christmas night

รถติดมาก / ไปเอารูปไม่ทัน / คนเยอะ ฯลฯ แต่ไม่หงุดหงิดเลย
ฉลองคริสมาสด้วยการนั่งรถเล่น ถ่ายรูปผ่านกระจกรถ บลาบลาบลา
วนไปมาอยู่แถวสยาม ที่ไหนๆก็คนเยอะ

ก่อนกลับไปกินราเมงแถวสีลม อร่อยดี  พุงจะแตก

Day 1 was like orientation day. For joyce, it was no big deal since she’s quite a regular here but for me, it has been 7 years!

For one things haven’t changed much – though it is worth noting that the taxi service have been cleaned up rather thoroughly. There isn’t a single cabby who tried to play punk and not switch on the meter – way better than KL.

Since this trip was meant to be super relaxed, we crashed for 2hrs after checking into the hotel and hence, the late lunch.

I vaguely remembered Sunti brought me to Fuji Restaurant (which is like EVERYWHERE) 7 years back so we decided to check out the same branch at Siam Centre.

Unfortunately, it was late afternoon and the setting wasn’t exactly cozy with the glaring evening sun. Nevertheless, hungry people have to eat. And ate we did…

… at Auntie Anne’s Central World, which is like 1 train stop down. It was meant to be just a cup to lemonade but we figured it was cheaper to get the entire set.

Interestingly, this place did not exist when I last visited 7 years back. Now it’s a mega mall with a sprawling floor area. Back then it was the boring old World Trade Centre. The rest of the evening was spent exploring this part of the town and checking out the Christmas decorations.

Bringing along 2 cameras – 1 DSLR and 1 PnS – was really a good thing. This allowed us to maximize the exposure to the local sights.

Strangely, the Thais are VERY into photography and it is not uncommon to see them lug their DSLR around with their L lenses. In my opinion, if you are into street photography, this is the place to be – everyone is striking a pose everywhere and they have no issue with you stealing a shot.

Like I said, things haven’t exactly changed a bit – the traffic especially.

Back then, the BTS (their train system) didn’t seem very well received by the locals. Probably the price was quite a put off, but nowadays it is quite packed. Still, it is more worthwhile to hitch a cab if travelling in a pair.

We took the train back to MBK for the kicks anyway. And yes, the locals queue to enter the train. That’s really nice… but they don’t really give way to alighting passengers so that kinda defeats the purpose. What sucks is the fact our hotel stop is just 3 stops away but we had to transfer to another line on the 2nd stop. So a short trip transpired into a 20min trip back to MBK (our hotel’s linked to MBK) for grocery shopping…

… which transpired into a 30min undies shopping at the atrium. To be fair, it was cheap – buy 2 get 2 free – all in for S$8.

Grocery shopping whilst on holiday seems like a Singaporean thingy. In Beijing, my grandma went grocery shopping for fruits, cuts them up in the hotel (where she got the knife, i’m not sure) and delivered to each of our rooms. Apparently, joyce also had a concern over the potential lack of fibre while on holiday and so we went shopping for fruits.

So a pack of honey dew and another pack of pomelo later, our day pretty much ended. It was tiring perhaps due to the aimless walking around but hey, many days to go and we ain’t here to rush around.

Here is a short clip of a round from a Thai boxing match held at Studio 7.  Please enjoy.  I will post more later.  I have also posted another video of Mehdi and I training.  It was funny because there are 3 Thai instructors in the ring and me the only Filipino.  Hey I sort of fit in .  The camp is getting busy.  Everyday more people arrive.  We have had guests here from Australia, Russia and the Philippines.

The day was low key.  I woke up, meditated and followed a Yoga routine that I had downloaded on my I Pod.  I felt great even though last night I had that MMA, Muay Thai, Thai Massage combo.  After I had breakfast, a cappuccino, read my book, while listening to Christmas songs outside on the cafe’s patio.  Pretty neat huh?  Afterwards we jumped on some motorcycles and went to MBK, one of Thailand’s largest malls.  You guessed it, more shopping for the guys, than off to Black Canyon for some top notch coffee.

Back on the motorcycle to get back to training.  It was hot to train, but the cool wind really helped.  Than again back to Lumpini Bazaar for more shopping.  This night, like all nights here, we have been staying up to 3.00 AM watching soccer.  We have to stay up pretty late to keep Mehdi company.  He fights on Dec 4 around 11.00 PM, so we are trying to get him used to being active at that time.  Good nite Kombat Arts, I miss you guys Jd

Wheels and three bags of odds and ends are back from powdercoating.

black 103 three stars

mbk 3 and 5 star for puch magnum

The events/meetings of Visual Kei fans in Thailand are always at MBK Center (Mahboonkrong or มาบุญครอง) every month. MBK is a famous shopping center which has a big space for meeting at the corner of the street. It is near Siam Center, just across the street. You can just imagine of Thai girls dress as Harajuku people. People around the world know that Thai girls are very pretty, so what they will look like, … the prettiest one you saw in Japanese. No lie.

