉祥。有時後留意身邊的地方，您可能會發現更多顏色配搭，這條褲子，在香港我真的不敢穿啊...Bangkok is a city full of colors. Love its pink color taxi that you don't find it elsewhere. Yellow is another famous color, it represents luck to Thai King. I like to come here because I can be brave in wearing color outfit.
Wat Pho臥佛寺Don't touch曼谷有很多佛寺，遊客視為景點，對僧侶來說就是他們神聖之地。指示牌是給不懂尊重的人看已而。There are a lot of temples in Bangkok. It may be just an attraction for most of the tourists but for monk here it is their holy place.
Silom大街的流動美食天堂 Silom street food在香港，要找小販已經很難，因為他們都給發牌食肆取締了，衛生情況雖然有所改善，但味道反而變差，人情味也減少，還記得小時候幫媽媽去買糖水，器皿都是自己帶的，感覺很好。在曼谷，小販處處，在Silom大街，還沒有到夜晚，已經有不少流動小販車出動了。Hawkers were banned in Hong Kong for long time. Good old memories were replaced by cold business-oriented restaurants. But here in Bangkok you can enjoy good street food everywhere. Time for a bowl of deep fired fish balls!
Siam購物區光污染之嚴重 Siam light pollution Siam購物區是來曼谷必到的地方，Siam Paragon，Siam Discovery及Siam center 3個大型購物商場，加上Siam Square的小店，的確是血拼及開餐的天堂（其實大男孩反而更喜歡逛夜市...）但五光十色的建築物帶來非常嚴重的光污染，您看這個戶外屏幕造出來的光線，整個天空都被照亮了。圖片不能發聲，進行中的Bridgestone roadshow亦非常喧鬧，在這一區待長一點時間，會很頭疼的啊。Siam is a shopping district. No doubt Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery & Siam center all together becoming a shopping haven. Light pollution comes with the businesses and it is in alarming level. I felt headache after staying here for a while.
曼谷出租單車?Bangkok bike rental?竟然在Siam街上找到出租單車！！平時看到馬路都擠的密密麻麻，行人路就遊客處處，到底在市區哪裡可以騎單車呢？I am so surprise to see city bike rental here in Bangkok. Look at the road here. I wonder where can we ride it in city center.
Bangkok BTS：請緊握扶手 Clever handle這個扶手的設計很好，有一次我被擠到靠近車門還能夠扶穩，如果是在香港地鐵，就得要靠腳掌力及平衡力了。This design of handle ensure everybody can share the grip here. Much better than the design of Hong Kong MTR.
尋找原址於Amarin Plaza的林真香 Looking for some local snacks?Amarin Plaza商場裡面的林真香已經關門大吉，我們在Central World商場的超市裡面找到它們的產品，及大量榴蓮。While my favorite brand of snack 林真香 closed its branch in Amarin Plaza. I succeed in locate it in the supermarket of Central World.
設計者天堂Design with heart一件普普通通的東西，如果加點心思去設計，總會令人喜出望外的，看見這的路牌，誰不會格外小心呢？A sign stand can be simple or can be a designed item. I like this banana design & it makes simple thing look much more fun!
曼谷的可愛，就是在離開的那一天，您已經想好何時會再回來:) The day when I finished my 4-day trip here is the day I started planning my next visit to Bangkok:)
綠油油的曼谷A green city東南亞國家的樹木長得特別綠，就算是高度發展的曼谷市區也不例外。因為工作，我去過不少東南亞的國家，就林木而言，我最愛新加波，他們把樹木跟城市合二為一，成為一個獨特的地貌。曼谷的樹也很多很綠，遊客可能會因為大型購物商場們，但它們默默的為我們提供保護，我們有感受到嗎？South East Asia cities are always green. Though I like Singapore the most for its unique forest city landscape, Bangkok is not bad at all for a highly visited tourist destination. Trees sit side by side with mega malls, just waiting us to give them a little bit more attention.
