| Clad in my T-shirt and Bermudas, I decided
to brave in mid-day sun and the sweltering heat to visit
the renown Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok. As the
name implies, Chatuchak is a weekend market and is only
open during the weekends.
I can never cease to be amazed by the variety of merchandizes
that one can find at this market ranging from clothes,
books, furniture, jewelry, household items and even
animals…. You can literally get anything that you
can think of at this market.
Due to the sheer size of the market and the huge number
of stalls there, if you ever find something that you
fancy, buy it immediately as you will never be able
to locate the stall that you found that item. Chatuchak
is really a shopping paradise which one should never
miss if you are in Bangkok.
As night fell, my sister who was with me suggested
that we visit Patpong Night Market. The Patpong Night
Market is similar to the "Pasar Malam" in
Singapore and one can easily find a wide range of fake
goods such as bags & watches. Along the side of
the night market are the famous bars which can be rather
distracting for guys.
Shopping was never enough for my sister & myself
and as there was still time, we decided to take a "Tuk-tuk"
to "Mabunkong (MBK)" which is a 6-storied
air-conditioned shopping centre that sells an assortment
of goods at reasonable prices for more shopping and
dinner.
Trust me, "Tuk-tuk" should never be a mode
of transport for the faint-hearted. I held so tightly
to the handrail at the side of the vehicle and my heart
nearing jumped out of my mouth when the driver weaved
in between other vehicles at high speed along the streets
of Bangkok. Oh yes, before I forget, please remember
to bargain with the "Tuk-tuk" drivers before
boarding their vehicle. This is because "Tuk-tuk"
does not run by meter and it is easy to be conned by
some unscrupulous drivers who would overcharge unsuspecting
tourists.
After an entire day of shopping with almost a luggage
full of purchases, fatigue set in and we decided to
make our way back to our hotel to prepare ourselves
for the next day of shopping at Pratunam Wholesale Market
& Bobae Wholesale Market…. but this time, we
went back in a taxi that runs by meter and not the "Tuk-tuk".
by Miss Lee Sing Ee
Senior Executive
Clinical Manpower
National Healthcare Group
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