Some Visual Kei bands are so famous in groups of rich teenagers in Thailand, and a lot of Japanese animas do, too. These fans pay a lot of money for their costumes which they wear only in one day. Dir en Grey, Gazette, Miyavi (ex- Dué le Quartz) and D’espairs Ray are very famous currently. Although Malice Mizer is something old, but people always love to dress like them. Mana’s lip is very attractive and unique.

Photo of area around Siam Center by Sw Eden

Nongnut is one of classmates in high school. She got asked to dress with a white-fur costumn, because it was not fit in her friend’s body. Her group liked Hyde, L’Arc~en~Ciel so much. She gave me her drawing of Hyde, and I still keep it. Hyde is considered as the best guy in L’Arc en Ciel. He is who you should talk with and have as a friend.

Right now, let’s cross the street to Siam Center. Several buildings have small rooms for rent. Most of those rooms are for rent. Many teachers rent them and their students have to pay a lot of money to take extra classes. It sounds mean that those teachers do not teach everything they know in the school, because they need more money. Visual Kei fans also rent the rooms, too. They use it for the meeting within their own group for each band. X Japan fans liked to eat some spicy things together. Some big fans of Visual Kei also buy many CD and DVD from Japan and sale them in this place. Most of the discs are second hand, because they already watched them. I walked up and looked around in the latest time I visited Siam Center. A group of teenatures with dark-eyes-make-up watched Yoshiki played his piano.

I know an event that X Japan fans usually do in May 2nd of every year. They will meet at MBK or Siam Center and have some party. They will take a bus or train to Hua Lamphong Temple, which is one of the best place to do Coffin-Offerings. They donate money for the corpses who do not have coffin. They hope all merit to go for Hideto Matsumoto (Hide or 秀人松本), their hero.

Here’s my drawing of Hideto Matsumoto.
I do not usually put something that I do not own the copyright.

I do not usually dress as Visual Kei, but I do dress for Halloween. I had got a reward for the scariest dress. Sometimes, I dressed not for the contest. My close friend and I painted ourselves and walk around our high school. Halloween is my most favorite day of the year. So now, let’s go to class!

“เอ็มบีเค” สรุปแผนพระราม 9 ปั้นโครงการเดอะไนน์ คอมมิวนิตี้มอลล์ พร้อมเพิ่มพื้นที่อาคารสำนักงานให้เช่าปิดจุดบอด ทราฟฟิก เผยต้องควักกระเป๋าเพิ่มจาก 800 ล้าน เป็น 1,200 ล้าน เล็งดึง “สยามพิวรรธน์” ลงทุนร่วม

นายสุเวทย์ ธีรวชิรกุล กรรมการและกรรมการผู้อำนวยการ บริษัท เอ็ม บี เค จำกัด (มหาชน) กล่าวว่า สำหรับโครงการพัฒนาที่ดินบริเวณถนนพระราม 9 ใน รูปแบบคอมมิวนิตี้มอลล์ จะใช้ชื่อว่าเดอะไนน์ (The Nine) บนพื้นที่ 14 ไร่ โดยได้แก้รูปแบบโครงการใหม่ จากเดิมจะพัฒนาเป็นพื้นที่ค้าปลีก ด้วยการเพิ่มพื้นที่ในส่วนของสำนักงานเข้าไปด้วย แบ่งเป็นพื้นที่คอมมิวนิตี้มอลล์ 2-3 ชั้น ขนาด 1.3 หมื่น ตร.ม. พื้นที่สำนักงานให้เช่า 8,000 ตร.ม. และส่วนที่เหลือจะเป็นพื้นที่ลานจอดรถและส่วนกลาง

การแก้แบบโครงการดังกล่าวทำให้ต้องเพิ่มงบฯ จากเดิมตั้งไว้ 800 ล้านบาท เป็น 1,200 ล้านบาท ทั้งนี้ นายสุเวทย์ให้เหตุผลของการแก้โครงการใหม่ว่า มาจากการสำรวจตลาดโครงการคอมมิวนิตี้มอลล์ต่าง ๆ พบว่าช่วงเวลากลางวันของวันธรรมดา ลูกค้าที่เข้ามาเดินมีจำนวนที่น้อยมาก ซึ่งการแบ่งพื้นที่เป็นออฟฟิศจะเข้ามาช่วยอุดช่องโหว่ดังกล่าว

โดยคอนเซ็ปต์โครงการเดอะ ไนน์จะมีร้านค้าและสินค้าที่ตอบสนองความต้องการของกลุ่มลูกค้าในย่านนี้ รวมทั้งกลุ่มสินค้าในรูปแบบตลาดสดที่จะเข้ามาเสริม