泰國手機上網AIS電話卡Go online by AIS mobile sim上次使用的是dtac Happy Sim卡，299泰銖，包含7天無限上網及99泰銖通話費，唯速度一般，所以這次又嘗試另一家叫AIS的電訊商。同一樣7天的無限上網及相同的通話費，但AIS標明首1GB的流量才是3G速度，其後就會限速，我只去4天，1GB足夠整個行程，所以問題不大。經過4天實地試用後，我覺得速度比Happy Sim快。AIS的sim卡於iPhone上是隨插即用的，但在Android手機就要自行設定APN資訊，櫃檯服務員會幫你，但如果您好像我一樣，首先是用iPhone上網，然後想把卡換到Android手機，您只需要打開手機網絡設定的頁面，找出APN選項，APN name隨便填個名稱，APN一欄就填入"internet"，把其他欄目留空，您的Android手機就應該可以上網了。I used dtac happy 3G tourist sim card in my last visit. It comes with a 7 days uunlimited access to 3G data and a 299 baht value of voice service. In order to find out which service provider is better I tried another service provider called AIS this time. All the same as dtac except it mention clearly only first 1GB of cellular data will enjoy 3G speed and after that speed limit will apply. My feeling after 4 days of use it is slightly faster then dtac but not a lot. The sim card works in iPhone aautomatically. No setting is needed. For Android user, set up the VPN yourself and fill in "internet" in the VPN field and it will work.
Mercure Bangkok Siam酒店的天台樂園我們選擇了Mercure Bangkok Siam作為這次旅程的基地，比鄰National Stadium BTS鐵路站，MBK商場及Siam Discovery商場，基本上去Siam附近的地方都可以走路前往。酒店乾淨實惠，設施齊備。走上29樓的天台游泳池或頂層的健身房，便能飽覽曼谷城市景色，游泳池及健身房都是晚上8點關閉，購物到6點左右來看個日落magic moment，確實為賞心樂事。千萬不要忘記品嚐酒店對出馬路邊的小販美食，榴蓮，芒果糯米飯，香蕉班戟，任君選擇。We stayed at Mercure Bangkok Siam hotel which is right next to National stadium BTS station. It is also a few minutes away from MBK and Siam Discovery Shopping Center. You will find all you need here and the price is reasonable. There is also a pool and a gym room on the roof top. Go to enjoy sunset and magic moment after a long day shopping will be delightful. Don't forget the street food just outside the hotel entrance. I highly recommend mango sticky rice, banana pancake and of course durian!
曼谷榴蓮，處處留香Heaven of durian eater來曼谷怎樣可能不吃榴蓮？曼谷有很多小販售賣打包好的榴蓮，通常他們會把拆下的榴蓮皮放在旁邊，記住要求拿一塊榴蓮皮，食完榴蓮後用榴蓮皮內側充當杯子倒點水，用來漱口及洗手，就能清除榴蓮的香味，唔信？下次試試吧！Durian is a tropical fruit, regarded as king of fruit in Asia. They sell pre-pack durian on street. Remember to ask for a slice of skin when you buy it. Fill it with some water and clean your mouth and hands. It will eliminate the smell of durian.
千奇百趣，曼谷Saphan Taksin BTS站在曼谷坐過船遊過河的朋友，肯定對Saphan Taksin BTS站不會陌生，它就是BTS換乘船的地方，去大皇宮，Wat Arun黎明寺及Asiatique的必經之地。如果您離開的時候都是選擇以BTS回到市區，您就會發現這是一個很有趣的車站。車站建於highway旁邊，只有一個月台，列車會從左右兩個方向前來，所以要先看清楚列車前往哪一個方向，月台地面有清楚列明，不要急於上車啊。另外，Taksin是泰國以前的一個皇帝，這個字於泰文不是發"T"音而是發"D"音的，發"T"音的話，就會變成前總理他信的名稱了。If you need to visit places nearby Chao Praya like Wat Arun, Grand Palace and Asiatique, it is better to commute by boat. Saphan Taksin is where you can interchange BTS to boat and a weird BTS station. There is only 1 track but you can go to 2 opposite directions from here. All you have to do is to see which way the train come from. Then you can tell where it is going to by reading the signage on the platform. Listen to station announcement will work too. Taksin is the name of old King of Thailand.