การลงทุนในโครงการนี้มีความเป็นไปได้ทั้งเอ็มบีเคลงทุนเองหรือเป็นการลงทุนร่วมกับพันธมิตรซึ่งอาจเป็นกลุ่มสยามพิวรรธน์ก็เป็นได้ โดยจะได้ข้อสรุปปลายปีนี้

ซึ่งก่อนหน้านี้เอ็มบีเคถือหุ้นร่วมลงทุนอยู่แล้วในโครงการพาราไดส์พาร์ค โครงการนี้จะใช้ระยะเวลาพัฒนาประมาณ 1 ปี คาดว่าจะแล้วเสร็จในช่วงปลายปี 2553 หรือต้นปี 2554 เป็นการเปิดในช่วงเวลาที่ไล่เลี่ยกับโครงการพาราไดส์ พาร์ค

นายสุเวทย์กล่าวต่อไปว่า นอกจากรายได้ศูนย์การค้าที่เป็นรายได้หลักแล้ว บริษัทจะต้องเร่งสร้างรายได้ในส่วนอื่น ๆ มากขึ้น โดยจะเน้นการทำตลาดในเชิงรุกในช่วง 5 ปีหลังจากนี้ไป เพื่อให้สอดรับกับสัญญาค่าเช่าใหม่ที่จะต้องจ่ายให้กับจุฬาฯ ในปี 2557 ซึ่งประเมินว่าจะเป็นต้นทุนที่ทำให้กำไรลดลง

ตอนนี้แนวโน้มเศรษฐกิจยังคงนิ่ง ไม่มีอะไรมากระตุ้นมากนัก เห็นได้จากการเติบโตในช่วง 3 เดือนของปีบัญชีของบริษัท (กรกฎาคม-กันยายน) ที่เติบโตเพียง 1-2% จากรายได้รวมใน 6 กลุ่มธุรกิจ คือศูนย์การค้า โรงแรมและการท่องเที่ยว สนามกอล์ฟ ข้าว อสังหาริมทรัพย์ และอื่นๆ

ซึ่งในรอบปีที่ผ่านมา บริษัทมีรายได้ 6.287 พันล้านบาท แม้ว่าจะเติบโตขึ้น 2.79% แต่กำไรลดลง 6% เนื่องจากธุรกิจโรงแรมที่ได้รับผลกระทบจากจำนวนนักท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติลดลง ซึ่งศูนย์การค้ากลายเป็นตัวหลักที่เข้ามาขับเคลื่อน โดยมาจากการกระตุ้นด้วยกิจกรรมอีเวนต์ภายในศูนย์ที่เพิ่มขึ้นและผู้เช่ารายใหม่เข้ามาเพิ่ม

นอกจากนี้ยังมีแนวคิดที่จะขยายคอมมิวนิตี้มอลล์ไปต่างจังหวัด โดยเฉพาะในหัวเมืองใหญ่และเมืองท่องเที่ยวที่บริษัทมีที่ดินและโครงการพัฒนาอสังหาริมทรัพย์อยู่แล้ว

ทั้งนี้ คาดว่าจะเห็นโครงการนำร่องในอีก 2-3 ปีหลังจากนี้ที่ภูเก็ตก่อน ซึ่งบริษัทมีที่ดิน 400-500 ไร่ สำหรับพัฒนาโครงการบ้านจัดสรรขนาดใหญ่และสนามกอล์ฟ

ที่มา ประชาชาติธุรกิจ 2 พฤศจิกายน 2552

Nowadays we are living with things full with counterfeit things, sex transforming, plastic surgery, artificial nature, richest cosmetic make-up, a man able to transform to woman, a woman affix to become a man, house is not a home, building is not just an architecture, endeavor of aroma developing beyond than its natural existed till do not know its merit. It seems to be that human is looking for maximum perfection of their life and love.

Nevertheless, pre-known of perfection should be recognize should be recognize after understanding in imperfection.

Do we need the most beautiful thing from our boundless desire? Do we try to set value of maximum beautiful to set value of maximum beautiful of the finest thing by its excess price; it does not mean that costly things reflect its owner great taste? Luxury may reflect bad taste.

Thus, Does people looking for finest material super furniture, super functional, someone’s predicted trend in modern world, best proportion which defined by small group of people?

A part exhibition is not answering all those questions. Now, question we want audiences to find the answer from their mind. However, it seems to be an undone design. Be just a thing from something we naively integrated. Be embellished from different things or inexistence combination way of these things.

Things from history, ancient are just an obsolete object we should praise or be tools for us to recreate new things from them. This project attempt to make it seems undesigned, fearless and most innocent understandable design.

Finally, a part which is done by human will not be just “a part”. Furthermore, Will a part be just a part? Does existence of our finished work available? Our dreamt beautiful life has its programmed path or just need to follow the existed social, norm, culture civilization?

Intended of “a part” exhibition is pass forward goodness message to the others more than just the best furniture design.

________________________________________________________

After he successful on previous products such as CELL, PARE, Somesung, Invisible, REEEF, he had proudly to announce his latest collection before the end of the last year of the first decade of the first century of this millennium, by using the Bangkok Design Festival as his collection debuted. This collection, ‘A Part’ which we couldn’t agree more in its new fresh and awesomeness with a lil’bit sarcastic strong content. For those who missed this event. View the images from here. Furthermore this collection is also perform with a grateful artist, P’Pueng, Armchair (band name) who compose ambient music for this exhibition and it also available in the slideshow which linked from above.

look here. take a peek, here is one of the most amazing kits by far. the motobecane malossi 50cc water cooled GR2 porting monstrosity for AV10. it’s been forever since we’ve had this kit so get it while you can if you’re into this kind of thing. going fast i mean. with only 50ccs. i bet this can go faster than most of your gilardonis or polini kits! what do you want to bet? 80s technology oooozes from this kit. if you didn’t know. 2 stroke moped technology was at it’s hight in the 80s. and has mostly regressed, since then.

+ if want more 50cc action, check out the new 50cc flat reed derbi cast iron kit. it features a huge oil reservoir or something like that down by the exhaust port. i think that’s what it is? hum. see, fas, cinating, iv’e never seen anything quite like it. have you? cast iron is so forgiving, heavy but forgiving. i know for a fact you can seize a kit like this 2 or 3 times in the same day and continue on you way each time as if nothing happened. tis true, ask a buddy. if you don’t believe me. they will tell you too.

“Welcome to the Tomahawk blog. I’m the French dude who you may have met at Choke getting parts and advice for builds. I’m starting this blog to help me keep track of my various variated bikes. Most of my riding time was spent blasting the streets of Paris and now I’m building bikes here in Los Angeles. Motobecanes and Peugeots are my mopeds of choice and I’m sourcing a large portion of my parts from France. I have three projects right now: a Puch Magnum Peugeot powered Frankenbike, a liquidcooled dualdisc braked 70cc Peugeot 103, and a 50cc metalflake powerdercoated pimp corner to corner commuter. I also maintain a 1990’s Bidalot 103RCX track bike (group 1). Since some people have been asking about these bikes, I’m going post photos of each of them in this blog.”

Putting words in people’s mouths is fun

MBK – MBK PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITEDが、先ほど明らかにしたところによると、9月9日の第三回2009/2010年度取締役会で、本年1月1日から6月30日までの業績に対しての配当金を一株当たり2.25バーツ。対象株数188,629,100株、金額ベースで424,415,475.00バーツを支払うことを決定した。（Info Quest 9月10日）

I woke up to the sounds of the air conditioning and the Spanish Football League at about 8am. I’m glad I’m not paying this electricity bill!

Showered, breakfasted and left around 10. I went back to MBK to check out those sandals I saw yesterday. In the process of picking them up I also bought a lamp for my bedside table. I don’t know how I’m going to fit all this in my bags to go home! I already know I’m leaving at least one t-shirt behind since I ripped it a bit tripping over on the boat in Halong Bay, but I might have abandon more clothing to get all this in.

I had lunch at Burger King one last time so i could get my fill of Whoppers and onion rings to last me a while.

Walking to the BTS station I was so busy looking for traffic before I crossed the road that I failed to notice the roof of the cart in front of me. *BANG* My glasses were on the ground and blood was coming from my left temple. The ladies at the cart gave me tissues and a band aid so the whole thing was cleaned up quickly, but not without some embarrassment. Why can’t I go a week without smacking my head into something? It’s been a few years since I’ve drawn blood though.

I picked up some juice from the Seven Eleven on the way back to drop off my stuff at the hotel. Then it was back to the Aussie Pub & BBQ for beer and footy.

It was a great game – only two points in it – and the crowd were really getting into it. I’ve really missed this kind of communal activity! I also had some wedges with chili sauce and sour cream while I was watching the game. I can’t tell you the last time I did that! It’s amazing the things you miss.

From there I wandered and ended up at an Irish style pub where I had a couple of beers and a cheeseburger and chips. I want to have fish and chips but I’ve always been disappointed by the adventure. It’s never the same as back home. There was Premier League on the TVs there too, so I watched a couple of games in relative comfort.

From there it was back to the hotel via Seven Eleven, more TV, more football. Indulgence! Yes!

Almost Gone

Removing this tattoo comes with a lot of pain. It has also come with a lot of joy. Pain is obvious. For those of you thinking of getting any tattoo remember it is a commitment. Think about what you are getting and make sure you can live with it forever. If you change your mind, getting it removed it horrible. First it costs way more to remove it then to get it put on. It also hurt 10 times more. My tattoo is very small. It about the size of a dime. Every time the laser zaps my skin I want to cry. It feels like a rubber band with razors attached it ripping into my hand. The residual burning that goes along with it is enough to put me down. It is still worth it to me.