進擊的曼谷大皇宮Attack of Titan?若果說進擊的巨人是今年香港最火紅的漫畫應該不算過份，原來巨人早早就出現在曼谷的神話故事裡面，這一幕很面善吧？Attack of titans is a very popular comic book series and its origin is not in Japan but in Thailand? Look at this wall painting does it sound familiar to you?
色彩斑斕Colorful曼谷是個多顏色的城市，最特別是粉紅色的的士，很艷的。另外他們很喜歡黃色，因為是象徵泰皇吉祥。有時後留意身邊的地方，您可能會發現更多顏色配搭，這條褲子，在香港我真的不敢穿啊...Bangkok is a city full of colors. Love its pink color taxi that you don't find it elsewhere. Yellow is another famous color, it represents luck to Thai King. I like to come here because I can be brave in wearing color outfit.
Wat Pho臥佛寺Don't touch曼谷有很多佛寺，遊客視為景點，對僧侶來說就是他們神聖之地。指示牌是給不懂尊重的人看已而。There are a lot of temples in Bangkok. It may be just an attraction for most of the tourists but for monk here it is their holy place.
Silom大街的流動美食天堂 Silom street food在香港，要找小販已經很難，因為他們都給發牌食肆取締了，衛生情況雖然有所改善，但味道反而變差，人情味也減少，還記得小時候幫媽媽去買糖水，器皿都是自己帶的，感覺很好。在曼谷，小販處處，在Silom大街，還沒有到夜晚，已經有不少流動小販車出動了。Hawkers were banned in Hong Kong for long time. Good old memories were replaced by cold business-oriented restaurants. But here in Bangkok you can enjoy good street food everywhere. Time for a bowl of deep fired fish balls!
Siam購物區光污染之嚴重 Siam light pollution Siam購物區是來曼谷必到的地方，Siam Paragon，Siam Discovery及Siam center 3個大型購物商場，加上Siam Square的小店，的確是血拼及開餐的天堂（其實大男孩反而更喜歡逛夜市...）但五光十色的建築物帶來非常嚴重的光污染，您看這個戶外屏幕造出來的光線，整個天空都被照亮了。圖片不能發聲，進行中的Bridgestone roadshow亦非常喧鬧，在這一區待長一點時間，會很頭疼的啊。Siam is a shopping district. No doubt Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery & Siam center all together becoming a shopping haven. Light pollution comes with the businesses and it is in alarming level. I felt headache after staying here for a while.
曼谷出租單車?Bangkok bike rental?竟然在Siam街上找到出租單車！！平時看到馬路都擠的密密麻麻，行人路就遊客處處，到底在市區哪裡可以騎單車呢？I am so surprise to see city bike rental here in Bangkok. Look at the road here. I wonder where can we ride it in city center.
Bangkok BTS：請緊握扶手 Clever handle這個扶手的設計很好，有一次我被擠到靠近車門還能夠扶穩，如果是在香港地鐵，就得要靠腳掌力及平衡力了。This design of handle ensure everybody can share the grip here. Much better than the design of Hong Kong MTR.
尋找原址於Amarin Plaza的林真香 Looking for some local snacks?Amarin Plaza商場裡面的林真香已經關門大吉，我們在Central World商場的超市裡面找到它們的產品，及大量榴蓮。While my favorite brand of snack 林真香 closed its branch in Amarin Plaza. I succeed in locate it in the supermarket of Central World.
設計者天堂Design with heart一件普普通通的東西，如果加點心思去設計，總會令人喜出望外的，看見這的路牌，誰不會格外小心呢？A sign stand can be simple or can be a designed item. I like this banana design & it makes simple thing look much more fun!
曼谷的可愛，就是在離開的那一天，您已經想好何時會再回來:) The day when I finished my 4-day trip here is the day I started planning my next visit to Bangkok:)