Many have never noticed this tattoo. In fact sharing that I have this is almost liberating. I hide it a number of ways. Band-aids, longer suit coat sleeves, keeping my hand in my pocket; these are some of the ways I mask “Mi Vida Loca.” Most of my friends say I am crazy. They insist that no one can see the dots until I point them out. Regardless, I hate having to explain it when it does get notices. I also work very hard as an advocate for others. The thing that bothers me the most is the focus on my hand and not my cause.

A good thing has come out of this. I am getting my tattoo removed by My Brother’s Keeper Lifeline. They are an organization that helps transition people back into their communities after incarceration. They inherited the X-Tattoo program from the City of Phoenix a number of years ago. This program is open to the public (I have never been incarcerated) and offers tattoo removal at a very discounted price. Today I paid 45 dollars for my treatment. When I first started I went to a private doctor who was charging me 150 dollars a visit. YIKES! The staff at MBK are great and are always so welcoming. My favorite part of the treatment is talking to them. I also love talking to the other patients. Many have wonderful success stories and I am inspired every time I leave. If you know of anyone, including yourself, who would like to have a tattoo removed please let me know. I can highly recommend them.

Well soon, Mi Vida Loca will be gone. Removing my tattoo does not mean my life will no longer be crazy. It means I can close move past a bad mistake and focus on the future. Thank you MBK Lifeline volunteers and staff! Your organization has made such a large impact on my life.

EO

Yesterday my friend and I were supposed to meet up for a quiet lunch, but instead I found myself in a popular mall called MBK in the middle of Bangkok’s busy shopping strip, famous for buying and selling mobile phones. My friend needed a new phone so I tagged along with her hopeing  that we would chit-chat once the phone buying was done. However, it took much longer than we expected, and we were hungry…

My friend Agg dragged me to one of the stalls selling “Khanom Beaung” or Thai crispy pancake, made with batter mix, top with  cream coconut flakes and strands of sweetened egg yolk. They were bigger than the ones I usually get on street, and sold for 10 baht each.

Giant crispy pancakes @ MBK Bangkok

The origin of Khanom Beaung is said to be derived from the Ayudhaya Period (approx 300 years ago) by Marie Guimar de Pihna, a Thai-borne Japanese-Portuguese – Bengali lady. She played a very important role in introducing new, Portuguese-influenced dessert recipes to the Ayudhaya court, especially those with an egg-yolk base. It was one of these desserts that were sold during royal festivals.

Commoners were not really introduced to royal desserts until about 40-50 years ago. I’ve read a book about Marie Guimar de Pihna and her husband, they have pretty fascinating lives, it’s really worth googling.

Making Thai Crispy pancakes

When I was young, this pancake was one of my favourite snacks. After school, I would go out in front of the school’s gate where they sell lots of street food and buy them for one baht each. I even tried to make one myself. When I think about it now, the shape of it is somewhat similar to a taco, and many people refer to them as “Thai tacos.”

Agg ended up buying one and asked me if I wanted one, I politely declined since I’ve tried them before at the mall and they are too sweet for me. Maybe next week I’ll go hunting for my childhood pancake stall. I hope that it’s still in business. 

Sawasdee khap!

I have made a small reputation of myself giving tips and recommendations to first-time (and repeat) visitors to one of my favorite destinations, Bangkok. People frequenting sites like tripadvisor.com and asia-web direct forums have benefitted a lot from my well-earned experiences regarding the Thai capital for well over the past decade. So I think it’s high time that I share the same in my own blog, with a few tweaks here & there to make things more fresh and personal. Here goes!

Basic Rule of Thumb:
Always pick a hotel located close to the skytrain!

The Bangkok Skytrain

In a city like Bangkok where the traffic always gets as bad as Manila, you don’t want to spend your time cursing the endless bumper-to-bumper gridlocks. You wouldn’t want to be at the mercy of taxi drivers, either. Local transports are plenty, but if you don’t speak the language, there will always be the inconvenience of taking the right bus. Tuk-tuks, on the other hand, should not be considered a default mode of transportation. It is very touristy to ride one but no more than twice in a single trip.

The Skytrain will help in navigating your way around – quickly and painlessly, that is.

Siam Central is the Skytrain’s main station where all its routes converge. And since this is located right smack in the middle of Siam Square, this is the area you might want to consider as your base during a brief 3-5 day stay.

Siam Square
This area can stretch from the MBK Shopping Centre all the way to the Central Chitlom (see map below.) There is an elevated walkway connecting pedestrians in between so accomodations around the vicinity are always safe bets. There are so many malls here that the true-blue shopaholic will find heaven in checking out Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, Central World, Gaysorn Plaza, Amarin, MBK and the small shopping streets inside Siam Square itself.

Siam Square map

For travellers who fancy high-end accomodations, there will always be Intercontinental Bangkok, Centara Grand World and Grand Hyatt Erawan to consider. Staying in these properties will set you back at least US$250++ a night for a twin sharing room. If you don’t want to splurge that much but still want to experience some luxury, you can do no wrong with Novotel Siam Square, Siam@Siam Design Hotel, Holiday Inn Bangkok and Pathumwan Princesss (right beside MBK) where a room can be had starting at US$150++ (with breakfast included if you book with online hotel providers like Asiarooms or Sawadee.com.) The list doesn’t end there, though. Should your budget for a hotel room be anywhere in the range of US$80-120++, take a pick between Arnoma and Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok. The walk to the skytrain from either of the two may be a tad longer but your convenience won’t be signficantly compromised.

Krit Thai Mansion (very near MBK)

Let’s not forget the really budget-conscious tourists. There are two inns that emphasize on clean rooms in a safe environment here – Krit Thai Mansion and Golden House VIP (not to be confused with the similarly-named establishment in Sukhumvit 50 so look at the image below to know that you’re booking the right one.) The former is just a kitty corner away from the National Stadium station attached to MBK, while the latter is a stone’s throw from the stairs of Chitlom Station. These are popular choices for those looking for US$50-below accomodations. No frills here, and the rooms are a lot fewer so better book early to secure one in time for your vacation. Google them (or click the link on their names above) and deal directly (by email) for guaranteed reservations.

Golden House VIP (near Chitlom station)

There are still other options in this area like staying in serviced apartments like Grande Centrepoint Ratchadamri or Bliston Suwan Park View. Families will love the spaciousness and house-like ambience complete with a kitchen and living room. Prices here can go as low as US$70++ for a studio to a US$100++ 1-BR or a US$150++ 2-BR unit. Do keep in mind, though, that not all of the services and facilities available in a typical hotel – like varied restaurant options or a readily-available tour desk – can be found here. Peace and quiet is at a premium, nonetheless.

Pratunam (at least 20-25 minutes by foot from Siam Square) is also a popular area where hotels can be reserved at lower prices but since the skytrain is a relatively long trek from here, I purposedly did not include my recommendations. But if you insist, I would shortlist the likes of Baiyoke Sky, Indra Regent and Grand Diamond Suites for your consideration.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog. Next stop….Silom!

Again for the 3rd time, I’m finally here at Ratchada, Bangkok to be exact. And going back here won’t tire me even though it’s my 3rd time around. The difference this time: I’m a vacationing tourist!

Flight was on time. Philippine airport I came from was the controversial Terminal 3 which I find quite gloomy and dark. Arrived in Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok’s airport) around 11:30PM yesterday (12:30 AM Manila time, Thailand is an hour late in time). Thanks to the movie “Confession of the Shopaholic” converted for my iPod Nano, I was awake most of the trip. It was a longer walk from the terminal’s gate to the Immigration and  luggage area. I didn’t bring out my camera then. I guess I was tired and sleepy to even think about it. No Put (one of Ten’s best friend) around to welcome me this time (ok, I’ll admit it, I was a bit sad and disappointed. But admit it, my instinct was right – AGAIN).

I’m just happy… very happy I’m here in Bangkok already. Happy to see and be with Gian first and definitely, my vacation mode is on!

Anyhow, I had a few hours of sleep. Even though I was lying down already my mind is still wide awake. I guess I’m still excited. But that didn’t stop us from going out. We didn’t waste time.

Gian’s place is now farther from the main road and from a train/subway station compared to the last 2 place. Option was to either ride the motorcycle and pay 10 Baht which was a no-no for me (I still want to enjoy my vacation and go home still in one-piece) or walk. We went for the latter. Besides, it’s a good way to burn calories and have a chat with Gian

Esplanade Mall
Since it was too hot yet to head for Chatujak, we went first to Esplanade Mall, the nearest mall to Ratchada where we had our brunch. My first meal in Bangkok was Japanese. It was my first time to the mall and it wasn’t bad. Not as extravagant and overly impressive as Central World and Siam Paragon, but it was ok. Japanese buffet in Shabu Shi Restaurant was amazing. I’m so stuffed. Too hungry (and lazy) to take pictures. I was hungry then. Hands (and mouth) are full. Well, at least I can now finally say I have that experience of eating in a Japanese with the food choices you have to chase on a moving conveyer in front of you. Too bad and my loss too that I wasn’t able to document the experience

So what’s a perfect thing to do to kill time?

Watch a movie Ü Guess what movie is being shown here in Bangkok?

It's more than a two-thumbs UP!

OH YEAH! I got excited again learning from Gian that the movie “UP” from Pixar and Disney is already being shown in Bangkok. So there we go, we had to watched it. I can now brag to my friends left in the Philippines that I got to watch the movie already. Way ahead of them… hihihi. Ok, I’ll embarrass myself to you dear reader and admit something but I have to say this first: Darn writers. Darn Pixar. You hit me here, in my heart, AGAIN. You made me CRY… huhuhu.

But I recommend you to watch the movie. Just bring some tissue or hanky so you won’t soak your popcorn and make it taste too salty with your tears :p

Chatujak
Finally, I got to experience and see for myself what this market is so famous for. Well, everything and anything seems to be sold here. Alive only on weekends, we really didn’t miss this chance this time. They say it’s the cheapest place to shop in Bangkok but as my friend Gian advised me, still not all sold here are cheap. Some are still cheaper in MBK or in Pratunam.

It was a huge market. Alleys of alleys of stalls to check out. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any blouse or whatever for myself but I got shirts with good Thailand iconic designs like elephants and tuktuk as pasalubong for my male family members and friends. Gian got a bonsai plant that looks like a really nice small tree Ü

Taking photos of the market or what being sold was not allowed. Gian and another friend of his were scolded at one time when they documented the area. I guess good mobile phones with cameras such as iPhone are of handy and useful in areas and situations like this.

Oh here, I got my Thai sim card for just 14 Baht. 14 BAHT? What the… ok, perhpas it is really cheap here somehow.

MBK
This place is not new to me. But I was still surprised to see it again. It has improved a lot. I was looking for silver bracelets for my female friends and was advised that this is the cheapest place to go to for that. Funny about this place is that the male vendors who sold us the bracelets know simple Tagalog phrase. It sounds kind funny yet amusing them saying it

Photo taken in Skywalk in front of MBK

I LOVE this photo of our Gian! (Kasi ang ganda ko dito… hihihi)

Siam Paragon
Another place not foreign to me. siam Paragon still has it’s splendors and is still appealing to me due to it’s strategic location (has direct BTS stop/station for it), ambiance and great supermarket Ü

We decided to go here because I’m already craving for my fave Thai tea, Cha yen! And since it’s almost dinner time we ate at the food court. Pad Thai and Cha yen is a heavenly combination for me. I wasn’t able to finish my ordered Pad Thai. I got stuffed unexpectedly with the immediate drinking of the tea. Almost half of the glass’ content was only left. I brought it home for next day’s breakfast.

Pad Thai

Half-glass of Cha Yen

But before we had dinner, we bought a few supplies of groceries for my stay like flavored yogurt milk and a couple of Thai toothpaste that Ate Neth always refer to me as my pasalubong to her. And guess what? Gian showed me that Cycles Mild Baby Detergent for Babies is now available in their supermarket while  Bliss Pleasure Enhancing Lubricant is available at their drugstore .

Day 1 is almost done. I wonder awaits me tomorrow as my Day 2 for vacationing and revisiting Bangkok (again).

———-

I just received an SMS a few minutes ago from Put. I did text him today while Gian and I were having dinner at Siam Paragon food court. He said he texted last night that he can’t make it when I arrived. Unfortunate for me, I didn’t receive it. I texted him back with a brief accounts of today and the plan for tomorrow. I asked him too if there’d be a chance for us to meet at least before my vacation ends. As of 10:45PM, not reply from him. I guess it’s a NO CHANCE situation.

MBK Bangkok is one of the best shopping malls in Thailand’s capital. MBK center has everything an average visitor would want to buy. It is a central place to buy all the items that most people buy when they come to Bangkok.

Also known as Mahboonkrong, pronounced mah-boon-krong, it is a mall of over 2,000 shops and stalls which is a favourite with locals and tourists alike due to the availability of goods and the reasonable prices.

MBK can get crowded and the best time to go is during the week when the crowds are not as bad as those during the weekends,

 If you get to the MBK shops early, you can usually get a good deal on the items you want to buy. We’ve had a number of experiences where the stall owner will give you a good deal in order to secure a sale for the day.

 Ground / 1st Floor

The first floor is home to a number of shops and restaurants. There are small stalls selling jeans, shoes, accessories and even winter clothing such as jackets, gloves, scarves and so on. There is also a Supermarket that caters well for the Western tastes.

 There are a number of opticians on this floor and the prices are very reasonable.

 At the back there are a few restaurants offering Thai and Chinese food. Other places to eat and some coffee shops can also be found at this level.
In the center of this floor there are usually a number of stalls offering sales of brand name clothes for men or women. It’s usually shirts or underwear but sometimes you can have shoes and sportswear.

 There are escalators and lifts to take you up to the various floors but the main set of escalators is next to where the sales go on so they are easy to find.

 2nd Floor

 Moving up to the second floor, it’s here that you can find gold and jewelry shops selling quality items such as rings, earrings and necklaces. These stalls are all grouped together at the Tokyu end of MBK.

 Also on the second floor are a number of leather shops selling leather bags, belts and shoes. Men’s shoes can be made from crocodile skin or snake’s skin. You can buy bags made from these leathers too.

If you want some snake skin cowboy boots, check out either Findig or Udom Egg. Both sell leather goods and shoes for men and women.

 3rd Floor

This floor is similar to the 2nd floor but you can also find DVD shops such as Mang Pong selling authentic DVD movies. There are plenty of fashion and beauty stores including hair salons, massage places and some electronics shops.

You can get access to the BTS station from the 3rd floor. Burger King and Oishi restaurants can be found on the 3rd floor.

 4th Floor

 This floor is almost entirely dedicated to mobile phones, both new and used, as well as mobile phone accessories. If you need a new phone or just a cheap second hand one whilst you travel Thailand, the 4th floor will serve your needs.
Also on the 4th floor you have electrical goods shops selling CDs, MP3s, portable DVD players, in-car hi-fi and some more fashion shops.

There are a number of stalls selling pirated software, pirated DVD movies and games. Expect to pay about 120 Baht for software and 100 Baht for movies. Ask for 100% quality DVDs – some shops offer their own guarantee as to quality and will exchange if you are not satisfied. Be aware that the police are cracking down on piracy and the store may be closed when you return to collect your purchases. Be patient as the store keeper will look after your purchases and give them to you “when the coast is clear”.

 5th Floor

 This floor is mainly furniture or furnishings.

There are a number of places to eat on this level but the most popular is The Fifth Avenue which is like a food court where you are given a ticket upon entering and then you can order from any of the stalls and pay one fee on exiting. All items are added to the ticket when you order. The ticket is swiped at the shop to add the sum and then swiped on exit to total the amount. It is very expensive to eat here – not greatest value for money.

 6th Floor

This floor caters to Thai souvenirs, gifts and arts and crafts. There is a large number of stalls selling all sorts of Thai style souvenirs. Prices will depend on your ability to bargain.

On the same floor there are a number of stalls selling gaming consoles. You can pick up gaming consoles such as Wii, PS3, and X-Box 360 as well as PSPs which are very easy to get. Expect to pay about 8,500 Baht for a PSP.
Along with the game consoles are pirated games for PC, and the consoles but if you own one of these machines, it DOES NOT mean you can play these pirated games. Much of the time your console will have to have been patched or modified with a special chip or software hack in order for the games to play.

As well as pirated games, there are plenty of stalls selling pirated movies on DVD and pirated software.

 7th Floor

 This level is an entertainment level. There are plenty of restaurants, karaoke booths, Internet cafes and PC gaming networks.

There is also a good movie theatre and a bowling alley.

If you want to get away from shopping at MBK for a while, the 7th floor has something to help you relax until you are ready to get shopping again.

Dein Mercedes CL65 AMG ist NICHTS! Ein 6 Liter V12 was nur 612 PS und 1000 Newton Meter liefert? Von 0 auf 100 in 4.4 Sekunden? Fussgänger! Lächerlich!

Und weisst du wer am lachen ist? MKB ist gerade dabei deinen Mercedes CL65 AMG auszulachen.

Weil deren CL65 AMG hat 751 PS und viel mehr Newton Meter. Das ist eindeutig mehr als was DEINS hat!

Deren CL – oder der MKB 65/12 BT, weil viele Buchstaben und Zahlen klingen anscheinend wichtiger – erreicht die 100 Grenze in genau 4 Sekunden, und fährt 350 Km/h. Dagegen sieht dein CL langsam aus.

MKB’s CL hat eine neue Differential Sperre, ein neues Fahrwerk, und große schwarze Felgen. Dein CL hat nichts davon.

MKB’s CL hat viel Alcantara Leder und Carbon im Cockpit. Dein CL hat das nicht.

Fühlst du dich ein wenig Provoziert jetzt?

Lo he intentado evitar.
Hace meses literalmente que no actualizo el Blog…
- “Y vas y te pones hablar de…?” …pensaréis.

In het kader van het programma Nederland Digitaal in Verbinding hebben Raymond Witvoet en ik recentelijk de workshop Slimmer E-commerce gegeven. We hebben de deelnemers meer inzicht willen geven in wat e-commerce nu precies wel en niet is en wat ze er zelf eventueel mee kunnen doen.

De Zilvervloot
In de praktijk merken we nog wel eens dat mensen denken dat een webwinkel de heilige graal is en dat het zilvervloot dan wel binnen zal varen. Raymond en ik hebben ervaring uit de praktijk en in de praktijk zijn er een aantal factoren die ervoor zorgen dat een webshop al dan niet een succes wordt:

Succesfactoren webshop
- Waarin onderscheidt de shop zich ten opzichte van de concurrentie?
- Hoe goed werkt de website/het systeem?
- Betaalmogelijkheden?
- Op welke manier wordt er invulling gegeven aan marketing?
- Hoe is de logistiek geregeld?
- Hoe is het klantcontact geregeld? (geef je om de klant of is het een noodzakelijk kwaad?)
- Op welke manier wordt er service verleend?
- Is alles juridisch goed geregeld (aansprakelijkheid, privacy)

Presentatie
Ik heb de presentatie zoals we deze gegeven hebben bijgevoegd. Voor vragen kun je contact opnemen.